All who heard their story, moved by a common impulse, raised their voices to God in prayer: "O Sovereign Lord, it is you who has 'made the heavens, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them,'

There have indeed gathered together in this city against your holy Servant Jesus, whom you has consecrated the Christ, not Herod and Pontius Pilate only, but the nations and the people of Israel besides--

"Ananias," Peter exclaimed, "how is it that Satan has so taken possession of your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit, and kept back a part of the money paid for the land?

It is this Jesus whom God has exalted to his right hand, to be a Guide and a Savior, to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins.

While they said to Aaron--'Make us Gods who will lead the way for us, since, as for this Moses who has brought us out of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'

And he has seen, in a vision, a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him, so that he may recover his sight."

"Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I have heard from many people about this man--how much harm he has done at Jerusalem to your People there.

I will myself show him all that he has to suffer for my Name."

He is lodging with a tanner named Simon, who has a house near the sea."

Again he was aware of a voice which said-- "What God has pronounced 'clean', do not regard as 'defiled'."

The men replied: "Our captain, Cornelius, a pious man who reverences God and is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, has been instructed by a holy angel to send for you to his house, and to listen to what you have to say."

"You are doubtless aware that it is forbidden for a Jew to be intimate with a foreigner, or even to enter his house; and yet God has shown me that I ought not to call any man 'defiled' or 'unclean.'

'Cornelius,' he said, 'your prayer has been heard, and your charities have been accepted, by God.

God has sent his Message to the Israelites and told them, through Jesus Christ, the Good News of peace--and Jesus is Lord of all!

Further, God charged us to proclaim to the people, and solemnly affirm, that it is Jesus who has been appointed by God Judge of the living and the dead.

'No, Lord, I cannot,' I answered, 'for nothing 'defiled' or 'unclean' has ever passed my lips.'

Then a second time there came a voice from the heavens. "What God has pronounced 'clean'," it said, "you must not call 'defiled'."

On hearing this statement, they said no more, but broke out into praise of God. "So even to the Gentiles," they exclaimed, "God has granted the repentance which leads to Life!"

Then Peter came to himself and said: "Now I know beyond all doubt that the Lord has sent his angel, and has rescued me from Herod's hands and from all that the Jewish people have been expecting."

Yet he has not failed to give you, in the good he does, some revelation of himself--sending you from heaven rain and fruitful seasons, and gladdening your hearts with plenty and good cheer."

Simon has described the manner in which God first visited the Gentiles, in order to take from among them a people to bear his Name.

'"After this I will return; and I will rebuild the House of David which has fallen--its very ruins I will rebuild, and will set it up once more;

That so the rest of mankind may earnestly seek the Lord--even all the Gentiles on whom my Name has been bestowed."

But we should write to them to abstain from food that has been polluted by being sacrificed to idols, from impurity, from eating the flesh of strangled animals, and from blood.

Therefore, as the offspring of God, we must not think that the Deity has any resemblance to anything made of gold, or silver, or stone--a work of human art and imagination.

Because he has fixed a day on which he intends to 'judge the world with justice,' by a man whom he has appointed--and of this he has given all men a pledge by raising this man from the dead."

And you see and hear that not only at Ephesus, but in almost the whole of Roman Asia, this Paul has convinced and won over great numbers of people, by his assertion that those Gods which are made by hands are not Gods at all.

Be watchful over yourselves, and over the whole flock, of which the Holy Spirit has placed you in charge, to shepherd the Church of God, which he won for himself at the cost of his life.

And now I commend you to the Lord and to the Message of his Love--a Message which has the power to build up your characters, and to give you your place among all those who have become Christ's People.

"Men of Israel! help! This is the man who teaches every one everywhere against our People, our Law, and this Place; and, what is more, he has actually brought Greeks into the Temple and defiled this sacred place."

Then he said 'The God of our ancestors has appointed you to learn his will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear words from his lips;

The Captain went with the lad to the Commanding Officer, and said: "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this lad to you, as he has something to tell you."

