At that time, she got sick and died. After they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room.

Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him and begged him, "Come here quickly!"

Peter made them all go outside. After kneeling down, he prayed, turned to the body, and said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

He extended his hand and helped her get up. Then he called the saints, including the widows, and gave her back to them alive.

So Peter went to the men and said, "I'm the man you're looking for. Why are you here?"

The men replied, "Cornelius, a centurion and an upright and God-fearing man who is respected by the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his home to hear what you have to say."

Cornelius replied, "Four days ago at this very hour, three o'clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my home. All at once a man in radiant clothes stood in front of me

So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. All of us are here now in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has ordered you to say."

The other people told her, "You're out of your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was so. Then they said, "It's his angel."

He was associated with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. He sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

The next Sabbath almost the whole town gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

After a lengthy debate, Peter stood up and told them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days, God chose me to be the one among you through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe.

A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple goods, was listening to us. She was a worshiper of God, and the Lord opened her heart to listen carefully to what was being said by Paul.

When she and her family were baptized, she urged us, "If you are convinced that I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my home." And she continued to insist that we do so.

Once, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of fortune-telling and who had brought her owners a great deal of money by predicting the future.

She kept doing this for many days until Paul became annoyed, turned to her and told the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus the Messiah to come out of her!" And it came out that very moment.

When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities who met together in the public square.

But Paul shouted in a loud voice, "Don't hurt yourself, because we are all here!"

At that hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. Then he and his entire family were baptized immediately.

When they didn't find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials and shouted, "These fellows who have turned the world upside down have come here, too,

When they heard about a resurrection of the dead, some began joking about it, while others said, "We will hear you again about this."

After staying there for quite a while longer, Paul said goodbye to the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He had his hair cut in Cenchrea, since he was under a vow.

You also see and hear that, not only in Ephesus, but almost all over Asia, this man Paul has won over and taken away a large crowd by telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all.

There is a danger not only that our business will lose its reputation but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be brought into disrepute and that she will be robbed of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her."

For you have brought these men here, although they neither rob temples nor blaspheme our goddess.

What is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

"Then he said, "The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One, and to hear his own voice,

he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers arrive." Then he ordered Paul to be kept in custody in Herod's palace.

But so as not to detain you any further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness.

But some Jews from Asia were there, and they should be here before you to accuse me if they have anything against me.

Since they were staying there for several days, Festus laid Paul's case before the king. He said, "There is a man here who was left in prison by Felix.

So they came here with me, and the next day without any delay I sat down in the judge's seat and ordered the man to be brought in.

Agrippa told Festus, "I would like to hear the man." "Tomorrow," he said, "you will hear him."

Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all you men who are present with us! You see this man about whom the whole Jewish nation petitioned me, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he ought not to live any longer.

"And now I stand here on trial for the hope of the promise made by God to our ancestors.

I've had help from God to this day, and so I stand here to testify to both the powerful and the lowly alike, stating only what the prophets and Moses said would happen

So I urge you to eat something, for it will help you survive, since none of you will lose so much as a hair from his head."

The Jewish leaders told him, "We haven't received any letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers coming here has reported or mentioned anything bad about you.

However, we'd like to hear from you what you believe, because people are talking against this sect everywhere."

For this people's minds have become stupid, and their ears can barely hear, and they have shut their eyes so that they may never see with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn and let me heal them."'

For it is not merely those who hear the Law who are righteous in God's sight. No, it is those who follow the Law, who will be justified.

For a married woman is bound by the Law to her husband while he is living, but if her husband dies, she is released from the Law concerning her husband.

So while her husband is living, she will be called an adulterer if she lives with another man. But if her husband dies, she is free from this Law, so that she is not an adulterer if she marries another man.

How, then, can people call on someone they have not believed? And how can they believe in someone they have not heard about? And how can they hear without someone preaching?

But I ask, "Didn't they hear?" Certainly they did! In fact, "Their voice has gone out into the whole world, and their words to the ends of the earth."

As it is written, "To this day God has put them into deep sleep. Their eyes do not see, and their ears do not hear."

Welcome her in the Lord as is appropriate for saints, and provide her with anything she may need from you, for she has assisted many people, including me.

You know that the person who unites himself with a prostitute becomes one body with her, don't you? For it is said, "The two will become one flesh."

