Acts 8:1

For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.

With great power, the apostles gave their testimony of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Great grace was on them all.

Now faith is assurance of things hoped for, proof of things not seen.

He said to them, “Go into all the world, and preach the Good News to the whole creation.

in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ;

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

We are his witnesses of these things; and so also is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.

But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly, “Their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”

Every offering of your meal offering you shall season with salt. You shall not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be lacking from your meal offering. With all your offerings you shall offer salt.

Then they will deliver you up to oppression, and will kill you. You will be hated by all of the nations for my name’s sake.

For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

You will also testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Then he answered and spoke to me, saying, “This is Yahweh’s word to Zerubbabel, saying, ‘Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Yahweh of Armies.

This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.

This Good News of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world for a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Behold, I give you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will in any way hurt you.

His parents said these things because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that if any man would confess him as Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue.

Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen, and have believed.”

beginning from the baptism of John, to the day that he was received up from us, of these one must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, to which we are witnesses.

Now in these days, prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

and he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses to the people.

For you will be a witness for him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in his ways.

Yahweh has made his holy arm bare in the eyes of all the nations. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

Yahweh, my strength, and my stronghold, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations will come to you from the ends of the earth, and will say, “Our fathers have inherited nothing but lies, vanity and things in which there is no profit.

But as for me, I am full of power by Yahweh’s Spirit, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his disobedience, and to Israel his sin.

“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his lord.

Salt is good, but if the salt becomes flat and tasteless, with what do you season it?

They urged him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is almost evening, and the day is almost over.” He went in to stay with them.

You are witnesses of these things.

Nevertheless even many of the rulers believed in him, but because of the Pharisees they didn’t confess it, so that they wouldn’t be put out of the synagogue,

Most certainly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord, neither is one who is sent greater than he who sent him.

But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things, and will remind you of all that I said to you.

Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God.

if it is so that you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Good News which you heard, which is being proclaimed in all creation under heaven, of which I, Paul, was made a servant.

Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name;

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.

Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice.

Oh come, let’s worship and bow down. Let’s kneel before Yahweh, our Maker,

Hear Yahweh’s word, you who tremble at his word: “Your brothers who hate you, who cast you out for my name’s sake, have said, ‘Let Yahweh be glorified, that we may see your joy;’ but it is those who shall be disappointed.

“I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.

But the house of Israel will not listen to you, for they will not listen to me; for all the house of Israel are obstinate and hard-hearted.

The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God.

They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.

Behold, I send out the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.

But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

You received the law as it was ordained by angels, and didn’t keep it!”

They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses placed their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added to the Lord.

So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

Being defamed, we entreat. We are made as the filth of the world, the dirt wiped off by all, even until now.

For although by this time you should be teachers, you again need to have someone teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the revelations of God. You have come to need milk, and not solid food.

If anyone speaks, let it be as it were the very words of God. If anyone serves, let it be as of the strength which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

But they, when they heard this, were cut to the heart, and were determined to kill them.

They agreed with him. Summoning the apostles, they beat them and commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.’

Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Jesus sent these twelve out, and commanded them, saying, “Don’t go among the Gentiles, and don’t enter into any city of the Samaritans.

But when they persecute you in this city, flee into the next, for most certainly I tell you, you will not have gone through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man has come.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.

Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

So the assemblies throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

who, knowing the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

I sent messengers to them, saying, “I am doing a great work, so that I can’t come down. Why should the work cease, while I leave it, and come down to you?”

When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.

Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

I will sow them among the peoples; and they will remember me in far countries; and they will live with their children, and will return.

“You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its flavor, with what will it be salted? It is then good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under the feet of men.

I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them.

Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city;

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, like a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you refused!

Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his lord.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours.

They will put you out of the synagogues. Yes, the time comes that whoever kills you will think that he offers service to God.

Behold, the time is coming, yes, and has now come, that you will be scattered, everyone to his own place, and you will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.

praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.

and laid hands on the apostles, then put them in public custody.

“Go stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.”

This is he who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, who received living revelations to give to us,

Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.

Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed to them the Christ.

Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.

I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

For you have heard of my way of living in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the assembly of God and ravaged it.

Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News,

For you, brothers, became imitators of the assemblies of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus; for you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, even as they did from the Jews

By faith, he left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

I said, “Should a man like me flee? Who is there that, being such as I, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in.”