and for three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink anything.

Now while Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men who had been sent by Cornelius had asked for the way to Simon's house and had stopped at the gate;

So if God had given them the same gift that He gave us when we believed upon the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to try -- and how could I if I tried -- to thwart God?"

Herod had search made for him, and when he could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he left Judea for Caesarea, and stayed there.

and although they could not find Him guilty of a capital offense, they begged Pilate to have Him put to death.

and that through union with Him every one of you who believes is given right standing with God and freed from every charge from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Even by saying this it was all that they could do to keep the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

Then why do you now try to test God by putting on these disciples' necks a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we could bear?

They stopped at Jason's house and tried to bring them out to the people. So, as they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the town magistrates, shouting, "These fellows, who have turned the world topsy-turvy, have come here 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.

I have never coveted any man's silver or gold or clothes.

Then Paul took the men along with him and on the next day went into the temple with them, purified, and announced the time when the purification would be completed, when the sacrifice for each one of them could be offered.

But they kept shouting in the crowd, some one thing, some another. As he could not with certainty find out about it, because of the tumult, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks.

Since I could not see because of the dazzling sheen of that light, I was led by the hand by my companions and in this way I reached Damascus.

When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem surrounded him, and continued to bring a number of serious charges against him, none of which they could prove.

But as Paul appealed to have his case kept for his Majesty's decision, I ordered him kept in custody until I could send him up to the emperor."

Therefore, King Agrippa, I could not disobey that heavenly vision,

And as the harbor was not fit to winter in, the majority favored the plan to set sail from there and see if they could reach Phoenix and winter there, this being a harbor in Crete facing west-southwest and west-north-west.

The ship was snatched along by it and since she could not face the wind, we gave up and let her drive.

When day broke, they could not recognize the land, but they spied a bay that had a beach, and determined, if possible, to run the ship ashore.

but the colonel wanted to save Paul, and so he prevented them from carrying out this plan, and ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, and the rest to follow,

Now the natives showed us remarkable kindness, for they made us a fire and welcomed us to it because of the downpouring rain and the cold.

Because they could not agree among themselves, they started to leave, when Paul had spoken one word more: "The Holy Spirit beautifully expressed it in speaking to your forefathers through the prophet Isaiah:

Not at all! If that were so, how could He judge the world?

For though the law could not do it, because it was made helpless through our lower nature, yet God, by sending His own Son in a body similar to that of our lower nature, and as a sacrifice for sin, passed sentence upon sin through His body,

for I could wish myself accursed, even cut off from Christ, for the sake of my brothers, my natural kinsmen.

Why? Because they did not try through faith but through what they could do. They have stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble,

And how can men preach unless they are sent to do so? As the Scripture says, "How beautiful are the feet of men who bring the glad news of His good things!"

So I myself, brothers, could not deal with you as spiritual persons, but as creatures of human clay, as merely baby Christians.

I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you could not take it. Why, you cannot take it even now,

And whether one puts into the building on the foundation gold or silver or costly stones, or wood or hay or straw,

Are you satisfied already? Have you grown rich already? Have you ascended your thrones without us to join you? Yes, I could wish that you had ascended your thrones, that we too might join you on them!

To this very hour we have gone hungry, thirsty, poorly clad; we have been roughly knocked around; we have had no home.

For though you have ten thousand teachers in the Christian life, you certainly could not have many fathers. For it was I myself who became your father through your union with Christ Jesus, which resulted from my telling you the good news.

I ask this to make you blush with shame. Has it come to this, that there is not a single wise man among you who could settle a grievance of one brother against another,

and those that mourn as though they did not mourn, and those who are glad as though they were not glad, and those who buy as though they did not own a thing,

For I would not have you, brothers, to be ignorant of the fact that though our forefathers were all made safe by the cloud, and all went securely through the sea, and in the cloud and the sea

You know that when you were heathen you were in the habit of going off, wherever you might be led, after idols that could not speak.

If all the body were an eye, how could we hear? If all the body were an ear, how could we smell?

If they were all one part, how could it be a body?

If I could speak the languages of men, of angels too, and have no love, I am only a rattling pan or a clashing cymbal.

If I should have the gift of prophecy, And know all secret truths, and knowledge in its every form, and have such perfect faith that I could move mountains, but have no love, I am nothing.

Is never glad when wrong is done, but always glad when truth prevails;

And I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus have come to see me, because they have supplied what you lacked.

For if I make you sad, who is there to make me glad but the very man who has been made sad by me?

This is the very thing I wrote you, that when I did come I might not be made sad by the very people who ought to make me glad, for I had confidence in you all that my gladness would be gladness to you all.

Now if the old religious service which resulted in death, although its law was carved in letters of stone, was introduced with a splendor so great that the Israelites could not keep their eyes fixed on Moses' face because of the splendor that was fading from it,

sad but always glad, poor but making many people rich, penniless but really possessing everything.

For even after I had gotten to Macedonia, my frail, human nature could find no relief; I was crushed with sorrow at every turn -- fighting without and fears within.

