"Beware, then, lest that spoken of in the prophets come upon you.

As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue, the people earnestly begged that these words might be repeated to them on the following Sabbath.

"For such is God's command to us, saying, "I have set thee for a light to the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation to the uttermost part of the earth."

In Iconium it happened that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great number both of Jews and of Gentiles believed.

He was listening while Paul was preaching, and Paul, looking intently at him, and perceiving that he had faith to be made whole,

"Men, why are you doing all this? We also are men, with natures like your own! We are bringing you good tidings, that you are to turn from these empty things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is.

and yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness."

and after preaching the gospel to that town, and winning many converts, they went back to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch,

Everywhere they strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to hold to the faith. "It is through many tribulations," they said, "that we must enter into the kingdom of God."

On their arrival they assembled the church and reported all things that God had done through them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

Upon their arrival in Jerusalem they were received by the church and the apostles and elders, and they told them all things that God had done with them.

and after there had been a long discussion, Peter rose and said: "Brothers, you know how a good while ago God made choice among you, that from my lips the Gentiles were to hear the message of the gospel and believe.

"On the contrary we believe that it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we and they shall be saved."

"So that the rest of men may seek after the Lord, Even all the Gentiles, who are called by my name,

"but that we should write to them to abstain from the pollution of idols and from fornication, from meat killed by strangling, and from blood.

"as we have heard that some of your number who went out from us have troubled you with words and upset your souls, without having received any such instruction from us;

"For it has seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

"that you abstain from food that has been sacrificed to idols, and from tasting blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. Keep yourselves clear from these things and it will be well with you. Farewell."

So there arose a sharp irritation, so that they parted company; Barnabas taking Mark with him, sailed away to Cyprus;

Now Paul, wishing that this man should accompany him on his journey, took him and circumcised him because of the local Jews, who all knew that his father was a Greek.

So when he had seen the vision, we sought at once to go forth into Macedonia, because we concluded that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

She persisted in this for many days, until Paul, worn out, turned round and said to the spirit, "I charge you, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her." In that very hour it came out of her.

But when her owners saw that their hopes of gain were gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them before the magistrates, into the market-place.

suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the very foundations of the prison-house were shaken; and instantly all the doors were opened, and every one's chains fell off.

The jailer, roused from sleep, and seeing the doors wide open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he thought that the prisoners had escaped.

But Paul said: "They have flogged us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Roman citizens; and have thrown us into prison. Are they now going to get rid of us secretly? No, indeed! Let them come here, themselves and take us out."

The lictors reported these words to the praetors, who were frightened when they heard that they were Romans.

explaining and quoting passages to prove that the Messiah had to suffer and to rise again from the dead and that "This Jesus whom I am proclaiming unto you is the Messiah."

"Jason has received them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus."

The Jews of Berea were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they very readily received the message with all readiness of mind, and day after day searched the Scriptures to see whether these things were so.

As soon as the Jews in Thessalonica learned that the word of God was preached by Paul in Berea also, they came there, and stirred up and troubled the crowds.

While Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him, when he noticed that the city was full of idols.

He argued in the synagogues with the Jews and the devout proselytes, and also daily in the market-place with those that met him there.

So Paul stood up in the center of Mars Hill, and said: "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all respects you are remarkably religious.

"so that they might seek God, if perhaps they might feel after him and find him, though he is not far from every on of us;

"Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to imagine that the Godhead is like to gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and device of man.

"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but he now commands all men that they should all, everywhere, repent;

But on hearing of the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock; but others said, "We will hear you again on that subject."

And when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was engrossed in his message, earnestly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.

for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public argument, proving to them from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

Now it happened that while Apollos was in Corinth, Paul, after passing through the hinterland, came to Ephesus, where he found a few disciples.

"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them. "No" said they, "we did not even hear that there is a Holy Spirit."

This went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia heard the Lord's message, Jews as well as Greeks.

so much so, that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick; and their diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out.

But there were also some strolling Jewish exorcists, who took it upon them to invoke the name of Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by that Jesus whom Paul preaches."

And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang on two of them, overpowered them and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.

He gathered them together with others of like occupation, and said: "Men, you know that by this business we make our money.

"And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but almost throughout all of Asia, this fellow Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, by telling them that they are no gods at all who are made with hands.

"So there is danger not only that our trade come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana will be brought into disrepute, and that she herself may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world now worships."

but when they saw that he was a Jew they all, with one voice, for about two hours, shouted,

At length the recorder got them quiet. "Men of Ephesus," he said, "who here does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple-guardian of the great Diana and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

and when they arrived, he said to them. "You yourselves know quite well, how I lived among you, from the first day that I set foot in Asia,

"serving the Lord with all lowliness of mind, and with tears, and amid trials that befell me through the plots of the Jews.

