Study Desk

"^(F1)Brothers, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of ^(C1)this salvation has been sent.

"For those who live in Jerusalem, and their ^(C1)rulers, ^(C2)recognizing neither Him nor the ^(F1)declarations of ^(C3)the prophets which are ^(C4)read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.

"And though they found no grounds for putting Him to death, they ^(C1)asked Pilate that He be executed.

"When they had ^(C1)carried out everything that was written concerning Him, ^(C2)they took Him down from the ^(F1)(C3)cross and ^(C4)laid Him in a tomb.

"But God ^(C1)raised Him from the dead;

and for many days ^(C1)He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now ^(C2)His witnesses to the people.

"And we ^(C1)preach to you the good news of ^(C2)the promise made to the fathers,

that God has fulfilled this promise to those of us who are the descendants by ^(C1)raising Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm: '^(C2)YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE FATHERED YOU.'

"As for the fact that He ^(C1)raised Him from the dead, never again to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: '^(C2)I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY AND FAITHFUL MERCIES OF DAVID.'

"Therefore, He also says in another Psalm: '^(C1)YOU WILL NOT ^(F1)ALLOW YOUR ^(F2)HOLY ONE TO ^(F3)UNDERGO DECAY.'

"For ^(C1)David, after he had ^(F1)served God's ^(C2)purpose in his own generation, ^(C3)fell asleep, and was ^(F2)buried among his fathers and ^(F3)underwent decay;

but He whom God ^(C1)raised did not ^(F1)undergo decay.

"Therefore let it be known to you, ^(F1)brothers, that ^(C1)through ^(F2)Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

and ^(F1)through Him ^(C1)everyone who believes is ^(F2)freed from all things, from which you could not be ^(F2)freed ^(F3)through the Law of Moses.

"Therefore, see that the thing spoken of ^(C1)in the Prophets does not come upon you:

'^(C1)LOOK, YOU SCOFFERS, AND BE ASTONISHED, AND ^(F1)PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'"

As ^(F1)Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these ^(F2)things spoken to them the next ^(C1)Sabbath.

Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the ^(C1)God-fearing ^(F1)(C2)proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in ^(C3)the grace of God.

The next ^(C1)Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of ^(F1)the Lord.

But when ^(C1)the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were ^(F1)blaspheming.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you ^(C1)first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, ^(C2)we are turning to the Gentiles.

"For so the Lord has commanded us, '^(C1)I HAVE APPOINTED YOU AS A ^(C2)LIGHT ^(F1)TO THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY ^(F2)BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'"

When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying ^(C1)the word of ^(F1)the Lord; and all who ^(C2)had been appointed to eternal life believed.

And ^(C1)the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

But ^(C1)the Jews incited the ^(F1)(C2)devout women ^(C3)of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their ^(F2)region.

But ^(C1)they shook off the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to ^(C2)Iconium.

And the disciples were continually ^(C1)filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.