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.

asking him to do them a favor against Paul, that he might summon him to Jerusalem. They were preparing an ambush along the road to kill him.

However, Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly.

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,

while Paul made the defense that, “Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I sinned at all.”

I answered them that it’s not the Romans’ custom to give any man up before the accused confronts the accusers face to face and has an opportunity to give a defense concerning the charges.

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.

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.

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.

“I consider myself fortunate, King Agrippa, that today I am going to make a defense before you about everything I am accused of by the Jews,

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.

Why is it considered incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?

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.

King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from heaven brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me.

to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that by faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified.’

Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.

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—

that the Messiah must suffer, and that as the first to rise from the dead, He would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”

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.

“I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am—except for these chains.”

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

When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment.

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.”

But the centurion paid attention to the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.

For many days neither sun nor stars appeared, and the severe storm kept raging. Finally all hope that we would be saved was disappearing.

Therefore, take courage, men, because I believe God that it will be just the way it was told to me.

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.

When it was about daylight, Paul urged them all to take food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been waiting and going without food, having eaten nothing.

After casting off the anchors, they left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and headed for the beach.

The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners so that no one could swim away and escape.

Once ashore, we then learned that the island was called Malta.

They expected that he would swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after they waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Now in the area around that place was an estate belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.

Publius’s father was in bed suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went to him, and praying and laying his hands on him, he healed him.

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

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.”

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

For God, whom I serve with my spirit in telling the good news about His Son, is my witness that I constantly mention you,

always asking in my prayers that if it is somehow in God’s will, I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

For I want very much to see you, so I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you,

that is, to be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Now I want you to know, brothers, that I often planned to come to you (but was prevented until now) in order that I might have a fruitful ministry among you, just as among the rest of the Gentiles.

For His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what He has made. As a result, people are without excuse.

Therefore God delivered them over in the cravings of their hearts to sexual impurity, so that their bodies were degraded among themselves.

Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practice such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practice them.

We know that God’s judgment on those who do such things is based on the truth.

Do you really think—anyone of you who judges those who do such things yet do the same—that you will escape God’s judgment?

Or do you despise the riches of His kindness, restraint, and patience, not recognizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

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

know His will, and approve the things that are superior, being instructed from the law,

and if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light to those in darkness,

Absolutely not! God must be true, even if everyone is a liar, as it is written:

That You may be justified in Your words
and triumph when You judge.

And why not say, just as some people slanderously claim we say, “Let us do what is evil so that good may come”? Their condemnation is deserved!

What then? Are we any better? Not at all! For we have previously charged that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin,

Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God’s judgment.

—that is, God’s righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction.

They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

God presented Him to demonstrate His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus.

For we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law.

What then can we say that Abraham, our physical ancestor, has found?

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.

For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would inherit the world was not through the law, but through the righteousness that comes by faith.

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

in God’s sight. As it is written: I have made you the father of many nations. He believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist.

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.

And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance,

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us!

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. We have now received this reconciliation through Him.

Since by the one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive the overflow of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.

so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply?

Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Therefore we were buried with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in a new way of life.

For we know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that sin’s dominion over the body may be abolished, so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin,

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him,

because we know that Christ, having been raised from the dead, will not die again. Death no longer rules over Him.

For in light of the fact that He died, He died to sin once for all; but in light of the fact that He lives, He lives to God.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, so that you obey its desires.

Don’t you know that if you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of that one you obey—either of sin leading to death or of obedience leading to righteousness?

But thank God that, although you used to be slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that pattern of teaching you were transferred to,

Since I am speaking to those who understand law, brothers, are you unaware that the law has authority over someone as long as he lives?

So then, if she gives herself to another man while her husband is living, she will be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law. Then, if she gives herself to another man, she is not an adulteress.

Therefore, my brothers, you also were put to death in relation to the law through the crucified body of the Messiah, so that you may belong to another—to Him who was raised from the dead—that we may bear fruit for God.

But now we have been released from the law, since we have died to what held us, so that we may serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old letter of the law.

and I died. The commandment that was meant for life resulted in death for me.

Therefore, did what is good cause my death? Absolutely not! On the contrary, sin, in order to be recognized as sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that through the commandment, sin might become sinful beyond measure.

For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am made out of flesh, sold into sin’s power.

And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree with the law that it is good.

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it.

For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do.

Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me.

in order that the law’s requirement would be accomplished in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children,

and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

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.

that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children.

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.