Chapter 3

009:021 and his hearers were all amazed, and began to ask one another, "Is not this the man who in Jerusalem tried to exterminate those who called upon that Name, and came here on purpose to carry them off in chains to the High Priests?"

009:022 Saul, however, gained more and more influence, and as for the Jews living in Damascus, he bewildered them with his proofs that Jesus is the Christ.

009:023 At length the Jews plotted to kill Saul;

009:024 but information of their intention was given to him. They even watched the gates, day and night, in order to murder him;

009:025 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a hamper.

009:026 So he came to Jerusalem and made several attempts to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, being in doubt as to whether he himself was a disciple.

009:027 Barnabas, however, came to his assistance. He brought Saul to the Apostles, and related to them how, on his journey, he had seen the Lord, and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had fearlessly taught in the name of Jesus.

009:028 Henceforth Saul was one of them, going in and out of the city,

009:029 and speaking fearlessly in the name of the Lord. And he often talked with the Hellenists and had discussions with them.

009:030 But they kept trying to take his life. On learning this, the brethren brought him down to Caesarea, and then sent him by sea to Tarsus.

009:031 The Church, however, throughout the whole of Judaea, Galilee and Samaria, had peace and was spiritually built up; and grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and receiving encouragement from the Holy Spirit.

009:032 Now Peter, as he went to town after town, came down also to God's people at Lud.

009:033 There he found a man of the name of Aeneas, who for eight years had kept his bed, through being paralysed.

009:034 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ cures you. Rise and make your own bed." He at once rose to his feet.

009:035 And all the people of Lud and Sharon saw him; and they turned to the Lord.

009:036 Among the disciples at Jaffa was a woman called Tabitha, or, as the name may be translated, `Dorcas.' Her life was wholly devoted to the good and charitable actions which she was constantly doing.

009:037 But, as it happened, just at that time she was taken ill and died. After washing her body they laid it out in a room upstairs.

009:038 Lud, however, being near Jaffa, the disciples, who had heard that Peter was at Lud, sent two men to him with an urgent request that he would come across to them without delay.

009:039 So Peter rose and went with them. On his arrival they took him upstairs, and the widow women all came and stood by his side, weeping and showing him the underclothing and cloaks and garments of all kinds which Dorcas used to make while she was still with them.

009:040 Peter, however, putting every one out of the room, knelt down and prayed, and then turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, rise." Dorcas at once opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, sat up.

009:041 Then, giving her his hand, he raised her to her feet and, calling to him God's people and the widows, he / 7 gave her back to them alive.

009:042 This incident became known throughout Jaffa, and many believed in the Lord;

009:043 and Peter remained for a considerable time at Jaffa, staying at the house of a man called Simon, a tanner.

010:001 Now a Captain of the Italian Regiment, named Cornelius, was quartered at Caesarea.

010:002 He was religious and God-fearing--and so was every member of his household. He was also liberal in his charities to the people, and continually offered prayer to God.

010:003 About three o'clock one afternoon he had a vision, and distinctly saw an angel of God enter his house, who called him by name, saying, "Cornelius!"

010:004 Looking steadily at him, and being much alarmed, he said, "What do you want, Sir?" "Your prayers and charities," he replied, "have gone up and have been recorded before God.

010:005 And now send to Jaffa and fetch Simon, surnamed Peter.

010:006 He is staying as a guest with Simon, a tanner, who has a house close to the sea."

010:007 So when the angel who had been speaking to him was gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a God-fearing soldier who was in constant attendance on him,

010:008 and, after telling them everything, he sent them to Jaffa.

010:009 The next day, while they were still on their journey and were getting near the town, about noon Peter went up on the house-top to pray.

010:010 He had become unusually hungry and wished for food; but, while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance.

010:011 The sky had opened to his view, and what seemed to be an enormous sail was descending, being let down to the earth by ropes at the four corners.

010:012 In it were all kinds of quadrupeds, reptiles and birds,

010:013 and a voice came to him which said, "Rise, Peter, kill and eat."

010:014 "On no account, Lord," he replied; "for I have never yet eaten anything unholy and impure."

010:015 Again a second time a voice was heard which said, "What God has purified, you must not regard as unholy."

010:016 This was said three times, and immediately the sail was drawn up out of sight.

