Category: Acts

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Saul On the Road to Damascus

Acts 9:1-9 New International Version (NIV)

Saul’s Conversion

9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

Saul had watched Stephen die. He had seen that Stephen was brave and good. Stephen did not hate the people who were killing him. He asked God to forgive them. But Saul was still angry. He wanted to destroy the church completely now. He did not want to destroy it just in Jerusalem. He wanted to destroy it in the city called Damascus, too. Damascus was in Syria, a country in the north. The Sanhedrin did not have any political power there. But the Romans allowed the Sanhedrin to arrest Jews in other countries. Then the Sanhedrin had to bring those Jews back to Jerusalem. Saul knew that some believers had escaped to Damascus after Stephen’s death. Many Jews lived in Damascus already. It would take about a week to walk there. But Saul wanted to go. So, he needed letters from the high priest. The letters would show that he had authority from the high priest.

‘The Way’ was the name for the new faith. That name appears several times in Acts. For example, it appears in Acts 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22. The early Christians used it. The name shows that they followed the way by which people receive salvation.

Saul hated all Christians. He was very angry. Later, he said this about himself. He said, ‘I was very angry with them. I even went to foreign cities in order to persecute them’ (Acts 26:11). Then something special happened on the Damascus road. Luke included the story about that three times in Acts. Paul himself told the story twice, in his speeches (Acts 22:6-16; 26:12-18). But here, the story is in Luke’s own words.

We know that it happened at about noon (Acts 22:6). The light from heaven was brighter than the sun (Acts 26:13). It was so bright that Saul could not see. The force from the light was so strong that it knocked him down. He realized that the voice was from God. But the voice asked Saul a question, and that question confused him. He thought that he was working for God. That is why it confused him. So, he asked who was speaking. The answer was a shock to him. Now he knew that Jesus really was alive. What the believers said about Jesus was true! When Saul persecuted them, he was persecuting Jesus. Whenever Christians suffer, Jesus feels their pain, too.

Saul had always done what he wanted. He had told other people what to do. Now, the Lord Jesus said that Saul must go into the city. Someone else would tell him what to do now. Before, Saul had opposed Jesus. But now, he would obey Jesus for the rest of his life. This was not because Jesus had forced him. It was because Saul wanted to serve Jesus now. Now he knew that Jesus really is God’s Son.

The men with Saul were officers from the Sanhedrin. They were like the police. Jesus Christ had appeared in front of Saul. It was not a dream. Saul had seen a bright light. This was Christ’s glory. He had heard Christ’s voice. Jesus Christ had shown to Saul that he (Jesus) was alive. Jesus had appeared in front of the other apostles. Now he had appeared in front of Saul. Saul would become an apostle, too (1 Corinthians 15:8-9). Saul had hated Christians and he had persecuted them. It did not seem possible that Saul could become an apostle. But God’s grace had made it possible.

This can encourage us. We must pray for people who hate us. And we must bless people who hurt us. We must pray for leaders who persecute Christians. Jesus changed Saul. Jesus can do anything.

But Saul needed help. He was blind. His companions led him into Damascus. He could not see for three days. He did not eat and he did not drink. Probably he was thinking about many things.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Phillip and the Ethiopian

Acts 8:26-40 New International Version (NIV)

Philip and the Ethiopian

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian[a] eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”

30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
    and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”[b]

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” [37] [c] 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Philip may have told this story to Luke when Luke and Paul stayed in Philip’s house (Acts 21:8). God ordered Philip to go south. The road from Jerusalem to Gaza was very busy. It continued past Gaza to Africa.

Ethiopia was in North Africa. The man that Philip met was probably a black person from Africa. This man worked for the queen. ‘Kandake’ was the name that people always called the king’s mother.

Luke wrote that ‘he (the official) had gone to Jerusalem to worship God’ (verse 27). The official may have been born as a Jew. Or he may have decided to follow the Jewish religion. Many people did that even if they were not born as Jews. They did not want to worship false gods. They wanted to follow the Law. So, they worshiped with the Jews and they read the scriptures.

As he traveled home, this official was reading the scriptures. He was reading the book called Isaiah. Again, God told Philip what to do. And Philip obeyed. Christians must always listen to the Holy Spirit. This is especially true when we want to tell people about Jesus. The Holy Spirit tells us where to go. He tells us what to do. And he tells us what to say. But we must be willing to listen and we must always obey.

