Study Desk

I tell you also that you are a stone, and upon this stone I will build my church; and the doors of Sheol shall not shut in on it.

Praising God, and finding favor with all the people. And our LORD daily increased the congregation of the church.

SAUL was pleased to have had a part in the murder of Stephen. At that very time there was severe persecution against the church at Jerusalem; and they were all, with the exception of the apostles, dispersed throughout the towns of Jud''a and Sama''ria.

As for Saul, he continued to persecute the church of God, entering into houses and dragging out men and women and delivering them to prison,

span data-lang="eng" data-trans="glt" data-ref="act.8.1" class="versetxt"> SAUL was pleased to have had a part in the murder of Stephen. At that very time there was severe persecution against the church at Jerusalem; and they were all, with the exception of the apostles, dispersed throughout the towns of Jud''a and Sama''ria. And devout men picked up Stephen and buried him, and they mourned over him in great sorrow. As for Saul, he continued to persecute the church of God, entering into houses and dragging out men and women and delivering them to prison, So that they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word of God. Then Philip went down to a Samaritan city and preached to them about Christ. And when the people of that place heard his word, they gave heed and listened attentively to everything Philip said, because they saw the miracles which he did. Many who were mentally afflicted, cried with loud voices and were restored; and others who were paralytic and lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city. Now there was there a man called Semon, who had lived in that city a long time, and who had deceived the Samaritan people by his magic, boasting of himself and saying, I am the greatest one. And both the noblest and the least followed him, saying, He is the greatest power of God. All of them listened to him, because for a long time he had bewitched them with his sorceries. But when they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God in the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Semon himself also believed and was baptized and attached himself to Philip, and as he saw the miracles and great signs performed by his hand, he marvelled greatly. N ow when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that the Samaritan people had accepted the word of God, they sent to them Simon Peter and John, Who, when they went down, prayed over them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet it had not come upon them although they had been baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus. Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Semon saw that the Holy Spirit was given by the laying on of the apostles'' hands, he offered them money, Saying, Give me also this authority so that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit. Simon Peter said to him, Let your money perish with you because you have thought that the gift of God may be purchased with wealth. You have no part nor lot in this faith because your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent, therefore, of this evil of yours, and beseech God that he may perhaps forgive you for the guile which is in your heart. For I see your heart is as bitter as gall and you are in the bonds of iniquity. Then Semon answered and said, Pray God for me so that none of these things which you have spoken may come upon me. Now when Simon Peter and John had testified and taught them the word of God, they returned to Jerusalem after they had preached in many Samaritan villages. And the angel of the LORD spoke to Philip, saying, Arise, and go south by way of the desert that leads down from Jerusalem to Gaza, So he arose and went: and he was met by a eunuch, who had come from E-thi-o''pi-a; an official of Can''da-ce, queen of the E-thio''pi- ans, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to worship at Jerusalem. While he was returning, sitting in his chariot, he read the book of the prophet Isa''iah. And the Spirit said to Philip, Go near and keep close to the chariot. And as Philip drew near and heard him reading from the book of the prophet I-sa''iah, he said to him, Do you understand what you are reading? And the E-thi-o''pi-an said, How can I understand unless some one teach me? and he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The portion of the scripture which he was reading was this: He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and like a ewe sheep before the shearer, so he opened not his mouth: In his humiliation, he suffered imprisonment and judgment: none can tell his struggle, for even his life is taken away from the earth. And the eunuch said to Philip. I pray you, of whom does this prophet speak? of himself or of some other man? Then Philip opened his mouth and began at that same scripture and preached to him concerning our LORD Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came to a place where there was water; and the eunuch said, Behold here is water; what prevents me from being baptized?

Then the church throughout Juda and Galilee and Samaria was at peace, and strengthened itself and developed obedience and reverence to God, and by the consola- tion of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

And when he had found him, he brought him to An''ti-och. And for the whole year they assembled together in the church, and taught a great many people. The disciples were called Christians first at An''ti-och and from that time on.

NOW at that very time Herod the king surnamed A-grip''pa seized some of the people of the church to oppress them.

And while Simon Peter was kept in the prison, continual prayer was offered for him to God by the church.

NOW there were in the church at An''ti-och prophets and teachers; Bar''na-bas, and Simeon who was called Ni''ger, and Lu''cius from the city of Cy-rene, and Man''a-el, * who was the son of the man who brought up Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with them with fasting, they commended them to our LORD, on whom they believed.

They were given an escort and sent on their way by the church, and they traveled through all Phoe-ni''ci-a and the territory of the Sa-mar''i-tans, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.

On their arrival at Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and by the apostles and elders; and they reported everything that God had done with them.

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, chose men from among themselves and sent them to An''ti-och with Paul and Bar''na-bas; namely, Judas who is called Bar''sa-bas and Silas, men who were leaders among the brethren:

And he left A''qui-la and Pris-cil''la at Eph''e-sus and sailed and when he landed at Cs-a-re''a, he went up and saluted the members of the church, and went on to An''ti-och.

And from Mi-le''tus he sent and called the elders of the church of Eph''e-sus.

Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, to feed the church of Christ which he has purchased with his blood.

I ENTRUST to your care Phe''be, our sis ter, who is a deaconess of the church which is at Cen''chre-a:

Ga''ius, my host and of the whole church, salutes you. E-ras''tus, the chamberlain of the city, salutes you; and Quar''tus, a brother. Romans 16 Revelation of the mystery.

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, the invited and holy ones who are sanctified by Jesus Christ, and to all of them in every place who invoke the name of our LORD Jesus Christ, both theirs and ours: