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.

When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the mob’s violence,

After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew language:

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“But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in You imprisoned and beaten.

Therefore, those who were about to examine him withdrew from him at once. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had bound him.

When it was day, the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves under a curse: neither to eat nor to drink until they had killed Paul.

There were more than 40 who had formed this plot.

When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.

After two years had passed, Felix received a successor, Porcius Festus, and because he wished to do a favor for the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.

When he had spent not more than eight or 10 days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated at the judge’s bench, he commanded Paul to be brought in.

When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they were not able to prove,

After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus.

Therefore, when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I sat at the judge’s bench and ordered the man to be brought in.

Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive.

Now I realized that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.

They had previously known me for quite some time, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.

I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the saints in prison, since I had received authority for that from the chief priests. When they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.

We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is doing nothing that deserves death or chains.”

Then Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been released if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

So when we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.

When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Fast was already over, Paul gave his advice

When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought they had achieved their purpose. They weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.

Since the ship was caught and was unable to head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along.

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.

Some sailors tried to escape from the ship; they had let down the skiff into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow.

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.”

After he said these things and had taken some bread, he gave thanks to God in the presence of all of them, and when he broke it, he began to eat.

As Paul gathered a bundle of brushwood and put it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself to his hand.

After this, the rest of those on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.

After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island, with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead.

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.

After three days he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered he said to them: “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.

After they examined me, they wanted to release me, since I had not committed a capital offense.

Because the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar; it was not as though I had any accusation against my nation.

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also.

And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised.

He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.

because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform.

What should we say then? Is the law sin? Absolutely not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin if it were not for the law. For example, I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, Do not covet.

For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.

height or depth, or any other created thing
will have the power to separate us
from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord!

For though her sons had not been born yet or done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to election might stand—

And just as Isaiah predicted:

If the Lord of Hosts had not left us offspring,
we would have become like Sodom,
and we would have been made like Gomorrah.

But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.

but, as it is written:

Those who were not told about Him will see,
and those who have not heard will understand.

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

None of the rulers of this age knew this wisdom, for if they had known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

And I say this, brothers: The time is limited, so from now on those who have wives should be as though they had none,

But I want you to know that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of the woman, and God is the head of Christ.

Every man who prays or prophesies with something on his head dishonors his head.

But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since that is one and the same as having her head shaved.

So if a woman’s head is not covered, her hair should be cut off. But if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, she should be covered.

A man, in fact, should not cover his head, because he is God’s image and glory, but woman is man’s glory.

This is why a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.

Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

So the eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” Or again, the head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you!”

Indeed, we personally had a death sentence within ourselves, so that we would not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.

I had no rest in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus, but I said good-bye to them and left for Macedonia.

For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of righteousness overflows with even more glory.

In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it.

In fact, when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest. Instead, we were troubled in every way: conflicts on the outside, fears inside.

For this reason we have been comforted.

In addition to our comfort, we rejoiced even more over the joy Titus had, because his spirit was refreshed by all of you.

and not just as we had hoped. Instead, they gave themselves especially to the Lord, then to us by God’s will.

So we urged Titus that just as he had begun, so he should also complete this grace to you.

For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we had not reached you, since we have come to you with the gospel of Christ.

For if a person comes and preaches another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you had not received, or a different gospel, which you had not accepted, you put up with it splendidly!

I did not go up to Jerusalem to those who had become apostles before me; instead I went to Arabia and came back to Damascus.

On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the gospel for the uncircumcised, just as Peter was for the circumcised,

When James, Cephas, and John, recognized as pillars, acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, agreeing that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.

So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.

Is the law therefore contrary to God’s promises? Absolutely not! For if a law had been given that was able to give life, then righteousness would certainly be by the law.

For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave and the other by a free woman.

so that we who had already put our hope in the Messiah might bring praise to His glory.

And He put everything under His feet and appointed Him as head over everything for the church,

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love that He had for us,

may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love,

But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head—Christ.

for the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of the body.

having the same struggle that you saw I had and now hear that I have.

Instead He emptied Himself
by assuming the form of a slave,
taking on the likeness of men.
And when He had come as a man
in His external form,

Indeed, he was so sick that he nearly died. However, God had mercy on him, and not only on him but also on me, so that I would not have one grief on top of another.

although I once also had confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he has grounds for confidence in the flesh, I have more:

He is also the head of the body, the church;
He is the beginning,
the firstborn from the dead,
so that He might come to have
first place in everything.

and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.

He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, develops with growth from God.

for they themselves report what kind of reception we had from you: how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God

On the contrary, after we had previously suffered, and we were treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, we were emboldened by our God to speak the gospel of God to you in spite of great opposition.

For we never used flattering speech, as you know, or had greedy motives—God is our witness—

We cared so much for you that we were pleased to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.

For this reason, when I could no longer stand it, I also sent him to find out about your faith, fearing that the tempter had tempted you and that our labor might be for nothing.

one who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I received mercy because I acted out of ignorance in unbelief.

But as for you, be serious about everything, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

He saved us—
not by works of righteousness that we had done,
but according to His mercy,
through the washing of regeneration
and renewal by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

For we have become companions of the Messiah if we hold firmly until the end the reality that we had at the start.

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day.

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater to swear by, He swore by Himself:

But one without this lineage collected tenths from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.