Stunned and amazed, they asked, "All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren't they?

"Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand something, so pay close attention to my words. These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it's only nine o'clock in the morning.

He has been exalted to the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, and has caused you to experience what you are seeing and hearing.

For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are distant, whom the Lord our God may call to himself."

When Peter saw this, he told the people: "Fellow Israelis, why are you wondering about this, and why are you staring at us as if by our own power or godliness we made him walk?

and you killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses to that.

You are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the covenant that God made with your ancestors when he told Abraham, "Through your descendant all the families of the earth will be blessed.'

If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed,

"How could you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?" Peter asked her. "Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and these men will carry you outside as well."

Then someone came and told them, "Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the Temple and teaching the people!"

He said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in his name, didn't we? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man's blood on us!"

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him."

However, if it's from God, you won't be able to stop them, and you may even discover that you are fighting against God!"

Therefore, brothers, appoint seven men among you who have a good reputation, who are full of the Spirit and wisdom, and we'll put them in charge of this work.

The next day, he presented himself to some of them while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them. He said, "Men, you are brothers. Why should you be hurting another?'

Then the Lord told him, "Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.

"You stubborn people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.

He dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"

He asked, "Who are you, Lord?"

The voice said, "I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Now get up, go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do."

Peter was still thinking about the vision when the Spirit told him, "Look! Three men are looking for you.

So Peter went to the men and said, "I'm the man you're looking for. Why are you here?"

So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. All of us are here now in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has ordered you to say."

We are witnesses of everything Jesus did in the land of the Jews, including Jerusalem.

For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders, not knowing who Jesus was, condemned him and so fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.

and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These are now his witnesses to the people.

he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.'

Then Paul and Barnabas boldly declared, "We had to speak God's word to you first, but since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now going to turn to the gentiles.

"Men, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings with natures like yours. We are telling you the good news so you'll turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.

Then some men came down from Judea and started to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Law of Moses, you can't be saved."

We certainly believe that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, that we are saved, just as they are."

so that the rest of the people may search for the Lord, including all the gentiles who are called by my name,' declares the Lord. "He is the one who has been doing these things

"Therefore, I have decided that we should not trouble these gentiles who are turning to God.

After all, Moses has had people to proclaim him in every city for generations, and on every Sabbath his books are read aloud in the synagogues."

When she and her family were baptized, she urged us, "If you are convinced that I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she continued to insist that we do so.

She would follow Paul and us and shout, "These men are servants of the Most High God and are proclaiming to you a way of salvation!"

They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They are Jews

and are advocating customs that we're not allowed to accept or practice as Romans."

But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Don't hurt yourself, because we are all here!"

But Paul told the guards, "The magistrates have had us beaten publicly without a trial and have thrown us into jail, even though we are Roman citizens. Now are they going to throw us out secretly? Certainly not! Have them come and escort us out."

So Paul stood up in front of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way.

For we live, move, and exist because of him, as some of your own poets have said: ""Since we are his children, too.'

So if we are God's children, we shouldn't think that the divine being is like gold, silver, or stone, or is an image carved by humans using their own imagination and skill.

They said, "This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are contrary to the Law."

But the evil spirit told them, "Jesus I know, and I am getting acquainted with Paul, but who are you?"

You also see and hear that, not only in Ephesus, but almost all over Asia, this man Paul has won over and taken away a large crowd by telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all.

So if Demetrius and his workers have a charge against anyone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They should accuse one another there.

because we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, and there is no good reason we can give to justify this commotion."

except that in town after town the Holy Spirit assures me that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me.

"I'm now entrusting you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and secure for you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

When they heard about it, they praised God and told him, "You see, brother, how many tens of thousands of believers there are among the Jews, and all of them are zealous for the Law.

So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.

Take these men, go through the purification ceremony with them, and pay their expenses to shave their heads. Then everyone will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you are carefully observing and keeping the Law.

The tribune asked, "Oh, do you speak Greek? You're not the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led 4,000 assassins into the desert, are you?"

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today.

I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?'

"I answered, "Who are you, Lord?'

"He told me, "I'm Jesus from Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.' The men who were with me saw the light but didn't understand the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

"The Lord told me, "Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything you are destined to do.' Since I could not see because of the brightness of the light, the men who were with me took me by the hand and led me into Damascus.

So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.'

When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and told him, "What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!"

So the tribune went and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes," he said.

Don't believe them, because more than 40 of them are planning to ambush him. They've taken an oath not to eat or drink before they've killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent."

"Your Excellency Felix, since we are enjoying lasting peace because of you, and since reforms for this nation are being brought about through your foresight, we always and everywhere acknowledge it with profound gratitude.

and they cannot prove to you the charges they are now bringing against me.

Then Festus, wanting to do the Jewish leaders a favor, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried there before me on these charges?"

Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us! You see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

since you are especially familiar with all the Jewish customs and controversies. I beg you, therefore, to listen patiently to me.

"All of us fell to the ground, and I heard a voice asking me in the Hebrew language, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It is hurting you to keep on kicking against the cattle prods.'

"I asked, "Who are you, Lord?'

"The Lord answered, "I'm Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet, because I've appeared to you for the very purpose of appointing you to be my servant and witness of what you've seen and of what I'll show you.

You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea and after that the gentiles to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance.

However, we'd like to hear from you what you believe, because people are talking against this sect everywhere."