Saul Persecutes the Church 1 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. 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 CPDV But God-fearing men arranged for Stephen’s funeral, and they made a great mourning over him. BSB BSB: God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.
3 CPDV Then Saul was laying waste to the Church by entering throughout the houses, and dragging away men and women, and committing them to prison. BSB BSB: But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria 4 CPDV Therefore, those who had been dispersed were traveling around, evangelizing the Word of God. BSB BSB: Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
5 CPDV Now Philip, descending to a city of Samaria, was preaching Christ to them. BSB BSB: Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.
6 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: The crowds all paid close attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.
7 CPDV For many of them had unclean spirits, and, crying out with a loud voice, these departed from them. BSB BSB: With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.
8 CPDV And many of the paralytics and the lame were cured. BSB BSB: So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer (Deuteronomy 18:9–14)
9 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,
10 CPDV 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.” BSB BSB: and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”
11 CPDV And they were attentive to him because, for a long time, he had deluded them with his magic. BSB BSB: They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.
12 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
13 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.
14 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 CPDV And when they had arrived, they prayed for them, so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. BSB BSB: On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
16 CPDV For he had not yet come to any among them, since they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 CPDV Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. BSB BSB: Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 CPDV But when Simon had seen that, by the imposition of the hands of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, BSB BSB: When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.
19 CPDV 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: BSB BSB: “Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 CPDV “Let your money be with you in perdition, for you have supposed that a gift of God might be possessed by money. BSB BSB: But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!
21 CPDV There is no part or place for you in this matter. For your heart is not upright in the sight of God. BSB BSB: You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.
22 CPDV And so, repent from this, your wickedness, and beg God, so that perhaps this plan of your heart might be forgiven you. BSB BSB: Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.
23 CPDV For I perceive you to be in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.” BSB BSB: For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”
24 CPDV Then Simon responded by saying, “Pray for me to the Lord, so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me.” BSB BSB: Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 CPDV And indeed, after testifying and speaking the Word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, and they evangelized the many regions of the Samaritans. BSB BSB: And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.
Philip and the Ethiopian (Isaiah 53:1–8)
27 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
28 CPDV And while returning, he was sitting upon his chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah. BSB BSB: and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.
29 CPDV Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Draw near and join yourself to this chariot.” BSB BSB: The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”
31 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
33 CPDV He endured his judgment with humility. Who of his generation shall describe how his life was taken away from the earth?” BSB BSB: In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”
34 CPDV Then the eunuch responded to Philip, saying: “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?” BSB BSB: “Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”
35 CPDV Then Philip, opening his mouth and beginning from this Scripture, evangelized Jesus to him. BSB BSB: Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
36 CPDV 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?” BSB BSB: As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”
37 CPDV 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.” BSB BSB: Not in the BSB
38 CPDV And he ordered the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch descended into the water. And he baptized him. BSB BSB: And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 CPDV 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. BSB BSB: When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.
40 CPDV Now Philip was found in Azotus. And continuing on, he evangelized all the cities, until he arrived in Caesarea. BSB BSB: But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.