Philip tells the good news, 8:30-35

In verses 30-31, the official was reading aloud and Philip heard him. That was not unusual. Everyone read aloud at that time. The passage from Isaiah was a prophecy about the Messiah. This was an opportunity for Philip to talk about Jesus. And Philip realized it. So, he asked the official whether he understood the passage. The official did not understand that prophecy. He needed help to understand it. So, although he was important and clever, he asked Philip to help him. This shows that the official was a humble man.

We must be humble like this, too. We may need help to understand spiritual things. Then, especially, we must be humble enough to ask for help. And we must be willing to help other people. God wants us to learn more about him all the time. He wants us to know him better. It is good to talk to other Christians about God.

The passage from the Old Testament is Isaiah 53:7-8. It is about the Servant who suffered. That Servant is Jesus, the Messiah. (Acts 3:13-15.) Philip used the passage so that he could begin to talk about the good news. Jews who lived in the first century did not expect their Messiah to suffer. They expected him to beat the Romans. But Jesus had described himself as a Servant, who would suffer. (For example, look at Mark 10:45.) When Jesus had risen from the dead, he met two disciples. They were going to a town called Emmaus. As they walked, Jesus explained the Old Testament prophecies to them. He showed how these prophecies referred to the Messiah (Luke 24:13-27). Philip did that also. He answered the official’s questions. The prophecy was about Jesus. So, Philip could use it to explain the good news to the official.

Philip baptises the official, 8:36-40

The Holy Spirit had already prepared the official to hear the good news about Jesus. Then the Holy Spirit sent Philip to him. As soon as the official heard the good news, he believed it. He wanted Philip to baptize him immediately.

We cannot force a person to believe in Jesus. The person has to be ready. The Holy Spirit prepares a person. But the person has to hear the good news about Jesus. Otherwise, he or she cannot believe it. So, we must also be ready. We must be ready to tell people about Jesus. We must be ready to answer questions about our faith.

Some people are like the official. They believe the good news about Jesus immediately. Other people need more time to think about it. People become Christians by means of the Holy Spirit’s work. But we can help. We must ask God how we can help.

Believers said the words in verse 37 when they received baptism. The official also said those words. Those words show that he was a real believer. He was not like Simon who lived in Samaria (verses 9-24).

After Philip had baptized the official, the Holy Spirit took Philip away. The Greek word for ‘took away’ (harpazo) means ‘to seize’. It happened suddenly. Philip appeared again in the north and he continued to preach there.

Luke does not mention the official again. Irenaeus, a writer in the second century, wrote that the official went back to Ethiopia. He wrote that the official preached to the people there. We do not know whether this is true. But certainly, the good news about Jesus had started to spread to the Gentiles.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Simon the Sorcerer

Acts 8:9-25 New International Version (NIV)

9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”

24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

In verses 9-11, There was a man named Simon, who lived in Samaria and did magic. People thought that he had God’s power. But Simon’s power did not come from God, because God does not allow people to do magic (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). Simon used magic to make people follow him. He wanted them to think that he was an important person.

But Philip did miracles by God’s power. Philip did not want people to follow him (Philip). And he did not want them to think that he was special. Instead, he wanted people to believe in Jesus.

Many people did believe in Jesus when Philip preached. They all received baptism. Even Simon believed and he received baptism too. We do not know whether Simon really believed in Jesus. Perhaps he was jealous because the people did not follow him now or maybe he pretended to believe in Jesus because he wanted to be close to Philip. The power to do miracles comes from God. It does not come from people.

Peter and John go to Samaria, 8:14-17

John came to Samaria with Peter. That is interesting because, once before, John had wanted God to destroy a village in Samaria (Luke 9:51-56). But now he wanted God to save the Samaritans.

These verses can be difficult to understand. This is because all Christians have the Holy Spirit. They receive the Holy Spirit when they first believe.

We may have different opinions about what Luke meant. But this must not cause bad feelings towards other Christians. We agree that all believers have the Holy Spirit in them. But believers can have different experiences from the Holy Spirit.

The writer mentions ‘baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus’ (verse 16). People used the Greek words for ‘into the name’ in business. Those words meant that something had belonged to one person. But now someone else owned it. That thing had come ‘into the name’ of this other person. So, when a person receives baptism into the name of the Lord Jesus, that person now belongs to Jesus. Jesus is now that person’s Lord and master.

Peter and Simon, 8:18-25

As the believers received the Holy Spirit, something happened. Everyone could see the Holy Spirit’s power. Luke does not say what people saw. He does not say whether they heard anything.

