Study Desk

Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you from your own people a prophet like me. You must listen to whatever he tells you.

You are the descendants of the prophets and of the covenant that God gave to your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the families of the earth shall be blessed.'

When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.

But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in God's sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge;

After threatening them again, they let them go, finding no way to punish them because of the people, for all of them praised God for what had happened.

When they heard it, they raised their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth, the sea, and everything in them,

When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.

While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!"

But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than any human authority.

The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree.

God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior that he might give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them—in that case you may even be found fighting against God!" They were convinced by him,

And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables.

The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God."

And Stephen replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our ancestor Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

Then he left the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this country in which you are now living.

And God spoke in these terms, that his descendants would be resident aliens in a country belonging to others, who would enslave them and mistreat them during four hundred years.