Acts

Saul Persecutes the Church

1And 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.

2God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.

3But 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

4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

5Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ to them.

6The crowds all paid close attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.

7With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.

8So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer

9Prior 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,

10and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”

11They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.

12But 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.

13Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.

14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

16For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

17Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

18When Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money.

19“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

21You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

22Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.

23For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”

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

25And 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

26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

27So 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,

28and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.

29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”

30So Philip ran up 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 guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.

33In His humiliation He was deprived of justice.Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”

34“Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”

35Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36As 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?”

38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39When 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.

40But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

掃羅逼迫教會

1從這日起，耶路撒冷的教會大遭逼迫，除了使徒以外，門徒都分散在猶太和撒馬利亞各處。

2有虔誠的人把司提反埋葬了，為他捶胸大哭。

3掃羅卻殘害教會，進各人的家，拉着男女下在監裏。

福音傳到撒馬利亞

4那些分散的人往各處去傳道。

5腓利下撒馬利亞城去，宣講基督。

6眾人聽見了，又看見腓利所行的神蹟，就同心合意地聽從他的話。

7因為有許多人被污鬼附着，那些鬼大聲呼叫，從他們身上出來；還有許多癱瘓的、瘸腿的，都得了醫治。

8在那城裏，就大有歡喜。

9有一個人，名叫西門，向來在那城裏行邪術，妄自尊大，使撒馬利亞的百姓驚奇；

10無論大小都聽從他，說：「這人就是那稱為上帝的大能者。」

11他們聽從他，因他久用邪術，使他們驚奇。

12及至他們信了腓利所傳上帝國的福音和耶穌基督的名，連男帶女就受了洗。

13西門自己也信了；既受了洗，就常與腓利在一處，看見他所行的神蹟和大異能，就甚驚奇。

14使徒在耶路撒冷聽見撒馬利亞人領受了上帝的道，就打發彼得、約翰往他們那裏去。

15兩個人到了，就為他們禱告，要叫他們受聖靈。

16因為聖靈還沒有降在他們一個人身上，他們只奉主耶穌的名受了洗。

17於是使徒按手在他們頭上，他們就受了聖靈。

18西門看見使徒按手，便有聖靈賜下，就拿錢給使徒，

19說：「把這權柄也給我，叫我手按着誰，誰就可以受聖靈。」

20彼得說：「你的銀子和你一同滅亡吧！因你想上帝的恩賜是可以用錢買的。

21你在這道上無分無關；因為在上帝面前，你的心不正。

22你當懊悔你這罪惡，祈求主，或者你心裏的意念可得赦免。

23我看出你正在苦膽之中，被罪惡捆綁。」

24西門說：「願你們為我求主，叫你們所說的，沒有一樣臨到我身上。」

25使徒既證明主道，而且傳講，就回耶路撒冷去，一路在撒馬利亞好些村莊傳揚福音。

腓利和衣索匹亞的太監

26有主的一個使者對腓利說：「起來！向南走，往那從耶路撒冷下迦薩的路上去。」那路是曠野。

27腓利就起身去了，不料，有一個衣索匹亞人，是個有大權的太監，在衣索匹亞女王甘大基的手下總管銀庫，他上耶路撒冷禮拜去了。

28現在回來，在車上坐着，念先知以賽亞的書。

29聖靈對腓利說：「你去！貼近那車走。」

30腓利就跑到太監那裏，聽見他念先知以賽亞的書，便問他說：「你所念的，你明白嗎？」

31他說：「沒有人指教我，怎能明白呢？」於是請腓利上車，與他同坐。

32他所念的那段經，說：他像羊被牽到宰殺之地， 又像羊羔在剪毛的人手下無聲； 他也是這樣不開口。

33他卑微的時候， 人不按公義審判他； 誰能述說他的世代？ 因為他的生命從地上奪去。

34太監對腓利說：「請問，先知說這話是指着誰？是指着自己呢？是指着別人呢？」

35腓利就開口從這經上起，對他傳講耶穌。

36二人正往前走，到了有水的地方，太監說：「看哪，這裏有水，我受洗有甚麼妨礙呢？」

38於是吩咐車站住，腓利和太監二人同下水裏去，腓利就給他施洗。

39從水裏上來，主的靈把腓利提了去，太監也不再見他了，就歡歡喜喜地走路。

40後來有人在亞鎖都遇見腓利；他走遍那地方，在各城宣傳福音，直到凱撒利亞。