Acts 8
8
1-2Saul approved the stoning of Stephen. Some faithful followers of the Lord buried Stephen and mourned very much for him.
Saul makes trouble for the church
At that time the church in Jerusalem suffered terribly. All the Lord's followers, except the apostles, were scattered everywhere in Judea and Samaria. 3Saul started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women and putting them in jail.#Ac 22.4,5; 26.9-11.
The good news in Judea and Samaria
The good news is preached in Samaria
4The Lord's followers who had been scattered went from place to place, telling the good news. 5Philip went to the city of Samaria and told the people about Christ. 6They crowded around Philip because they were eager to hear what he was saying and to see him perform miracles. 7Many people with evil spirits were healed, and the spirits went out of them with a shout. A lot of crippled and lame people were also healed. 8Everyone in that city was very glad because of what was happening.
9For some time a man named Simon had lived in the city of Samaria and had amazed the people. He practised witchcraft and claimed to be somebody great. 10Everyone, rich and poor, crowded around him. They said, “This man is the power of God called ‘The Great Power’.”
11For a long time, Simon had used witchcraft to amaze the people, and they kept crowding around him. 12But when they believed what Philip was saying about God's kingdom and about the name of Jesus Christ, they were all baptized. 13Even Simon believed and was baptized. He stayed close to Philip, because he marvelled at all the miracles and wonders.
14The apostles in Jerusalem heard that some people in Samaria had accepted God's message, and they sent Peter and John. 15When the two apostles arrived, they prayed that the people would be given the Holy Spirit. 16Before this, the Holy Spirit had not been given to anyone in Samaria, though some of them had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Peter and John then placed their hands on everyone who had faith in the Lord, and they were given the Holy Spirit.
18Simon noticed that the Spirit was given only when the apostles placed their hands on the people. So he brought money 19and said to Peter and John, “Let me have this power too! Then anyone I place my hands on will also be given the Holy Spirit.”
20Peter said to him, “You and your money will both end up in hell if you think you can buy God's gift! 21You don't have any part in this, and God sees that your heart isn't right. 22Get rid of these evil thoughts and ask God to forgive you. 23I can see that you are jealous and bound by your evil ways.”
24Simon said, “Please pray to the Lord, so that what you said won't happen to me.”
25After Peter and John had preached about the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem. On their way they told the good news in many villages of Samaria.
Philip and an Ethiopian official
26The Lord's angel said to Philip, “Go south#8.26 Go south: Or “About midday go.” along the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza.”#8.26 the desert road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza: Or “the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza in the desert.” 27So Philip left.
An important Ethiopian official happened to be going along that road in his chariot. He was the chief treasurer for Candace, the Queen of Ethiopia. The official had gone to Jerusalem to worship 28and was now on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot, reading the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29The Spirit told Philip to catch up with the chariot. 30Philip ran up close and heard the man reading aloud from the book of Isaiah. Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
31The official answered, “How can I understand unless someone helps me?” He then invited Philip to come up and sit beside him.
32The man was reading the passage that said,#Is 53.7,8 (LXX).
“He was led like a sheep
on its way to be killed.
He was silent as a lamb
whose wool
is being cut off,
and he did not say
a word.
33He was treated like a nobody
and did not receive
a fair trial.
How can he have children,
if his life
is snatched away?”
34The official said to Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or about someone else?” 35So Philip began at this place in the Scriptures and explained the good news about Jesus.
36-37As they were going along the road, they came to a place where there was some water. The official said, “Look! Here is some water. Why can't I be baptized?”#8.36,37 Why can't I be baptized: Some manuscripts add, “Philip replied, ‘You can, if you believe with all your heart.’ The official answered, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’ ” 38He ordered the chariot to stop. Then they both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39After they had come out of the water, the Lord's Spirit took Philip away. The official never saw him again, but he was very happy as he went on his way.
40Philip later appeared in Azotus. He went from town to town, all the way to Caesarea, telling people about Jesus.
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Acts 8: CEVUK
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© British and Foreign Bible Society 2012
Acts 8
8
1 Now in those days, there occurred a great persecution against the Church at Jerusalem. And they were all dispersed throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the Apostles.
2 But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen's funeral, and they made a great mourning over him.
3 Then Saul was laying waste to the Church by entering throughout the houses, and dragging away men and women, and committing them to prison.
4 Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God.
5 Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them.
6 And the crowd was listening intently and with one accord to those things which were being said by Philip, and they were watching the signs which he was accomplishing.
7 For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them.
8 And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured.
9 Therefore, there was great gladness in that city. Now there was a certain man named Simon, who formerly had been a magician in that city, seducing the people of Samaria, claiming himself to be someone great.
10 And to all those who would listen, from the least even to the greatest, he was saying: "Here is the power of God, which is called great."
11 And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic.
12 Yet truly, once they had believed Philip, who was evangelizing the kingdom of God, both men and women were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
13 Then Simon himself also believed and, when he had been baptized, he adhered to Philip. And now, seeing also the greatest signs and miracles being wrought, he was amazed and stupefied.
14 Now when the Apostles who were in Jerusalem had heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit.
16 For he had not yet come to any among them, since they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 But when Simon had seen that, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money,
19 saying, "Give this power to me also, so that on whomever I will lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit." But Peter said to him:
20 "Let your money be with you in perdition, for you have supposed that a gift of God might be possessed by money.
21 There is no part or place for you in this matter. For your heart is not upright in the sight of God.
22 And so, repent from this, your wickedness, and beg God, so that perhaps this plan of your heart might be forgiven you.
23 For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity."
24 Then Simon responded by saying, "Pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me."
25 And indeed, after testifying and speaking the Word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and they evangelized the many regions of the Samaritans.
26 Now an Angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, "Rise up and go toward the south, to the way which descends from Jerusalem into Gaza, where there is a desert."
27 And rising up, he went. And behold, an Ethiopian man, a eunuch, powerful under Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasures, had arrived in Jerusalem to worship.
28 And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.
29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Draw near and join yourself to this chariot."
30 And Philip, hurrying, heard him reading from the prophet Isaiah, and he said, "Do you think that you understand what you are reading?"
31 And he said, "But how can I, unless someone will have revealed it to me?" And he asked Philip to climb up and sit with him.
32 Now the place in Scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter. And like a lamb silent before his shearer, so he opened not his mouth.
33 He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?"
34 Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: "I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?"
35 Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him.
36 And while they were going along the way, they arrived at a certain water source. And the eunuch said: "There is water. What would prevent me from being baptized?"
37 Then Philip said, "If you believe from your whole heart, it is permitted." And he responded by saying, "I believe the Son of God to be Jesus the Christ."
38 And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him.
39 And when they had ascended from the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him anymore. Then he went on his way, rejoicing.
40 Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea.
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