and because they had the same trade he stayed with them. They worked together because they were tentmakers by trade.

Now Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole family. Many Corinthians who heard Paul also believed and were baptized.

Paul was about to speak when Gallio admonished the Jewish leaders, "If there were some misdemeanor or crime involved, it would be reasonable to put up with you Jews.

He then asked, "Then into what were you baptized?" They answered, "Into John's baptism."

On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

There were about twelve men in all.

When handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched his skin were taken to the sick, their diseases left them and evil spirits went out of them.

Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.

He called a meeting of these men and others who were engaged in similar trades and said, "Men, you well know that we get a good income from this business.

Even some officials of the province of Asia who were his friends sent him a message urging him not to risk his life in the theater.

Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing and some another, since the crowd was confused, and most of them didn't know why they were meeting.

These men went on ahead and were waiting for us in Troas.

Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.

They took the young man away alive and were greatly relieved.

You yourselves know that I worked with my own hands to support myself and those who were with me.

They were especially sorrowful because of what he had said that they would never see his face again. Then they took him to the ship.

The next day, Paul went with us to visit James, and all the elders were present.

When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, seeing Paul in the Temple, stirred up a large crowd. They grabbed Paul,

The whole city was in chaos. The people rushed together, grabbed Paul, dragged him out of the Temple, and at once the doors were sealed shut.

as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. I also received letters from them to the brothers in Damascus, and I was going there to tie up those who were there and bring them back to Jerusalem to be punished.

"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.

Even when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing there, approving it and guarding the coats of those who were killing him.'

While they were yelling, tossing their coats around, and throwing dirt into the air,

the tribune ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and told the soldiers to beat and question him in order to find out why the people were yelling at him like this.

Paul said, "But I was born a citizen." Immediately those who were about to examine him stepped back, and the tribune was afraid when he found out that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had tied him up.

When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I'm a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I'm on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected."

He answered, "The Jewish leaders have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Council tomorrow as though they were going to examine his case more carefully.

I wanted to know the exact charge they were making against him, so I had him brought before their Council.

The Jewish leaders supported his accusations by asserting that these things were true.

But some Jews from Asia were there, and they should be here before you to accuse me if they have anything against me.

and asking Festus to have Paul brought to Jerusalem as a favor. They were laying an ambush to kill him on the road.

Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix.

That is what I did in Jerusalem. I received authority from the high priests and locked many of the saints in prison. And when I cast my vote against them, they were put to death.

On the road at noon, O King, I saw a light from heaven that was brighter than the sun. It flashed around me and those who were traveling with me.

Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and those who were sitting with him got up.

As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, "This man hasn't been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment."

When it was decided that we should sail to Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were transferred to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the emperor's division.

After putting out from there, we sailed on the sheltered side of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

The ship was caught so that it couldn't face the wind, and we gave up and were swept along.

The next day, because we were being tossed so violently by the storm, they began to throw the cargo overboard.

For a number of days neither the sun nor the stars were to be seen, and the storm continued to rage until at last all hope of our being saved vanished.

It was the fourteenth night, and we were drifting through the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors suspected that land was near.

Meanwhile, the sailors had begun trying to escape from the ship. They lowered the lifeboat into the sea and pretended that they were going to lay out the anchors from the bow.

There were 276 of us on the ship.

The rest were to follow, some on planks and others on various pieces of the ship. In this way everyone got to shore safely.

When we were safely on shore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

The people who lived there were unusually kind to us. It had started to rain and was cold, so they started a bonfire and invited us to join them around it.

They were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

After that had happened, the rest of the sick people on the island went to him and were healed.

The islanders honored us in many ways, and when we were about to sail again, they supplied us with everything we needed.

There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. After this, we arrived in Rome.

From morning until evening, he continued to explain the kingdom of God to them, trying to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets. Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others wouldn't believe.

They disagreed with one another as they were leaving, so Paul added this statement: "The Holy Spirit was so right when he spoke to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah!

