Nov 14 - Acts 5-7
Acts
1But a certain man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a field2and he was deceitful about the price of the field, with his wife’s consent. And bringing only part of it, he placed it at the feet of the Apostles3But Peter said: "Ananias, why has Satan tempted your heart, so that you would lie to the Holy Spirit and be deceitful about the price of the land4Did it not belong to you while you retained it? And having sold it, was it not in your power? Why have you set this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God!5Then Ananias, upon hearing these words, fell down and expired. And a great fear overwhelmed all who heard of it6And the young men rose up and removed him; and carrying him out, they buried him7Then about the space of three hours passed, and his wife entered, not knowing what had happened8And Peter said to her, "Tell me, woman, if you sold the field for this amount?" And she said, "Yes, for that amount.9And Peter said to her: "Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out!10Immediately, she fell down before his feet and expired. Then the young men entered and found her dead. And they carried her out and buried her next to her husband11And a great fear came over the entire Church and over all who heard these things12And through the hands of the Apostles many signs and wonders were accomplished among the people. And they all met with one accord at Solomon’s portico13And among the others, no one dared to join himself to them. But the people magnified them14Now the multitude of men and women who believed in the Lord was ever increasing15so much so that they laid the infirm in the streets, placing them on beds and stretchers, so that, as Peter arrived, at least his shadow might fall upon any one of them, and they would be freed from their infirmities16But a multitude also hurried to Jerusalem from the neighboring cities, carrying the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits, who were all healed17Then the high priest and all those who were with him, that is, the heretical sect of the Sadducees, rose up and were filled with jealousy18And they laid hands on the Apostles, and they placed them in the common prison19But in the night, an Angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison and led them out, saying20"Go and stand in the temple, speaking to the people all these words of life.21And when they had heard this, they entered the temple at first light, and they were teaching. Then the high priest, and those who were with him, approached, and they called together the council and all the elders of the sons of Israel. And they sent to the prison to have them brought22But when the attendants had arrived, and, upon opening the prison, had not found them, they returned and reported to them23saying: "We found the prison certainly locked up with all diligence, and the guards standing before the door. But upon opening it, we found no one within.24Then, when the magistrate of the temple and the chief priests heard these words, they were uncertain about them, as to what should happen25But someone arrived and reported to them, "Behold, the men whom you placed in prison are in the temple, standing and teaching the people.26Then the magistrate, with the attendants, went and brought them without force. For they were afraid of the people, lest they be stoned27And when they had brought them, they stood them before the council. And the high priest questioned them28and said: "We strongly order you not to teach in this name. For behold, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and you wish to bring the blood of this man upon us.29But Peter and the Apostles responded by saying: "It is necessary to obey God, more so than men30The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus, whom you put to death by hanging him on a tree31It is he whom God has exalted at his right hand as Ruler and Savior, so as to offer repentance and the remission of sins to Israel32And we are witnesses of these things, with the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to all who are obedient to him.33When they had heard these things, they were deeply wounded, and they were planning to put them to death34But someone in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law honored by all the people, rose up and ordered the men to be put outside briefly35And he said to them: "Men of Israel, you should be careful in your intentions about these men36For before these days, Theudas stepped forward, asserting himself to be someone, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined with him. But he was killed, and all who believed in him were scattered, and they were reduced to nothing37After this one, Judas the Galilean stepped forward, in the days of the enrollment, and he turned the people toward himself. But he also perished, and all of them, as many as had joined with him, were dispersed38And now therefore, I say to you, withdraw from these men and leave them alone. For if this counsel or work is of men, it will be broken39Yet truly, if it is of God, you will not be able to break it, and perhaps you might be found to have fought against God." And they agreed with him40And calling in the Apostles, having beaten them, they warned them not to speak at all in the name of Jesus. And they dismissed them41And indeed, they went forth from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were considered worthy to suffer insult on behalf of the name of Jesus42And every day, in the temple and among the houses, they did not cease to teach and to evangelize Christ Jesus
1In those days, as the number of disciples was increasing, there occurred a murmuring of the Greeks against the Hebrews, because their widows were treated with disdain in the daily ministration2And so the twelve, calling together the multitude of the disciples, said: "It is not fair for us to leave behind the Word of God to serve at tables also3Therefore, brothers, search among yourselves for seven men of good testimony, filled with the Holy Spirit and with wisdom, whom we may appoint over this work4Yet truly, we will be continually in prayer and in the ministry of the Word.5And the plan pleased the entire multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and with the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas, a new arrival from Antioch6These they set before the sight of the Apostles, and while praying, they imposed hands on them7And the Word of the Lord was increasing, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was multiplied exceedingly. And even a large group of the priests were obedient to the faith8Then Stephen, filled with grace and fortitude, wrought great signs and miracles among the people9But certain ones, from the synagogue of the so-called Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those who were from Cilicia and Asia rose up and were disputing with Stephen10But they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking11Then they suborned men who were to claim that they had heard him speaking words of blasphemy against Moses and against God12And thus did they stir up the people and the elders and the scribes. And hurrying together, they seized him and brought him to the council13And they set up false witnesses, who said: "This man does not cease to speak words against the holy place and the law14For we have heard him saying that this Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and will change the traditions, which Moses handed down to us.15And all those who were sitting in the council, gazing at him, saw his face, as if it had become the face of an Angel
1Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?2And Stephen said: "Noble brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he stayed in Haran3And God said to him, ‘Depart from your country and from your kindred, and go into the land that I will show to you.4Then he went away from the land of the Chaldeans, and he lived at Haran. And later, after his father was dead, God brought him into this land, in which you now dwell5And he gave him no inheritance in it, not even the space of one step. But he promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his offspring after him, though he did not have a son6Then God told him that his offspring would be a settler in a foreign land, and that they would subjugate them, and treat them badly, for four hundred years7‘And the nation whom they will serve, I will judge,’ said the Lord. ‘And after these things, they shall depart and shall serve me in this place.8And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so he conceived Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. And Isaac conceived Jacob, and Jacob, the twelve Patriarchs9And the Patriarchs, being jealous, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him10And he rescued him from all his tribulations. And he gave him grace and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And he appointed him as governor over Egypt and over all his house11Then a famine occurred in all of Egypt and Canaan, and a great tribulation. And our fathers did not find food12But when Jacob had heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers first13And on the second occasion, Joseph was recognized by his brothers, and his ancestry was made manifest to Pharaoh14Then Joseph sent for and brought his father Jacob, with all his kindred, seventy-five souls15And Jacob descended into Egypt, and he passed away, and so did our fathers16And they crossed over into Shechem, and they were placed in the sepulcher which Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the son of Shechem17And when the time of the Promise that God had revealed to Abraham drew near, the people increased and were multiplied in Egypt18even until another king, who did not know Joseph, rose up in Egypt19This one, encompassing our kindred, afflicted our fathers, so that they would expose their infants, lest they be kept alive20In the same time, Moses was born. And he was in the grace of God, and he was nourished for three months in the house of his father21Then, having been abandoned, the daughter of Pharaoh took him in, and she raised him as her own son22And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. And he was mighty in his words and in his deeds23But when forty years of age were completed in him, it rose up in his heart that he should visit his brothers, the sons of Israel24And when he had seen a certain one suffering injury, he defended him. And striking the Egyptian, he wrought a retribution for him who was enduring the injury25Now he supposed that his brothers would understand that God would grant them salvation through his hand. But they did not understand it26So truly, on the following day, he appeared before those who were arguing, and he would have reconciled them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. So why would you harm one another?27But he who was causing the injury to his neighbor rejected him, saying: ‘Who has appointed you as leader and judge over us28Could it be that you want to kill me, in the same way that you killed the Egyptian yesterday?29Then, at this word, Moses fled. And he became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he produced two sons30And when forty years were completed, there appeared to him, in the desert of Mount Sinai, an Angel, in a flame of fire in a bush31And upon seeing this, Moses was amazed at the sight. And as he drew near in order to gaze at it, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying32‘I am the God of your fathers: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses, being made to tremble, did not dare to look33But the Lord said to him: ‘Loosen the shoes from your feet. For the place in which you stand is holy ground34Certainly, I have seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning. And so, I am coming down to free them. And now, go forth and I will send you into Egypt.35This Moses, whom they rejected by saying, ‘Who has appointed you as leader and judge?’ is the one God sent to be leader and redeemer, by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush36This man led them out, accomplishing signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and at the Red Sea, and in the desert, for forty years37This is Moses, who said to the sons of Israel: ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own brothers. You shall listen to him.38This is he who was in the Church in the wilderness, with the Angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. It is he who received the words of life to give to us39It is he whom our fathers were not willing to obey. Instead, they rejected him, and in their hearts they turned away toward Egypt40saying to Aaron: ‘Make gods for us, which may go before us. For this Moses, who led us away from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.41And so they fashioned a calf in those days, and they offered sacrifices to an idol, and they rejoiced in the works of their own hands42Then God turned, and he handed them over, to subservience to the armies of heaven, just as it was written in the Book of the Prophets: ‘Did you not offer victims and sacrifices to me for forty years in the desert, O house of Israel43And yet you took up for yourselves the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, figures which you yourselves formed in order to adore them. And so I will carry you away, beyond Babylon.44The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the desert, just as God ordained for them, speaking to Moses, so that he would make it according to the form that he had seen45But our fathers, receiving it, also brought it, with Joshua, into the land of the Gentiles, whom God expelled before the face of our fathers, even until the days of David46who found grace before God and who asked that he might obtain a tabernacle for the God of Jacob47But it was Solomon who built a house for him48Yet the Most High does not live in houses built by hands, just as he said through the prophet49‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house would you build for me? says the Lord. And which is my resting place50Has not my hand made all these things?51Stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you ever resist the Holy Spirit. Just as your fathers did, so also do you do52Which of the Prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they killed those who foretold the advent of the Just One. And you have now become the betrayers and murderers of him53You received the law by the actions of Angels, and yet you have not kept it.54Then, upon hearing these things, they were deeply wounded in their hearts, and they gnashed their teeth at him55But he, being filled with the Holy Spirit, and gazing intently toward heaven, saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.56And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God."57Then they, crying out with a loud voice, blocked their ears and, with one accord, rushed violently toward him58And driving him out, beyond the city, they stoned him. And witnesses placed their garments beside the feet of a youth, who was called Saul59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.60Then, having been brought to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. And Saul was consenting to his murder