Study Desk

(Judas was paid money for doing this. His money was used to buy him a field. But he fell on his head, his body broke open, and all his intestines poured out.

Jesus suffered the pain of death, but God made him free. He raised him from death. There was no way for death to hold him.

"My brothers, I can tell you for sure about David, our great ancestor. He died, was buried, and his tomb is still here with us today.

"So, all the people of Israel should know this for certain: God has made Jesus to be Lord and Messiah. He is the man you nailed to the cross!"

This promise is for you. It is also for your children and for the people who are far away. It is for everyone the Lord our God calls to himself."

Many wonders and miraculous signs were happening through the apostles, and everyone felt great respect for God.

One day Peter and John went to the Temple area. It was three o'clock in the afternoon, which was the time for the daily Temple prayer service.

As they were entering the Temple area, a man was there who had been crippled all his life. He was being carried by some friends who brought him to the Temple every day. They put him by one of the gates outside the Temple. It was called Beautiful Gate. There he begged for money from the people going to the Temple.

That day he saw Peter and John going into the Temple area. He asked them for money.

All the people recognized him. They knew he was the crippled man who always sat by the Beautiful Gate to beg for money. Now they saw this same man walking and praising God. They were amazed. They did not understand how this could happen.

"Samuel, and all the other prophets who spoke for God after Samuel, said that this time would come.

And what those prophets talked about is for you, their descendants. You have received the agreement that God made with your fathers. God said to your father Abraham, ‘Every nation on earth will be blessed through your descendants.'

The Jewish leaders could not find a way to punish the apostles, because all the people were praising God for what had been done. This miracle was a sign from God. The man who was healed was more than 40 years old. So the Jewish leaders warned the apostles again and let them go free.

but he gave only part of the money to the apostles. He secretly kept some of the money for himself. His wife knew this, and she agreed with it.

Peter said, "Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your mind with such an idea? You kept part of the money for yourself and lied about it to the Holy Spirit!

Peter said to her, "Tell me how much money you got for your field. Was it this much?" Sapphira answered, "Yes, that was all we got for the field."

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."

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.

The apostles left the council meeting. They were happy because they were given the honor of suffering dishonor for Jesus.

The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together. The apostles said to them, "It would not be right for us to give up our work of teaching God's word in order to be in charge of getting food to people.