1-3. Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing. Some godly men buried Stephen and cried loudly for him. On that day the Jews began to persecute the church in Jerusalem, making them suffer very much. Saul was also trying to destroy the group. He went into their houses, dragged out men and women, and put them in jail. All the believers left Jerusalem. Only the apostles stayed. The believers went to different places in Judea and Samaria.
4. They were scattered everywhere, and in every place they went, they told people the Good News.
5. Philip went to the city of Samaria and told people about the Messiah.
6. The people there heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he was doing. They all listened carefully to what he said.
7. Many of these people had evil spirits inside them, but Philip made the evil spirits leave them. The spirits made a lot of noise as they came out. There were also many weak and crippled people there. Philip made these people well too.
8. What a happy day this was for that city!
9. Now there was a man named Simon who lived in that city. Before Philip came there, Simon had been doing magic and amazing all the people of Samaria. He bragged and called himself a great man.
10. All the people—the least important and the most important—believed what he said. They said, “This man has the power of God that is called ‘the Great Power.’”
11. Simon amazed the people with his magic for so long that the people became his followers.
12. But Philip told the people the Good News about God’s kingdom and the power of Jesus Christ. Men and women believed Philip and were baptized.
13. Simon himself also believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to Philip. When he saw the miraculous signs and powerful things Philip did, he was amazed.