Study Desk

All the people recognized him as the crippled man who always sat by the Beautiful Gate begging for money. Now they saw this same man walking and praising God, and they were amazed. They wondered how this could happen.

Samuel, and all the other prophets who spoke for God after Samuel, told about this time now.

The leaders warned the apostles again and let them go free. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had been done.

He kept back part of the money for himself; his wife knew about this and agreed to it. But he brought the rest of the money and gave it to the apostles.

Peter said, "Ananias, why did you let Satan rule your thoughts to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep for yourself part of the money you received for the land?

Peter said to her, "Tell me, was the money you got for your field this much?" Sapphira answered, "Yes, that was the price."

saying, "We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in that name. But look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are trying to make us responsible for this man's death."

But a Pharisee named Gamaliel stood up in the meeting. He was a teacher of the law, and all the people respected him. He ordered the apostles to leave the meeting for a little while.

The apostles left the meeting full of joy because they were given the honor of suffering disgrace for Jesus.

The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together and said, "It is not right for us to stop our work of teaching God's word in order to serve tables.

This is what God said to him: ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a land they don't own. The people there will make them slaves and will mistreat them for four hundred years.

God made an agreement with Abraham, the sign of which was circumcision. And so when Abraham had his son Isaac, Abraham circumcised him when he was eight days old. Isaac also circumcised his son Jacob, and Jacob did the same for his sons, the twelve ancestors of our people.

Later their bodies were moved to Shechem and put in a grave there. (It was the same grave Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.)

At this time Moses was born, and he was very beautiful. For three months Moses was cared for in his father's house.

So Moses led the people out of Egypt. He worked miracles and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and then in the desert for forty years.

But God turned against them and did not try to stop them from worshiping the sun, moon, and stars. This is what is written in the book of the prophets: God says, ‘People of Israel, you did not bring me sacrifices and offerings while you traveled in the desert for forty years.

who pleased God and asked God to let him build a house for him, the God of Jacob.

‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. So do you think you can build a house for me? says the Lord. Do I need a place to rest?

And some religious people buried Stephen and cried loudly for him.

Change your heart! Turn away from this evil thing you have done, and pray to the Lord. Maybe he will forgive you for thinking this.