Acts

“…he was raised to life three days later, as written in the Scriptures; that he appeared to Peter and then to all twelve apostles. Then he appeared to more than five hundred of his followers at once, most of whom are still alive, although some have died.” (1 Corinthians 15:4-6 – GN) “For forty days after his death he appeared to them many times in ways that proved beyond doubt that he was alive. They saw him, and he talked with them about the Kingdom of God.” (Acts 1:3 – GN)

“The greatest in the Kingdom of heaven is the one who humbles himself and becomes like this child.” (Matthew 18:4 – GN) “…the Kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21 – GN) “Jesus answered, ‘My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, My followers would fight to keep Me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But My Kingdom is not of this world.’” (John 18:36 NLT)

“Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?” (Acts 1:6 – GN) “Lord, are you now going to give Israel its own king again?” (Acts 1:6 – CEV)

“Jesus said to them, ‘The times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority, and it is not for you to know when they will be. But when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will be filled with power, and you will be witnesses for me in Jerusalem, in all of Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ After saying this, he was taken up to heaven as they watched him, and a cloud hid him from their sight.” (Acts 1:7-9 – GN)

“I have much more to tell you, but now it would be too much for you to bear. When, however, the Spirit comes, who reveals the truth about God, he will lead you into all the truth.” (John 16:12-13 GNB)

“I have been speaking to you in parables - but the time is coming to give up parables and tell you plainly about the Father. When that time comes, you will make your requests to him in my own name, for I need make no promise to plead to the Father for you for the Father himself loves you…” (John 16:25-30, JB Phillips).

“Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel “Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to Israel?” (Acts 1:6 – GN)

“Then the servant who had received one thousand coins came in and said, 'Sir, I know you are a hard man; you reap harvests where you did not plant, and you gather crops where you did not scatter seed. I was afraid, so I went off and hid your money in the ground. Look! Here is what belongs to you.'

'You bad and lazy servant. ' his master said 'You bad and lazy servant!' his master said. 'You knew, did you, that I reap harvests where I did not plant, and gather crops where I did not scatter seed? Well, then, you should have deposited my money in the bank, and I would have received it all back with interest when I returned. Now, take the money away from him and give it to the one who has ten thousand coins.”

Then the King will say to the people on his right, 'Come, you that are blessed by my Father! Come and possess the kingdom which has been prepared for you ever since the creation of the world. I was hungry and you fed me, thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you received me in your homes, naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me, in prison and you visited me.’” (Matthew 25:13-36 GNB)

“When the day of Pentecost came, all the believers were gathered together in one place. Suddenly there was a noise from the sky which sounded like a strong wind blowing, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then they saw what looked like tongues of fire which spread out and touched each person there. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to talk in other languages, as the Spirit enabled them to speak.” (Acts 2:1-4 – GN)

“There were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious people who had come from every country in the world. When they heard this noise, a large crowd gathered. They were all excited, because all of them heard the believers talking in their own languages. In amazement and wonder they exclaimed, "These people who are talking like this are Galileans! How is it, then, that all of us hear them speaking in our own native languages?” (Acts 2:5-8 GNB)

“We are from Parthia, Media, and Elam; from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia; from Pontus and Asia, from Phrygia and Pamphylia, from Egypt and the regions of Libya near Cyrene. Some of us are from Rome, both Jews and Gentiles converted to Judaism, and some of us are from Crete and Arabia---yet all of us hear them speaking in our own languages about the great things that God has done!’ Amazed and confused, they kept asking each other, ‘What does this mean?’ But others made fun of the believers, saying, ‘These people are drunk!’” (Acts 2:9-13 GNB)

“I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, who will stay with you forever. He is the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God.” (John 14:16-17 – GN)

“The Helper will come---the Spirit, who reveals the truth about God and who comes from the Father. I will send him to you from the Father, and he will speak about me. And you, too, will speak about me, because you have been with me from the very beginning.” (John 15:26-27 – GN)

“…God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God’s gift to us.” (Romans 5:5 – GN)

“Many of them believed his message and were baptized, and about three thousand people were added to the group that day. They spent their time in learning from the apostles, taking part in the fellowship, and sharing in the fellowship meals and the prayers.” (Acts 2:41-42 – GN)

“All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:44-47 – NET)

Prehistory Creation The fall Cain and Abel Noah and the flood The Tower of Babel

Ancestors of the Israelites Abraham “Joshua said to all the people, ‘This is what the LORD God of Israel says: Long ago your ancestors, Terah and his sons Abraham and Nahor, lived on the other side of the Euphrates River and served other gods…” (Joshua 24:2-3 – GODS WORD) Isaac Jacob Egyptian bondage Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt (1290 BC) 40 years wandering

Conquest of Canaan Joshua (1250 BC) Judges “Now then,’ Joshua continued, ‘honor the LORD and serve him sincerely and faithfully. Get rid of the gods which your ancestors used to worship in Mesopotamia and in Egypt, and serve only the LORD. If you are not willing to serve him, decide today whom you will serve, the gods your ancestors worshiped in Mesopotamia or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living. As for my family and me, we will serve the LORD.’ The people replied, ‘We would never leave the LORD to serve other gods!’” (Joshua 24:14-16 – GN) Judges

