Acts - Week 8

(ESV)

41Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.

42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

1Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

3Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

8And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

9Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.

10But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

(ESV)

49“ ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?

(ESV)

50Did not my hand make all these things?’

51“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

1And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

52Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered,

53you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

54Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.

55But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and 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.”

57But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.

58Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

60And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

1And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.

3But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.

(ESV)

17“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

19Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Righteousness

(ESV)

16“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

17Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues,

18and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.

19When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour.

1. You are going out into a violent world that rejects God.

20For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

21Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death,

22and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

23When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

2. The Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) will speak through you.

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

25It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

26“So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

27What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

3. All

28And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.

30But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.

31Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

3. God is aware of the suffering of his disciples.

32So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven,

33but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

4. There is more to our faith than simply salvation.

34“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

35For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

36And a person’s enemies will be those of his own household.

37Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

40“Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.

41The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward.

42And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.”

38And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.