Abigail

93 – Abigail

1 Samuel 25:1-44

David and his men lived in the same area as a rich herdsman named Nabal, a descendant of Caleb. He was known to be mean and harsh, but he had a beautiful wife who was much more practical in how she dealt with others. Her name was Abigail.

Having David’s army in the area was a great advantage to Nabal because foreign raiders didn’t come and steal from his herds. Still, Nabal didn’t invite David and his men to his annual sheep-shearing feast. So David sent 10 young men with a message. “Peace to you and yours. I respect you as my own father. Your shepherds will tell you that we have protected your flocks over the entire time we have lived in this area. Instead of us coming to your feast, please send some food and provisions with these young men.”

Nabal said, “I don’t know David. I’m definitely not his father. Slaves are always running away from their masters. Tell him to go back to where he came from. I’m not going to take food away from my servants and give it to strangers.”

The young men went back and told David everything that was said. David said to his men, “Put on your swords. I protected this man’s goods, and he repays me with insults. Not one man in his camp will be alive in the morning.”

Meanwhile, one of Nabal’s servants went and told Abigail what was said and done. He said, “David’s men were ‘a wall’ to us while we were out in the fields. They protected us night and day. We didn’t lose one animal during this time. Yet, your husband insulted them and refused to help them. You must think of something because your husband has offended an army that can kill all of us.”

Without telling her husband, Abigail gathered provisions for David’s men. She got 200 loaves of bread, 2 wine skins, 5 butchered sheep, a bushel of roasted grain, 100 clusters of raisins, and 200 cakes of pressed figs. She put all of these things on some donkeys and headed down the road.

As she rounded a corner, she saw David’s men coming toward her. She got off the donkey and ran to him. She knelt down with her face to the ground and said, “It’s my fault your men were mistreated. I would have treated them well if I had known they were coming. Forgive my husband. His name means ‘fool,’ and that’s how he acts. Please accept these gifts of food.

“It’s the Lord who’s kept you from getting revenge today. He has always fought your battles for you, and he always will. When he makes you king, you’ll want a clear conscience about this day.”

David said, “It was God who sent you here today. Your wisdom has kept me from shedding blood and taking revenge on a man who offended me. If you hadn’t come, every male in your camp would have died.” He then accepted Abigail’s gifts.

She went back home to find Nabal feasting like a king. She didn’t tell him what happened. He got drunk and fell asleep.

In the morning, she waited until he was sober, and then told him what she did the day before. He immediately had a heart attack and lay in a coma for 10 days. Then the Lord killed him.

David heard about his death and said, “Praise the Lord! God kept me from doing evil, and he punished Nabal for the evil that he did.”

David then sent a message to Abigail asking if she would become his wife. She agreed and went to him.

Meanwhile, Saul gave his daughter Michal to become the wife of another.

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Running from Saul

91 – Running from Saul

1 Samuel 21:1-22:23

David escaped from Saul with only a few men to help him. They went to Ahimelech, the priest who was in charge of the Ark of God. The priest said, “Why are you here?”

“The king sent me on a special mission. He told me not to tell anyone about where I’m going. I left so fast that we don’t have anything to eat. Please give us some bread.”

Ahimelech said, “The only bread we have is the old showbread taken from the holy place. Only priests are allowed to eat it.”

This was old bread they took from the altar when they put new bread there. The priest said, “I suppose you can have the old bread, but only if your men have kept themselves clean before the Lord.”

David said, “We’re all on a mission for the king, so of course we’ve all kept ourselves holy before the Lord.”

So Ahimelech gave them the old bread. David noticed that Doeg, the Edomite, saw this whole thing. He was the chief shepherd for Saul.

David said to Ahimelech, “I left so fast that I forgot to bring my weapons. Do you have a spear or sword that I could use?”

“The only sword I have is the one you took from Goliath. You can have that one back. It’s all I have.”

David took the sword and continued his escape from Saul. He went to Gath, a city of the Philistines. There, he would be out of Saul’s reach. But people told the king of the Philistines, “This is David, the one they sing about: ‘Saul has killed his thousands, but David has killed his tens of thousands.’ ”

When David heard this, he immediately pretended like he was insane. People of that day didn’t hurt those who were insane because they were afraid there might be an evil spirit in them. David fell down and started clawing on the doorpost. He let drool flow into his beard. When the king saw this, he said, “This man is crazy. Get him out of here!”