Simon, too, could see the Holy Spirit’s power. But he thought that the power came from Peter and John. He wanted it too. He had become a Christian for the wrong reasons. And he had received baptism for the wrong reasons. He wanted power over people. He wanted people to think that he was important. So, he tried to buy the power. But we cannot buy God’s gifts with money. They are free. Believers must use them to show God’s power to people. They must not use God’s gifts to make themselves look important. Peter was very angry with Simon. This was because Simon’s faith was not real. Peter reminded him that God knew this. God knows everything about a person. Other people see the things that we do. But only God knows the reason why we do those things.

However, there was still hope for Simon. Peter told him to repent. Simon would have to pray to God. Simon would have to change. He could not use God’s power for selfish reasons any longer. Peter said, ‘Perhaps he (God) will forgive you.’ Simon could say ‘sorry’ to God. But if Simon did not mean it, God would not forgive him. However, God always forgives people if they are sincere.

Peter could see that Simon was jealous. Simon wanted the power that the apostles had. His bad thoughts made him unhappy. So, it was as if those thoughts were keeping him in a prison. His sin was like a prison. That is what sin does to us. It hurts God. It hurts other people. And it hurts us. Only Jesus can save us from the results that sin causes.

Jesus said, ‘Everyone who sins is a slave to sin. The slave does not belong to a family for always. But a son belongs there for always. If the Son frees you, then you will be really free’ (John 8:34-35). So, sin is like a prison, but there is a way out from that prison. Simon saw that there was a way out from it. So, he asked the apostles to pray for him.

Peter and John returned south to Jerusalem. As they traveled through Samaria, they talked about Jesus. They talked about him in many more villages there.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: The Aftermath of Stephen’s Death

Acts 8:1-8 New International Version (NIV)

8 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

Verses 1-4 Three important things happened because of Stephen’s death.

1.         Immediately, Saul began to persecute the Christians in Jerusalem. He was very cruel. He even searched in people’s houses to find the believers.

2.         Many believers left Jerusalem. They traveled far across Judea. They also went to Samaria, in the north. They went in many different directions. But the apostles stayed in Jerusalem.

3.         People outside Jerusalem heard the good news about Jesus. The believers who had left Jerusalem did not hide. They were bold. And they preached the gospel wherever they went.

The ‘godly men’ (verse 2) who buried Stephen were probably not believers. Some students think that they were Jews. There were many Jews who were not believers. Not all such Jews hated the Christians.

Verses 6-8 Philip was one of the 7 helpers (Acts 6:5). The apostles had chosen them to distribute food to the poorer believers. Philip had worked with Stephen. The apostles had chosen them to do practical work. But God also used them to preach. Stephen had preached to the Sanhedrin. Now Philip was preaching to the people in Samaria. This was a brave thing to do.

Jews and Samaritans had been enemies for 1000 years. A long time ago, they had lived in the same country. But the Samaritans’ ancestors had moved north. They had made Samaria their capital city. They had married local people, who worshipped false gods. The Samaritans worshipped God on Mount Gerizim, not at Jerusalem. They read only the first five books in the Old Testament. Jews and Samaritans hated each other. They did not usually speak to each other. But Jesus had talked with a woman who was a Samaritan (John 4:4-30). And he had told a story about a good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37). Now Philip was telling the good news about Jesus to the Samaritans.

When Philip preached, the evil spirits left people. They were not able to control people any longer. Also, many sick people became well. Miracles happened when Philip spoke about Jesus, the Messiah. People knew that the message in the gospel is true. Jesus saves everyone who believes in him. He protects them from evil things. He cures their diseases and he gives joy to people.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Stephen’s Death

Acts 7:54-60 New International Version (NIV)

The Stoning of Stephen

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

The men in the Sanhedrin were very angry. They had very much hate and their faces showed this hate. But Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He turned his face towards heaven. He saw a wonderful vision and he described the vision to those men.

‘The Son of Man’ (verse 56) was a special name that Jesus used for himself. It had many meanings. In Mark 14:61-62, Jesus used it to answer the high priest’s question. The high priest asked him if he was the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus said, ‘I am.’ Then he added, ‘You will all see the Son of Man. He will be sitting at Almighty God’s right side. (‘Almighty’ means ‘the Lord of everything’. Or it means ‘totally powerful’.) The Son of Man will come with the clouds that are in heaven.’ There is a similar description in the Old Testament, in the book called Daniel. There, Daniel describes ‘someone like a son of man’ (Daniel 7:13-14). The prophecy in Psalm 110 is also similar. In Psalm 110:1, God invites Israel’s king to sit at his right side.

