The New Testament Part 23

5 [4:13]And seeing the boldness of Peter and John, and supposing that they were illiterate and common men, they wondered, and perceived that they had been with Jesus; [4:14]and seeing the man standing with them cured, they could not dispute it. [4:15]And commanding them to withdraw from the Sanhedrim, they conferred one with another, [4:16]saying, What shall we do to these men? for that a notable miracle has been performed by them is manifest to all that live at Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it; [4:17]but that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them severely, [and charge them] to speak no more to any man in this name. [4:18]And calling them, they charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. [4:19]But Peter and John answered and said to them, Whether it is right in the sight of G.o.d to obey you rather than G.o.d, judge; [4:20]for we cannot but tell what we have seen and heard. [4:21]And threatening them still further, they dismissed them, not being able to punish them, on account of the people, because all glorified G.o.d for what was done; [4:22]for the man was more than forty years old on whom this miracle of the cure was performed.

6 [4:23]And being dismissed they came to their friends, and related to them what the chief priests and elders said to them. [4:24]And when they heard it they lifted up their voice with one consent to G.o.d, and said, Master, thou who hast made heaven, and the earth, the sea, and all things in them, [4:25]who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the nations rage and the peoples devise vain things?

[4:26]the kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were a.s.sembled together against the Lord, and against his anointed. [4:27]For of a truth, in this city, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the gentiles and people of Israel, were a.s.sembled together against thy holy servant Jesus whom thou hast anointed, [4:28]to do what thy hand and counsel before appointed to be done. [4:29]And now, Lord, look down upon their threatenings, and grant to thy servants with all boldness to speak thy word, [4:30]by stretching out thy hand, that cures and miracles and prodigies may be performed by the name of thy holy servant Jesus.

[4:31]And when they had prayed the place was shaken in which they were a.s.sembled, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the word of G.o.d with boldness.

CHAPTER IV.

THE LIBERALITY OF THE FIRST CHRISTIANS, ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA, FURTHER PERSECUTION.

1 [4:32]AND the mult.i.tude that believed had one heart and one soul, and none said that anything of his possessions was his; but they had all things common. [4:33]And the apostles delivered the testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus with great power, and great favor was towards them all. [4:34]For no one among them was needy; for those who possessed lands or houses sold and brought the prices of the things sold, [4:35]and laid them at the apostles' feet; and distribution was made to each as any one had need. [4:36]And Joseph, called Barnabas by the apostles, which is interpreted, A son of consolation, a Levite, a Cyprian by birth, [4:37]having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the feet of the apostles.

2 [5:1]And one Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, [5:2]and he kept back a part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and bringing a certain part laid it at the apostles'

feet. [5:3]But Peter said, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart that you should lie to the Holy Spirit, and that you should keep back a part of the price of the land? [5:4]Continuing unsold was it not yours, and when it was sold was it not at your disposal? Why did you propose this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to G.o.d.

[5:5]And Ananias hearing these words fell down and expired; and great fear was upon all who heard. [5:6]And the young men arose and laid him out, and having carried him out buried him.

3 [5:7]And after an interval of about three hours, his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. [5:8]And Peter answered her, Tell me whether you sold the field for so much? And she said, Yes; for so much. [5:9]And Peter said to her, Why have you agreed together to try the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those that buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out. [5:10]And she fell down immediately at his feet, and expired; and the young men coming in found her dead, and carried her out, and buried her by her husband. [5:11]And great fear was on all the a.s.sembly [church], and on all that heard of these things.

4 [5:12]And many miracles and prodigies were performed among the people by the hands of the apostles; and they were all of one accord in Solomon's porch; [5:13]and no one of the rest dared to join them, but the people magnified them; [5:14]and believers were added the more to the Lord, mult.i.tudes both of men and women; [5:15]so that they brought the sick into the streets and placed them on little beds and couches, that as Peter pa.s.sed along even his shadow might overshadow some of them. [5:16]And the mult.i.tude came together from the cities about Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those troubled by impure spirits, all of whom were cured.

