And one of them, named Agabus, stood up and signified by the Spirit, that there would be a great famine over all the earth: which accordingly came to pass in the reign of Claudius Cesar.

Which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

And passing through the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate, that leadeth into the city, which of its own accord opened to them: and they went out and passed on through one street; and then the angel departed from him.

and as they were ministring to the Lord, and fasting, the holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul, for the work to which I have called them.

For the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing Him, have indeed fulfilled the words of the prophets, which are read every sabbath-day, in condemning Him.

and by Him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.

"Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and vanish; for I do a work in your days, which ye will not believe, though any one should declare it unto you."

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, opposing and reviling him.

And from thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God, for the work which they had now fulfilled.

Now therefore why do ye tempt God, in imposing a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

as it is written, "After this will I return, and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will repair its ruins, and set it up again.

and they wrote by their hand, as follows, The apostles and elders and brethren here to the Gentile brethren which are in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, send greeting.

That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from fornication: from which ye will do well to keep yourselves. Farewel.

and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a Roman colony. And we staid some time in this city.

which it is not lawful for us to receive, nor practise, who are Romans.

And they took and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, May we know what this new doctrine is, of which thou speakest?

for as I was passing along, and looking at what ye worshipped, I found an altar on which there was inscribed, "To the unknown God." Whom therefore ye worship unknown, Him do I declare unto you.

Because He hath fixed a day, in which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom He hath appointed thereto; having given assurance of it to all men, by raising Him from the dead.

Now there happened at that time no small disturbance about the way which he taught.

And ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but in almost all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and perverted many people, saying, that they are no gods which are made by hands.

And when the Secretary had appeased the multitude, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there who doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is devoted to the service of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

for we are in danger of being charged with sedition for what has happened this day, there being no cause by which we can give a reason for this concourse.

Serving the Lord with all humility, and many tears, and trials which befel me by the ambushes of the Jews.

But none of these things move me, nor do I account my life dear, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Take heed therefore to yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the holy Spirit hath appointed you bishops, to feed the church of God, which He purchased with his own blood.

And they were all much grieved, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him: sorrowing most of all at the word which he spake,

And finding a ship there, which was passing over to Phenicia, we went aboard it, and set sail.

And when he had saluted them, he gave a particular narrative of the things which God had done among the Gentiles by his ministry.

Do this therefore, which we advise thee. Here are four men with us, that have a vow upon them: take these and be purified with them,

And I said, Lord, what shall I do? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go on to Damascus, and there it shall be told thee concerning all things which are appointed for thee to do.

And the tribune took him by the hand, and retiring into a private apartment asked him, What is it which thou hast to tell me?

But desiring to know the cause for which they accused him, I brought him down into their council:

But an ambush, which was going to be laid for the man by the Jews, being discovered to me, immediately I sent him to thee, telling his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

from whom thou mayst thyself by examining him come to the knowledge of all these things of which we accuse him."

nor can they prove the things of which they now accuse me.

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way, which they call heresy, so do I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law, and the prophets:

having hope in God, (which they themselves also expect) that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

Upon which some Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude nor with tumult:

And when he was come, the Jews that came down from Jerusalem, stood round about, bringing many heavy charges against Paul, which they were not able to prove:

"O king Agrippa, I think myself happy, that I am this day to make my defence before thee, concerning all the things which I am accused of by the Jews:

especially as thou art acquainted with all the customs and questions which are among the Jews; wherefore I intreat thee to hear me patiently.

And now I stand arraigned for the hope of the promise which was made by God to our fathers:

to which promise our twelve tribes, worshipping continually night and day, hope to attain: concerning which hope, O king Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

which I also did in Jerusalem; and I shut up many of the saints in prison, having received authority for it from the chief priests; and when they were put to death I gave my voice against them.

On which accounts as I was going to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests---at mid-day,

But rise, and stand on thy feet: for to this end have I appeared unto thee, to appoint thee a minister and a witness both of the things which thou hast seen, and of those for which I shall hereafter appear unto thee:

And passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called the Fair-havens, near to which was the city of Lasea.

