When he had given him permission, Paul, standing on the stairs, beckoned with his hand to the people. When there was a great silence, he spoke to them in the Hebrew language, saying,

Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

When the blood of Stephen, your witness, was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting to his death, and guarding the cloaks of those who killed him.'

The commanding officer answered, "I bought my citizenship for a great price." Paul said, "But I was born a Roman."

Immediately those who were about to examine him departed from him, and the commanding officer also was afraid when he realized that he was a Roman, because he had bound him.

But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

Paul said, "I didn't know, brothers, that he was high priest. For it is written, 'You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.'"

When he had said this, an argument arose between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.

When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

"This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman.

When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell."

When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,

When he was called, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "Seeing that by you we enjoy much peace, and that excellent measures are coming to this nation,

But after some days, Felix came with Drusilla, his wife, who was a Jewess, and sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ Jesus.

As he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified, and answered, "Go your way for this time, and when it is convenient for me, I will summon you."

But when two years were fulfilled, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and desiring to gain favor with the Jews, Felix left Paul in bonds.

However Festus answered that Paul should be kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to depart shortly.

about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for a sentence against him.

but had certain questions against him about their own religion, and about one Jesus, who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

Being perplexed how to inquire concerning these things, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.

So on the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and they had entered into the place of hearing with the commanding officers and principal men of the city, at the command of Festus, Paul was brought in.

"Indeed, all the Jews know my way of life from my youth up, which was from the beginning among my own nation and at Jerusalem;

"Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

When it was determined that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Augustan band.

Embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to places on the coast of Asia, we put to sea; Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

When much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, because the Fast had now already gone by, Paul admonished them,

Because the haven was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised going to sea from there, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, and winter there, which is a port of Crete, looking northeast and southeast.

When the ship was caught, and couldn't face the wind, we gave way to it, and were driven along.

When neither sun nor stars shone on us for many days, and no small storm pressed on us, all hope that we would be saved was now taken away.

While the day was coming on, Paul begged them all to take some food, saying, "This day is the fourteenth day that you wait and continue fasting, having taken nothing.

When it was day, they didn't recognize the land, but they noticed a certain bay with a beach, and they decided to try to drive the ship onto it.

The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would swim out and escape.

When we had escaped, then they learned that the island was called Malta.

However he shook off the creature into the fire, and wasn't harmed.

But they expected that he would have swollen or fallen down dead suddenly, but when they watched for a long time and saw nothing bad happen to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.

Then when this was done, the rest also who had diseases in the island came, and were cured.

After three months, we set sail in a ship of Alexandria which had wintered in the island, whose sign was "The Twin Brothers."

When we entered into Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was allowed to stay by himself with the soldier who guarded him.

It happened that after three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, "I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people, or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

who, when they had examined me, desired to set me free, because there was no cause of death in me.

But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, not that I had anything about which to accuse my nation.

concerning his Son, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh,

who was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

Now I don't desire to have you unaware, brothers, that I often planned to come to you, and was hindered so far, that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Because, knowing God, they didn't glorify him as God, neither gave thanks, but became vain in their reasoning, and their senseless heart was darkened.

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God.

For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness."

Is this blessing then pronounced on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

How then was it counted? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

He received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while he was in uncircumcision, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they might be in uncircumcision, that righteousness might also be accounted to them.

For the promise to Abraham and to his seed that he should be heir of the world wasn't through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

and being fully assured that what he had promised, he was also able to perform.

Therefore it also was "reckoned to him for righteousness."

Now it was not written that it was accounted to him for his sake alone,

who was delivered up for our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.

and hope doesn't disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

For until the law, sin was in the world; but sin is not charged when there is no law.

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those whose sins weren't like Adam's disobedience, who is a foreshadowing of him who was to come.

We were buried therefore with him through baptism to death, that just like Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.

knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.

Therefore, my brothers, you also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you would be joined to another, to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit to God.

I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

The commandment, which was for life, this I found to be for death;

For what the law couldn't do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God did, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh;

For the creation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but because of him who subjected it, in hope

Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, yes rather, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.

it was said to her, "The elder will serve the younger."

As he says also in Hosea, "I will call them 'my people,' which were not my people; and her 'beloved,' who was not beloved."

"It will be that in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' There they will be called 'children of the living God.'"

Isaiah is very bold, and says, "I was found by those who didn't seek me. I was revealed to those who didn't ask for me."

For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think reasonably, as God has apportioned to each person a measure of faith.

Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;

But I write the more boldly to you in part, as reminding you, because of the grace that was given to me by God,

yes, making it my aim to preach the Good News, not where Christ was already named, that I might not build on another's foundation.

Therefore also I was hindered these many times from coming to you,

I always thank my God concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;

even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you:

Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized into the name of Paul?

For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn't know God, it was God's good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

But of him, you are in Christ Jesus, who was made to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption:

I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it.

Was anyone called having been circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Has anyone been called in uncircumcision? Let him not be circumcised.

Let each man stay in that calling in which he was called.

For he who was called in the Lord being a bondservant is the Lord's free man. Likewise he who was called being free is Christ's bondservant.

Brothers, let each man, in whatever condition he was called, stay in that condition with God.

or does he say it assuredly for our sake? Yes, it was written for our sake, because he who plows ought to plow in hope, and he who threshes in hope should partake of his hope.

For though I was free from all, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.

and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ.

However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

But if anyone says to you, "This was offered to idols," don't eat it for the sake of the one who told you, and for the sake of conscience. For "the earth is the Lord's, and all its fullness."

for neither was man created for the woman, but woman for the man.

For I received from the Lord that which also I delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night in which he was betrayed took bread.

When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I felt as a child, I thought as a child. Now that I have become a man, I have put away childish things.

For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, even as I was also fully known.

What? Was it from you that the word of God went out? Or did it come to you alone?

that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was bestowed on me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

Now concerning Apollos, the brother, I strongly urged him to come to you with the brothers; and it was not at all his desire to come now; but he will come when he has an opportunity.

I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus; for that which was lacking on your part, they supplied.