010:017 While Peter was greatly perplexed as to the meaning of the vision which he had seen, just then the men sent by Cornelius, having by inquiry found out Simon's house,

010:018 had come to the door and had called the servant, and were asking, "Is Simon, surnamed Peter, staying here?"

010:019 And Peter was still earnestly thinking over the vision, when the Spirit said to him, "Three men are now inquiring for you.

010:020 Rise, go down, and go with them without any misgivings; for it is I who have sent them to you."

010:021 So Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the Simon you are inquiring for. What is the reason of your coming?"

010:022 Their reply was, "Cornelius, a Captain, an upright and God-fearing man, of whom the whole Jewish nation speaks well, has been divinely instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and listen to what you have to say."

010:023 Upon hearing this, Peter invited them in, and gave them a lodging. The next day he set out with them, some of the brethren from Jaffa going with him,

010:024 and the day after that they reached Caesarea. There Cornelius was awaiting their arrival, and had invited all his relatives and intimate friends to be present.

010:025 When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him, and threw himself at his feet to do him homage.

010:026 But Peter lifted him up. "Stand up," he said; "I myself also am but a man."

010:027 So Peter went in and conversed with him, and found a large company assembled.

010:028 He said to them, "You know better than most that a Jew is strictly forbidden to associate with a Gentile or visit him; but God has taught me to call no one unholy or unclean.

010:029 So for this reason, when sent for, I came without raising any objection. I therefore ask why you sent for me."

010:030 "Just at this hour, three days ago," replied Cornelius, "I was offering afternoon prayer in my house, when suddenly a man in shining raiment stood in front of me,

010:031 who said, "`Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your charities have been put on record before God.

010:032 Send therefore to Jaffa, and invite Simon, surnamed Peter, to come here. He is staying as a guest in the house of Simon, a tanner, close to the sea.'

010:033 "Immediately, therefore, I sent to you, and I thank you heartily for having come. That is why all of us are now assembled here in God's presence, to listen to what the Lord has commanded you to say."

010:034 Then Peter began to speak. "I clearly see," he said, "that God makes no distinctions between one man and another;

010:035 but that in every nation those who fear Him and live good lives are acceptable to Him.

010:036 The Message which He sent to the descendants of Israel, when He announced the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ--He is Lord of all--that Message you cannot but know;

010:037 the story, I mean, which has spread through the length and breadth of Judaea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed.

010:038 It tells how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, so that He went about everywhere doing acts of kindness, and curing all who were being continually oppressed by the Devil--for God was with Jesus.

010:039 "And we are witnesses as to all that He did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. But they even put Him to death, by crucifixion.

010:040 That same Jesus God raised to life on the third day, and permitted Him to appear unmistakably,

010:041 not to all the people, but to witnesses--men previously chosen by God--namely, to us, who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

010:042 And He has commanded us to preach to the people and solemnly declare that this is He who has been appointed by God to be the Judge of the living and the dead.

010:043 To Him all the Prophets bear witness, and testify that through His name all who believe in Him receive the forgiveness of their sins."

010:044 While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all who were listening to the Message.

010:045 And all the Jewish believers who had come with Peter were astonished that on the Gentiles also the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out.

010:046 For they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling the majesty of God. Then Peter said,

010:047 "Can any one forbid the use of water, and object to these persons being baptized--men who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?"

010:048 And he directed that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they begged him to remain with them for a time.

011:001 Now the Apostles, and the brethren in various parts of Judaea, heard that the Gentiles also had received God's Message;

011:002 and, when Peter returned to Jerusalem, the champions of circumcision found fault with him.

011:003 "You went into the houses of men who are not Jews," they said, "and you ate with them."

011:004 Peter, however, explained the whole matter to them from the beginning.

011:005 "While I was in the town of Jaffa, offering prayer," he said, "in a trance I saw a vision. There descended what seemed to be an enormous sail, being let down from the sky by ropes at the four corners, and it came close to me.

011:006 Fixing my eyes on it, I examined it closely, and saw various kinds of quadrupeds, wild beasts, reptiles and birds.

011:007 I also heard a voice saying to me, "`Rise, Peter, kill and eat.'

011:008 "`On no account, Lord,' I replied, `for nothing unholy or impure has ever gone into my mouth.'

