when they got as far as Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them,

Paul was just on the point of opening his lips to reply, when Gallio said to the Jews, "If it had been a misdemeanour or wicked crime, there would be some reason in me listening to you,O Jews.

who asked him to stay for a while. But he would not consent;

Many believers would also come to confess and disclose their magic spells;

(Paul wanted to enter the popular assembly, but the disciples would not allow him.

sorrowing chiefly because he told them they would never see his face again. Then they escorted him to the ship.

As he would not be persuaded, we acquiesced, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

Then Paul associated himself with the men next day; he had himself purified along with them and went into the temple to give notice of the time when the days of purification would be completed ??the time, that is to say, when the sacrifice could be offered for each one of them.

The bystanders said, "What! would you rail at God's high priest?"

The quarrel then became so violent that the commander was afraid they would tear Paul in pieces; he therefore ordered the troops to march down and take him from them by force, bringing him inside the barracks.

So the officer took him to the commander, saying, "The prisoner Paul has summoned me to ask if I would bring this young man to you, as he has something to tell you."

(though at the same time he hoped Paul would give him a bribe). So he did send for him pretty frequently and conversed with him.

Festus replied that Paul would be kept in custody at Caesarea, but that he himself meant to leave for Caesarea before long ??5 "when," he added, "your competent authorities can come down with me and charge the man with whatever crime he has committed."

As I felt at a loss about the method of inquiry into such topics, I asked if he would go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.

"Long or short," said Paul, "I would to God that not only you but all my hearers to-day could be what I am ??barring these chains!"

Some were convinced by what he said, but the others would not believe.

Brothers, I would like you to understand that I have often purposed to come to you (though up till now I have been prevented) so as to have some results among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

What follows, then? That 'the Law is equivalent to sin'? Never! Why, had it not been for the Law, I would never have known what sin meant! Thus I would never have known what it is to covet, unless the Law had said, You must not covet.

You have received no slavish spirit that would make you relapse into fear; you have received the Spirit of sonship. And when we cry, "Abba! Father!",

the hope being that creation as well as man would one day be freed from its thraldom to decay and gain the glorious freedom of the children of God.

Indeed, as Isaiah foretold, Had not the Lord of hosts left us with some descendants, we would have fared like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorra.

They would not surrender to the righteousness of God, because they were ignorant of his righteousness and therefore essayed to set up a righteousness of their own.

Selected by grace, and therefore not for anything they have done; otherwise grace would cease to be grace.

To prevent you from being self-conceited, brothers, I would like you to understand this secret: it is only a partial insensibility that has come over Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles come in.

None of the Powers of this world understands it (if they had, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory).

God will destroy anyone who would destroy God's temple, for God's temple is sacred ??and that is what you are.

I did not mean you were literally to avoid contact with the immoral in this world, with the lustful and the thievish, or with idolaters; in that case you would have to leave the world altogether.

I would like all men to be as I am. However, everyone is endowed by God in his own way; he has a gift for the one life or the other.

To the unmarried and to widows I would say this: it is an excellent thing if like me they remain as they are.

To other people I would say (not the Lord): ??if any brother has a wife who is not a believer, and if she consents to live with him, he must not put her away;

For the unbelieving husband is consecrated in the person of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is consecrated in the person of the Christian brother she has married; otherwise, of course, your children would be unholy instead of being consecrated to God.

Well, what I think is this: that, considering the imminent distress in these days, it would be an excellent plan for you to remain just as you are.

Of course, if you are actually married, there is no sin in that; and if a maid marries, there is no sin in that. (At the same time those who marry will have outward trouble ??and I would spare you that.)

Only, I have not availed myself of any of these rights, and I am not writing in order to secure any such provision for myself. I would die sooner than let anyone deprive me of this, my source of pride.

For I would have you know this, my brothers, that while our fathers all lived under the cloud, all crossed through the sea,

But I would like you to understand this: Christ is the head of every man, man is the head of woman, and God is the head of Christ.

If we only judged our own lives truly, we would not come under the Lord's judgment.

If the body were all eye, where would hearing be? If the body were all ear, where would smell be?

If they all made up one member, what would become of the body?

Now I would like you all to speak with 'tongues,' but I would prefer you to prophesy. The man who prophesies is higher than the man who speaks with 'tongues' ??unless indeed the latter interprets, so that the church may get edification.

but in church I would rather say five words with my own mind for the instruction of other people than ten thousand words in a 'tongue.'

Now, brothers, I would have you know the gospel I once preached to you, the gospel you received, the gospel in which you have your footing,

What would it avail me that, humanly speaking, I 'fought with wild beasts' at Ephesus? If dead men do not rise, let us eat and drink, for we will be dead to-morrow!

Now I would like you to know about the distress which befell me in Asia, brothers. I was crushed, crushed far more than I could stand, so much so that I despaired even of life;

I decided I would not pay you another painful visit.

