Acts 7
7Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these accusations true?"G1161G2036G749G1487G686G2192G5023G37792This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.G1161G5346G435G80G2532G3962G191G2316G1391G3700G2257G3962G11G5607G1722G3318G4250G2228G846G2730G1722G54883God told him, 'Leave your native land and your relatives, and come into the land that I will show you.'G2532G2036G4314G846G1831G1537G4675G1093G2532G1537G4675G4772G2532G1204G1519G1093G3739G302G1166G46714So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live.G5119G1831G1537G1093G5466G2730G1722G5488G2547G3326G846G3962G599G3351G846G1519G5026G1093G1519G3739G5210G3568G27305"But God gave him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the whole land would belong to Abraham and his descendants—even though he had no children yet.G2532G1325G846G3756G2817G1722G846G3761G968G4228G968G2532G1861G1325G846G846G1519G2697G2532G846G4690G3326G846G846G5607G3756G50436God also told him that his descendants would live in a foreign land, where they would be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.G1161G2316G2980G3779G3754G846G4690G2071G3941G1722G245G1093G2532G1402G846G1402G2532G2559G5071G20947'But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God said, 'and in the end they will come out and worship me here in this place.'G2532G1484G3739G1437G1398G2919G1473G2919G2036G2316G2532G3326G5023G1831G2532G3000G3427G1722G5129G51178"God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time. So when Abraham became the father of Isaac, he circumcised him on the eighth day. And the practice was continued when Isaac became the father of Jacob, and when Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Israelite nation.G2532G1325G846G1242G4061G2532G3779G1080G2464G2532G4059G846G3590G2250G2532G2464G2384G2532G2384G1427G39669"These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with himG2532G3966G2206G591G2501G1519G125G2532G2316G2258G3326G84610and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.G2532G1807G846G1537G3956G846G2347G2532G1325G846G5485G2532G4678G1726G5328G935G125G2532G2525G846G2233G1909G125G2532G3650G846G362411"But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery, and our ancestors ran out of food.G1161G2064G3042G1909G3650G1093G125G2532G5477G2532G3173G2347G2532G2257G3962G2147G3756G552712Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons—our ancestors—to buy some.G1161G2384G191G5607G4621G1722G125G1821G2257G3962G441213The second time they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh.G2532G1722G1208G2501G319G846G80G2532G2501G1085G1096G5318G532814Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all.G1161G649G2501G3333G846G3962G2384G2532G3956G846G4772G1722G1440G4002G559015So Jacob went to Egypt. He died there, as did our ancestors.G1161G2384G2597G1519G125G2532G5053G846G2532G2257G396216Their bodies were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb Abraham had bought for a certain price from Hamor's sons in Shechem.G2532G3346G1519G4966G2532G5087G1722G3418G3739G11G5608G5092G694G3844G5207G1697G3588G496617"As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased.G1161G2531G5550G1860G1448G3739G2316G3660G11G2992G837G2532G4129G1722G12518But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.G891G3739G2087G935G450G3739G1492G3756G250119This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.G3778G2686G2257G1085G2559G2257G3962G4160G1570G846G1025G1519G2225G3361G222520"At that time Moses was born—a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three months.G1722G3739G2540G3475G1080G2532G2258G2316G791G3739G397G1722G846G3962G3624G5140G337621When they had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.G1161G846G1620G5328G2364G337G846G337G2532G397G846G1519G1438G520722Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in both speech and action.G2532G3475G3811G3956G4678G124G1161G2258G1415G1722G3056G2532G1722G204123"One day when Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel.G1161G5613G846G4137G5063G5550G305G1909G846G2588G1980G846G80G5207G247424He saw an Egyptian mistreating an Israelite. So Moses came to the man's defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian.G2532G1492G5100G91G292G2532G1557G4160G2669G3960G12425Moses assumed his fellow Israelites would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't.G1161G3543G846G80G4920G3754G2316G1223G846G5495G1325G4991G846G1161G4920G375626"The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. 'Men,' he said, 'you are brothers. Why are you fighting each other?'G5037G1966G2250G3700G846G3164G2532G4900G846G1519G1515G2036G435G5210G2075G80G2444G91G24027"But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked.G1161G91G4139G91G683G846G683G2036G5101G2525G4571G758G2532G1348G1909G224828'Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?'G3361G2309G4771G337G3165G3739G5158G337G124G550429When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian. There his two sons were born.G1161G5343G3475G1722G5129G3056G2532G1096G3941G1722G1093G3099G3757G1080G1417G520730"Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning bush.G2532G5062G2094G4137G3700G846G1722G2048G3735G4614G32G2962G1722G5395G4442G94231When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went to take a closer look, the voice of the LORD called out to him,G1161G3475G1492G2296G3705G1161G846G4334G2657G5456G2962G1096G4314G84632'I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and did not dare to look.G1473G2316G4675G3962G2316G11G2532G2316G2464G2532G2316G2384G1161G3475G1096G1790G5111G3756G265733"Then