And the haven not being commodious to winter in, the greater part advised to sail from thence, if they could possibly reach to Phenice to winter at that haven of Crete, which looks both to the south-west and north-west.

Which when they had hoisted up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and fearing least they should fall into the quick-sands, they struck fail, and so were driven.

And when it was day, they did not know the land near them: but they perceived a certain creek with a shore, into which they were desirous, if they could, to have thrust the ship.

separated unto the gospel of God, (which He had promised before by his prophets in the holy scriptures) concerning his Son,

Therefore God gave them up to infamous passions: for even their women changed the natural use into that which is unnatural,

and the men likewise, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust to one another, men with men committing shame, and receiving in themselves the recompence of their error which they deserved.

a light to them that are in the darkness, an instructor of the simple, a teacher of babes, having the form of the knowledge and of the truth which is in the law.

nor is that circumcision, which is only in appearance, in the flesh;

And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had in uncircumcision: that he might be the father of all that believe though not circumcised, that righteousness may be imputed to them also:

and the father of circumcision to those, who not only are of the circumcision, but also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had in uncircumcision.

And therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace, that so the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but also to that which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,

who against hope believed, with hope, that he should be the father of many nations, according to that which was said unto him, "So shall thy seed be."

through whom also we have admission by faith into this grace in which we stand, and boast in hope of the glory of God.

But thanks be to God, that ye who were servants of sin, have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered to you:

What fruit therefore had ye then in the things, which ye are now ashamed of? for the end of those things is death.

But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead by which we were bound, that we might serve God in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

and the commandment which was intended to life, I found to be unto death.

Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good: that sin might be shewn by the commandment to be exceeding sinful.

For that which I do, I allow not: for I do not that which I would; but what I hate, this I do.

And if I do that which I would not, I consent to the law that it is good:

For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) dwelleth no good: for to will is present with me, but how to perform that which is good, I find not.

For I do not the good that I would; but the evil which I would not, this I do.

Now if I do that which I would not, I am no more the doer of it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

but I perceive another law in my body warring against the law of my mind, and captivating me to the law of sin, which is in my body.

For that which was impossible for the law to do, and in which it was weak through the corruption of the flesh, God by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sacrifice for sin, hath done; that is, hath condemned sin in the flesh:

nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

and that He might make known the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy, which He hath prepared for glory?

What shall we say then? that the Gentiles, who sought not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;

For being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, they have not submitted themselves to the righteousness which is of God.

For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, "That the man who doth those things shall live by them."

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh thus, "Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven, (that is, to bring Christ down) or,

bring up Christ from the dead)" but what saith it? "The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart." This is the word of faith which we preach: that if thou confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus,

What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he sought: but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded,

For if thou wert cut out of the wild olive, which was natural to thee, and contrary to nature were grafted into a good olive; how much more shall these who are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive-tree?

Let love be unfeigned. Abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good;

It is good not to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do any thing at which thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or weakened.

Now I exhort you, brethren, to mark those who cause divisions and offences, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned:

For your obedience is come to the knowledge of all: and therefore I rejoice on your account; but yet I would have you wise to that which is good, and simple as to that which is evil.

Now to Him that is able to establish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, (conformable to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret in former times,

Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, to the church of God which is in Corinth,

But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, that hidden wisdom which God ordained before the worlds for our glory:

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

For who among men knoweth the things of a man, but the spirit of a man which is in him? so also the things of God no one knoweth, but the Spirit of God.

which we also speak of, not in words dictated by human wisdom, but in those which are dictated by the holy Spirit; explaining spiritual things by spiritual words.

For no one can lay any other foundation, but that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ: and if any build upon this foundation gold,

If any man's work abide, which he hath built upon it, he shall receive a reward:

For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou, which thou didst not receive? And if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?

What! know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have from God?

and ye are not your own, for ye are bought with a price. Glorify God therefore in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Now as to the things concerning which ye wrote to me: it were good for a man not to touch a woman.

In the calling in which every one was called, let him continue.

And this I say for your own benefit, not that I may cast a snare upon you, but in order to recommend that which is fit and becoming before the Lord without distraction.

---The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? the bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?