If, however, I am breaking the law and have committed any offence deserving death, I do not ask to escape the penalty; but, if there is nothing in the accusations of these people, no one has the power to give me up to them. I appeal to the Emperor."

Indeed, the King knows about these matters, so I speak before him without constraint. I am sure that there is nothing whatever of what I have been telling him that has escaped his attention; for all this has not been done in a corner.

'Have no fear, Paul; you must appear before the Emperor, and God himself has given you the lives of all your fellow-voyagers.'

When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another: "Evidently this man is a murderer, for though he has been saved from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live."

For the mind of this nation has grown dense, and their ears are dull of hearing, their eyes also have they closed; lest some day they should see with their eyes, and with their ears they should hear, and in their mind they should understand, and should turn--and I should heal them.'

To all in Rome who are dear to God and have been called to become Christ's People, From Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, who has been called to become an Apostle, and has been set apart to tell God's Good News.

This is so, because what can be known about God is plain to them; for God himself has made it plain.

Circumcision has its value, if you are obeying the Law. But, if you are a breaker of the Law, your circumcision is no better than uncircumcision.

If he was pronounced righteous as the result of obedience, then he has something to boast of. Yes, but not before God.

While, as for the man who does not rely upon his obedience, but has faith in him who can pronounce the godless righteous, his faith is regarded by God as righteousness.

'Blessed are those whose wrong-doings have been forgiven and over whose sins a veil has been drawn!

On the contrary, his faith gave him strength; and he praised God, in the firm conviction that what God has promised he is also able to carry out.

And that 'hope never disappoints.' For the love of God has filled our hearts through the Holy Spirit which was given us;

For the man who has so died has been pronounced righteous and released from Sin.

We know, indeed, that Christ, having once risen from the dead, will not die again. Death has power over him no longer.

Surely, Brothers, you know (for I am speaking to men who know what Law means) that Law has power over a man only as long as he lives.

If, then, during her husband's lifetime, she unites herself to another man, she will be called an adulteress; but, if her husband dies, the law has no further hold on her, nor, if she unites herself to another man, is she an adulteress.

For through your union with Christ Jesus, the Law of the life- giving Spirit has set you free from the Law of Sin and Death.

You, however, are not earthly but spiritual, since the Spirit of God lives within you. Unless a man has the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ;

We know, indeed, that all Nature alike has been groaning in the pains of labor to this very hour.

Not that God's Word has failed. For it is not all who are descended from Israel who are true Israelites;

I might rather ask 'Who are you who are arguing with God?' Does a thing which a man has molded say to him who has molded it 'Why did you make me like this?'

Has not the potter absolute power over his clay, so that out of the same lump he makes one thing for better, and another for common, use?

For Christ has brought Law to an end, so that righteousness may be obtained by every one who believes in him.

Still, it may be said, every one did not give heed to the Good News. No, for Isaiah asks--'Lord, who has believed our teaching?'

I ask, then, 'Has God rejected his People?' Heaven forbid! For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

God has not rejected his People, whom he chose from the first. Have you forgotten the words of Scripture in the story of Elijah- how he appeals to God against Israel?

The rest grew callous; as Scripture says--'God has given them a deadness of mind--eyes that are not to see and ears that are not to hear--and it is so to this very day.'

I ask then--'Was their stumbling to result in their fall?' Heaven forbid! On the contrary, through their falling away Salvation has reached the Gentiles, to stir the rivalry of Israel.

And, if their falling away has enriched the world, and their failure has enriched the Gentiles, how much more will result from their full restoration!

For, if their being cast aside has meant the reconciliation of the world, what will their reception mean, but Life from the dead?

And they, too, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in; for God has it in his power to graft them in again.

Brothers, for fear that you should think too highly of yourselves, I want you to recognize the truth, hitherto hidden, that the callousness which has come over Israel is only partial, and will continue only till the whole Gentile world has been gathered in.

For God has given all alike over to disobedience, that to all alike he may show mercy.

'Who has ever comprehended the mind of the Lord? Who has ever become his counselor?

