So those who were present began to ask Him, "Lord, is this the time when you are going to set up the kingdom again for Israel?"

but you are going to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you must be witnesses for me in Jerusalem and all over Judea and Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth."

They were perfectly astounded, and in bewilderment they continued to say, "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans?

But others in derision were saying, "They are running over with new wine."

These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning.

I mean Jesus whom God raised from the dead, to which fact we are all witnesses,

for the promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are far away whom the Lord our God may call to Him."

When Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Fellow Israelites, why are you so surprised at this? Why do you keep staring at us, as though we had by our own power or piety made this man walk?

and you killed the Prince of life, but God raised Him from the dead, to which fact we are witnesses.

And you are the descendants of the prophets and the heirs of the sacred compact which God made with your forefathers, when He said to Abraham: 'All the families of the earth are to be blessed through your posterity.'

if it is for a good deed to a helpless man, or to learn how he was cured, that we are today being tried,

When they heard this, with one united prayer to God they said: "O Lord, you are the Maker of heaven, earth, and sea, and everything that is in them, and the One

Peter said to her, "How could both of you agree in such a way to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door; they will carry you out, too."

But somebody came by and reported to them, "The men that you put in jail are standing right here in the temple square, teaching the people."

We and the Holy Spirit that God has given to those who practice obedience to Him are witnesses to these things."

then he said to them: "Fellow Israelites, take care as to what you are about to do to these men.

The high priest asked, "Are these statements true?"

The next day he showed himself to two of them engaged in a fight, and he tried to get them to make friends, saying, 'You are brothers, why should you harm each other?'

Then the Lord said to him, 'Take your shoes off your feet, for the place where you are standing is sacred ground.

"You people, stubborn in will, heathenish in hearts and ears, you are always resisting the Holy Spirit, as your forefathers did, too.

For I see that you are a bitter weed and a bundle of crookedness!"

Then Philip ran up and listened to him reading the prophet Isaiah, and he asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?"

He dropped to the ground; then he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

He asked, "Who are you, sir?" And He said, "I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

For I am going to show him how great are the sufferings he must endure for my name's sake."

While Peter was meditating on the vision, the Spirit said to him, "There are two men looking for you.

So Peter went down and said to the men, "I am the man you are looking for. What is the purpose of your coming?"

So at once I sent for you, and you have been kind enough to come. So now we are all here in God's presence to listen to anything that the Lord has commanded you to say."

We are witnesses of everything that He did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. Yet they murdered Him by hanging Him upon a tree.

They said to her, "You are crazy!" But she persistently insisted that it was so. Then they said, "It is his guardian angel!"

For the people of Jerusalem and their leaders, because they were ignorant of Him, by condemning Him have actually fulfilled the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath,

and for many days He appeared to those who had come up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now witnesses for Him to the people.

So now we are bringing you the good news about the promise that was made to our forefathers,

that God has fulfilled it to us their children, by raising Jesus to life, just as the Scripture says in the Second Psalm, 'You are my Son, today I have become your Father.'

For here are the orders that the Lord has given us: 'I have made you a light to the heathen, To be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.'"

and shouted, "Men, why are you doing this? We are merely men with natures like your own, who are telling you the good news, so that you may turn from these foolish things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and all that they contain.

Some people came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the custom that Moses handed down, you cannot be saved."

In fact, we believe that it is through the favor of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

The words of the prophets are in accord with this, as it is written:

So that the rest of mankind may earnestly seek the Lord, Yes, all the heathen who are called by my name, says the Lord,

Some days after this Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we preached the Lord's message, to see how they are."

This girl kept following Paul and the rest of us, shrieking, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, and they are proclaiming to you a way of salvation."

and brought them to the chiefs of the police court. They said, "These men are Jews; they continue to make great disturbance in our town

But Paul at once shouted out to him, "Do yourself no harm, for we are all here!"

But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public and that without a trial, and put us in jail although we are Roman citizens! Let them come here themselves and take us out!"

and Jason has welcomed them. They are all acting contrary to the Emperor's decrees, because they claim there is another king, Jesus."

So Paul stood up in the center of the auditorium and said: "Men of Athens, at every turn I make I see that you are very religious.

For as I was going here and there and looking at the things you worship, I even found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.' So it is about the Being whom you are in ignorance already worshiping that I am telling you.

For it is through union with Him that we live and move and exist, as some of your own poets have said, "'For we are His offspring too.'

Since then we are God's offspring, we ought not to suppose that His nature is like gold or silver or stone or anything carved by man's art and thought.

But on one occasion the evil spirit answered, "Jesus I know and Paul I know about, but who are you?"

and you see and hear that, not only in Ephesus but all over the province of Asia, this man Paul has led away a vast number of people by persuading them, telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all.

For you have brought these men here, although they are not guilty of sacrilege or of abusive speech against our goddess.

So then, if Demetrius and his fellow-workmen have a charge against anybody, there are the courts and the judges; let them go to law.

For we are in danger of being charged with rioting for today's assembly, as there is not a single reason we can give for it."

except that in town after town the Holy Spirit emphatically assures me that imprisonment and sufferings are awaiting me.

In everything I showed you that by working hard like this we must help those who are weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, 'It makes one happier to give than to get.'"

They gave the glory to God, when they heard it, and said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousand believers there are among the Jews, all of them zealous champions of the law.

Now you must do just what we tell you. We have here four men who are under a vow.

Take them along with you, purify yourself with them, and bear the expense for them of having their heads shaved. Then everybody will know that none of those things they have been told about you are so, but that you yourself are living as a constant observer of the law.

Are you not the Egyptian who sometime ago raised a mob of four thousand cut-throats and led them out into the desert?"

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in this city, and carefully educated under the teaching of Gamaliel in the law of our forefathers. I was zealous for God, as all of you are today.

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

I answered, 'Who are you, Sir?' He said to me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting.'

Then I asked, 'What am I to do, Lord?' And the Lord answered, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there it will be told you what you are destined to do.'

because you are to be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

And now, why are you waiting? Get up and be baptized and wash your sins away by calling on His name.'

When the captain heard that, he went to the colonel and reported it. Then he asked him, "What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen."

So the colonel came to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" He answered, "Yes."

But do not yield to them, for more than forty of them are lying in wait for him; they have taken an oath not to eat or drink till they have killed him. They are all ready now, just waiting for your promise."

When Paul was called, Tertullus opened the prosecution by saying: "Your Excellency, Felix, since we are enjoying perfect peace through you and since reforms for this nation are being brought about through your foresight,

Then Festus said: "King Agrippa and all who are present with us, you now see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation made suit to me, both in Jerusalem and here, continuously clamoring that he ought not to live any longer.

especially because you are familiar with all the Jewish customs and questions. I beg you, therefore, to hear me with patience.

'Who are you, Sir?' said I. 'I am Jesus,' the Lord said, 'whom you are persecuting.

to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's power to God, so as to have their sins forgiven and have a possession among those that are consecrated by faith in me.'

As Paul continued to make his defense, Festus shouted aloud, "You are going crazy, Paul! That great learning of yours is driving you crazy!"

Then Agrippa answered Paul, "In brief you are trying to persuade me and make a Christian of me!"

and said, "Stop being afraid, Paul. You must stand before the Emperor; and listen! God has graciously given to you the lives of all who are sailing with you.'

But we think it fitting to let you tell us what your views are, for as to this sect it is known by all of us that it is everywhere denounced."