Peter and John heal a man lame from birth at the temple's Beautiful Gate, commanding him in Jesus' name of Nazareth to rise and walk, prompting him to enter the temple walking, leaping, and praising God. Peter's sermon in Solomon's Colonnade explains that faith in Jesus' name—the Holy One, the Righteous One, the Author of life whom they killed but God raised—has made this man strong. He calls for repentance and turning back that sins may be blotted out and times of refreshing may come from the Lord's presence, invoking Moses' prophecy of the prophet like him whom God would raise up and the Abrahamic promise of blessing to all families through his seed.
Leader of early Jerusalem church
Apostle to the Gentiles, missionary
First Christian martyr
Author of the Gospel of Mark
Son of God, Messiah, Savior
Wise King of Israel
Father of Many Nations
Son of Abraham
Father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel
Prophet and Lawgiver
Prophet and Judge of Israel
The Temple in Jerusalem was the permanent house of worship built by Solomon on Mount Moriah. Destroyed by Babylon, it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel and later greatly expanded by Herod. Jesus taught in the Temple courts, cleared it of merchants, and predicted its destruction, which occurred in 70 AD.
Nazareth is the town in Galilee where Jesus grew up and spent most of his life before his public ministry. It was a small, obscure village in ancient times, which led Nathanael to ask "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary here to announce she would give birth to the Son of God. Jesus was known as "Jesus of Nazareth" throughout his ministry.
Ascension, Pentecost, early community, Stephen's martyrdom.
The book of Acts contains 28 chapters chronicling the explosive growth of the early church from Jerusalem to Rome. Written by Luke as a sequel to his Gospel, it begins with 120 believers in an upper room and ends with Paul preaching boldly in the capital of the Roman Empire.
ActsIn Acts 16:10, Luke suddenly switches from 'they' to 'we,' revealing he personally joined Paul's missionary journey. These 'we passages' (Acts 16, 20-21, 27-28) provide eyewitness accounts showing Luke was present for key events including Paul's shipwreck.
Acts 16:10
Grace and repentance aren't opposites—they're inseparable partners in God's plan for salvation. Understanding how God's unmerited favor makes it possible for us to turn from sin transforms everything about the Christian life, from conversion to daily walking with Christ.
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Few characters in the Bible flip the script as dramatically as the Apostle Paul, who went from hunting down Christians to writing half the New Testament. His conversion on the road to Damascus remains one of the most studied moments in all of Christian history, and what happened after that day is just as remarkable as the moment itself.
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