This man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.

He came to us, took Paul’s belt, tied his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into Gentile hands.’”

Some of the disciples from Caesarea also went with us and brought us to Mnason, a Cypriot and an early disciple, with whom we were to stay.

When they heard it, they glorified God and said, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

But they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, by telling them not to circumcise their children or to walk in our customs.

Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have obligated themselves with a vow.

With regard to the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter containing our decision that they should keep themselves from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

shouting, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has profaned this holy place.”

Then the commander came up, took him into custody, and ordered him to be bound with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done.

Aren’t you the Egyptian who raised a rebellion some time ago and led 4,000 Assassins into the wilderness?”

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to bring those who were prisoners there to be punished in Jerusalem.

“I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’

“He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the One you are persecuting!’

Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the One who was speaking to me.

“Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of that light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and came into Damascus.

“But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten.

And when the blood of Your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing by and approving, and I guarded the clothes of those who killed him.’

As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?”

Therefore, those who were about to examine him withdrew from him at once. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.

But the high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to strike him on the mouth.

There were more than 40 who had formed this plot.

Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than 40 of them arranging to ambush him, men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they kill him. Now they are ready, waiting for a commitment from you.”

It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me.

After some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus.

When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove,

Since they stayed there many days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix.

Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive.

Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.

“Then I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’

“And the Lord replied: ‘I am Jesus, the One you are persecuting.

I will rescue you from the people and from the Gentiles. I now send you to them

to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that by faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified.’

“I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”

and said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. And, look! God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’

But the centurion kept them from carrying out their plan because he wanted to save Paul, so he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land.

Now in the area around that place was an estate belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.

After this, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.

When we entered Rome, Paul was permitted to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

After they examined me, they wanted to release me, since I had not committed a capital offense.

Then he stayed two whole years in his own rented house. And he welcomed all who visited him,

concerning His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who was a descendant of David according to the flesh

including yourselves who also belong to Jesus Christ by calling:

To all who are in Rome, loved by God, called as saints.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

For God, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you,

So I am eager to preach the good news to you also who are in Rome.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served something created instead of the Creator, who is praised forever. Amen.

Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

Therefore, any one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things.

We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth.

Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment?

eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality;

but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness;

affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek;

but glory, honor, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek.

All those who sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all those who sinned under the law will be judged by the law.

So, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, instinctively do what the law demands, they are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law.

you then, who teach another, don’t you teach yourself? You who preach, “You must not steal”—do you steal?

You who say, “You must not commit adultery”—do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples?

You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?

A man who is physically uncircumcised, but who fulfills the law, will judge you who are a lawbreaker in spite of having the letter of the law and circumcision.

For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh.

On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart—by the Spirit, not the letter. That man’s praise is not from men but from God.

There is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away;
all alike have become useless.
There is no one who does what is good,
not even one.

Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.

—that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.

God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith.

Now to the one who works, pay is not considered as a gift, but as something owed.

But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness.

Likewise, David also speaks of the blessing of the man God credits righteousness to apart from works:

How joyful is the man
the Lord will never charge with sin!

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also.

And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.

If those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made empty and the promise is canceled.

This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all

in God’s sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.

but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.

Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who did not sin in the likeness of Adam’s transgression. He is a prototype of the Coming One.

Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it?

Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

since a person who has died is freed from sin’s claims.

And do not offer any parts of it to sin as weapons for unrighteousness. But as those who are alive from the dead, offer yourselves to God, and all the parts of yourselves to God as weapons for righteousness.

Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers, are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives?

Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?

in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then He who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through His Spirit who lives in you.

For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father!”

For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it—in the hope

And not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits—we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?

And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose.

What then are we to say about these things?
If God is for us, who is against us?

Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect?
God is the One who justifies.

Who is the one who condemns?
Christ Jesus is the One who died,
but even more, has been raised;
He also is at the right hand of God
and intercedes for us.