Or who has first given to him, so that he may claim a recompense?'

Do not conform to the fashion of this world; but be transformed by the complete change that has come over your minds, so that you may discern what God's will is--all that is good, acceptable, and perfect.

In fulfillment of the charge with which I have been entrusted, I bid every one of you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think, but to think till he learns to think soberly--in accordance with the measure of faith that God has allotted to each.

For, just as in the human body there is a union of many parts, and each part has its own function,

A good action has nothing to fear from Rulers; a bad action has. Do you want to have no reason to fear the Authorities? Then do what is good, and you will win their praise.

Owe nothing to any one except brotherly love; for he who loves his fellow men has satisfied the Law.

This I say, because you know the crisis that we have reached, for the time has already come for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; our Salvation is nearer now than when we accepted the Faith.

The man who eats meat must not despise the man who abstains from it; nor must the man who abstains from eating meat pass judgment on the one who eats it, for God himself has received him.

If, for the sake of what you eat, you wound your Brother's feelings, your life has ceased to be ruled by love. Do not, by what you eat, ruin a man for whom Christ died!

As for yourself--keep this faith of yours to yourself, as in the presence of God. Happy is he who never has to condemn himself in regard to the very thing which he thinks right!

He, however, who has misgivings stands condemned if he still eats, because his doing so is not the result of faith. And anything not done as the result of faith is a sin.

For I tell you that Christ, in vindication of God's truthfulness, has become a minister of the Covenant of Circumcision, so that he may fulfil the promises made to our ancestors,

Because of the charge with which God has entrusted me, that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus to go to the Gentiles--that I should act as a priest of God's Good News, so that the offering up of the Gentiles may be an acceptable sacrifice, consecrated by the Holy Spirit.

For I will not dare to speak of anything but what Christ has done through me to win the obedience of the Gentiles--

And I ask you to give her a Christian welcome--one worthy of Christ's People--and to aid her in any matter in which she may need your assistance. She has proved herself a staunch friend to me and to many others.

To Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard for the Master; to my dear friend Persis, for she has done much hard work for the Master;

To that eminent Christian, Rufus, and to his mother, who has been a mother to me also;

Every one has heard of your ready obedience. It is true that I am very happy about you, but I want you to be well versed in all that is good, and innocent of all that is bad.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you, as promised in the Good News entrusted to me and in the proclamation of Jesus Christ, in accordance with the revelation of that hidden purpose, which in past ages was kept secret but now has been revealed

From Paul, who has been called to be an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, And from Sosthenes, our Brother.

Where is the Philosopher? where the Teacher of the Law? where the Disputant of to-day? Has not God shown the world's philosophy to be folly?

It is what Scripture speaks of as-'What eye never saw, nor ear ever heard, what never entered the mind of man-even all that God has prepared for those who love him.'

For 'who has so comprehended the mind of the Lord as to be able to instruct him?' We, however, have the very mind of Christ.

If any man's work, which he has built upon that foundation, still remains, he will gain a reward.

If any man's work is burnt up, he will suffer loss; though he himself will escape, but only as one who has passed through fire.

Do not you know that you are God's Temple, and that God's Spirit has his home in you?

For, as it seems to me, God has exhibited us, the Apostles, last of all, as men doomed to death. We are made a spectacle to the universe, both to angels and to men!

Instead of grieving over it and taking steps for the expulsion of the man who has done this thing, is it possible that you are still puffed up?

For I myself, though absent in body, have been present with you in spirit, and in the name of our Lord Jesus I have already passed judgment, just as if I had been present, upon the man who has acted in this way.

Can it be that, when one of you has a dispute with another, he dares to have his case tried before the heathen, instead of before Christ's People?

And, as God has raised the Lord, so he will raise up us also by the exercise of his power.

I should wish every one to be just what I am myself. But every one has his own gift from God-one in one way, and one in another.

(If she has done so, let her remain as she is, or else be reconciled to her husband) and also that a man is not to divorce his wife.