David left Gath and hid in a cave. His brothers brought him all their relatives so they’d be safe from Saul. David took his parents to Moab and left them in the protection of the king there.

Soon men started arriving to join David. These were men who were in some kind of trouble or overwhelmed with debt. Finally there were 400 men who rallied around David, and he became their leader.

Meanwhile, Doeg, the Edomite, went to Saul and said, “I saw Ahimelech give David food and the sword of Goliath.”

Saul sent for Ahimelech and all 85 priests that were with him. “Why did you help this son of Jesse? You know he wants to kill me.”

Ahimelech said, “I thought he was your faithful servant. After all, he’s your son-in-law. I didn’t know there was trouble between you.”

Saul turned to his guards. “Kill these men, all of them. They’re on David’s side.”

The guards were shocked. They didn’t move because they weren’t about to kill the priest of the Lord.

Saul then turned to Doeg, the Edomite. “Kill all of these men and everything they own.” So, Doeg killed all of the priests, their wives, their children, and even their livestock. Only one son of Ahimelech was able to escape. He ran and told David all that happened.

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David Earns a Wife

88 – David Earns a Wife

1 Samuel 18:1-30

After the death of Goliath, Saul’s son, Jonathan, became a close friend to David. The love between these two men was great. Jonathan gave David everything he needed to fight on the battlefield, and also what he needed for working in the king’s court.

David was successful as a commander in the army. All the people admired him, and his men became loyal to him. One day when Saul and his army came in from battle, the women from the various cities greeted them with dancing and singing. Their song was, “Saul has killed thousands. David has killed tens of thousands.”

This made Saul furious! He said, “Listen to them. They give him more credit than me. What will they do next? Give him the kingdom?” From that day on, Saul became more and more jealous of David.

The next day, God allowed an evil spirit to take control of Saul. He started to act crazy. It was still David’s job to go play his harp when the king was in one of these moods. As David played, Saul said to himself, “I’ll end this right now. I’ll pin him to the wall.” When the time was just right, he grabbed a spear and threw it at David. David dodged it just in time, and kept playing the harp. Saul waited, and once again when the time was just right, he grabbed another spear and threw it at David. Again David dodged it just in time.

With that, Saul realized that the Spirit of the Lord had left him and was now with David. The king’s anger turned to fear.

He put David in charge of 1,000 soldiers and sent him out to battle. David was successful in every campaign he led. This increased the love that the people had for him, but it made Saul even more afraid of him.

One of the king’s daughters, named Michal, loved David. When Saul found out about this, he got an idea. He thought of a plan where the Philistines would kill David. The king had his servants go to David and say, “The king likes you so much that he’s willing for you to become his son-in-law.”

When David heard this, he said, “I am not a rich man. I can’t offer the king anything for his daughter.”

“Oh, the king doesn’t want you to pay him money. All he wants is for you to get revenge on his enemies. He wants you to kill 100 Philistines, and bring back proof that they’re dead.”

David was pleased by these terms. So he and his men went out and killed 200 Philistines and took Saul proof that they were dead. Saul had no choice but to give his daughter Michal to David.

Even more now, Saul considered David to be his enemy. Still, the Lord gave David victory every time he went out to battle. He was more successful than all of the other military officers and his name became more and more famous.

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Ruth & Boaz

76 – Ruth & Boaz

Ruth 3:1 – 4:22

Continued from the previous story

At the end of harvest, Naomi said to Ruth, “I am going to make sure you’re cared for. Here’s what you’re to do. Take a bath and put on some perfume. Dress in your best clothes. Boaz and his men will be working late tonight at the threshing floor. When they’re done, they’ll eat and drink, and then sleep on the threshing floor to protect the grain.

“Go there, but don’t let the men see you. Watch carefully and note where Boaz lies down. Once everyone is asleep, uncover his feet, and lie down next to them. When he wakes up, he’ll explain what you’re to do.”

So Ruth went to where the men were working and hid in the shadows. She watched carefully until she saw Boaz and the others lie down on the threshing floor. Their heads were towards the grain with their feet pointing out. Once they were asleep, she quietly uncovered the feet of Boaz, and lay down.

During the night, Boaz realized there was a woman lying at his feet. He said, “Who are you?”

She said, “I’m Ruth. Spread your protection over me, because you’re my closest relative.”

He said, “The Lord bless you! You didn’t come to our village looking for a husband, rich or poor. Instead you proved yourself to be a woman of integrity.

