Study Desk

And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

And the Lord said to him, "Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,

But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

for I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name."

and he took food and was strengthened. Saul Begins to Preach Christ Now for several days he was with the disciples who were in Damascus,

All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?"

There he found a man named Aeneas who had been bedridden for eight years, because he was paralyzed.

"Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter;

But Peter said, "By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean."

While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are looking for you.

"But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself."

Peter went down to the men and said, "Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?"

They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, was divinely directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and hear a message from you."

And he said to them, "You yourselves know that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner; and yet God has shown me that I am not to call any person unholy or unclean.

"That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask, for what reason did you send for me?"

"You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter responded,

"Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"

And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

"But I said, 'By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'