So the very reason I wrote was that I might not come only to be pained by those who ought to give me joy; I relied on you all, I felt sure that my joy would be a joy for everyone of you.

and in this confidence I would fain get away from the body and reside with the Lord.

At the same time I am sending these brothers just in case my pride in you should prove an empty boast in this particular instance; I want you to be "all ready," as I have been telling them that you would be,

in case any Macedonians accompany me and find you are not ready ??which would make me (not to speak of yourselves) ashamed of having been so sure.

Even supposing I were to boast somewhat freely of my authority (and the Lord gave it to me for building you up, not for demolishing you), I would feel quite justified.

I wish you would put up with a little 'folly' from me. Do put up with me,

No, I intend to go on as I am doing, in order to checkmate those who would fain make out that in the apostolate of which they boast they work on the same terms as I do.

(If I did care to boast of other things, I would be no 'fool,' for I would have a true tale to tell; however, I abstain from that ??I want no one to take me for more than he can see in me or make out from me.)

Now is that 'appealing to the interests of men' or of God? Trying to 'satisfy men'? Why, if I still tried to give satisfaction to human masters, I would be no servant of Christ.

(It was in consequence of a revelation that I went up at all.) I submitted the gospel I am in the habit of preaching to the Gentiles, submitting it privately to the authorities, to make sure that my course of action would be and had been sound.

Then the Law is contrary to God's Promises? Never! Had there been any law which had the power of producing life, righteousness would really have been due to law,

Now, what has become of all that? (I can bear witness that you would have torn out your very eyes, if you could, and given me them.)

would that I could be with you at this moment, and alter my tone, for I am at my wits' end about you!

O that those who are upsetting you would get themselves castrated!

I would have you understand, my brothers, that my affairs have really tended to advance the gospel;

I would know him in the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, with my nature transformed to die as he died,

I am suffering now on your behalf, but I rejoice in that; I would make up the full sum of all that Christ has to suffer in my person on behalf of the church, his Body;

by hindering us from speaking words of salvation to the Gentiles. So they would fill up the measure of their sins to the last drop! But the Wrath is on them to the bitter end!

We would like you, brothers, to understand about those who are asleep in death. You must not grieve for them, like the rest of men who have no hope.

and with the full deceitfulness of evil for those who are doomed to perish, since they refuse to love the Truth that would save them.

When I recall the tears you shed when we parted, I long by night and day to see you again. That would fill me with joy,

Hence I would remind you to rekindle the divine gift which you received when my hands were laid upon you;

Hence, although in Christ I would feel quite free to order you to do your duty,

I would have liked to keep him beside me, that as your deputy he might serve me during my imprisonment for the gospel;

You count me a partner? Then receive him as you would receive me,

Therefore I grew exasperated with that generation, I said, 'They are always astray in their heart': They would not learn my ways;

And to whom did he swear that they would never enter his Rest? To whom but those who disobeyed?

Thus if Joshua had given them Rest, God would not speak later about another day.

It is my heart's desire that each of you would prove equally keen upon realizing your full hope to the very end,

Were he on earth, he would not be a priest at all, for there are priests already to offer the gifts prescribed by Law

For if the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion for a second.

on the day I took them by the hand to lead out of Egypt's land; for they would not hold to my covenant, so I let them alone, saith the Lord.

Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, like the high priest entering the holy place every year with blood that was not his own: ??26 for in that case he would have had to suffer repeatedly, ever since the world was founded. Nay, once for all, at the end of the world, he has appeared with his self-sacrifice to abolish sin.

Otherwise, they would surely have ceased to be offered; for the worshippers, once cleansed, would no longer be conscious of sins!

It was by faith that Abraham obeyed his call to go forth to a place which he would receive as an inheritance; he went forth, although he did not know where he was to go.

If they thought of the land they have left behind, they would have time to go back,

And what more shall I say? Time would fail me to tell of Gideon, of Barak and Samson and Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets ??33 men who by faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouth of lions,

God had something better in store for us; he would not have them perfected apart from us.

Obey your leaders, submit to them; for they are alive to the interests of your souls, as men who will have to account for their trust. Let their work be a joy to them and not a grief ??which would be a loss to yourselves.

he who would love Life and enjoy good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking guile:

They withdrew from us, but they did not belong to us; had they belonged to us, they would have remained with us, but they withdrew to make it plain that they are none of us.

I am writing to you in this way about those who would deceive you,

I know your doings, you are neither cold nor hot ??would you were either cold or hot!

till men, scorched by the fierce heat, blasphemed the name of the God who had control of these plagues; yet they would not repent and give him glory.

And I saw thrones with people sitting on them, who were allowed to judge ??saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and God's word, those who would not worship the Beast or his statue, and who would not receive his mark on their forehead or hand; they came to life and reigned along with the Christ for a thousand years.