Saul - 1030-1010 BC David - 1010-970 BC Solomon - 970-931 BC

Chronology Judah Prophets Israel 931 BC Rehoboam Jeroboam Abijah Nadab Asa* Baasha 850 BC Jehoshaphat* Elijah Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, Joram 800 BC Jehoram*, Ahaziah, Queen Athaliah, Joash* Elisha Jonah Amos Johoahaz, Johoash, Jeroboam II 750 BC Amaziah, Uzziah, Ahaz Hosea Micah Isaiah Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah 722 BC Hezekiah* Pekah, Hoshea

King Prophet 650 Manasseh Amon Nahum Josiah Jeremiah, Zephaniah, Habakkuk, Ezekiel Joahaz 600 Jehoiakim 605 – 1st invasion (Daniel) Jehoiachin 597 – 2nd invasion (Ezekiel) 586 Zedekiah 586 – 3rd invasion (Jeremiah)

538 BC – Edict of Cyrus to return 520 BC – Haggai and Zechariah Zerubbabel and Joshua 480 BC – Esther 458 - 445 BC – Ezra, Nehemiah …..Malachi "I have always loved you," says the LORD. But you retort, "Really? How have You loved us?" (Malachi 1:2 NLT)

Jesus Pentecost Dark ages

“Peter and John were still speaking to the people when some priests, the officer in charge of the Temple guards, and some Sadducees arrived. They were annoyed because the two apostles were teaching the people that Jesus had risen from death, which proved that the dead will rise to life. So they arrested them and put them in jail...” (Acts 4:1-3 – GN)

“The members of the Council were amazed to see how bold Peter and John were and to learn that they were ordinary men of no education. They realized then that they had been companions of Jesus.” (Acts 4:13 – GN) “So they called them back in and told them that under no condition were they to speak or to teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘You yourselves judge which is right in God’s sight---to obey you or to obey God. For we cannot stop speaking of what we ourselves have seen and heard.’” (Acts 4:18-20 – GN)

“We write to you about the Word of life, which has existed from the very beginning. We have heard it, and we have seen it with our eyes; yes, we have seen it, and our hands have touched it. When this life became visible, we saw it; so we speak of it and tell you about the eternal life which was with the Father and was made known to us. What we have seen and heard we announce to you also, so that you will join with us in the fellowship that we have with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We write this in order that our joy may be complete. Now the message that we have heard from his Son and announce is this: God is light, and there is no darkness at all in him.” (1 John 1:1-5 GNB)

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV)

“And every day in the Temple and in people's homes they continued to teach and preach the Good News about Jesus the Messiah.” (Acts 5:42 GNB) “Then Philip began to speak….he told him the Good News about Jesus.” (Acts 8:35 GNB)

“But I reckon my own life to be worth nothing to me; I only want to complete my mission and finish the work that the Lord Jesus gave me to do, which is… to declare the Good News about the grace of God.” (Acts 20:24 GNB) “…the Good News of God’s kindness.” (God’s Word)

“When they finished praying, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to proclaim God's message with boldness. The group of believers was one in mind and heart. None of them said that any of their belongings were their own, but they all shared with one another everything they had. With great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God poured rich blessings on them all. There was no one in the group who was in need. Those who owned fields or houses would sell them, bring the money received from the sale, and turn it over to the apostles; and the money was distributed according to the needs of the people.” (Acts 4:31-35 – GN)

Ananias and Sapphira “Joseph was one of the followers who had sold a piece of property and brought the money to the apostles. He was a Levite from Cyprus, and the apostles called him Barnabas, which means ‘one who encourages others.’” (Acts 4:36 – CEV)

Ananias and Sapphira “There was also a man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. He brought part of the money to the apostles, but he claimed it was the full amount. His wife had agreed to this deception. Then Peter said, ‘Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself.’

‘The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished ‘The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God.’ As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified. Then some young men wrapped him in a sheet and took him out and buried him. About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, ‘Was this the price you and your husband received for your land?’

‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘that was the price ‘Yes,’ she replied, ‘that was the price.’ And Peter said, ‘How could the two of you even think of doing a thing like this—conspiring together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Just outside that door are the young men who buried your husband, and they will carry you out, too.’ Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. Great fear gripped the entire church and all others who heard what had happened.” (Acts 5:1-11 – NLT)

“…even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both” (Acts 5:13,14, The Message). “Through the help of the Holy Spirit it was strengthened and grew in numbers, as it lived in reverence for the Lord.” (Acts 9:31 – GN)

“The people who have been turning the whole world upside down have come here now.” (Acts 17:6 – NJB)

