82 Bible Verses about Gospel, Responses To

For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, "The man who does those things shall live by them." But the righteousness based on faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down) or "Who will descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).read more.
But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he confesses with his mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches on all who call upon him. For, "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. He brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household."read more.
They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

But now the righteousness of God has been revealed apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. For there is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,read more.
and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as an atoning sacrifice by his blood, to be received through faith. This was to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over sins committed beforehand; and it was to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

The Jews then began to murmur about him, because he said, "I am the bread which came down from heaven." They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?" Jesus answered them, "Do not murmur among yourselves.read more.
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that any one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has everlasting life. I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that a man may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." Then the Jews began to argue among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the parent loves the child.

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.read more.
The lamp of the body is the eye. So if your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is that darkness! No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when it is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Therefore be careful that the light in you is not darkness. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, it will be completely lighted, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light."

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?read more.
Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! So whatever you wish that men would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent?read more.
Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand;read more.
and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell. And great was its fall."

Every one who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it was well built. But he who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

Jesus answered her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. The water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."

And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out.read more.
For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up at the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that every one who sees the Son and believes in him should have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day."

Jesus then said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples. And you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."

I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live; and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"

Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in me, believes not in me but in him who sent me. And he who sees me sees him who sent me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in me should not remain in darkness.

And as he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the Sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, "Come follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men." And immediately they left their nets and followed him.

As Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately they left their nets and followed him.read more.
Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. And he called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

When he had gone a little farther from there, he saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. And immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and followed him.

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him.

As he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, "Follow me." So he rose and followed him.

After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he left everything, rose up and followed him.

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned to the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'" When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

and on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had come together. A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple fabrics, who was a worshiper of God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. When she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

Though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him; that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again:read more.
"He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them." Isaiah said this because he saw his glory and spoke of him.

This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: 'Hearing you will hear and shall not understand; and seeing you will see and not perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull. And their ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and they understand with their hearts, and turn so that I should heal them.'

And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. And he said to them, "To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but to those outside everything is in parables; so that 'seeing they may see but not perceive, and hearing may hear but not understand; lest they should turn again, and be forgiven.'"

When his disciples asked him what this parable meant, he said, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others it is given in parables, so that 'Seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

as it is written: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear, down to this very day."

Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds, they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to the hardness of their heart; and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality, greedy for the practice of every kind of impurity.

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, but the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

And others are the ones sown among thorns; they are those who hear the word, but the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

And the ones that fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters.

To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so; and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

However, no one spoke openly of him for fear of the Jews. Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. And the Jews marveled, saying, "How did this man get such learning, having never studied?"read more.
Jesus answered them, "My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. If anyone is willing to do his will, he shall know whether the teaching is from God or whether I speak on my own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but he who seeks the glory of the One who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?" The people answered, "You have a demon. Who is seeking to kill you?"

So the Jews gathered round him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me; but you do not believe, because you are not of my sheep.read more.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one shall snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." The Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, "I have shown you many good works from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" The Jews answered him, "For a good work we do not stone you, but for blasphemy, and because you, being a man, make yourself God."

But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they conferred with one another, saying, "What shall we do with these men? For that a noteworthy miracle has been performed through them is apparent to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any one in this name."read more.
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

But the high priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the party of the Sadducees, and they were filled with jealousy. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, and brought them out, and said,read more.
"Go, stand and speak to the people in the temple the whole message of this Life." And when they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and began to teach. Now when the high priest and his associates came, they called the Council together, even all the Senate of the sons of Israel, and sent orders to the prison house for them to be brought. But when the officers came, they did not find them in the prison, and they returned and reported back, "We found the prison securely locked, and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside." Now when the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests heard these words, they were much perplexed about them, wondering what would come of this. And someone came and told them, "Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people." Then the captain went along with the officers and brought them back without violence, for they were afraid of the people, that they might be stoned. When they had brought them, they set them before the council. The high priest questioned them, saying, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels, and yet did not keep it."

And he entered the synagogue and for three months spoke boldly, arguing and persuading about the kingdom of God. But when some were stubborn and disbelieved, speaking evil of the Way before the congregation, he withdrew from them, and took the disciples with him, reasoning daily in the hall of Tyrannus.

When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, stirred up all the crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place; and besides he also brought Greeks into the temple, and he has defiled this holy place." For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.read more.
Then all the city was aroused, and the people rushed together, and taking hold of Paul they dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. While they were trying to kill him, a report came up to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus which are in Judea, for you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews, who both killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men, hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved; with the result that they always fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last.

Therefore we must pay more careful attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For if the message spoken by angels was valid, and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was declared at first by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him,read more.
while God also bore witness, by signs and wonders and various miracles, and by gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his own will.

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

But I will show you whom you should fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him!

He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.read more.
When once the owner of the house has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open for us.' He will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last."

If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will condemn him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority; but the Father who sent me gave me a command, what to say and what to speak.read more.
And I know that his command is eternal life. Whatever I say, therefore, I say just as the Father has told me."

For it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put him to an open shame.

How much severer punishment do you think a man will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as an unclean thing the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay." And again, "The Lord will judge his people." It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

See to it that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less shall we escape, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven?

These are springs without water and mists driven by a storm; for them the blackest darkness has been reserved. For speaking out arrogant words of vanity, they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error. They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for whatever overcomes a man, to that he is enslaved.read more.
For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment handed on to them. It has happened to them according to the true proverb, "A dog turns back to its own vomit," and, "A sow, after having washed, returns to wallowing in the mire."

Now behold, one came up and said to him, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to have eternal life?" And he said to him, "Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments." He said to him, "Which ones?" And Jesus said, "'You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness,read more.
honor your father and mother, and, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The young man said to him, "All these I have kept. What do I still lack?" Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when the young man heard this, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

And as he was setting out on his journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'"read more.
And he said to him, "Teacher, all these I have observed from my youth." Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, "You lack one thing; go and sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But he fell sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Now a certain ruler asked him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" So Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.'"read more.
And he said, "All these I have kept from my youth." When Jesus heard it, he said to him, "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But when he heard this, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.

But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesuswhom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.read more.
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to kill them.

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. You are doing just as your fathers did. Which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels, and yet did not keep it."read more.
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed together upon him with. Then they cast him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Now when they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject."

The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted what was spoken by Paul, and blasphemed. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.read more.
For so the Lord has commanded us: 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"

About that time there arose no small disturbance concerning the Way. For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. These he gathered together, with the workmen of similar trades, and said, "Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth.read more.
And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away a considerable number of people, saying that gods made with hands are no gods at all. Not only is there danger that this trade of ours fall into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis be regarded as worthless and that she whom all of Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned from her magnificence." When they heard this, they were enraged and began crying out, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

But some days later Felix came with Drusilla, his wife who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul and heard him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and said, "Go away for the present, and when I find time I will summon you."

And as he was saying this in his defense, Festus said in a loud voice, "Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad." But Paul said, "I am not mad, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the sober truth. For the king knows about these things, and to him I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, for this was not done in a corner.read more.
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do." And Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time you think to persuade me to become a Christian!"

I have given them your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

But when the Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there too, agitating and stirring up the crowds.

But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men from the market place, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; they attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the people. When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brethren before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, and Jason has welcomed them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."read more.
The crowd and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard this. And when they had taken a pledge from Jason and the others, they let them go.

Saul was consenting to his death. And on that day a great persecution arose against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the region of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Devout men buried Stephen, and made great lamentation over him. But Saul began ravaging the church, and, entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith;

And the word of the Lord spread through the whole region. But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, and stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your perseverance and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions which you are enduring.