“Still, there is a next-of-kin who is closer than me. In the morning I’ll talk to him and give him an opportunity to redeem you. If he doesn’t, I will. For now, it’s not safe to go home in the night. I’ll send you there in the morning.”

She lay at his feet until morning, and then got up while it was still dark. Boaz gave her grain to take to Naomi.

Ruth told her mother-in-law everything that happened. Naomi said, “Now you’re to wait. Boaz won’t rest until this matter is settled.”

That day, Boaz arranged a meeting with the next-of-kin and the elders of the city. He said, “Naomi has come back from Moab and is selling her husband’s land. You’re the closest relative. Buy it in the presence of these elders. And if you don’t, I’ll buy it.”

The man was quick to answer. “I’ll buy it!”

Boaz went on to explain, “Well, when you buy it, you must also marry Ruth, the Moabite woman. This will keep the family name with the property.”

The man said, “I can’t marry this woman. It would ruin my own family name. You have my permission to buy the property.” With that, the man took off one of his sandals and handed it to Boaz. That made the deal legally binding.

Boaz held the sandal out toward the elders. “You are witnesses that I just bought the property that belonged to Naomi’s husband and sons. And because of that, Ruth will become my wife.”

People had gathered around and were watching all of this. The elders said, “Yes, we’ve seen the whole thing. May the Lord bless you, and may the Lord bless this woman who will become your wife.”

So Boaz took Ruth as his wife, and in the course of time, she gave birth to a son named Obed. He had a son named Jesse, who became the father of a shepherd boy named David. He became the great king of Israel!

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Jephthah’s Vow

67 – Jephthah’s Vow

Judges 10:6 – 11:40

Jephthah’s mother was a prostitute, but his father was a prominent man in Israel. Jephthah was raised in his father’s house, but when his half-brothers were old enough they said, “Get out! You’re not a son of our mother, and you’re not going to inherit anything from our father.”

So Jephthah left the area. He became a great warrior and organized a gang of thugs.

During this time, the people of Israel once again rebelled against the Lord and started worshiping other gods. God allowed the Ammonites to conquer them. The Ammonites were extremely cruel, and Israel suffered under their cruelty for eighteen years.

The people cried out to the Lord and said, “Deliver us!”

The Lord said, “No! I won’t do it. I’ve delivered you over and over. I won’t do it again. Go call on your idols to deliver you.”

So the Israelites got rid of their false gods and started worshiping the Lord. They said, “Do what you want with us. We know we’ve sinned. But please, get us out of this mess!” With that, God once again had mercy on them.

The Ammonites moved into the land to fight against Israel. The Israelites went out to meet them, but they didn’t have a leader. They sent for Jephthah and said to him, “Come and lead our troops into battle against the Ammonites.”

He sent a message back saying, “You’re the same people who kicked me out! Now you’re coming to me for help?”

They said, “It’s true. We did that, but if you’ll come and give us victory, you’ll be our leader. Listen, the Lord is our witness. We will do as we’ve said.”

So the Spirit of God came upon Jephthah, and he led the people into battle. He made a vow before the Lord and said, “Oh God, if you’ll give me victory over the Ammonites, when I go home I’ll give you the first thing that comes out of my house. I’ll sacrifice it to you as a burnt offering.”

The Lord gave Jephthah victory. He totally turned the Ammonite army away and even destroyed twenty of their cities.

Jephthah only had one child, a daughter. When he went home, she came dancing out to him. She was so proud of his victory. When Jephthah saw her, he ripped his clothes and fell down. He cried, “Oh my daughter! What have I done! I’ve made a vow to God, and I can’t take it back.”

She said, “Father, you must keep your word to the Lord. He kept his part of the bargain by giving you a great victory. Now you must keep yours. I just ask one thing. Since I’ll never marry, allow me to go to the hills with my friends for two months. Together, we’ll mourn the fact that I’ll never marry.”

Her father agreed, so she and her girlfriends went to the hills. For two months, they mourned the fact that she’d never be intimate with a man and have the joy of nursing children.

She then went back home, and Jephthah fulfilled his vow. After that, it became a custom in Israel. Every year, young women went out and spent four days remembering the daughter of Jephthah.

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Deborah & Barak

63 – Deborah and Barak

Judges 4:1 – 5:31

After Ehud died, Israel once again sinned against God. So the Lord sold them to a Canaanite king. This king ruled over them for twenty years. He was harsh and cruel. His army had 900 iron chariots, and his commander’s name was Sisera.

