Study Desk

So Peter was kept in jail, but the church prayed earnestly to God for him.

They went past the first and second guards and came to the iron gate that separated them from the city. The gate opened by itself for them, and they went through it. When they had walked down one street, the angel suddenly left him.

Herod looked everywhere for him but could not find him. So he questioned the guards and ordered that they be killed. Later Herod moved from Judea and went to the city of Caesarea, where he stayed.

Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, but the people of those cities all came in a group to him. After convincing Blastus, the king's personal servant, to be on their side, they asked Herod for peace, because their country got its food from his country.

They were all worshiping the Lord and fasting for a certain time. During this time the Holy Spirit said to them, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul to do a special work for which I have chosen them."

But Elymas, the magician, was against them. (Elymas is the name for Bar-Jesus in the Greek language.) He tried to stop the governor from believing in Jesus.

Now the Lord will touch you, and you will be blind. For a time you will not be able to see anything—not even the light from the sun." Then everything became dark for Elymas, and he walked around, trying to find someone to lead him by the hand.

And he was patient with them for forty years in the desert.

Then the people asked for a king, so God gave them Saul son of Kish. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin and was king for forty years.

They could not find any real reason for Jesus to be put to death, but they asked Pilate to have him killed.

After this, for many days, those who had gone with Jesus from Galilee to Jerusalem saw him. They are now his witnesses to the people.

God has made this promise come true for us, his children, by raising Jesus from the dead. We read about this also in Psalm 2: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.' Psalm 2:7

This is what the Lord told us to do, saying: ‘I have made you a light for the nations; you will show people all over the world the way to be saved.'" Isaiah 49:6

Paul and Barnabas stayed in Iconium a long time and spoke bravely for the Lord. He showed that their message about his grace was true by giving them the power to work miracles and signs.

They chose elders for each church, by praying and fasting for a certain time. These elders had trusted the Lord, so Paul and Barnabas put them in the Lord's care.

When they arrived in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas gathered the church together. They told the church all about what God had done with them and how God had made it possible for those who were not Jewish to believe.

Simon has told us how God showed his love for those people. For the first time he is accepting from among them a people to be his own.

Then those people who are left alive may ask the Lord for help, and the other nations that belong to me, says the Lord, who will make it happen.

And these things have been known for a long time.' Amos 9:11–12

They should do these things, because for a long time in every city the law of Moses has been taught. And it is still read in the synagogue every Sabbath day."