I am glad of it now, not because you had such sorrow, but because your sorrow led you to repentance, for you took your sorrow in accordance with the will of God, so that you should not suffer any loss at all from me.

In addition to my own comfort, I was made so glad that my cup ran over at the gladness Titus felt, because his spirit has been set at rest by you.

I am glad that I have perfect confidence in you now.

For if anybody comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one I preached, or you receive another spirit different from the one you did receive or a glad message different from the one you did accept, you listen to it all right!

For you who are so wise yourselves are glad to listen to fools!

through toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, through hunger and thirst, through many a fasting season, poorly clad and exposed to cold.

I am glad to be consciously weak, if you are really strong. This is my continual prayer, the perfecting of your characters.

I never can nullify the unmerited favor of God. For if right standing with God could come through law, then Christ died for nothing.

I mean this: The law which was given four hundred and thirty years later could not annul the contract which had already been ratified by God, so as to cancel the promise.

Where is your self-congratulation? For I can testify that you would have torn out your very eyes, if you could, and have given them to me.

I wish I could be with you right now and change the tone of my speech, for I do not know which way to turn in your case.

What difference then does it make? In one way or another, whether in pretense or in sincerity, Christ is being preached, and that is the thing that makes me glad; yes, more too, I will continue to be glad of it,

Yes, even if I am pouring out my life as a libation on the sacrifice and service your faith is rendering, I am glad to do so and congratulate you upon it;

you too must do likewise, be glad of it, and congratulate me.

I very eagerly send him, so that when you see him you may be glad of it, and I may be less sorrowful.

Finally, my brothers, continue to be glad that you are in union with the Lord. I am not tired of writing you the same things over and over: it means your safety.

By the help of the Lord always keep up the glad spirit; yes, I will repeat it, keep up the glad spirit.

I am now glad to be suffering for you, and in my own person I am filling in what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for His body, that is, the church.

For though I am far away in person, still I am with you in spirit, and I am glad to note your fine order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

We never sought praise from men, either from you or from anyone else; although as apostles we could have stood on our official dignity.

So when I could not bear it any longer, I decided to be left behind in Athens alone,

That was why, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for I was afraid that the tempter had tempted you and our labor might be lost.

I want the women, on their part, to dress becomingly, that is, modestly and sensibly, not adorning themselves with braided hair and gold or pearls or expensive dresses,

In any great house there are not only gold and silver articles but also wooden utensils, some for honorable uses and some for lowly uses.

Do your best to get here before winter. Eubulus wishes to be remembered to you, and so do Prudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the brothers.

Therefore He had to be made like His brothers, so that He could be a sympathetic High Priest, as well as a faithful one, in things relating to God, in order to atone for the people's sins.

So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they could not be admitted to it.

For when God made His promise to Abraham, He took an oath by Himself, since He had no one greater by whom He could take it,

For if the first covenant had been faultless, there could have been no room for a second one.

with its golden incense-altar and the chest for the covenant, completely covered with gold, and in it a golden jar which held the manna, Aaron's staff that budded, and the tablets on which the covenant was written;

By faith Enoch was transplanted from earth, so that he did not experience dying; and he could not be found, because God had transplanted him from earth. For before he was transplanted from earth evidence was given him that he pleased God;

For you know that, when later he wanted to get possession of the blessing, he was rejected, for he could find no opportunity to repent, although with tears he tried to get the blessing.

For if a man with a gold ring, dressed in fine clothes, comes to your meeting, and at the same time a poor man clad in dirty clothes,

If some brother or sister is thinly clad and has no food for the day,

your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will testify against you and devour your flesh like fire. You have stored up these things for the last days.

so that the genuineness of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even after it is shown by the test of fire to be genuine, may result in your praise and glory and honor at the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

because you know that you have not been ransomed with things that perish as silver or gold, from the futile way of living taught by your fathers,

Your adornments must be not of an external nature, with braids of hair or ornaments of gold, or changes of dress,

and among the lampstands One resembling the Son of Man, wearing a robe that reached to His feet, and with a belt of gold around His breast.

"I know what you are doing, and that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were cold or hot.

As it is, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold, I am going to vomit you out of my mouth.

I advise you to buy of me gold that has been refined in the fire, so that you may become rich, and white clothes to put on, to hide your shameful nakedness, and salve to put on your eyes, to make you see.

Around the throne there were twenty-four thrones, with twenty-four elders seated on them, clothed in white and with crowns of gold on their heads.

But no one in heaven or on earth or underneath the earth could open the book or look into it.

Then I began to weep bitterly because no one could be found deserving to open the book or look into it.

After this I looked, and there was a vast throng that no one could count from every nation, tribe, people, and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

Then another angel with a censer of gold came and stood at the altar, and a great quantity of incense was given to him to mingle with the prayers of all God's people, on the altar of gold that stood before the throne.

The locusts look like horses armed for battle; on their heads were what appeared to be crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces;

Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the corners of the altar of gold that was before God

But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works their hands had done, so as to give up worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot either see or hear or move;

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was clothed in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, his legs were like pillars of fire,