Stephen’s vision showed that Jesus’ words about himself were true. Jesus was at God’s right side. But when Stephen saw Jesus, Jesus was standing. Jesus was not sitting then. Some students say that this was because Jesus was giving another chance to the Jews. They could accept him as their king before he sat down on his throne. Other students say that Jesus had stood up to welcome Stephen. This was because Stephen would be in heaven soon. Or perhaps Jesus was standing because he agreed with Stephen’s words. Perhaps in that way Jesus was showing that he agreed.

Stephen’s vision annoyed the men in the Sanhedrin even more. They did not want to listen to Stephen. So, they covered their ears with their hands. To them, Jesus was a criminal. And there was something even worse than that. He had died on a cross. Jews believed that God rejected a person, if that person died on a cross. But Stephen saw that Jesus was at God’s right side. This meant that Jesus had the same authority as God.

The Jews killed people who had done very bad crimes. In order to kill such a person, the Jews threw big stones at that person. The witnesses were the first people that threw the stones. That was what happened to Stephen. Some students think that the Jews acted against the Roman law when they killed Stephen. This was because the Jews had not asked the Roman rulers about it first. But the Jews did not always have to ask the Roman rulers before Jews did such things. For some crimes, the Romans allowed them to decide whether the person should die. Those were some crimes that people did against the Temple. It was probably legal to kill Stephen. If it was not legal, probably Luke would not have mentioned the witnesses. Luke also mentioned Saul. This was the first time when Luke mentioned him. Saul took care of the witnesses’ coats. So, he approved of what was happening.

As Stephen was dying, he said a prayer. Before Jesus died, he also said a prayer. Stephen’s prayer was like Jesus’ prayer. Jesus said, ‘Father, I put my spirit into your hands.’ (‘Into your hands’ means ‘into your care’.) Stephen asked Jesus to receive his spirit. Jesus asked his Father (God) to forgive the people who were killing him. Stephen also asked for this.

Stephen died in much pain. But he was calm. He did not speak words that were angry or unkind. He saw the Lord Jesus. Jesus was waiting for him in heaven. So, Luke wrote that Stephen ‘slept’ (verse 60).

Stephen was the first Christian martyr. There have been many martyrs since then and there are even more martyrs today. Tertullian was a man who wrote books in about AD 150. He wrote that ‘the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church’. Often, when people kill martyrs, the martyrs lose blood. The blood may fall to the ground, like a seed falls. But when a seed falls to the ground, a plant can grow from it. Similarly, when people persecute Christians, the church grows. People kill Christians because they want to destroy the church. But instead, the church becomes stronger. This has always been true and it is true today.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Stephen’s Speech

Acts 7:1-53 New International Version (NIV)

Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin

7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’[a]

4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’[b] 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.

11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.

17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’[c] 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.

20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.[d] For three months he was cared for by his family. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’

27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’[e] 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.

30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[f] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’[g]

35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.

37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’[h] 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.

39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’[i] 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made. 42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
    forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek
    and the star of your god Rephan,
    the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’[j] beyond Babylon.

44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[k] 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.

48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
    Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’[l]

51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Stephen’s speech, part 1: Abraham’s faith in God, 7:1-8

Stephen’s answer to the high priest’s question is the longest speech in ‘Acts’. In it, Stephen showed that God wants people to worship him everywhere, not just in one special place. God is everywhere. Stephen talked about people whose stories are in the Old Testament. The men in the Sanhedrin already knew these stories very well. But Stephen was not just repeating the stories. He was using the stories to teach them new things. Stephen used examples from Jewish history to teach about real faith and worship. The Old Testament showed that Jesus, the Messiah, would come. Stephen told the men how it showed this. Jesus used the Old Testament like that, too. (for example, Luke 24:27).

Stephen began his speech with a greeting that was polite and friendly. He called his audience ‘brothers and fathers’. This reminded them that he was a Jew too. Then he started his lesson from history. Abraham was among the earliest people in all the Jewish history. And he was among the most important people in it. Stephen showed how Abraham had great faith. When Abraham lived, the Jews did not have their own nation or Temple. They did not get those until many hundreds (100s) of years later. But God showed himself to Abraham. God told him to leave his country. Abraham did not know where he was going. But he obeyed God. People who want to obey God must always be willing to leave. They must go wherever God leads them. Stephen showed that God can appear in front of people anywhere. They do not have to be in a special place.

Abraham arrived in the country that God had promised to him. He trusted God again. Abraham had no children. But God said that Abraham’s descendants would own the country. Abraham believed all God’s promises. And all God’s promises became true. Abraham did have children and their descendants were slaves in Egypt. They did leave Egypt and they did live in the Promised Land.

