I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach

“For it is written in the Book of Psalms:

Let his dwelling become desolate;
let no one live in it; and
Let someone else take his position.

to take the place in this apostolic service that Judas left to go to his own place.”

because You will not leave me in Hades
or allow Your Holy One to see decay.

Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Messiah:

He was not left in Hades,
and His flesh did not experience decay.

So they called for them and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

The kings of the earth took their stand
and the rulers assembled together
against the Lord and against His Messiah.

to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place.

Then the high priest took action. He and all his colleagues, those who belonged to the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.

In obedience to this, they entered the temple complex at daybreak and began to teach.

When the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they convened the Sanhedrin—the full Senate of the sons of Israel—and sent orders to the jail to have them brought.

“Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us!”

They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, dragged him off, and took him to the Sanhedrin.

“Then the Lord said to him:

Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.

No, you took up the tent of Moloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship.
So I will deport you beyond Babylon!

Then Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus.

but his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall.

Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that He had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus.

When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

You know the events that took place throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached:

Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world. This took place during the time of Claudius.

So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what took place through the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem, taking along John who is called Mark.

This all took about 450 years. After this, He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

When they had fulfilled all that had been written about Him, they took Him down from the tree and put Him in a tomb.

Since He raised Him from the dead, never to return to decay, He has spoken in this way, I will grant you the faithful covenant blessings made to David.

Therefore He also says in another passage, You will not allow Your Holy One to see decay.

But the One God raised up did not decay.

Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!”

Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name.

Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark.

But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

There was such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.

Paul wanted Timothy to go with him, so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek.

He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized.

They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of?

He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. After Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the way of God to him more accurately.

Even some of the provincial officials of Asia, who were his friends, sent word to him, pleading with him not to take a chance by going into the amphitheater.

Then we went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For these were his instructions, since he himself was going by land.

When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

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.’”

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.

Take these men, purify yourself along with them, and pay for them to get their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that what they were told about you amounts to nothing, but that you yourself are also careful about observing the law.

Then the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering for each of them would be made.

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.

Then Paul called one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”

So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”

Then the commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired privately, “What is it you have to report to me?”

Therefore, the soldiers took Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered.

But Lysias the commander came and took him from our hands with great force,

To this very day, I have obtained help that comes from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing else than what the prophets and Moses said would take place—

Now I urge you to take courage, because there will be no loss of any of your lives, but only of the ship.

Therefore, take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.

They took a sounding and found it to be 120 feet deep; when they had sailed a little farther and sounded again, they found it to be 90 feet deep.

When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing.

Therefore I urge you to take some food. For this has to do with your survival, since none of you will lose a hair from your head.”

They all became encouraged and took food themselves.

The local people showed us extraordinary kindness, for they lit a fire and took us all in, since it was raining and cold.

Now the believers from there had heard the news about us and had come to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.