Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, "Don't delay in coming with us."

And a man who was lame from his mother's womb was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex.

Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, "Look at us."

But Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but what I have, I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, get up and walk!"

So he jumped up, stood, and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them-- walking, leaping, and praising God.

and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him.

After they went down there, they prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

saying, "Give me this power too, so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit."

You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.

For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity."

Then, after they had testified and spoken the message of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, evangelizing many villages of the Samaritans.

There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years.

So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs.

So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.

He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive.

And Peter stayed on many days in Joppa with Simon, a leather tanner.

Then he became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something he went into a visionary state.

In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky.

"No, Lord!" Peter said. "For I have never eaten anything common and unclean!"

This happened three times, and then the object was taken up into heaven.

They called out, asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.

Get up, go downstairs, and accompany them with no doubts at all, because I have sent them."

They said, "Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who has a good reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was divinely directed by a holy angel to call you to his house and to hear a message from you."

The following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

But Peter helped him up and said, "Stand up! I myself am also a man."

Peter said to them, "You know it's forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner. But God has shown me that I must not call any person common or unclean.

Cornelius replied, "Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon, I was praying in my house. Just then a man in a dazzling robe stood before me

Therefore send someone to Joppa and invite Simon here, who is also named Peter. He is lodging in Simon the tanner's house by the sea.'

And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us.

Why, then, are you now testing God by putting on the disciples' necks a yoke that neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?

"Follow Me," He told them, "and I will make you fish for people!"

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They were in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and He called them.

Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

and to James the son of Zebedee, and to his brother John, He gave the name "Boanerges" (that is, "Sons of Thunder");

Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew;

Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

He first found his own brother Simon and told him, "We have found the Messiah!" (which means "Anointed One"),

Simon Peter motioned to him to find out who it was He was talking about.

One of the high priest's slaves, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, said, "Didn't I see you with Him in the garden?"

A second time He asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" "Yes, Lord," he said to Him, "You know that I love You." "Shepherd My sheep," He told him.

"I assure you: When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don't want to go."

So Peter turned around and saw the disciple Jesus loved following them. [That disciple] was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and asked, "Lord, who is the one that's going to betray You?"

"If I want him to remain until I come," Jesus answered, "what is that to you? As for you, follow Me."

This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.

that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us--

We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

because of the truth that remains in us and will be with us forever.

I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, in keeping with a command we have received from the Father.

And this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the command as you have heard it from the beginning: you must walk in love.

Watch yourselves so that you don't lose what we have worked for, but you may receive a full reward.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home, and don't say, "Welcome," to him;

Though I have many things to write to you, I don't want to do so with paper and ink. Instead, I hope to be with you and talk face to face so that our joy may be complete.

Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God,

Therefore, we ought to support such men, so that we can be co-workers with the truth.

This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.

Demetrius has a [good] testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. And we also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.

I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.

who testified to God's word and to the testimony about Jesus Christ, in all he saw.

Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter.

"Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Nathanael asked him. "Come and see," Philip answered.

He asked this to test him, for He Himself knew what He was going to do.

Then He said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and observe My hands. Reach out your hand and put it into My side. Don't be an unbeliever, but a believer."

Jesus said, "Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Those who believe without seeing are blessed."

So, leaving everything behind, he got up and began to follow Him.