Circumcision was a sign that showed God’s covenant with Abraham. It was the only sign that people could see for that covenant. So, circumcision was very important to the Jews. Here, Stephen was reminding them why it was so important. God had given this sign to them. Abraham had a special friendship with God. God had made this covenant because Abraham had trusted him. And Abraham had obeyed him.

‘Our famous ancestors’ means Jacob’s 12 sons. These were the ancestors of the 12 great families in Israel.

Stephen’s speech, part 2: Joseph, 7:9-16

Stephen continued his lesson about history. He told the story about Joseph. Joseph was Jacob’s favourite son (Genesis 37:3). Joseph had dreams that he was superior to his brothers. His dreams showed that later he would rule over them (Genesis 37:5-11). His brothers were jealous of him. They hated him and they sold him as a slave.

But Stephen showed that nothing could stop God’s plan for Joseph. Although Joseph was in a foreign country, God was with him. ‘Pharaoh’ was the name that people always called the kings of Egypt. Pharaoh did not believe in God but God used him. Pharaoh gave to Joseph what he needed. Joseph became an important ruler, too.

The men in the Sanhedrin knew this story about Joseph very well. But Stephen told it in a new way. He showed how well God looked after his people. God told Joseph to get ready for the famine. God told him about it 7 years before it happened (Genesis 41:25-32). At the right time, Jacob (Joseph’s father) heard that there was food in Egypt (Genesis 42:2). There, God provided food for the Jews’ ancestors. It was in a country that was not their own country. To emphasise this, Stephen mentioned Egypt 8 times in this story. God had promised that the Jews would have their own country. But that promise had become too important to them. They could not make God stay in one place. They could not do that, even if that place was special to them. God is with his people wherever they live. Stephen was teaching this wonderful fact to them.

Stephen’s speech, part 3: Moses, 7:17-43

God had warned Abraham about what would happen. And what God told him had become true (Acts 7:6). The Israelites were slaves in Egypt for 400 years. But God had not forgotten his promise. This promise had two parts.

1. God had promised that Abraham would have many descendants. This had already happened. ‘Our people in Egypt had increased in number.’

2. God had promised to give to his people their own country. This had not happened. And it did not seem likely now, because they were slaves in Egypt. Things had become worse.

The new king did not know about Joseph and he did not respect the Israelites. He thought that they were too many in number. So, the king made them kill their male babies. (Look also at Exodus 1:22.) And he forced them to work.

Stephen now introduced Moses into the story. Moses was a very special child. God had chosen him to rescue the Israelites. So, God had saved his life by a miracle (Exodus 2:1-10). Stephen said good things about Moses here. The Jews had accused him of talk ‘against Moses’ (Acts 6:11). Perhaps that is why he said those good things now. Stephen wanted to show that he admired Moses very much.

Stephen told this part of the story in a new way. He showed that the Israelites had tried to stop God’s plan. They did not realise that Moses would save them from the Egyptians. They did not realise that God had chosen him. Later, the Jews rejected God’s other prophets. Then they rejected their Messiah, the Lord Jesus. In the first century, Jews were very proud of their nation and their culture. They thought that they were superior to all other nations and cultures. But Stephen showed that the Jews’ great leader Moses had been born in a foreign country. When Moses was a child, a foreign woman brought him up. He learned from a foreign culture. Stephen praised this culture. He called it ‘the knowledge that the Egyptians knew’ (verse 22). Not everything that the Egyptians did was right. Stephen was not saying that. But not everything that they did was wrong. So, he was not saying that, either. In the first century, Jews wanted to keep themselves completely separate from Gentiles. This caused arguments in the first church. Stephen was showing that Jews could mix with Gentiles. It did not make the Jews less holy.

Moses had killed an Egyptian. He was defending someone who was from his own people, the Israelites. So, he ran away from Egypt. Like his ancestors, Abraham and Jacob, Moses left his home and he lived ‘as a foreigner’ (verse 29). (Look also at Exodus 2:22.)

God spoke to Abraham and Joseph when they were far from their own country. Moses was far from the country that God had promised to the Israelites. But now, this Gentile land was ‘holy ground’ (verse 33). This was because God had spoken to Moses there. A long time before God’s people (the Jews) built their Temple, God had shown himself to them. He had shown himself to them in foreign countries. Holy places are holy because God is there. They are not holy because of the country that they are in. God can show himself to people anywhere.

