He was attached to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. He sent for Barnabas and Saul and asked them to let him hear God's message.

But Saul, who was also called Paul, was filled with the holy Spirit, and looked at him

Then the governor, seeing what had happened, believed, and was thunderstruck at the Lord's teaching.

Now David, after serving God's purposes in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid among his forefathers and did undergo decay,

And when there was a movement on the part of both the heathen and the Jews with the authorities to insult and stone them,

He was listening to Paul as he talked, when Paul looked at him and, seeing that he had faith that he would be cured,

They called Barnabas Zeus, and Paul, because he was the principal speaker, Hermes.

But some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and won the people over, and they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead.

This created a disturbance and a serious discussion between Paul and Barnabas and them, and it was agreed that Paul and Barnabas and some others of their number should go up to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders about this question.

Then the apostles and elders with the whole church resolved to select representatives and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. They were Judas who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers.

Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark with them.

He went to Derbe and Lystra also. At Lystra there was a disciple named Timothy whose mother was a Jewish Christian while his father was a Greek,

and who was highly thought of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.

Paul wished to take this man on with him, and so on account of the Jews in that district he had him circumcised, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

There Paul had a vision one night; a Macedonian was standing appealing to him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

On the Sabbath we went outside the gates, to the bank of the river where we supposed there was a praying place, and we sat down and talked with the women who gathered there.

One of our hearers was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods, from the town of Thyatira. She was a believer in God, and the Lord touched her heart, and led her to accept Paul's teaching.

suddenly there was such an earthquake that the jail shook to its foundations; all the doors flew open, and everybody's chains were unfastened.

It woke up the jailer, and when he saw that the doors of the jail were open, he drew his sword and was just going to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.

Paul went to it as he was accustomed to do, and for three Sabbaths he discussed the Scriptures with them,

The Jews there were more high-minded than those at Thessalonica, and received the message with great eagerness and studied the Scriptures every day, to find out whether it was true.

While Paul waited for them at Athens, he was exasperated to see how idolatrous the city was.

Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some of them said, "What is this rag-picker trying to make out?" Others said, "He seems to be preaching some foreign deities." This was because he was telling the good news of Jesus and the resurrection.

For as I was going about and looking at the things you worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: 'To an Unknown God.' So it is what you already worship in ignorance that I am now telling you of.

By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was absorbed in preaching the message, emphatically assuring the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

So he moved to the house of a devout proselyte named Titius Justus, which was next door to the synagogue.

While Gallio was governor of Greece the Jews made a concerted attack upon Paul, and brought him before the governor.

A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, skilful in the use of the Scriptures.

As he wanted to cross to Greece, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival there he was of great service to those who through God's favor had become believers,

for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, and showed from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul, after passing through the interior, reached Ephesus. Finding some disciples there,

he said to them, "Did you receive the holy Spirit when you became believers?" "No," they said to him, "we never even heard that there was a holy Spirit."

"John's baptism was a baptism in token of repentance," said Paul, "and he told the people to believe in him who was to follow him, that is, in Jesus."

And the man in whom the evil spirit was sprang at them, and overpowered them all, with such violence that they ran out of the house tattered and bruised.

A number of people who had practiced magic brought out their books and burned them publicly. The value of these was estimated and found to be ten thousand dollars.

A silversmith named Demetrius was making large profits for his workmen by the manufacture of silver shrines of Artemis.

Meanwhile the people were shouting, some one thing and some another, for the meeting was in confusion, and most of them had no idea why they had come together.

Some of the crowd called upon Alexander, as the Jews had pushed him to the front, and he made a gesture with his hand and was going to speak in defense of them to the people.

But when they saw that he was a Jew, a great shout went up from them all, and they cried for two hours, "Great Artemis of Ephesus!"

When the confusion was over, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. Then he bade them goodbye and started for Macedonia.

where he stayed for three months. Just as he was going to sail for Syria, the Jews made a plot against him, and he made up his mind to return by way of Macedonia.

He was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, Aristarchus and Secundus, from Thessalonica, Gaius of Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus, from Asia.

On the first day of the week, when we had met for the breaking of bread, Paul addressed them, as he was going away the next morning, and he prolonged his address until midnight.

and a young man named Eutychus, who was sitting at the window, became very drowsy as Paul's address grew longer and longer, and finally went fast asleep and fell from the third story to the ground, and was picked up for dead.

We had already gone on board the ship and sailed for Assos, intending to take Paul on board there, for that was the arrangement he had made, as he intended to travel there by land.

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to lose any time in Asia, for he was hurrying to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of the Harvest Festival.

I never shrank from telling you anything that was for your good, nor from teaching you in public or at your houses,

When the parting was over and we had sailed, we made a straight run to Cos and the next day to Rhodes and from there to Patara.

After sighting Cyprus and leaving it on our left, we sailed for Syria, and put in at Tyre, for the ship was to unload her cargo there.