5 [5:17]And the chief priest arose, and all those with him, being the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with wrath, [5:18]and laid hands on the apostles, and put them in the public prison. [5:19]But an angel of the Lord opening the prison doors by night led them out and said, [5:20]Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. [5:21]And hearing this they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. And the chief priest coming, and those with him, called the Sanhedrim together, and all the eldership of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

6 [5:22]But the officers going did not find them in the prison; and returning they reported, [5:23]saying, The prison found we shut with all safety, and the guards standing before the doors, but opening we found no one within. [5:24]And when they heard these words, both the priest and the commander of the temple and the chief priests doubted concerning them, what this could mean. [5:25]But some one came and told them, Behold, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.

7 [5:26]Then the commander going away with the officers brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned; [5:27]and having brought them they placed them before the Sanhedrim. And the chief priest asked them, [5:28]saying, We charged you strictly not to teach in this name, and behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and wish to bring this man's blood on us.

[5:29]And Peter answering, and the apostles, said, It is necessary to obey G.o.d rather than man. [5:30]The G.o.d of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you took and hung on a cross; [5:31]him has G.o.d exalted, a Prince and Saviour at his right hand, to give a change of mind to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. [5:32]And we are his witnesses of these things, and also the Holy Spirit which G.o.d has given to those that obey him.

8 [5:33]And when they heard this they were highly offended, and took counsel to kill them. [5:34]But a certain Pharisee in the Sanhedrim, by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, in honor with all the people, standing up requested them to put the men out a little while; [5:35]and he said to them, Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you are about to do to these men. [5:36]For before these days Theudas arose, saying that he was somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, adhered, who was destroyed, and all who obeyed him pa.s.sed away and came to nothing.

9 [5:37]After him arose Judas the Galilean, in the days of the census, and drew away people after him; and he was destroyed, and all who obeyed him were dispersed. [5:38]And now I tell you, abstain from these men, and let them alone; because if this design, or this work, is from men, it will be destroyed; [5:39]but if it is from G.o.d, you cannot destroy them; lest you be found at some time to be fighting against G.o.d. [5:40]And they were persuaded by him, and calling the apostles and scourging them, they charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. [5:41]They went therefore from the presence of the Sanhedrim, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to suffer shame for the name of [Christ]; [5:42]and every day in the temple, and from house to house, they ceased not teaching and preaching the good news of Christ Jesus.

CHAPTER V.

THE APPOINTMENT OF SEVEN DEACONS, THE SERMON AND MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN, AND A GENERAL PERSECUTION.

1 [6:1]AND in those days the disciples being multiplied, there was a complaint of the h.e.l.lenists against the Hebrews, that their widows were neglected in the daily service. [6:2]And the twelve calling the mult.i.tude of the disciples, said, It is not desirable that we should leave the word of G.o.d to serve tables. [6:3]Look out therefore, brothers, from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Holy Spirit, and of wisdom, whom we may set over this business; [6:4]but we will attend continually to prayer, and the ministry of the word.

2 [6:5]And the proposition pleased all the mult.i.tude, and they elected Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus, and Nicanor and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus a proselyte of Antioch, [6:6]and set them before the Apostles; and they having prayed imposed hands on them. [6:7]And the word of G.o.d increased, and the number of the disciples was greatly multiplied at Jerusalem, and a great mult.i.tude of the priests obeyed the faith.

3 [6:8]And Stephen, full of grace and power, performed prodigies and great miracles among the people. [6:9]But some members of the synagogue called that of the Libertines and Cyrenians and Alexandrians and of those from Cilicia and Asia, arose and disputed with Stephen, [6:10]and were not able to resist the wisdom and spirit with which he spoke.

[6:11]Then they bribed men who said, We heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and G.o.d. [6:12]And they stirred up both the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and coming suddenly they seized him and led him to the Sanhedrim, [6:13]and brought forward false witnesses who said, This man speaks incessantly against this holy place, and the law; [6:14]for we have heard him say, that Jesus this Nazoraean will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses gave us.

[6:15]And all who sat in the Sanhedrin looking steadily at him saw his face like the face of an angel.

4 [7:1]And the chief priest said, Are these things then so? [7:2]And he said, Men, brothers, and fathers, hear. The G.o.d of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, [7:3]and said to him, Go out from your country and your kindred, and come to a land which I will show you. [7:4]Then going out from the land of the Chaldeans, he lived in Haran. And thence, after the death of his father, he removed into this land in which you now live.

