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.

And now, Lord, take notice of the threats they have made, and allow us, your servants, to speak your message with all boldness.

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 wicked run when no one is chasing them, but an honest person is as brave as a lion.

And Isaiah is even bolder when he says, "I was found by those who were not looking for me; I appeared to those who were not asking for me."

And pray also for me, that God will give me a message when I am ready to speak, so that I may speak boldly and make known the gospel's secret.

For the sake of this gospel I am an ambassador, though now I am in prison. Pray that I may be bold in speaking about the gospel as I should.

And my being in prison has given most of the believers more confidence in the Lord, so that they grow bolder all the time to preach the message fearlessly.

put out fierce fires, escaped being killed by the sword. They were weak, but became strong; they were mighty in battle and defeated the armies of foreigners.

"My fellow Israelites, descendants of Abraham, and all Gentiles here who worship God: it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent!

And so God chose his Servant and sent him to you first, to bless you by making every one of you turn away from your wicked ways."

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul gave his whole time to preaching the message, testifying to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.

First in Damascus and in Jerusalem and then in the whole country of Israel and among the Gentiles, I preached that they must repent of their sins and turn to God and do the things that would show they had repented.

Instead, you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel.

and in his name the message about repentance and the forgiveness of sins must be preached to all nations, beginning in Jerusalem.

You Samaritans do not really know whom you worship; but we Jews know whom we worship, because it is from the Jews that salvation comes.

I have complete confidence in the gospel; it is God's power to save all who believe, first the Jews and also the Gentiles.

But God will give glory, honor, and peace to all who do what is good, to the Jews first and also to the Gentiles.

They are God's people; he made them his children and revealed his glory to them; he made his covenants with them and gave them the Law; they have the true worship; they have received God's promises;

they are descended from the famous Hebrew ancestors; and Christ, as a human being, belongs to their race. May God, who rules over all, be praised forever! Amen.

"How stubborn you are!" Stephen went on to say. "How heathen your hearts, how deaf you are to God's message! You are just like your ancestors: you too have always resisted the Holy Spirit!

I know how stubborn these people are.

Now, don't try to stop me. I am angry with them, and I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants into a great nation."

With their idols they have made me angry, jealous with their so-called gods, gods that are really not gods. So I will use a so-called nation to make them angry; I will make them jealous with a nation of fools.

Before I was born, the LORD appointed me; he made me his servant to bring back his people, to bring back the scattered people of Israel. The LORD gives me honor; he is the source of my strength.

Israel's holy God and savior says to the one who is deeply despised, who is hated by the nations and is the servant of rulers: "Kings will see you released and will rise to show their respect; princes also will see it, and they will bow low to honor you." This will happen because the LORD has chosen his servant; the holy God of Israel keeps his promises.

If the people in that house welcome you, let your greeting of peace remain; but if they do not welcome you, then take back your greeting.

I assure you that on the Judgment Day God will show more mercy to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah than to the people of that town!

"And so I tell you," added Jesus, "the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce the proper fruits."

while others grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them.

Then he called his servants and said to them, 'My wedding feast is ready, but the people I invited did not deserve it.

So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike; and the wedding hall was filled with people.

Jesus said to him, "There was once a man who was giving a great feast to which he invited many people.

But they all began, one after another, to make excuses. The first one told the servant, 'I have bought a field and must go and look at it; please accept my apologies.'

Another one said, 'I have just gotten married, and for that reason I cannot come.'

Soon the servant said, 'Your order has been carried out, sir, but there is room for more.'

I tell you all that none of those who were invited will taste my dinner!' "

He came to his own country, but his own people did not receive him.

Again I ask: Did the people of Israel not understand? Moses himself is the first one to answer: "I will use a so-called nation to make my people jealous; and by means of a nation of fools I will make my people angry."

But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I held out my hands to welcome a disobedient and rebellious people."

I ask, then: When the Jews stumbled, did they fall to their ruin? By no means! Because they sinned, salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make the Jews jealous of them.

I am speaking now to you Gentiles: As long as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I will take pride in my work.

When they opposed him and said evil things about him, he protested by shaking the dust from his clothes and saying to them, "If you are lost, you yourselves must take the blame for it! I am not responsible. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

And Paul concluded: "You are to know, then, that God's message of salvation has been sent to the Gentiles. They will listen!"

Now you will summon foreign nations; at one time they did not know you, but now they will come running to join you! I, the LORD your God, the holy God of Israel, will make all this happen; I will give you honor and glory."