that this promise God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son; today I have fathered you.'

Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

So the word of the Lord was spreading through the entire region.

But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their region.

So after they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, they went to Iconium.

But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

So they stayed there for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace, granting miraculous signs and wonders to be performed through their hands.

When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made an attempt to mistreat them and stone them,

There they continued to proclaim the good news.

But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting,

In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways,

They strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, "We must enter the kingdom of God through many persecutions."

Then they passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia,

From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.

So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they were relating at length the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message of the gospel and believe.

and he made no distinction between them and us, cleansing their hearts by faith.

On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are."

The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

After they had spent some time there, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.

He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

He also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek.

As they went through the towns, they passed on the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the Gentile believers to obey.

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia.

so they passed through Mysia and went down to Troas.

A vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there urging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"

and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia, a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for some days.

On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and began to speak to the women who had assembled there.

But when her owners saw their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.

After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely.

Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away.

At daybreak the magistrates sent their police officers, saying, "Release those men."

But Paul said to the police officers, "They had us beaten in public without a proper trial -- even though we are Roman citizens -- and they threw us in prison. And now they want to send us away secretly? Absolutely not! They themselves must come and escort us out!"

After they traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures,

and Jason has welcomed them as guests! They are all acting against Caesar's decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!"

But when the Jews from Thessalonica heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God in Berea, they came there too, inciting and disturbing the crowds.

So he was addressing the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles in the synagogue, and in the marketplace every day those who happened to be there.

(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to something new.)

From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live,

There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome. Paul approached them,

So he stayed there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

When they reached Ephesus, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila behind there, but he himself went into the synagogue and addressed the Jews.

After he spent some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples there

and said to them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They replied, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."

(Now there were about twelve men in all.)

So Paul entered the synagogue and spoke out fearlessly for three months, addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God.

so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body were brought to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.

Many of those who had believed came forward, confessing and making their deeds known.

Large numbers of those who had practiced magic collected their books and burned them up in the presence of everyone. When the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.

Now after all these things had taken place, Paul resolved to go to Jerusalem, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. He said, "After I have been there, I must also see Rome."

There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing, and she whom all the province of Asia and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness."

After the city secretary quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from heaven?

If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint against someone, the courts are open and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there.

For we are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause we can give to explain this disorderly gathering."

After he had gone through those regions and spoken many words of encouragement to the believers there, he came to Greece,

where he stayed for three months. Because the Jews had made a plot against him as he was intending to sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.

(Now there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting.)

But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, put his arms around him, and said, "Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!"

We went on ahead to the ship and put out to sea for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. He himself was intending to go there by land.

We set sail from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. The next day we approached Samos, and the day after that we arrived at Miletus.

And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem without knowing what will happen to me there,

Therefore be alert, remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning each one of you with tears.

After we tore ourselves away from them, we put out to sea, and sailing a straight course, we came to Cos, on the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara.

After we sighted Cyprus and left it behind on our port side, we sailed on to Syria and put in at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there.

After we located the disciples, we stayed there seven days. They repeatedly told Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem.

When our time was over, we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied us outside of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying,

we said farewell to one another. Then we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes.

While we remained there for a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea.

The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there.

When Paul had greeted them, he began to explain in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers of the law.

They have been informed about you -- that you teach all the Jews now living among the Gentiles to abandon Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs.

take them and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with the law.

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way to make arrests there and bring the prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.

So I asked, 'What should I do, Lord?' The Lord said to me, 'Get up and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything that you have been designated to do.'

A man named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who live there,

The crowd was listening to him until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!"

While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air,

Then Paul said to him, "God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Do you sit there judging me according to the law, and in violation of the law you order me to be struck?"

(For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)

There was a great commotion, and some experts in the law from the party of the Pharisees stood up and protested strongly, "We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy.

So do not let them persuade you to do this, because more than forty of them are lying in ambush for him. They have bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request."

Since I wanted to know what charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down to their council.

I found he was accused with reference to controversial questions about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment.

When I was informed there would be a plot against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges against him before you.

So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, took Paul and brought him to Antipatris during the night.

When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "We have experienced a lengthy time of peace through your rule, and reforms are being made in this nation through your foresight.

I have a hope in God (a hope that these men themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

But there are some Jews from the province of Asia who should be here before you and bring charges, if they have anything against me.

Then Felix, who understood the facts concerning the Way more accurately, adjourned their hearing, saying, "When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case."

Now three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.

Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself intended to go there shortly.

"So," he said, "let your leaders go down there with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, they may bring charges against him."

But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried before me there on these charges?"

If then I am in the wrong and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, but if not one of their charges against me is true, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!"