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. Instead, their thoughts turned to worthless things, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

For circumcision is valuable if you observe the Law, but if you break the Law, your having been circumcised has no more value than if you were uncircumcised.

What if some of the Jews were unfaithful? Their unfaithfulness cannot cancel God's faithfulness, can it?

For if those who were given the Law are the heirs, then faith is useless and the promise is worthless,

Therefore, the promise is based on faith, so that it may be a matter of grace and may be guaranteed for all of Abraham's descendants not only for those who were given the Law, but also for those who share the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all.

Now the words "it was credited to him" were written not only for him

For at just the right time, while we were still powerless, the Messiah died for the ungodly.

But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that the Messiah died for us while we were still sinners.

For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life!

For just as through one man's disobedience many people were made sinners, so also through one man's obedience many people will be made righteous.

Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into union with the Messiah Jesus were baptized into his death?

Therefore, through baptism we were buried with him into his death so that, just as the Messiah was raised from the dead by the Father's glory, we too may live an entirely new life.

We know that our old natures were crucified with him so that our sin-laden bodies might be rendered powerless and we might no longer be slaves to sin.

But thank God that, though you were once slaves of sin, you became obedient from your hearts to that form of teaching with which you were entrusted!

For when you were slaves of sin, you were "free" as far as righteousness was concerned.

For while we were living according to our human nature, sinful passions were at work in our bodies by means of the Law, to bear fruit resulting in death.

For we were saved with this hope in mind. Now a hope that can be observed is not really hope, for who hopes for what can be seen?

for I could wish that I myself were condemned and cut off from the Messiah for the sake of my brothers, my own people,

That is, it is not merely the children born through natural descent who were regarded as God's children, but it is the children born through the promise who were regarded as descendants.

What can we say, then? Gentiles, who were not pursuing righteousness, have attained righteousness, a righteousness that comes through faith.

Why not? Because they did not pursue it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on achievements. They stumbled over the stone that causes people to stumble.

And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who were not looking for me; I was revealed to those who were not asking for me."

What, then, does this mean? It means that Israel failed to obtain what it was seeking, but the selected group obtained it while the rest were hardened.

Then you will say, "Branches were cut off so that I could be grafted in."

That's right! They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you remain only because of faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid!

After all, if you were cut off from what is naturally a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much easier it will be for these natural branches to be grafted back into their own olive tree!

Rather, as it is written, "Those who were never told about him will see, and those who have never heard will understand."

Yes, they were eager to do this, and in fact they are obligated to help them, for if the gentiles have shared in their spiritual blessings, they are obligated to be of service to them in material things.

Faithful is the God by whom you were called into fellowship with his Son Jesus the Messiah, our Lord.

Is the Messiah divided? Paul wasn't crucified for you, was he? You weren't baptized in Paul's name, were you?

so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.

Brothers, think about your own calling. Not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.

My message and my preaching were not accompanied by clever, wise words, but by a display of the Spirit's power,

Now, we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who comes from God, so that we can understand the things that were freely given to us by God.

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you weren't ready for it. And you're still not ready!

You already have all you want! You have already become rich! You have become kings without us! I wish you really were kings so that we could be kings with you!

Some of you have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to evaluate you.

Even though I am away from you physically, I am with you in spirit. I have already passed judgment on the man who did this, as though I were present with you.

That is what some of you were! But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah and by the Spirit of our God.

because you were bought for a price. Therefore, glorify God with your bodies.

Were you a slave when you were called? Do not let that bother you. Of course, if you have a chance to become free, take advantage of the opportunity.

You were bought for a price. Stop becoming slaves of people.

and those who mourn as though they did not mourn, and those who rejoice as though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they did not own a thing,

and those who use the things in the world as though they were not dependent on them. For the world in its present form is passing away.

Now I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of the fact that all of our ancestors who left Egypt were under the cloud. They all went through the sea,

and they all were immersed into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.