Study Desk

None of the other people dared to stand with the apostles, but everyone was saying wonderful things about them.

But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail. The angel led the apostles outside and said,

They said, "The jail was closed and locked. The guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors, the jail was empty!"

The captain and his men went out and brought the apostles back. But the soldiers did not use force, because they were afraid of the people. They were afraid the people would stone them to death.

He said, "We told you never again to teach using that name. But look at what you have done! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. And you are trying to blame us for his death."

You killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross. But God, the same God our fathers had, raised Jesus up from death.

But one member of the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, stood up. He was a teacher of the law, and all the people respected him. He told the men to make the apostles leave the meeting for a few minutes.

Remember when Theudas appeared? He said he was an important man, and about 400 men joined him. But he was killed, and all who followed him were scattered and ran away. They were not able to do anything.

Later, during the time of the census, a man named Judas came from Galilee. Many people joined his group, but he was also killed, and all his followers were scattered.

But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop them. You might even be fighting against God himself!" The Jewish leaders agreed with what Gamaliel said.

More and more people were becoming followers of Jesus. But during this same time, the Greek-speaking followers began to complain against the other Jewish followers. They said that their widows were not getting their share of what the followers received every day.

But some of the Jews there were from the synagogue of Free Men, as it was called. The group included Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia. They started arguing with Stephen.

But the Spirit was helping him speak with wisdom. His words were so strong that these Jews could not argue with him.

But God did not give Abraham any of this land, not even a foot of it. But God promised that in the future he would give Abraham this land for himself and for his children. This was before Abraham had any children.

But I will punish the nation that made them slaves.' And God also said, ‘After those things happen, your people will come out of that country. Then they will worship me here in this place.'

"These ancestors of ours became jealous of their brother Joseph and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him

But all the land of Egypt and of Canaan became dry. It became so dry that food could not grow, and the people suffered very much. Our people could not find anything to eat.

"But Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt. So he sent our people there. This was their first trip to Egypt.

Moses thought that his people would understand that God was using him to save them. But they did not understand.

"This Moses was the one his people said they did not want. They said, ‘Did anyone say you could be our ruler and judge?' But he is the one God sent to be a ruler and savior. God sent him with the help of an angel, the one Moses saw in the burning bush.