Study Desk

span data-lang="eng" data-trans="jmt" data-ref="act.8.1" class="versetxt"> And Saul was consenting and participating in his death. And there was, in that day, a great persecution against the church that was at Jerusalem; and they were all dispersed, except the legates, among the villages of Judaea and likewise among the Samaritans. And believing men gathered up and buried Stephen. And they lamented over him greatly. And Saul persecuted the church of God, entering houses, and dragging forth men and women and committing them to prison. And they who were dispersed, travelled about and preached the word of God. And Philip went down to a city of the Samaritans, and preached concerning the Messiah. And when the people who were there heard his discourse, they gave ear to him, and acquiesced in all that he said; because they saw the signs which he wrought. For many who were possessed by unclean spirits, cried with a loud voice, and came out of them: and others, who were paralytic and lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city. And there was a certain man there, whose name was Simon, who had resided in that city a long time, and who seduced the people of the Samaritans by his sorceries, magnifying himself, and saying, I am a great personage. And they all inclined towards him, great and small; and they said, This is the mighty power of God. And they acquiesced in him, because for a long time he had astonished them by his sorceries. But when they gave credence to Philip, as he preached the kingdom of God, in the name of our Lord Jesus Messiah; they were baptized, both men and women. And Simon himself also believed, and was baptized, and adhered to Philip. And when he saw the signs and mighty deeds which were wrought by his hand, he was surprised and astonished. And when the legates at Jerusalem, heard that the people of the Samaritans had received the word of God, they sent out to them Simon Cephas and John. And they went down, and prayed over them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For he was not yet on any one of them; and they had only been baptized in the name of our Lord Jesus. Then they laid the hand on them; and they received the Holy Spirit. And when Simon saw that, by the imposition of a hand of the legates, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, saying: Give me also this prerogative, that he on whom I impose a hand, may receive the Holy Spirit. Simon Cephas said to him: Thy money go with thee to perdition ! because thou hast supposed, that the gift of God may be purchased by a worldly substance. Thou hast no part nor lot in this faith; because thy heart is not right before God. Nevertheless, repent of this thy wickedness, and entreat of God, if perhaps the guile of thy heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the bitter gall and in the bonds of iniquity. Simon answered and said: Intercede ye with God for me, that nothing of which ye have mentioned may come upon me. And Simon and John, when they had testified, and had taught them the word of God, returned to Jerusalem. And they had preached in many villages of the Samaritans. And the angel of the Lord spake with Philip, and said to him: Arise, go to the south, along the desert way that leadeth down from Jerusalem to Gaza. And he arose and went. And there met him a eunuch, who had come from Cush, an officer of Candace, queen of the Cushites, who had charge of all her treasure; and he had come to worship at Jerusalem. And as he turned to go, he was sitting in his chariot, and was reading in Isaiah the prophet. And the Holy Spirit said to Philip: Go near, and join thyself to the chariot. And when he came near, he heard him reading in Isaiah the prophet; and he said to him: Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said: How can I understand, unless some one instruct me? And he requested of Philip, that he would come up and sit with him. And the section of scripture in which he was reading, was this: As a lamb to the slaughter he was led away, and as a sheep before the shearer is silent, so also he in his humility opened not his mouth. From prison and from judgment he was carried: and his generation, who will declare? for his life is taken away from the earth. And the eunuch said to Philip: I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other person? Then Philip opened his mouth and, from that scripture, began to preach to him concerning our Lord Jesus. And as they proceeded on the way, they came to a certain place in which there was water. And the eunuch said: Lo, [fn] water; what doth forbid, that I should be baptized?

And forthwith he announced Jesus, in the synagogues of the Jews, that he is the Son of God.

Moreover the church, in all Judaea, and in Galilee, and in Samaria, had peace and was edified; and it walked in the fear of God, and abounded in the consolation of the Holy Spirit.

And all they that dwelt at Lydda and Saron, saw him; and they turned to God.

And he was righteous, and feared God, he and all his house; [fn] he did much alms among the people, and prayed to God at all times.

This man distinctly saw, in a vision, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God, who came in to him and said to him: Cornelius!

And he looked upon him, and was afraid; and he said: What, my Lord? And the angel said to him: Thy prayers and thy alms have come up in remembrance before God.

And when the angel that talked with him was gone, he called two of his household, and a soldier who feared God and was obedient to him.

And again the second time, there was a voice to him: What God hath cleansed, make thou not unclean.

They say to him: A certain man whose name is Cornelius, a centurion fearing God, and of whom all the people of the Jews bear good report, was told in vision, by a holy angel, to send and bring thee to his house, that he might hear discourse from thee.

And he said to them: Ye know, that it is not lawful for a Jewish man, to associate with an alien who is not of his race: but God hath showed me, that I should not say of any one, that he is defiled or unclean.

and said to me: Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and there remembrance of thy alms before God.

And immediately I sent to thee; and thou hast done well to come: and lo, we are all of us before thee, and desirous to hear whatever is commanded thee from God.

And Simon opened his mouth, and said: Truly I discover that God is no respecter of persons.

concerning Jesus, who was of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. And he it was, who went about and healed those that were suffering from evil, because God was with him.

And him did God raise up, on the third day; and caused him to be seen with naked eyes;

not indeed by all the people, but by us, who were chosen of God to be his witnesses, [fn] who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead.

And he commanded us to proclaim and testify to the people, that he is appointed of God to be judge of the living and of the dead.

For they heard them speak with diverse tongues, and magnify God.

And it was reported to the legates and the brethren in Judaea, that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.