[7:5]And [G.o.d] gave him no inheritance in it, not the breadth of a foot, and promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his posterity after him, when as yet he had no son. [7:6]And G.o.d said thus; that his posterity should be a stranger in a foreign land, and they shall enslave it and treat it injuriously four hundred years; [7:7]and the nation which they shall serve will I judge, said G.o.d, and after that they shall come forth and serve me in this place.

5 [7:8]And he gave him the ordinance of circ.u.mcision; and so he begat Isaac and circ.u.mcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac, Jacob, and Jacob the twelve patriarchs. [7:9]And the patriarchs envying Joseph sold him into Egypt; and G.o.d was with him [7:10]and delivered him from all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and [he] made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

6 [7:11]And there came a famine on all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers found no provisions. [7:12]But Jacob hearing that there was grain in Egypt, sent our fathers the first time; [7:13]and the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph's family was made known to Pharaoh. [7:14]And Joseph sent and called for his father Jacob, and all the family of seventy-five souls. [7:15]And Jacob went down to Egypt, and died, he and our fathers; [7:16]and they carried him back to Shechem and buried him in the tomb which Abraham bought for money of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem.

7 [7:17]But when the time of the promise which G.o.d made with an oath to Abraham was at hand, the people increased and became numerous in Egypt, [7:18]till another king arose who knew not Joseph. [7:19]This [king]

dealt deceitfully with our race, and treated injuriously our fathers, causing their infants to be exposed that they might not be preserved alive.

8 [7:20]At that time Moses was born, and was beautiful in the sight of G.o.d, and was nourished three months in his father's house; [7:21]but being exposed, the daughter of Pharaoh took him up and nourished him as her own son. [7:22]And Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in his words and works. [7:23]And when he was forty years old, it came into his mind to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. [7:24]And seeing one injured he defended him, and executed judgment for the oppressed, smiting the Egyptian. [7:25]And he thought his brothers would understand that G.o.d would give them salvation by his hand; but they understood not.

9 [7:26]On the following day also he showed himself to them as they contended, and urged them to peace, saying, Men, you are brothers; why do you injure one another? [7:27]But he that injured his neighbor repelled him, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?

[7:28]Will you kill me as you did the Egyptian, yesterday? [7:29]And Moses fled at that saying, and lived a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons.

10 [7:30]And forty years being completed there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel in a flame of fire, in a bush.

[7:31]And Moses seeing it, wondered at the sight; and coming near to look at it, there was a voice of the Lord, [7:32]I am the G.o.d of your fathers, the G.o.d of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. And Moses being afraid dared not look at it. [7:33]And the Lord said to him, Put off your shoes from your feet; for the place on which you stand is holy ground. [7:34]I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and have come down to deliver them; and now come, I will send you to Egypt.

11 [7:35]This is the Moses whom they denied, saying, Who made you a ruler and a judge? Him did G.o.d send to be a ruler and a redeemer by the hand of the angel that appeared to him in the bush. [7:36]This man brought them out, having performed prodigies and miracles in Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. [7:37]This is the Moses who said to the children of Israel, A prophet shall G.o.d raise up for you, of your brothers, like me. [7:38] This is he that was with the a.s.sembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received the living oracles to give us, [7:39]whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him away and turned back in their hearts to Egypt, [7:40]saying to Aaron, Make us G.o.ds to go before us; for this Moses who led us up out of Egypt, we know not what has happened to him.

12 [7:41]And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. [7:42]And G.o.d turned and gave them up to serve the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets; Did you offer victims and sacrifices to me forty years in the wilderness, house of Israel, [7:43]and take up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of the G.o.d Rephan, figures which you made to worship? I will even remove you beyond Babylon.

13 [7:44]Our fathers in the wilderness received the tabernacle of the testimony, as he that spoke to Moses charged him to make it according to the pattern which he had seen; [7:45]which also our fathers receiving it in succession brought with Joshua into the possession of the nations, whom G.o.d expelled before the face of our fathers till the days of David; [7:46]who found favor with G.o.d and desired to find a dwelling for the G.o.d of Jacob. [7:47]And Solomon built him a house.

[7:48]But the Most High dwells not in [temples] made with hands, as the prophet says; [7:49]Heaven is my throne, and the earth my footstool; what house will you build me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? [7:50]has not my hand made all these things? [7:51]Stiff necked, and uncirc.u.mcised in heart and ears, you always fight against the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, you also do. [7:52]Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, of whom you now have become betrayers and murderers, [7:53]who have received the law by orders of angels and have not kept it.

14 [7:54]And when they heard these things they were enraged in their minds and gnashed their teeth upon him. [7:55]But he being full of the Holy Spirit, looking steadily to heaven saw the glory of G.o.d and Jesus standing on the right hand of G.o.d, [7:56]and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing on the right hand of G.o.d.

[7:57]And crying with a loud voice they stopped their ears and rushed upon him with one accord, [7:58]and casting him out of the city, stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man called Saul, [7:59]and they stoned Stephen, calling and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. [7:60]And kneeling down he cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And having said this he fell asleep. [8:1]And Saul consented to his death.

15 And at that time there was a great persecution of the church at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad through the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. [8:2]And pious men buried Stephen and made a great lamentation for him. [8:3]But Saul persecuted the church, and going from house to house, seizing men and women, committed them to prison.

CHAPTER VI.

THE EARLY MINISTRY OF PHILIP THE DEACON, THE CONVERSION OF THE SAMARITANS, THE ETHIOPIAN EUNUCH.

1 [8:4]Being scattered abroad, therefore, they went everywhere preaching the good news of the word; [8:5]and Philip going down to a city of Samaria preached Christ to them. [8:6]And the mult.i.tudes attended with one accord to the things said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the miracles which he performed. [8:7]For impure spirits came out of many who had them, crying with a loud voice; and many paralytics and lame persons were cured; [8:8]and there was great joy in that city.

2 [8:9]And there was a man by the name of Simon who formerly practised magic in that city, and astonished the nation of Samaria, saying that he was some great person, [8:10]to whom all from the least to the greatest attended, saying, This is the power of G.o.d which is called great. [8:11]And they attended to him because for a long time he had astonished them with his magic arts. [8:12]But because they believed Philip preaching the good news of the kingdom of G.o.d and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women. [8:13]And Simon also himself believed, and being baptized attended constantly on Philip; and beholding the mighty works and miracles that were performed, he was astonished.

3 [8:14]And the apostles at Jerusalem hearing that Samaria had received the word of G.o.d, sent to them Peter and John, [8:15]who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; [8:16]for it had not yet fallen on any of them, only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. [8:17] Then they laid hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. [8:18]And Simon seeing that the Holy Spirit was given by the imposition of the hands of the apostles, offered them money, [8:19]saying, Give me this power, that on whomsoever I lay my hand he may receive the Holy Spirit. [8:20]But Peter said to him, Your money go to perdition with you; because you have thought to purchase the gift of G.o.d with money. [8:21]You have no part nor inheritance in this work; for your heart is not right before G.o.d. [8:22]Turn your mind therefore from this your wickedness, and pray the Lord if perhaps the thought of your mind may be forgiven you; [8:23]for I see you are in the gall of bitterness and bond of wickedness. [8:24]And Simon answered and said, Pray to the Lord for me, that none of the things which you have said may come upon me.

4 [8:25]They then having fully testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the good news to many villages of the Samaritans. [8:26]And an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, Arise and go to the south, by the way that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza; this is a wilderness. [8:27]And he arose and went.

And behold a man, an Ethiopian eunuch, an officer of Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, [8:28]and he was returning and sitting in his chariot reading the prophet Isaiah.

5 [8:29]And the Spirit said to Philip, Go forward and join yourself to his chariot. [8:30]And Philip running forward heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and he said, Do you really understand what you read?

[8:31]And he said [No]; for how can I unless some one teaches me? And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. [8:32]And the pa.s.sage of Scripture which he was reading, was this; As a sheep is led to slaughter, and as a lamb before one that shears him is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. [8:33]In his humiliation his judgment was taken away; and who will tell of his generation? for his life was taken from the earth.

6 [8:34]And the eunuch answered and said to Philip, Of whom I pray you does the prophet say this? of himself or of some other one? [8:35]And Philip opening his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him the good news of Jesus. [8:36]And as they went on the way they came to a certain water, and the eunuch said, Behold water; what hinders me from being baptized? [8:38]And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down to the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. [8:39]And when they went up from the water the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, and the eunuch saw him no more; for he went his way rejoicing. [8:40]But Philip was found at Azotus, and pa.s.sing through he preached the good news to all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

CHAPTER VII.