The person who judged Israel at the time was a prophet named Deborah. When the people had problems among themselves, they went to a place called the “Palm Tree of Deborah.” She would sit there and hear their complaints and then settle their disagreements.

One day she called for a man named Barak and said to him, “The Lord has a message for you. He says, ‘Take 10,000 men and go to Mount Tabor. I’ll cause Sisera to come to you with his chariots and his army. He’ll come to fight you, but I’ll give him to you.’ ”

Barak said to Deborah, “I’ll go and do as the Lord says, but only if you go with me. If you don’t go, I won’t go.”

She said, “I’ll go with you, but if I do, you won’t get the credit for killing Sisera. The Lord will give that honor to a woman.” Barak agreed, so Deborah went with him.

Barak gathered 10,000 men and went up Mount Tabor. Sisera heard about this, so he took his 900 chariots and his army and headed toward Mount Tabor. Deborah said to Barak, “Now’s the time! Take your men and attack Sisera.”

So Barak moved his men down the mountain and attacked the Canaanite army. The Lord was with him, and caused Sisera’s men to be confused. They turned and ran. When Sisera saw this, he left his chariot and tried to escape on foot. Barak chased the army until every man was killed.

Sisera ran until he came to the tent of Jael. Her husband was in alliance with the Canaanite king. She saw Sisera coming, so she went out and said, “Come in here, and you’ll be safe.”

He went in and she hid him under a rug. He said, “Please, give me water to drink.” She gave him milk, and he sat up and drank it. He said, “Stand at the door of the tent. If anyone asks if there is a man in here, tell them ‘No.’ ”

She then covered him again, and since he was exhausted, he fell into a deep sleep.

Jael went and got a tent peg and a hammer. She quietly knelt down next to Sisera and put the tent peg on the temple of his head. Then with solid blows, she nailed it through his head and into the ground.

Soon Barak came by her tent in search of Sisera. She went out and said, “Come and I’ll show you the man you’re looking for.” Barak went into her tent and saw Sisera lying dead on the floor with a tent peg through his temple.

Israel continued to fight the Canaanite king until they were victorious. Then they lived in peace for forty years.

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Mt. Tabor from the north, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

Jezreel Valley from Mt. Tabor, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

Sun Standing Still

59 – Sun Standing Still

Joshua 9:1 – 10:43

The news of the destruction of Jericho and Ai spread throughout Canaan. Most of the cities formed alliances in order to protect themselves from Israel. But one city decided to do something different.

A group of men from the city of Gibeon dressed up in old clothes and worn-out sandals. They put old sacks on their donkeys, packed stale dry bread, and carried old wineskins.

They went to Joshua and said, “We live far away, but we heard what the Lord your God has done for you. Our elders sent us on this long journey. They said, ‘Go and make a treaty with them.’ Look, we took our bread right out of the oven. It is now dry and stale. The journey was so long that our clothes and sandals have become worn and old.”

The men of Israel looked at their provisions, but didn’t seek guidance from the Lord. So Joshua made a treaty with them. The elders of Israel vowed that the two nations would be allies.

Three days after the treaty, Israel found out that the Gibeonites lived in Canaan, close by. Joshua sent for them and said, “Why did you deceive us?”

They said, “We heard God gave you all of this land. He told Moses to kill everyone who lives here. We feared for our lives, so we deceived you. Now you can do whatever seems right to you. We will accept it.”

Joshua said, “You’ll live because of our promise to you. We can’t touch you, but from now on, you’re our slaves. You’ll cut wood and carry water for us and you’ll serve the House of the Lord.”

The other kings of the land heard that the people of Gibeon had made peace with Israel. They joined together and marched against their city. The men of Gibeon sent word to Joshua saying, “We’re your slaves. Come quickly and help us!”

So Joshua marched his army through the night and surprised those fighting against Gibeon. They tried to fight back, but the Israelite army was too strong for them. The Lord also sent large hailstones on them, and more people were killed by hail than by the sword.

Joshua needed more time, so he looked up and said, “Sun, stand still over Gibeon!” The Lord heard his command and honored it. The sun stopped moving across the sky. Never in the past, nor since, has there been a day like that.