God showed that he had not forgotten his covenant with Moses’ ancestors. He was still ‘the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob’ (verse 32). God’s people were suffering as slaves in Egypt. He cared about that and he would rescue them. God told Moses that he was sending him. Moses would act with God’s authority.

Again, Stephen emphasised that the Jews had rejected Moses as their ruler at first. But he had led them out from Egypt. God showed the people that he had chosen Moses. The proof was that Moses did miracles. He did not do miracles in just one place. He did them in Egypt. He did them at the Red Sea. And he did them in the desert. God showed that he was with Moses wherever he went.

Stephen repeated Moses’ words about a prophet (the Messiah). This prophet would be ‘someone from among your people’, like Moses. (Look also at Acts 3:22.) As those people had rejected Moses, so Jesus’ own people rejected Jesus.

The Israelites were in the desert. They were far away from the Promised Land. But God was there with them. He was speaking to them by means of Moses. But they did not obey God. They rejected the leader whom God had chosen. They were very ungrateful.

Then the Israelites rejected God. God was giving the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. But while he was doing that, the Israelites made an idol. They worshipped something that they had made. They stopped worshipping God, who had made them!

‘The book that contains the prophets’ messages’ includes the book by the prophet Amos. The verses that Stephen uses here are from Amos 5:25-27. These verses show how the Israelites worshipped many false gods. At first, they had worshipped one idol in the desert. God allowed them to do what they wanted. God always allows us to choose what we do. We can choose to do good things. Or we can choose to do bad things. The Bible shows to us what is right. And it shows to us what is wrong. The Holy Spirit guides us. But we are free to choose. God never forces us to obey him.

Stephen’s speech, part 4: People who do not obey, 7:44-53

This tent was called the ‘tabernacle’. The ‘tabernacle’ was like a temple that people could carry with them. God had given the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai. Its words were on two pieces of stone. These pieces of stone were big and flat. They were in a special box inside the tent. The people believed that they must have this special tent with them. Then God would be there too. They carried it in the desert. They took it with them into the Promised Land. And they had it for several hundred years.

King David wanted to build a temple instead of the tent. At that time, the Jews had their own country. They thought that they would always stay there. They did not need to carry the tent with them. It was Solomon, David’s son, who built the first Temple. The Jews’ enemies destroyed it in 587 BC. Then the Jews built a second one. The Romans destroyed the second Temple in 63 BC. The Temple in this book called Acts was the third Temple. King Herod the Great had built it. He started it in 19 BC. But it took many years to finish. It was the most magnificent Temple. But Stephen reminded the Jews that God was bigger than any Temple. Stephen said some words from the book by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 66:1-2). God is bigger than heaven and earth. He made all things. He cannot stay in one place only.

Both the Law and the Temple were very important to the Jews. Stephen showed that although the Law and the Temple were important, God was more important. And God was much bigger. Their idea about God was too small!

The people in Stephen’s audience were proud about their religion. They thought that they were very holy people. They studied the scriptures. But they did not hear what God was saying. They thought like people who do not know God. They were exactly like their ancestors. Their ancestors had rejected the prophets. Now the Jewish leaders here had rejected ‘God’s righteous Servant’, the Messiah. And there was something even worse than that. They had killed him. Peter had already said twice that they had killed the Messiah (Acts 4:10; 5:30). Stephen also said that they had not obeyed the Law (verse 53). God had chosen the Jews for his special purposes. He had given the Law to them. He had sent his Messiah. But they had opposed both the Law and the Messiah.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Stephen Arrested

Acts 6:8-15 New International Version (NIV)

8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen was a Jew who spoke Greek. He was one of the 7 helpers. His job was to give food to the poor believers. God was showing his truth and power by means of Stephen. God can use us in any way that he wants. He can use us even when we are doing a practical job, like Stephen.

The ‘Freedmen’ were slaves once. But their masters had freed them. The ‘Freedmen’ included also Jews whose ancestors had been slaves. We think that the ‘Freedmen’ were foreign Jews that had come to Jerusalem. The ‘Freedmen’ did not like what Stephen was saying. But they could not defeat him in an argument. This was because his message came from the Holy Spirit. Jesus had promised that he would give words and wisdom to his disciples. He had promised that their enemies would not win arguments against them (Luke 21:15).

Stephen’s enemies could not defeat him with their own arguments. So, they paid some men to lie. These men said that Stephen was speaking against God and Moses.

Some men said that Stephen had insulted the Temple and the Law. This would make the Jews that lived in Jerusalem especially angry. The Temple was the center of their worship. Many Jews had jobs that depended on the Temple. It was important for businesses in Jerusalem. The Jews believed that they should obey the Law andthat this was the way to please God.