Ancient versions Aramaic Targums Arabic (10th century) Syriac (Syria, Iraq, southeast Turkey) – a branch of Aramaic Coptic (Egypt) Latin (Western church) Gothic (Eastern Germanic people) - extinct Slavonic Anglosaxon (7th, 8th century) Frankish Greek (Eastern church) Armenian (Black sea, turkey, Syria) Georgian (North of Armenia – Black/Caspian sea) Ethiopian Persian Chinese

Saul - - - Paul

“As the members of the Council listened to Stephen, they became furious and ground their teeth at him in anger. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw God's glory and Jesus standing at the right side of God. "Look!" he said. "I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!" With a loud cry the Council members covered their ears with their hands. Then they all rushed at him at once, threw him out of the city, and stoned him. The witnesses left their cloaks in the care of a young man named Saul. They kept on stoning Stephen as he called out to the Lord, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!" He knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord! Do not remember this sin against them!" He said this and died.” (Acts 7:54-60 – GN)

“And Saul approved of his murder “And Saul approved of his murder. That very day the church in Jerusalem began to suffer cruel persecution. All the believers, except the apostles, were scattered throughout the provinces of Judea and Samaria. Some devout men buried Stephen, mourning for him with loud cries. But Saul tried to destroy the church; going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women, and threw them into jail.” (Acts 8:1-3 – GN)

Bible reading Church Tithes and offerings Sabbath The law Mission work

“I myself thought that I should do everything I could against the cause of Jesus of Nazareth. That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the chief priests and put many of God's people in prison; and when they were sentenced to death, I also voted against them. Many times I had them punished in the synagogues and tried to make them deny their faith. I was so furious with them that I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

“It was for this purpose that I went to Damascus with authority and orders from the chief priests. It was on the road at midday, Your Majesty, that I saw a light much brighter than the sun, coming from the sky and shining around me and the men traveling with me. All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice say to me in Hebrew, ‘Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself by hitting back, like an ox kicking against its owner’s stick.’ to keep offering vain and perilous resistance (Amplified)

‘Who are you, Lord. ’ I asked ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. And the Lord answered, ‘I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant. You are to tell others what you have seen of me today and what I will show you in the future…You are to open their eyes and turn them from the darkness to the light and from the power of Satan to God…’” (Acts 26:9-18 – GN)

Bible reading Church Tithes and offerings Sabbath The law Mission work

“I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him.” (Philippians 3:7-9 – NLT)

“I don’t place any value on my own life “I don’t place any value on my own life. I want to finish the race I’m running. I want to carry out the mission I received from the Lord Jesus-the mission of testifying to the Good News of God’s kindness…I am now entrusting you to God and to his message that tells how kind he is. That message can help you grow and can give you the inheritance that is shared by all of God’s holy people.” (Acts 20:21-24,32 – GN)

“In Lystra there was a crippled man who had been lame from birth and had never been able to walk. He sat there and listened to Paul’s words. Paul saw that he believed and could be healed, so he looked straight at him and said in a loud voice, ‘Stand up straight on your feet!’ The man jumped up and started walking around. When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they started shouting in their own Lycaonian language, ‘The gods have become like men and have come down to us!’ They gave Barnabas the name Zeus, and Paul the name Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

“The priest of the god Zeus, whose temple stood just outside the town, brought bulls and flowers to the gate, for he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice to the apostles. When Barnabas and Paul heard what they were about to do, they tore their clothes and ran into the middle of the crowd, shouting, ‘Why are you doing this? We ourselves are only human beings like you! We are here to announce the Good News, to turn you away from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven, earth, sea, and all that is in them…’ Even with these words the apostles could hardly keep the crowd from offering a sacrifice to them.” (Acts 14:8-18 – GN)

“Some Jews came from Antioch…they won the crowds over to their side, stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead.” (Acts 14:19 – GN)

“The LORD said to Moses, ‘How much longer will these people reject me “The LORD said to Moses, ‘How much longer will these people reject me? How much longer will they refuse to trust in me, even though I have performed so many miracles among them?’” (Numbers 14:11 – GN) “Answer me, LORD, answer me, so that this people will know that you, the LORD, are God and that you are bringing them back to yourself.’ The LORD sent fire down, and it burned up the sacrifice, the wood, and the stones, scorched the earth and dried up the water in the trench. When the people saw this, they threw themselves on the ground and exclaimed, ‘The LORD is God; the LORD alone is God!’” (1 Kings 18:37-39 – GN) “Even though he had performed all these miracles in their presence, they did not believe in him.” (John 12:37 – GN)

“As soon as night came, the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea “As soon as night came, the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived, they went to the synagogue. The people there were more open-minded than the people in Thessalonica. They listened to the message with great eagerness, and every day they studied the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was really true.” (Acts 17:10-11 – GN)

The 3rd Angels Message “Then I saw another angel flying high in the air, with an eternal message of Good News to announce to the peoples of the earth, to every race, tribe, language, and nation.” (Revelation 14:6) “Then I saw another angel descending from heaven, possessing great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his radiance and splendor.” (Revelation 18:1 - Amplified)