Five kings ran and hid in a cave, but someone told Joshua. He said, “Roll a stone across the entrance of the cave.” He then stationed men to guard it. Once Israel had sealed their victory, Joshua brought the kings out of the cave. He told his commanders to put their feet on the necks of the kings. He said, “Be strong and courageous. The Lord will do this to all your enemies.” He then executed the five kings.

Joshua led his army from city to city, and the Lord gave him victory wherever he went.

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Ajilon Valley where the sun stood still, from the Pictorial Library of Bible Lands, a valuable teaching resource produced by BiblePlaces.com

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Bargaining with God

11 – Bargaining with God

Genesis 18:16-3

Abraham had three guests. One of them was the Lord. He served them a meal under the shade of a tree. Afterwards they got up and started walking toward Sodom. Abraham walked with them for a short distance.
Suddenly the Lord stopped and said to the others, “I’m going to tell Abraham what I’m about to do. After all, he’ll become a great and powerful nation. All the nations on earth will be blessed through him. I know he’ll teach his children to honor God and do right.”

Turning to Abraham, the Lord said, “The sin of Sodom and Gomorrah is great. I hear the cries of their victims constantly. I’m going to the city to see it for myself. If I find that it’s true, I’ll destroy them.”

As Abraham and the Lord continued to talk, the other two men left them and walked toward Sodom. Abraham said, “Is it true that you would actually sweep away the righteous along with the wicked? Let’s say there’re fifty righteous people in the city. Would you actually destroy the place, knowing that you’re killing those righteous people right along with the wicked? I don’t believe you’d do that. The Judge of all the earth is always just.”

The Lord said, “If I find fifty righteous people in Sodom, then for their sakes I won’t destroy the city.”

Abraham said, “I realize now that I shouldn’t have been so fast to talk to you that way. I’m nothing but dust along the road. But let’s say the city lacked just five people to make up the fifty you’re looking for. Are you going to destroy the whole city just because they’re missing five righteous people?”

The Lord said, “I won’t destroy the city if I find forty-five righteous people there.”

“Uh, Lord, could we make that forty righteous people?”

“I won’t destroy the place if I find forty righteous people there.”

“Lord, don’t be angry with me for speaking up again. What would you do if you found only thirty righteous people there?”

“I won’t destroy the place if I find thirty righteous people there.”

“Lord, since I have already been so bold to talk to you about this, could we make that twenty righteous people?”

“I won’t destroy the place if I find twenty righteous people there.”

“Uh Lord, please don’t be angry with me. I promise this is the last time I’ll talk to you about this. What would you do if you found only ten righteous people there?”

“I won’t destroy the place if I find ten righteous people there.”

With that, the conversation was over. The Lord left, and Abraham returned to his tent.

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Can you give examples of mercy? Examples of justice? (the examples don’t have to be from the Bible)
Can you locate Sodom and Gomorrah on a map?
What trait of God is being expressed in Exodus 34:6, Psalm 103:8, Jonah 4:2, Numbers 14:18, and Nahum 1:3?
Do we see this trait exhibited in regards to God’s judgment on Sodom? (The wickedness of Sodom is foreshadowed in the following verses: Gen 13:13 & 14:22-23.)
Why is important to us that God be slow to anger or long-suffering?
Memory verse:
He who is slow to anger has great understanding,
But he who is quick-tempered exalts folly (Proverbs 14:29).
Retell Bargaining with God as a group.

Riot in Jerusalem

252 – Riot in Jerusalem

Acts 21:15–22:30

Paul met with the elders of the church in Jerusalem and reported on how Gentiles were turning to Christ. Everyone glorified God when they heard this.

But then the elders shared their concerns with Paul. “Jewish Christians think that you’re teaching Jews to abandon the Law of Moses. We need to stop these rumors. Four men have taken a vow to God. They want to fulfill its requirements at the Temple, but they don’t have the money to pay for it. Join them in their vow, and pay their fee. This will demonstrate that you haven’t abandoned the laws of God.”

Paul agreed. So he took the vow and went to the temple with the men. The ritual took seven days.

On the last day, some Jews from Ephesus saw Paul in the market place with a Gentile Christian from their city. Later they saw him in the temple and assumed the Gentile was with him. They yelled, “Help! Here’s the man who has turned the entire world against us. Now he’s bringing a Gentile into our temple!”

Soon, the crowd became an angry mob. They grabbed Paul and took him out of the temple and started to beat him. Roman soldiers ran into the crowd to stop the beating. Their commander put Paul in chains and told his men to take him away.

