Study Desk

Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. "People of Israel," he said, "what is so surprising about this? And why stare at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power or godliness?

Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.

But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of men who believed now totaled about 5,000.

So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.

So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.

you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?

All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had.

As a result of the apostles' work, sick people were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter's shadow might fall across some of them as he went by.

So at daybreak the apostles entered the Temple, as they were told, and immediately began teaching. When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council—the full assembly of the elders of Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought from the jail for trial.

But when the Temple guards went to the jail, the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported,

Then God put him in the place of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this so the people of Israel would repent of their sins and be forgiven.

We are witnesses of these things and so is the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him."

"So my advice is, leave these men alone. Let them go. If they are planning and doing these things merely on their own, it will soon be overthrown.

So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, "We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.

And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility.

So God's message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, "We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God."

This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.

So 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.

"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.