Study Desk

Then Peter stood up with the other eleven apostles. He spoke loudly so that all the people could hear. He said, "My Jewish brothers and all of you who live in Jerusalem, listen to me. I will tell you something you need to know. Listen carefully.

He said, "Give me this power so that when I lay my hands on someone, they will receive the Holy Spirit."

Simon answered, "Both of you pray to the Lord for me, so that what you have said will not happen to me."

He has seen a vision in which a man named Ananias came and laid his hands on him so that he could see again."

So Ananias left and went to the house of Judas. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road when you came here. He sent me so that you can see again and also be filled with the Holy Spirit."

The men said, "A holy angel told Cornelius to invite you to his house. He is an army officer. He is a good man, one who worships God, and all the Jewish people respect him. The angel told him to invite you to his house so that he can listen to what you have to say."

When the Jewish believers heard this, they stopped arguing. They praised God and said, "So God is also allowing even those who are not Jews to change their hearts so that they can have the life he gives!"

Some of the followers of Jesus from Caesarea went with us. These followers took us to the home of Mnason, a man from Cyprus, who was one of the first people to be a follower of Jesus. They took us to his home so that we could stay with him.

Take these men with you and share in their cleansing ceremony. Pay their expenses so that they can shave their heads. This will prove to everyone that the things they have heard about you are not true. They will see that you obey the Law of Moses in your own life.

The commander told Paul he could speak. So he stood on the steps and waved his hand so that the people would be quiet. The people became quiet and Paul spoke to them in Aramaic.

Get some horses for Paul to ride so that he can be taken to Governor Felix safely."

The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so that none of the prisoners could swim away and escape.

God has been kind to you. He has been very patient, waiting for you to change. But you think nothing of his kindness. Maybe you don't understand that God is kind to you so that you will decide to change your lives.

It would be the same to say, "We should do evil so that good will come." Many people criticize us, saying that's what we teach. They are wrong, and they should be condemned for saying that.

So people get what God promised by having faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. And if the promise is a free gift, then all of Abraham's people will get that promise. The promise is not just for those who live under the Law of Moses. It is for all who live with faith as Abraham did. He is the father of us all.

So that one sin of Adam brought the punishment of death to all people. But in the same way, Christ did something so good that it makes all people right with God. And that brings them true life.

The law was brought in so that more people would sin the way Adam did. But where sin increased, there was even more of God's grace.

Sin once used death to rule us. But God gave us more of his grace so that grace could rule by making us right with him. And this brings us eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

So do you think we should continue sinning so that God will give us more and more grace?

We know that our old life was put to death on the cross with Christ. This happened so that our sinful selves would have no power over us. Then we would not be slaves to sin.