The crowd shouted, “Kill him!” and started moving toward the soldiers. Seeing this, the soldiers picked up Paul and carried him. When they got to the door of the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “May I speak to the crowd?” The commander was surprised, but finally agreed to let him speak.

Paul stood on the step and raised his hand. Everyone grew quiet. He said, “I was given a strict Jewish education. I proved my dedication to our religion by persecuting believers in Jesus. I put both men and women in jail and even had some of them killed.

“One day I went to Damascus to bring more prisoners back to Jerusalem. Suddenly, a bright light surrounded me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice say, ‘Saul, Saul, Why are you persecuting me?’

“I said, ‘Who are you Lord?’ The voice said, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth—the one you are persecuting.’ He then told me to go into Damascus and I would be told what to do.

“Once I was in the city, a believer in Christ came, and I called on the name of the Lord and was baptized.

“I came back to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple. The Lord spoke to me again. He said, ‘I’m sending you to far off places and there you’ll preach to the Gentiles.’ ”

As soon as Paul said the word “Gentiles,” the crowd once again went wild. They started yelling and throwing dust in the air. They threw their coats on the ground and shouted, “Kill him! Wipe him off the face of the earth!”

Quickly, the commander took Paul into the barracks. He ordered soldiers to beat Paul until he had answered all of their questions. As the soldiers prepared to do this, Paul said to one of them, “Is it legal to beat a Roman citizen without a trial?”

The soldier immediately told the commander about this. He went to Paul and asked. “Are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I was born a citizen.”

Those who were getting ready to beat Paul immediately moved away from him. The commander himself became concerned for his own life because he had put a Roman citizen in chains—and almost beat him—without a fair trial.

Continued in the next story

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Cornelius, First Gentile

232 – Cornelius

Acts 10:1-11:18

Cornelius was a military officer in the Roman army. He was a good man who worshiped God.

An angel appeared to him and said, “Cornelius, God has heard your prayers. Send men to Joppa, to the home of Simon the tanner who lives by the sea. There they’ll find a man called Peter and he’ll tell you what to do.” With that, the angel disappeared.

Immediately, Cornelius sent men to Joppa. They arrived the next day around noon. Before they got there, Peter went up to the open roof to pray. He was waiting for the noon meal.

Suddenly he became extremely hungry and fell into a trance. He saw the heavens open and a large sheet come down. In it were all kinds of animals that Jews weren’t allowed to eat. A voice said, “Peter, get up. Kill one of these animals and eat it.”

“Lord, you know I’ve never eaten anything common or unclean.”

The voice said, “When God has made something clean, never call it common or unclean.” This happened a second time, and a third. Then the sheet went back into heaven.

Peter woke up but was confused about what this vision meant. At that moment, the men from Cornelius were at the gate. The Holy Spirit said, “I’ve sent these men to you. Don’t hesitate to go with them.”

Peter went down and greeted the men. They told him about Cornelius, and he agreed to go with them. In the morning he took several believers and they started on their trip.

They arrived the next day, and Cornelius ran to meet them. He fell down in front of Peter and started to worship him. Peter said, “Stand up! I’m just a man.” He went into Cornelius’s home and saw that he had invited others to be there so they could hear God’s message. Peter said to the group. “God revealed to me that he has opened the door and is now calling people from other nations to himself. Therefore, I’ll tell you the message that was given to Israel. It is that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.”

He then told them about Jesus and his miracles. He described how the Jewish leaders killed him, but God raised him from the dead. Peter said, “Everyone who puts their faith in Jesus will receive forgiveness of sins.”

As soon as he said those words, the Holy Spirit filled every person in the house. This shocked the Jewish believers when they saw that the gift of the Holy Spirit was given to Gentiles.

Peter turned to them and said, “Is there any reason why we shouldn’t baptize these people?” They all agreed, so the new believers were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

News of this quickly spread to believers throughout the nation. The leadership in Jerusalem asked Peter, “You stayed in the home of Gentiles and even ate meals with them?”

He explained exactly what happened. He told them about the vision on the housetop, the crowd at the house of Cornelius, and how the Holy Spirit filled the people. He concluded by saying, “God gave them the same gift he gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. How could I fight against God?”

The believers in Jerusalem had no argument when they heard this. They said, “God has given forgiveness of sins and eternal life to the Gentiles.”