Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Now the apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God.

Now those who were scattered after the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the Word to no one but the Jews only.

And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them.

and sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God, and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ, to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith,

Then those who gladly received his word were immersed; and that day about three thousand souls were added.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things are so.

But that which was sown on the good ground is he who hears the Word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: this a hundredfold, that sixty, that thirty.

He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him; the Word that I speak will judge him in the Last Day.

For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the Word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.

and with all unrighteous deception among those who are perishing, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.

who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

and when Jacob, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.