and his followers will preach in his name. They will tell others to turn away from their sins and be forgiven. People from every nation will hear about this, beginning in Jerusalem.
God has lifted Jesus up and given him a place of honor at his right hand, making him Prince and Savior so he can turn Israel away from their sins and forgive them.
Peter replied, “Turn away from your sins and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then your sins will be forgiven, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly. “We had to speak God’s word to you first,” they said. “But you haven’t accepted it, as if you think you don’t deserve eternal life. So we’re going to talk to the Gentiles from now on.
When they heard this, they didn’t question or criticize Peter any longer. Instead, they praised God and said, “So then, God has allowed even Gentiles to turn away from their sins and find life!”
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God. I want them to have their sins forgiven and find a place among God’s people by believing in me.’
God has chosen to make known to them the glorious riches of that mystery among the Gentiles. And here’s what it is: Christ is in you, the hope of glory.
When the law was introduced, sin got worse, because now people were doing things that they knew were wrong. But when sin got worse, God poured out an even greater abundance of grace.
I preached first to the people in Damascus, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles. I told them to give up their sins and turn to God and to show they’d done this by the way they lived.
“Jerusalem! Jerusalem! You kill the prophets and throw stones to kill those who are sent to you. Many times I’ve wanted to gather your people together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would not let me.