this one was hearing Paul speaking, who, having stedfastly beheld him, and having seen that he hath faith to be saved,

The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting:

and saying, "Sirs, why do ye this? We are mortal men like unto you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them is,

Even by saying this it was all that they could do to keep the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

Certain men [i.e., believers, see verse 5] came down from Judea [to Antioch of Syria] and began teaching the brothers this: You cannot be saved unless you are circumcised according to the custom [required] by Moses.

But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, the church arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy.

So, they were sent on their way with the backing of the [Antioch] church and traveled through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling them about the conversion of the Gentiles. This brought great rejoicing to all the brothers [who heard about it].

Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter.

The God who reads the hearts of all attested this by giving them the holy Spirit just as he gave it to us;

and in this way He put no difference between us and them, because He cleansed their hearts by faith.

By this he quieted the whole congregation, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul tell of the signs and wonders which God had done through them among the heathen.

When they finished James made this response: "Brothers, listen to me.

And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

who has been making this known from ages past.'

For this reason my decision is, that we do not put trouble in the way of those who from among the Gentiles are turned to God;

They wrote this letter to be delivered by them:

From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,

To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

We have heard that certain [men] who left here have been upsetting you people and [even] undermining [some people's] spiritual lives by what they have been teaching. This was done without our authorization [or approval].

we therefore send Judas and Silas to inform you in person of this affair.

For the holy Spirit and we have decided not to lay upon you any burden but this indispensable one,

abstain from food that has been offered to idols, from tasting blood, from the flesh of animals that have been strangled, and from sexual vice. Keep clear of all this and you will prosper. Goodbye."

So when these men were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and having assembled the multitude, they delivered this letter.

[This verse is not in the majority of the Greek manuscripts.]

Some days after this Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we preached the Lord's message, to see how they are."

But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

A heated discussion developed [over this matter] so that Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways [over it], with Barnabas sailing for Cyprus and taking [John] Mark with him.

This young man had a very good reputation among the brothers at Lystra and Iconium.

this one did Paul wish to go forth with him, and having taken him, he circumcised him, because of the Jews who are in those places, for they all knew his father -- that he was a Greek.

When they came to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to do this,

immediately after he had had this vision, we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, concluding from thence, that the Lord had called us to publish the gospel there. we embark'd therefore at Troas,

thence also to Philippi, which is a principal city of the part of Macedonia -- a colony. And we were in this city abiding certain days,

Among them was a woman, named Lydia, belonging to Thyatira, a dealer in purple cloth, who was accustomed to join in the worship of God. The Lord touched this woman's heart, so that she gave attention to the Message delivered by Paul,

so that having been baptized with her family, she made us this request, if you think me sincere in my profession, pray come and lodge at my house; and she prevail'd upon us.

At a later time, when we were going to that [same] place of prayer, we met a certain young woman who was dominated by an [evil] spirit, [claiming to be] able to tell people's fortunes. This [claimed] power was the source of considerable income for the girl's slave-owner.

This woman having followed Paul and us was crying out, saying, These men are bondmen of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.

And she did this for many days.

But Paul was greatly aggravated and turning to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.

And when they brought them before the city officials, they made this charge [against them]: "These Jewish men are causing too much trouble in our city,

upon this the populace rose upon them, and the Officers order'd them to be stript and scourg'd.

in consequence of this order he thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.

And they answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus [as your personal Savior and entrust yourself to Him] and you will be saved, you and your household [if they also believe].”

And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace.

The policemen reported this message to the chiefs of the police court, and they became alarmed when they heard that they were Roman citizens,

Now when they [Note: A change from the use of "we" to "they" suggests that the writer Luke remained behind in Philippi at this point] had traveled through the [Macedonian] towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to [the city of] Thessalonica where there was a Jewish synagogue.

explaining and showing that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.”

But this enraged the Jews; so they got together some wicked loafers about the public square, formed a mob, and set the town in an uproar.

the people, and the magistrates upon hearing this were alarm'd:

But these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, who received the word with all willingness, examining the Scriptures daily, if it has these things this way.

Upon this the brethren immediately sent Paul away to the sea-coast, but Silas and Timothy staid there.

Then also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some said, “What is this pseudo-intellectual trying to say?”

Others replied, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign deities”—because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the Resurrection.

They took him and brought him to the Areopagus, and said, “May we learn about this new teaching you’re speaking of?

For as I was passing through and observing the objects of your worship, I even found an altar on which was inscribed:

TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.

Therefore, what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you.