But when our time was up, we left there and went on, and all of them with their wives and children escorted us out of the town. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed;

The next day we left there and went on to Caesarea, where we went to the house of Philip the missionary, who was one of the Seven, and stayed with him.

The whole city was thrown into confusion, and the people hurried together, and seized Paul and dragged him outside of the Temple, the gates of which were immediately shut.

They were trying to kill him when the news reached the colonel of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in a tumult.

Then the colonel came up and seized him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and then inquired who he was and what he had been doing.

When Paul got to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers, on account of the violence of the mob,

"I am a Jew, and I was born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but was brought up here in this city, and thoroughly educated under the teaching of Gamaliel in the Law of our forefathers. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.

But on my way, as I was approaching Damascus, suddenly about noon, a blaze of light flashed around me from heaven,

The men who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.

And now, why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash out your sins, calling on his name.'

After I had returned to Jerusalem, one day when I was praying in the Temple, I fell into a trance,

and when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I stood by and approved it, and took charge of the clothes of the men who killed him.'

But when they had strapped him up, Paul said to the officer who was standing near, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen, and without giving him a trial?"

Then the men who had been going to examine him immediately left him, and the colonel himself was alarmed to find that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had had him bound.

"I did not know, brothers," said Paul, "that he was high priest, for the Scripture says, 'You shall not say anything against any ruler of your people.' "

When he said that, a dispute arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the meeting was divided.

So there was a great uproar, and some scribes of the Pharisees' party got up and insisted, "We find nothing wrong with this man. Suppose some spirit or angel really spoke to him!"

As the dispute was becoming violent, the colonel began to be afraid that they would tear Paul in pieces, and ordered the soldiers to go down and get him away from them and bring him into the barracks.

This man had been seized by the Jews and they were just going to kill him when I came upon them with my men and rescued him, as I had learned that he was a Roman citizen.

and found that their accusations had to do with questions about their Law, but that he was not charged with anything that would call for his death or imprisonment.

After reading the letter, he asked Paul what province he belonged to, and when he learned that he was from Cilicia,

The Jews also joined in these charges, and said that the statement was true.

I had undergone the rites of purification and was occupied with these matters when they found me in the Temple, with no crowd or disturbance at all. But there were some Jews from Asia

Or let these men themselves tell what they found wrong in me when I appeared before the council??21 unless it was the one thing I shouted out as I stood among them??It is on the question of the resurrection of the dead that I am here on trial before you today!' "

Then Felix, who was somewhat well informed about the Way, adjourned the trial, saying to the Jews, "When Lysias, the colonel, comes down here, I will decide your case."

Some days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, and sent for Paul and heard what he had to say about faith in Christ Jesus.

But when two whole years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and as he wanted to gratify the Jews, Felix left Paul in prison.

Festus answered that Paul was being kept in custody at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there soon.

and as they stayed there several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. "There is a man here," he said, "who was left in prison by Felix,

and when I was at Jerusalem the Jewish high priests and elders presented their case against him, and asked for his conviction.

I told them that it was not the Roman custom to give anybody up until the accused met his accusers face to face and had a chance to defend himself against their accusations.

Their differences with him were about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul said was alive.

I was at a loss as to how to investigate such matters, and I asked him if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges there.

So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and went into the audience-room attended by officers and the leading citizens of the town, and at the command of Festus Paul was brought in.

for they have known from the first, if they are willing to give evidence, that I was a Pharisee and my life was that of the strictest sect of our religion.

That was what I did at Jerusalem when on the authority of the high priests I put many of God's people in prison. When they were put to death, I cast my vote against them,

I was once going to Damascus on this business, authorized and commissioned by the high priests,

if the Christ was to suffer and by being the first to rise from the dead was to proclaim the light to our people and to the heathen."

When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were turned over to an officer of the Imperial regiment, named Julius.

Putting to sea from there, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, as the wind was against us,

As a great deal of time had now passed, and navigation had become dangerous, for the autumn fast was already over, Paul began to warn them.

But the officer was more influenced by the pilot and the captain than by what Paul had to say,

and as the harbor was not fit to winter in, the majority favored putting to sea again, in the hope of being able to reach and winter in Phoenix, a harbor in Crete facing west-south-west and west-north-west.

When a moderate south wind sprang up, thinking their object was within reach, they weighed anchor, and ran close along the coast of Crete.

The ship was caught by it and could not face the wind, so we gave way and let her run before it.

So keep up your courage, gentlemen! For I have faith in God that it will be just as I was told.

It was the fourteenth night of the storm, and we were drifting through the Adriatic when about midnight the sailors began to suspect that there was land ahead.

After our escape we learned that the island was called Malta.

But he only shook the creature off into the fire and was unharmed.

They expected to see him swell up or suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

The governor of the island, whose name was Publius, had estates in that part of the island, and he welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.