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When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.
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Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.
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This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
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Philip in Samaria
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.
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Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.
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When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said.
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But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
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Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
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Philip and the Ethiopian
Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
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The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”
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Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.
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“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
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The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”
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Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
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And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.
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When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.
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Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.
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Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
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After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.
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The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance.
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Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
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After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed.
Herod’s Death
Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
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On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people.
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Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.
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Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