"You know that I never shrank from declaring to you anything that was profitable, nor from teaching you publicity and in your homes,

except that in city after city the Holy Spirit is warning me that bonds and afflictions are awaiting me.

And now I know that not one of you among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will ever see my face again.

So I testify to you this day that I am clear from the blood of all men;

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock;

and that from among your own number, men will arise, perverting the truth, to draw away the disciples after them.

So be on guard; and remember that for three years I ceased not to admonish you all, night and day, even with tears.

"In all things I have set you an example, how that so toiling, you ought to help the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

sorrowing most of all for the words that he had spoken, that after that day they should look upon his face no more. And they began to escort him to the ship.

We looked up the local disciples and remained there seven days; and these disciples kept telling Paul, through the Spirit, that he should not set foot in Jerusalem.

After saluting them Paul rehearsed, one by one, the things that God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry.

"Now what they have been told about you, again and again, is that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles, to forsake Moses, and not to circumcise their children, nor to follow the old customs.

"What then ought to be done? They will certainly hear that you are come.

"So do this that we tell you.

"We have four men here under a vow; associate yourself with them, purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses so that they may have their heads shaved; then every one will know that there is no truth in the rumors that they have heard about you; but that you yourself walk orderly obeying the law.

"As for the Gentile believers, we wrote giving judgment that they should abstain from anything sacrificed to an idol, from blood, from what is strangled, and from fornication."

(For they had formerly seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, and supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)

While they were attempting to kill him, news came to the tribune commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Then the tribune came up and seized him, and ordered that he be bound with two chains. "Who is he?" he began asking, "and what has he done?"

"To this the high priest and all the council of elders are witnesses. It was from them that I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was already on my way to bring those also who were there back to Jerusalem, in bonds, for punishment.

"And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' and the Lord said to me, 'Rise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told about all that you are destined to do.'

"came to me, and standing by me, said to me, "'Brother Saul, receive your sight' "In that very hour I regained my sight and looked up at him.

"'Lord,' I replied, 'they themselves well know that I was beating and imprisoning in synagogue after synagogue those who believed in you,

When the centurion heard that, he went to the tribune and said to him. "What are you intending to do? This man is a Roman citizen."

Then those who were about to scourge him, immediately left him. And the tribune too, was afraid, when he learned that Paul was a Roman citizen, for he had had him bound.

"Brothers, I did not know that he was the high priest," exclaimed Paul, "for it is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of a ruler of my people."

Then perceiving that half the Sanhedrin were Sadducees and the other half Pharisee, he cried out in the Sanhedrin. "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees! It is for the hope of the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial!"

For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; the Pharisees affirm them all.

But when the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul in pieces, ordered the troops to march down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

When day dawned the Jews made a conspiracy, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

And there were more than forty who had sworn this oath.

And the tribune took him by the hand, and going aside, asked him privately, "What is it that you have to tell me?"

"Now do not let them persuade, for more than forty men are lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves under a curse, not to eat nor drink until they have killed him; even now they are all ready, awaiting your consent."

So the tribune sent the young man home with the injunction, "Tell no man that you have given me this information."

"This man Paul had been seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came upon them with the troops, and rescued him, as I had learned that he was a Roman citizen.

"Here I learned that he was accused about questions of their law, but was not charged with anything worthy of death or imprisonment.

"Now when I received information that there would be a plot against the man, I sent him at once to you, charging his accusers also to speak against him before you."

After reading the letter, he asked to what province he belonged, and when he understood that he was of Cilicia, he said,

So Paul was sent for, and then Tertullus began to accuse him, saying. "As it is owing to your excellency that we enjoy profound peace, and that the state of this nation,

The Jews also joined in the charge, maintaining that these were the facts.

Then at a nod from the governor, Paul spoke. "Because I know that for many years you have been a judge in this nation, I feel encouraged to make my defense.

"For you have it in your power to know that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to Jerusalem to worship;

"and that neither in the Temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city, did they find me disputing with any man or stirring up a crowd.

"But this I confess to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors, according to the Way which they call a heresy, believing everything that is according to the Law, or is written in the Prophets,

"and having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there is to be a resurrection both of the just and the unjust.

"Unless it was for this one sentence which I uttered when I stood and cried, 'It is for the resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial today before you.'"

And he gave orders to the centurion that Paul should be kept in custody, but treated with indulgence, and that his personal friends were not to be forbidden to minister to him.