Acts 10:19-44

19And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. 20Rise and go down and accompany them without hesitation, for I have sent them.” 21And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. What is the reason for your coming?” 22And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” 23So he invited them in to be his guests.

The next day he rose and went away with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him. 24And on the following day they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. 26But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” 27And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered. 28And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean. 29So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.”

30And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was praying in my house at the ninth hour, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing 31and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. 32Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ 33So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here in the presence of God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

34So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

44While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.

Acts 4:32-35

32Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that

any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. 33And

with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,

and great grace was upon them all. 34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as

were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold 35and laid

it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Acts 6:1-7

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.

Acts 4:1-22

1And as they were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,2greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.3And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.

5On the next day their rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem,6with Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family. 7And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, “By what power or by what name did you do this?”8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders,9if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed,10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well.11This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone.12And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

13Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.14But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.15But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another,16saying, “What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.17But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” 18So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.19But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge,20for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”21And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people, for all were praising God for what had happened.22For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.