Jesus’ enemies also paid men to tell lies about him. These men lied about him in front of the Sanhedrin. However, the lies that they told were not completely false. They took something that Jesus had said. But they changed it slightly. This is what Stephen’s enemies did. Jesus had said that men would knock the Temple down (Mark 13:2). But then the Jews wanted proof that Jesus had authority from God. Jesus told them to ‘destroy this temple’ (John 2:19). He promised to build it up again in three days. Jesus was talking about his body. His body was like a temple. That was because Jesus lived to please God the Father. Perhaps Stephen had repeated Jesus’ words. People had built the Jewish Temple with their hands. But now Jesus had come, and he was greater than the Temple. So, ‘something greater than the Temple’ had come (Matthew 12:6). Stephen knew what Jesus had really meant. Jesus has replaced the Temple. He has completed the Law. He is the only way to God. People may worship God in a particular way. But the particular way in itself cannot bring them close to him. They cannot please God if they just follow rules. They must believe in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, and they must trust in him. That is the only way to God. If we obey Jesus, we are obeying God.

Stephen’s face shone like an angel’s face when he stood in front of the Sanhedrin. Moses’ face also shone when he brought the Law down from the mountain (Exodus 34:29). Both Stephen’s and Moses’ face shone. This showed that God approved of them. Luke makes it clear that Stephen had God’s blessing. Stephen had grace and power (verse 8). He had special wisdom (verse 10). And his face shone like an angel’s face (verse 15).

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: Apostles Choose Helpers

Acts 6:1-7 New International Version (NIV)

The Choosing of the Seven

6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

At this point, there were two groups of Jews in the first church.

1.         One group of Jews spoke Greek. They had come from different countries. Probably they had traveled to Jerusalem for Pentecost. And then they had joined the church there. Many such Jews had been born in foreign countries. Their ancestors had also lived far away from Israel. So, they did not know how to speak Hebrew. They spoke Greek because it was the most common language.

2.         The other group of Jews spoke Hebrew. They spoke the Jews’ language and they were very proud about Jewish traditions. They lived in Jerusalem or they lived in the areas round it.

The church was growing quickly. Soon there was a problem between the two groups of Jews. It was an argument about the Jewish custom to help widows. (Look at Exodus 22:22 and Deuteronomy 10:18.) Women whose husbands had died did not have a regular income. Those women could not buy food. So, in the first church, they continued the custom to help them. Some people wanted to help, so they gave money or possessions. Every day they gave something to the widows among them. They gave to them whatever they needed. But the Jews who spoke Greek complained. They complained that the Hebrew widows were receiving more than the other widows. Perhaps they did not trust each other much. That may be was why they quarreled.

The 12 apostles realized that this small problem might become much bigger. They did not have time to organize all the practical matters. They needed time to preach. Jesus had told his 12 disciples that their work was to preach. If they did not do this, the church would not grow bigger. They knew that they must do something about this problem quickly.

But the 12 apostles did not just tell everyone what to do. Instead, they ‘called the whole group of believers together’. They told the whole church about the problem.

The 12 apostles said, It is not right for apostles to distribute the food. But they did not think that they were too important for this task. They did not mean that to preach is better than practical help. To give practical help is also good. God calls people to do different things. God had called the 12 apostles to tell everyone the good news about Jesus.

The apostles suggested a solution. They wanted the Christians to choose 7 helpers. These must be spiritual men who were also sensible. Then the 12 apostles would not have to worry about this responsibility. They could continue to preach and they could continue to pray.

The believers chose 7 men. These men all had Greek names. Because of this, some students think that they all spoke Greek. Then it would show that the Christians wanted to be fair to the Greek Jews and their widows.

‘The apostles said a prayer and they put their hands on the men’ (verse 6). This showed that they were giving authority to the 7 helpers. And God was giving authority to the helpers. This work was very important. So, the helpers needed authority to do it.

Verse 7 shows that the first part in ‘Acts’ has ended. The first part is about how the church in Jerusalem grew.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: The Apostles Suffer

Acts 5:33-42 New International Version (NIV)

33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

The Sadducees were very angry. They thought that they knew everything about the Jewish religion. But Peter said that they had they had not recognised the Messiah and had killed him postles. There were also some Pharisees in the Sanhedrin. Pharisees were experts who knew the Jewish Law well. The people respected the Pharisees more than they respected the Sadducees.

Gamaliel was a very important Pharisee and he was a famous teacher. He taught Paul (Acts 22:3). Gamaliel was a sensible man and he was a clever man. The apostles went outside. So, then Gamaliel could talk to the Sanhedrin in private.