011:009 "But a voice answered, speaking a second time from the sky, "`What God has purified, you must not regard as unholy.'

011:010 "This was said three times, and then everything was drawn up again out of sight.

011:011 "Now at that very moment three men came to the house where we were, having been sent from Caesarea to find me.

011:012 And the Spirit told me to accompany them without any misgivings. There also went with me these six brethren who are now present, and we reached the Centurion's house.

011:013 Then he described to us how he had seen the angel come and enter his house and say, "`Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon, surnamed Peter.

011:014 He will teach you truths by which you and all your family will be saved.'"

011:015 "And," said Peter, "no sooner had I begun to speak than the Holy Spirit fell upon them, just as He fell upon us at the first.

011:016 Then I remembered the Lord's words, how He used to say, "`John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.'

011:017 "If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we first believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, why, who was I to be able to thwart God?"

011:018 This statement of Peter's silenced his opponents. They extolled the goodness of God, and said, "So, then, to the Gentiles also God has given the repentance which leads to Life."

011:019 Those, however, who had been driven in various directions by the persecution which broke out on account of Stephen made their way to Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, delivering the Message to none but Jews.

011:020 But some of them were Cyprians and Cyrenaeans, who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks also and told them the Good News concerning the Lord Jesus.

011:021 The power of the Lord was with them, and there were a vast number who believed and turned to the Lord.

011:022 When tidings of this reached the ears of the Church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas as far as Antioch.

011:023 On getting there he was delighted to see the grace which God had bestowed; and he encouraged them all to remain, with fixed resolve, faithful to the Lord.

011:024 For he was a good man, and was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith; and the number of believers in the Lord greatly increased.

011:025 Then Barnabas paid a visit to Tarsus to try to find Saul.

011:026 He succeeded, and brought him to Antioch; and for a whole year they attended the meetings of the Church, and taught a large number of people. And it was in Antioch that the disciples first received the name of `Christians.'

011:027 At that time certain Prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch,

011:028 one of whom, named Agabus, being instructed by the Spirit, publicly predicted the speedy coming of a great famine throughout the world. (It came in the reign of Claudius.)

011:029 So the disciples decided to send relief, every one in proportion to his means, to the brethren living in Judaea.

011:030 This they did, forwarding their contributions to the Elders by Barnabas and Saul.

012:001 Now, about that time, King Herod arrested certain members of the Church, in order to ill-treat them;

012:002 and James, John's brother, he beheaded.

012:003 Finding that this gratified the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also; these being the days of Unleavened Bread.

012:004 He had him arrested and lodged in jail, handing him over to the care of sixteen soldiers; and intended after the Passover to bring him out again to the people.

012:005 So Peter was kept in prison; but long and fervent prayer was offered to God by the Church on his behalf.

012:006 Now when Herod was on the point of taking him out of prison, that very night Peter was asleep between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards were on duty outside the door.

012:007 Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell; and, striking Peter on the side, he woke him and said, "Rise quickly." Instantly the chains dropped off his wrists.

012:008 "Fasten your girdle," said the angel, "and tie on your sandals." He did so. Then the angel said, "Throw your cloak round you, and follow me."

012:009 So Peter went out, following him, yet could not believe that what the angel was doing was real, but supposed that he saw a vision.

012:010 And passing through the first ward and the second, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. This opened to them of itself; and, going out, they passed on through one of the streets, and then suddenly the angel left him.

012:011 Peter coming to himself said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent His angel and has rescued me from the power of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were anticipating."

012:012 So, after thinking things over, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John surnamed Mark, where a large number of people were assembled, praying.

012:013 When he knocked at the wicket in the door, a maidservant named Rhoda came to answer the knock;

012:014 and recognizing Peter's voice, for very joy she did not open the door, but ran in and told them that Peter was standing there.

012:015 "You are mad," they said. But she strenuously maintained that it was true. "It is his guardian angel," they said.

012:016 Meanwhile Peter went on knocking, until at last they opened the door and saw that it was really he, and were filled with amazement.

012:017 But he motioned with his hand for silence, and then described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. "Tell all this to James and the brethren," he added. Then he left them, and went to another place.

012:018 When morning came, there was no little commotion among the soldiers, as to what could possibly have become of Peter.