'God, who did make the world, and all things in it, this One, of heaven and of earth being Lord, in temples made with hands doth not dwell,

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

because He has set a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness by the Man He has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

When they heard about resurrection of the dead, some began to ridicule him. But others said, “We’d like to hear from you again about this.”

After this, he left Athens and went to Corinth,

There he met a certain Jewish man named Aquila, a native of Pontus, [in northern Asia Minor] who, with his wife Priscilla, had recently come from Rome, because Claudius [the Roman Emperor] had ordered all Jews out of that city. Paul met this couple

By the time Silas and Timotheus came south from Macedonia, Paul was engrossed in this preaching of the word, arguing to the Jews that the messiah was Jesus.

But as they contradicted and abused him, he shook his clothes in protest, and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not to blame for it! After this I will go to the heathen."

So, he left [this assembly of Jews] and went to the house of a certain man named Titius Justus, a worshiper of God, whose house was right next door to the synagogue.

And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house. And hearing this, many of the Corinthians believed and were baptized.

For I am with you, and no one will lay a hand on you to hurt you, because I have many people in this city.”

“This man,” they said, “persuades people to worship God contrary to the law!”

But when Paul was about to say something, Gallio said to the Jews, If this was anything to do with wrongdoing or crime, there would be a reason for me to give you a hearing:

If indeed this was now a matter of injustice, or wicked knavery, with reason I should hear you patiently; but if it be merely a controversy about the word, and names, and a law peculiar to yourselves, settle it yourselves: for I will be no judge of these matters.

Saying this, he drove them back from the Bench.

Then, all of them [Note: This "all" could refer to the Greeks, the Jews or the Roman officers. Since the text does not specify, it seems most reasonable to suggest it was the Romans] grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court of justice. But Gallio showed no interest in the whole affair.

And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow.

But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.

And when he landed at Ceasarea, he went up [Note: This would mean either up to Ceasarea or up to Jerusalem] and greeted the church [there], then went down to Antioch [in Syria].

This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught the things about Jesus accurately, although he knew only John’s baptism.

this one also began to speak boldly in the synagogue, and Aquilas and Priscilla having heard of him, took him to them, and did more exactly expound to him the way of God,

upon which Paul said, John indeed administer'd the baptism of repentance, but with this admonition, that they should believe in him, who was to come after, that is, in Jesus the Messias.

When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

But some became stubborn and refused to obey [the message], saying false things about "the Way" [Note: This was a term used to designate the early church] in front of the large crowds. So, Paul left [the synagogue] and took the disciples and began holding discussions every day at Tyrannus' school [house].

And this went on for two years, so that all the inhabitants of Asia, both Jews and Greeks, heard the message about the Lord.

Upon this, certain vagabond Jews, who were exorcists, pretended to cure demoniacs by pronouncing the name of the Lord Jesus: their form being this, "I adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preaches."

Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

Then the man, in whom this wicked spirit was, sprang upon them, mastered both of them, and so completely overpowered them, that they fled out of the house, stripped of their clothes, and wounded.

This became known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Then fear fell on all of them, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

In this way the Lord’s message flourished and prevailed.

after this, Paul had a design to pass thro' Macedonia and Achaia in his way to Jerusalem: purposing when he had been there to make a visit to Rome.

And there happened at that time no small disturbance about this way.

Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

When they had heard this, they were filled with rage and began to cry out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”

upon this Paul was bent upon going. to the populace,

When the city recorder had quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, who in the world doesn't know that this city of Ephesus is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of the statue that fell down from heaven?

since this is incontestible, it behoves you to be easy, and free from any rash conduct:

But if you require anything beyond this, it must be settled in the regular assembly.

For we are, even in danger of being accused of riot, concerning this day, no cause at all, existing, by reference to which we shall be able to give a reason for this concourse.

After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.

This disturbance being over, Paul sent for the disciples, took his leave and departed for Macedonia.

And we [ourselves] sailed away from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread [Note: This was the Jewish feast commemorating deliverance from Egyptian bondage], and five days later [we] joined them at Troas [i.e., the seven men mentioned in verses

and a youth of the name of Eutychus was sitting at the window. This lad, gradually sinking into deep sleep while Paul preached at unusual length, overcome at last by sleep, fell from the second floor and was taken up dead.

But we went on ahead to the ship [and] put out to sea for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there. For having made arrangements in this way, he himself was intending to travel by land.

This was because Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, to avoid any loss of time in Asia; he wanted to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

only this, that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and tribulation await thee.

But I esteem this a matter of no importance, nor do I hold my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my course with joy, and the ministry that I have received from the Lord Jesus, to bear full testimony to the gospel of the grace of God.