Gamaliel talked about two men. These men said that they were important leaders. One man lived ‘at the time when people made the census’. The Romans made the census so they could force the people to pay tax to the government. The people hated this. Many men led the Jews in order to fight against the Romans. Theudas and ‘Judas from Galilee’ were Jews like that. But both Theudas and Judas were dead. Nobody remained in their groups. The same thing would happen to the apostles if their message was not from God. But if it was from God, the men in the Sanhedrin could not stop them. If the Sanhedrin did try to stop the apostles, its members would be fighting against God!

The Pharisees believed that God controlled everything. But they also believed that people had a choice. People could choose what they did.

The Sadducees agreed with Gamaliel. They let the apostles go. But first, they punished the apostles. As their punishment, someone probably hit the apostles 39 times with a whip. (Look at Deuteronomy 25:3.) Afterwards, they were not sad and afraid. They were happy! Their bodies hurt, but in their spirits they had great joy. They knew that God was blessing them. They would have a great reward in heaven. Jesus had said this (in Matthew 5:10-12 and Luke 6:22-23).

The Sanhedrin had tried to stop the apostles. But they could not stop them. Since then, many people have tried to destroy the church. But they could not destroy it. Today, more people than ever before are suffering because they are Christians. But the church continues to grow in numbers.

Satan will always attack the church. But Jesus has defeated Satan already, on the cross. Christians must not be worried and they must not be afraid. The church will continue. Nothing can destroy it.

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Acts Bible Study

Acts: The Apostles Persecuted

Acts 5:17-32 New International Version (NIV)

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.

When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.

25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them.

27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,” he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”

29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! 30 The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

The high priest and the Sadducees were angry because they had told the apostles not to speak in Jesus’ name any more. But the apostles had not obeyed them. The Sadducees did not like the apostles’ message about Jesus’ resurrection. They were jealous because the people liked the apostles. Large crowds came to see the apostles. So, this time, the Sadducees arrested all the apostles.

But God helped the apostles to escape. He sent an angel to open the prison doors. The Greek word for ‘angel’ (aggelos) means someone who brings a message. This angel told them to go back to the Temple. They had to preach there again. The apostles obeyed immediately. They were very brave. They knew that this was a dangerous thing to do. It was dangerous because the Sadducees would probably put them into prison again. But they knew that they must obey God.

‘This new life’ (verse 20) means the new life that only Jesus can give to us. We can have this new life if we believe in him.

Everyone expected that the apostles would be in the prison. The doors were not open. The guards had not seen anyone go. The apostles’ escape was a surprise. The men in the Sanhedrin were worried. And they did not understand how the apostles could have escaped.

The apostles were not hiding. They were in the Temple again! They were teaching the people. So, the officer and his men arrested them again. But the officer and his men were afraid of the crowd. They did not want to make the people angry. So, they were polite to the apostles and they did not hurt them. They did not use that method to make them come.

The men in the Sanhedrin did not want people to hear about Jesus. The apostles were spreading the good news. The Sanhedrin could not stop them. However, the Sanhedrin did not want the Romans to know that. The Romans let the Sanhedrin rule over their own people (the Jews). But the Romans might not allow this to continue because the Sanhedrin could not control the people. The Sanhedrin could not stop the good news about Jesus’ resurrection. All the people in Jerusalem knew about it.

The high priest said ‘in this man’s name’. Because he did not want to say the name ‘Jesus’, he called him ‘this man’. Perhaps he knew that the Sanhedrin really caused Jesus’ death. Perhaps he felt guilty. Some people today do not like to say the name ‘Jesus’. But Christians should be happy to say it. And they should be proud to say it. It is the most beautiful name.

Peter spoke for the whole group. They were only doing what God had told them. Sometimes, when we obey God, people do not like it. We must not worry about this. We must always obey God.

Again, Peter repeated the message that the apostles were preaching. It had 5 parts.

1.         God had sent Jesus. God was ‘our fathers’ God’. ‘Our fathers’ were Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They had started the nation called Israel.

2.         The Jewish leaders had killed Jesus, the person whom God had sent.

3.         God had put Jesus up in a high position, so that Jesus was now sitting at God’s right side. Jesus was now Ruler and Saviour.

4.         Now, people would have to repent. If they did that, God would forgive them. That was because of what Jesus had done.

5.         The apostles knew that this message was true. They had to tell it to everyone. People would have to believe the message and they would have to repent. Then they would receive the Holy Spirit.