He continued, “I am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel and educated according to the strict view of our patriarchal law. Being zealous for God, just as all of you are today,

I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and putting both men and women in jail,

They listened to him up to this word. Then they raised their voices, shouting, “Wipe this person off the earth—it’s a disgrace for him to live!”

the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be examined with the scourge, so he could discover the reason they were shouting against him like this.

When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.”

The commander replied, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.

Paul looked intently at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience until this day.”

When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently: “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”

There were more than 40 who had formed this plot.

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.”

So the commander dismissed the young man and instructed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”

He wrote a letter of this kind:

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.

When he was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said: “Since we enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation by your foresight,

For we have found this man to be a plague, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes!

When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied: “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me.

But I confess this to you: I worship my fathers’ God according to the Way, which they call a sect, believing all the things that are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

and while I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.

or about this one statement I cried out while standing among them, ‘Today I am being judged before you concerning the resurrection of the dead.’”

At the same time he was also hoping that money would be given to him by Paul. For this reason he sent for him quite often and conversed with him.

“Therefore,” he said, “let the men of authority among you go down with me and accuse him, if there is any wrong in this man.”

Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you see this man about whom the whole Jewish community has appealed to me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.

I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write.

the promise our 12 tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve Him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.

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.

But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a witness of what you have seen and of what I will reveal to you.

For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple complex and were trying to kill me.

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—

As he was making his defense this way, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re out of your mind, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad!”

For the king knows about these matters. It is to him I am actually speaking boldly. For I am convinced that none of these things escapes his notice, since this was not done in a corner.

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.”

and told them, “Men, I can see that this voyage is headed toward damage and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.”

After hoisting it up, they used ropes and tackle and girded the ship. Then, fearing they would run aground on the Syrtis, they lowered the drift-anchor, and in this way they were driven along.

Since many were going without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “You men should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete and sustain this damage and loss.

For this night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me,

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.”

The rest were to follow, some on planks and some on debris from the ship. In this way, everyone safely reached the shore.

When the local people saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man is probably a murderer, and though he has escaped the sea, Justice does not allow him to live!”

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

For this reason I’ve asked to see you and speak to you. In fact, it is for the hope of Israel that I’m wearing this chain.”

But we would like to hear from you what you think. For concerning this sect, we are aware that it is spoken against everywhere.”

when He said,

Go to these people and say:
You will listen and listen,
yet never understand;
and you will look and look,
yet never perceive.

For the hearts of these people
have grown callous,
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes
and hear with their ears,
understand with their heart,
and be converted,
and I would heal them.

Therefore, let it be known to you that this saving work of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen!”

This is why God delivered them over to degrading passions. For even their females exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones.

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts. Their consciences confirm this. Their competing thoughts will either accuse or excuse them

Is this blessing only for the circumcised, then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say, Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness.

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.

This is why the promise is by faith, so that it may be according to grace, to guarantee it to all the descendants—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of Abraham’s faith. He is the father of us all

We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all men, because all sinned.

So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me.

What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Now in this hope we were saved, yet hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees?

For this is the statement of the promise: At this time I will come, and Sarah will have a son.

For the Scripture tells Pharaoh:

I raised you up for this reason
so that I may display My power in you
and that My name may be proclaimed in all the earth.

But who are you, a mere man, to talk back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?”

And what if He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory—

But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, “Who will go up to heaven?” that is, to bring Christ down

On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim:

as it is written:

God gave them a spirit of insensitivity,
eyes that cannot see
and ears that cannot hear,
to this day.

So that you will not be conceited, brothers, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery: A partial hardening has come to Israel until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.

And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written:

The Liberator will come from Zion;
He will turn away godlessness from Jacob.

And this will be My covenant with them
when I take away their sins.

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

And for this reason you pay taxes, since the authorities are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks.

The commandments:

Do not commit adultery;
do not murder;
do not steal;
do not covet;

and whatever other commandment—all are summed up by this: Love your neighbor as yourself.

Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

Christ died and came to life for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.

Whoever serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and approved by men.

So when I have finished this and safely delivered the funds to them, I will visit you on the way to Spain.

I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.

What I am saying is this: Each of you says, “I’m with Paul,” or “I’m with Apollos,” or “I’m with Cephas,” or “I’m with Christ.”

Where is the philosopher? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Hasn’t God made the world’s wisdom foolish?

However, we do speak a wisdom among the mature, but not a wisdom of this age, or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.

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.

No one should deceive himself. If anyone among you thinks he is wise in this age, he must become foolish so that he can become wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, since it is written: He catches the wise in their craftiness;

A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God’s mysteries.

In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful.

For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord.

I’m not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my dear children.

This is why I have sent Timothy to you. He is my dearly loved and faithful son in the Lord. He will remind you about my ways in Christ Jesus, just as I teach everywhere in every church.

And you are inflated with pride, instead of filled with grief so that he who has committed this act might be removed from your congregation.

For though I am absent in body but present in spirit, I have already decided about the one who has done this thing as though I were present.

I did not mean the immoral people of this world or the greedy and swindlers or idolaters; otherwise you would have to leave the world.

Don’t you know that we will judge angels—not to mention ordinary matters?

So if you have cases pertaining to this life, do you select those who have no standing in the church to judge?

I say this to your shame! Can it be that there is not one wise person among you who is able to arbitrate between his brothers?

Instead, you act unjustly and cheat—and you do this to believers!

And some of you used to be like this. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

I say the following as a concession, not as a command.

I wish that all people were just like me. But each has his own gift from God, one person in this way and another in that way.

However, each one must live his life in the situation the Lord assigned when God called him. This is what I command in all the churches.