the LORD said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground.G1161G2036G2962G846G3089G5266G4675G4228G1063G5117G1722G3739G2476G2076G40G109334I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.'G1492G1492G2561G3450G2992G3588G1722G125G2532G191G846G4726G2532G2597G1807G846G2532G3568G1204G649G4571G1519G12535"So God sent back the same man his people had previously rejected when they demanded, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush, God sent Moses to be their ruler and savior.G5126G3475G3739G720G2036G5101G2525G4571G758G2532G1348G5126G2316G649G758G2532G3086G1722G5495G32G3588G3700G846G1722G94236And by means of many wonders and miraculous signs, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and through the wilderness for forty years.G3778G1806G846G1806G4160G5059G2532G4592G1722G1093G125G2532G1722G2063G2281G2532G1722G2048G5062G209437"Moses himself told the people of Israel, 'God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from among your own people.'G3778G2076G3475G3588G2036G5207G2474G4396G450G2962G5216G2316G450G5213G1537G5216G80G5613G1691G846G19138Moses was with our ancestors, the assembly of God's people in the wilderness, when the angel spoke to him at Mount Sinai. And there Moses received life-giving words to pass on to us.G3778G2076G1096G1722G1577G1722G2048G3326G32G3588G2980G846G1722G3735G4614G2532G2257G3962G3739G1209G2198G3051G1325G225439"But our ancestors refused to listen to Moses. They rejected him and wanted to return to Egypt.G3739G2257G3962G2309G3756G1096G5255G235G683G2532G846G2588G4762G1519G12540They told Aaron, 'Make us some gods who can lead us, for we don't know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.'G2036G2G4160G2254G2316G3739G4313G2257G1063G3778G3475G3739G1806G2248G1537G1093G125G1492G3756G5101G1096G84641So they made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and celebrated over this thing they had made.G2532G3447G1722G1565G2250G2532G321G2378G1497G2532G2165G1722G2041G846G549542Then God turned away from them and abandoned them to serve the stars of heaven as their gods! In the book of the prophets it is written, 'Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices and offerings during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel?G1161G2316G4762G2532G3860G846G3860G3000G4756G3772G2531G1125G1722G976G4396G3624G2474G3361G4374G3427G4968G2532G2378G5062G2094G1722G204843No, you carried your pagan gods—the shrine of Molech, the star of your god Rephan, and the images you made to worship them. So I will send you into exile as far away as Babylon.'G2532G353G4633G3434G2532G798G5216G2316G4481G5179G3739G4160G4352G846G2532G3351G5209G3351G1900G89744"Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed according to the plan God had shown to Moses.G2257G3962G2258G4633G3142G1722G1722G2048G2531G1299G2980G3475G4160G846G2596G5179G3739G370845Years later, when Joshua led our ancestors in battle against the nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory. And it stayed there until the time of King David.G3739G2532G2257G3962G1237G1521G3326G2424G1722G2697G1484G3739G2316G1856G575G4383G2257G3962G2193G2250G113846"David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of Jacob.G3739G2147G5485G1799G2316G2532G154G2147G4638G2316G238447But it was Solomon who actually built it.G1161G4672G3618G846G362448However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by human hands. As the prophet says,G235G5310G2730G3756G1722G3485G5499G2531G3004G439649'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Could you build me a temple as good as that?' asks the LORD. 'Could you build me such a resting place?G3772G3427G2362G1161G1093G3450G4228G5286G4169G3624G3618G3427G3004G2962G2228G5101G5117G3450G266350Didn't my hands make both heaven and earth?'G4160G3780G3450G5495G4160G3956G502351"You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That's what your ancestors did, and so do you!G4644G2532G564G2588G2532G3775G5210G496G104G496G40G4151G5613G5216G3962G2532G521052Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One—the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered.G5101G4396G1377G3756G5216G3962G1377G2532G615G3588G4293G4012G1660G1342G3739G5210G1096G3568G4273G2532G540653You deliberately disobeyed God's law, even though you received it from the hands of angels."G3748G2983G3551G1519G1296G32G2532G5442G3756G544254The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.G1161G191G5023G1282G2588G846G2532G1031G1909G846G359955But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand.G1161G5225G4134G40G4151G816G1519G3772G1492G1391G2316G2532G2424G2476G1537G1188G231656And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!"G2532G2036G2400G2334G3772G455G2532G5207G444G2476G1537G1188G231657Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at himG1161G2896G3173G5456G4912G846G3775G2532G3729G1909G846G366158and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.G2532G1544G1854G4172G3036G2532G3144G659G846G2440G3844G3494G4228G2564G456959As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."G2532G3036G4736G1941G2532G3004G2962G2424G1209G3450G415160He fell to his knees, shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died.G1161G5087G1119G2896G3173G5456G2962G2476G3361G5026G266G846G2532G2036G5124G2837
Acts 8
8Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen. A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.G1161G4569G2258G4909G846G336G1161G1722G1565G2250G1096G3173G1375G1909G1577G3588G1722G2414G5037G1289G3956G1289G2596G5561G2449G2532G4540G4133G6522(Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)G1161G2126G435G4792G4736G2532G4160G3173G2870G1909G8463But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.G1161G4569G3075G1577G1531G2596G3624G4951G5037G435G2532G1135G3860G1519G54384But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.G3767G3303G1289G1330G2097G30565Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.G1161G5376G2718G1519G4172G4540G2784G5547G8466Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.G5037G3793G3661G4337G5376G3004G5259G1722G191G846G2532G991G4592G3739G41607Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed.G1063G169G4151G994G3173G5456G1831G4183G2192G1161G4183G3886G2532G5560G23238So there was great joy in that city.G2532G1096G3173G5479G1722G1565G41729A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.G1161G5100G435G3686G4613G4391G1722G4172G3096G2532G1839G1484G4540G3004G1438G1511G5100G317310Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as "the Great One—the Power of God."G3739G3956G4337G575G3398G2193G3173G3004G3778G2076G3173G1411G231611They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.G1161G846G4337G1223G2425G5550G1839G846G309512But now the people believed Philip's message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.G1161G3753G4100G5376G2097G4012G932G2316G2532G3686G2424G5547G907G5037G435G2532G113513Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.G1161G4613G846G4100G2532G2532G907G2258G4342G5376G5037G1839G2334G1411G2532G4592G3173G1096G109614When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God's message, they sent Peter and John there.G1161G652G3588G1722G2414G191G3754G4540G1209G3056G2316G649G4314G846G4074G2532G249115As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.G3748G2597G4336G4012G846G3704G2983G40G415116The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.G1063G3768G2258G1968G1909G3762G846G3440G1161G5225G907G1519G3686G2962G242417Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.G5119G2007G5495G1909G846G2532G2983G40G415118When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.G1161G4613G2300G3754G1223G1936G652G5495G40G4151G1325G4374G846G553619"Let me have this power, too," he exclaimed, "so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!"G3004G1325G2504G5026G1849G2443G2007G3739G1437G2007G5495G2983G40G415120But Peter replied, "May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God's gift can be bought!G1161G4074G2036G4314G846G4675G694G1498G1519G684G4862G4671G3754G3543G1431G2316G2932G1223G553621You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.G4671G2076G3756G3310G3761G2819G1722G5129G3056G1063G4675G2588G2076G3756G2117G1799G231622Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts,G3340G3767G575G5026G4675G2549G2532G1189G2316G1487G686G1963G4675G2588G863G467123for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin."G1063G3708G4571G5607G1519G5521G4088G2532G4886G9324"Pray to the Lord for me," Simon exclaimed, "that these terrible things you've said won't happen to me!"G1161G611G4613G2036G1189G5210G4314G2962G5228G1700G3704G3367G3739G2046G1904G1909G169125After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.G3303G3767G1263G2532G2980G3056G2962G5290G1519G2419G5037G2097G4183G2968G454126As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza."G1161G32G2962G2980G4314G5376G3004G450G2532G4198G2596G3314G1909G3598G2597G575G2419G1519G1048G3778G2076G204827So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship,G2532G450G4198G2532G2400G435G128G2135G1413G2582G938G128G3739G2258G1909G3956G846G1047G3739G2064G1519G2419G435228and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.G5037G2258G5290G2532G2521G1909G846G716G2532G314G2268G439629The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage."G1161G4151G2036G5376G4334G2532G2853G5129G71630Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"G1161G5376G4370G191G846G314G4396G2268G2532G2036G687G1065G1097G3739G31431The man replied, "How can I, unless someone instructs me?" And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.G1161G2036G1063G4459G302G1410G3362G5100G3594G3165G5037G3870G5376G305G2523G4862G84632The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter And as a lamb is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.G1161G4042G1124G3739G314G2258G3778G71G5613G4263G1909G4967G2532G5613G286G880G1726G846G2751G3779G455G3756G846G475033He was humiliated and received no justice Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."G1722G846G5014G846G2920G142G1161G5101G1334G846G1074G3754G846G2222G142G575G109334The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?"G1161G2135G611G5376G2036G1189G4675G4012G5101G3004G4396G5124G4012G1438G2228G4012G5100G208735So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.G1161G5376G455G846G4750G2532G756G575G5026G1124G2097G846G242436As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look! There's some water! Why can't I be baptized?"G1161G5613G4198G2596G3598G2064G1909G5100G5204G2532G2135G5346G2400G5204G5101G2967G3165G90737G1161G5376G2036G1487G4100G1537G3650G2588G1832G1161G611G2036G4100G2424G5547G1511G5207G231638He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.G2532G2753G716G2476G2532G2597G297G1519G5204G5037G5376G2532G2135G2532G907G84639When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.G1161G3753G305G1537G5204G4151G2962G726G5376G2532G2135G1492G3756G846G3765G1063G4198G846G3598G546340Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.G1161G5376G2147G1519G108G2532G1330G2097G3956G4172G2193G846G2064G1519G2542
Dublin, OH
.G1161