012:019 And when Herod had had him searched for and could not find him, after sharply questioning the guards he ordered them away to execution. He then went down from Judaea to Caesarea and remained there.

012:020 Now the people of Tyre and Sidon had incurred Herod's violent displeasure. So they sent a large deputation to wait on him; and having secured the good will of Blastus, his treasurer, they begged the king to be friendly with them again, because their country was dependent on his for its food supply.

012:021 So, on an appointed day, Herod, having arrayed himself in royal robes, took his seat on the tribunal, and was haranguing them;

012:022 and the assembled people kept shouting, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!"

012:023 Instantly an angel of the Lord struck him, because he had not given the glory to God, and being eaten up by worms, he died.

012:024 But God's Message prospered, and converts were multiplied.

012:025 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having discharged their mission, and they brought with them John, surnamed Mark.

013:001 Now there were in Antioch, in the Church there--as Prophets and teachers--barnabas, Symeon surnamed `the black,' Lucius the Cyrenaean, Manaen (who was Herod the Tetrarch's foster-brother), and Saul.

013:002 While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me, now at once, Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them."

013:003 So, after fasting and prayer and the laying on of hands, they let them go.

013:004 They therefore, being thus sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleuceia, and from there sailed to Cyprus.

013:005 Having reached Salamis, they began to announce God's Message in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John as their assistant.

013:006 When they had gone through the whole length of the island as far as Paphos, they there met with a Jewish magician and false prophet, Bar-Jesus by name,

013:007 who was a friend of the Proconsul Sergius Paulus. The Proconsul was a man of keen intelligence. He sent for Barnabas and Saul, and asked to be told God's Message.

013:008 But Elymas (or `the Magician,' for such is the meaning of the name) opposed them, and tried to prevent the Proconsul from accepting the faith.

013:009 Then Saul, who is also called Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and, fixing his eyes on Elymas,

013:010 said, "You who are full of every kind of craftiness and unscrupulous cunning--you son of the Devil and foe to all that is right--will you never cease to misrepresent the straight paths of the Lord?

013:011 The Lord's hand is now upon you, and you will be blind for a time and unable to see the light of day." Instantly there fell upon him a mist and a darkness, and, as he walked about, he begged people to lead him by the hand.

013:012 Then the Proconsul, seeing what had happened, believed, being struck with amazement at the teaching of the Lord.

013:013 From Paphos, Paul and his party put out to sea and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem.

013:014 But they themselves, passing through from Perga, came to Antioch in Pisidia. Here, on the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down.

013:015 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the Wardens of the synagogue sent word to them. "Brethren," they said, "if you have anything encouraging to say to the people, speak."

013:016 So Paul rose, and motioning with his hand for silence, said, "Israelites, and you others who fear God, pay attention to me.

013:017 The God of this people of Israel chose our forefathers, and made the people great during their stay in Egypt, until with wondrous power He brought them out from that land.

013:018 For a period of about forty years, He fed them, like a nurse, in the Desert.

013:019 Then, after overthrowing seven nations in the land of Canaan, He divided that country among them as their inheritance for about four hundred and fifty years;

013:020 and afterwards He gave them judges down to the time of the Prophet Samuel.

013:021 Next they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a Benjamite, who reigned forty years.

013:022 After removing him, He raised up David to be their king, to whom He also bore witness when He said, "`I have found David the son of Jesse, a man I love, who will obey all My commands.'

013:023 "It is from among David's descendants that God, in fulfilment of His promise, has raised up a Saviour for Israel, even Jesus.

013:024 Before the coming of Jesus, John had proclaimed to all the people of Israel a baptism of repentance.

013:025 But John, towards the end of his career, repeatedly asked the people, "`What do you suppose me to be? I am not the Christ. But there is One coming after me whose sandal I am not worthy to unfasten.'

013:026 "Brethren, descendants of the family of Abraham, and all among you who fear God, to us has this Message of salvation been sent.

013:027 For the people of Jerusalem and their rulers, by the judgement they pronounced on Jesus, have actually fulfilled the predictions of the Prophets which are read Sabbath after Sabbath, through ignorance of those predictions and of Him.

013:028 Without having found Him guilty of any capital offence they urged Pilate to have Him put to death;