Because sexual immorality is so rampant, every man should have his own wife, and every woman should have her own husband.

A husband should fulfill his obligation to his wife, and a wife should do the same for her husband.

A wife does not have authority over her own body, but her husband does. In the same way, a husband doesn't have authority over his own body, but his wife does.

To married people I give this command (not really I, but the Lord): A wife must not leave her husband.

But if she does leave him, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. Likewise, a husband must not abandon his wife.

I (not the Lord) say to the rest of you: If a brother has a wife who is an unbeliever and she is willing to live with him, he must not abandon her.

And if a woman has a husband who is an unbeliever and he is willing to live with her, she must not abandon him.

For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified because of her husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but now they are holy.

An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the affairs of the Lord, so that she may be holy in body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world, that is, about how she can please her husband. I'm saying this for your benefit, not to put a noose around your necks, but to promote good order and unhindered devotion to the Lord.

If a man thinks he is not behaving properly toward his virgin, and if his passion is so strong that he feels he ought to marry her, let him do what he wants; he isn't sinning. Let them get married.

However, if a man stands firm in his resolve, feels no necessity, and has made up his mind to keep her a virgin, he will be acting appropriately.

A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord.

and every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, which is the same as having her head shaved.

So if a woman does not cover her head, she should cut off her hair. If it is a disgrace for a woman to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her own head.

This is why a woman should have authority over her own head: because of the angels.

Decide for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?

Nature itself teaches you neither that it is disgraceful for a man to have long hair

nor that hair is a woman's glory, since hair is given as a substitute for coverings.

For in the first place, I hear that when you gather as a church there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it.

She bears up under everything; believes the best in all; there is no limit to her hope, and never will she fall.

And why in fact are we being endangered every hour?

I am glad that Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus came here, because what was lacking they have supplied through you.

Now what I am saying is this: As long as an heir is a child, he is no better off than a slave, even though he owns everything.

So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if you are a child, then you are also an heir because of what God did.

This is being said as an allegory, for these women represent two covenants. The one woman, Hagar, is from Mount Sinai, and her children are born into slavery.

Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to present-day Jerusalem, because she is in slavery along with her children.

But what does the Scripture say? "Drive out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman must never share the inheritance with the son of the free woman."

Let no filthy talk be heard from your mouths, but only what is good for building up people and meeting the need of the moment. This way you will administer grace to those who hear you.

But each individual man among you must love his wife as he loves himself; and may the wife fear her husband.

The only thing that matters is that you continue to live as good citizens in a manner worthy of the gospel of the Messiah. Then, whether I come to see you or whether I stay away, I may hear all about you that you are standing firm in one spirit, struggling with one mind for the faith of the gospel,

You have the same struggle that you saw in me and now hear that I am still having.

He is coming with Onesimus, that faithful and dear brother, who is one of you. They will tell you everything that is happening here.

Give my greetings to the brothers in Laodicea, especially to Nympha and the church that is in her house.

even though as apostles of the Messiah we might have made such demands. Instead, we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother tenderly caring for her own children.

Here is another reason why we constantly give thanks to God: When you received God's word, which you heard from us, you did not accept it as the word of humans but for what it really is the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.

We hear that some of you are living in idleness. You are not busy working you are busy interfering in other people's lives!

Physical exercise is of limited value, but Godliness is very dear, a pledge of life, both there and here.

A woman who has no other family members to care for her and who is left all alone has placed her hope in God and devotes herself to petitions and prayers night and day.

She must be well known for her good actions as a woman who has raised children, welcomed strangers, washed the saints' feet, helped the suffering, and devoted herself to doing good in every way.

However, the Lord stood by me and gave me strength so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the gentiles could hear it. I was rescued out of a lion's mouth.

has in these last days spoken to us by a Son whom he appointed to be the heir of everything and through whom he also made the universe.

And again, "I will trust him." And again, "I am here with the children God has given me."

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, "Today, if you hear his voice,

As it is said, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as they did when they provoked me."

he again fixes a definite day "Today" - saying long afterward through David, as already quoted, "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts."

For here we have no permanent city but are looking for the one that is coming.

Your beauty should not be an external one, consisting of braided hair or the wearing of gold ornaments and dresses.

just as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters by doing good and by not letting anything terrify you.

Little children, it is the last hour. Just as you heard that an antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have appeared. This is how we know it is the last hour.

From:aThe Elder To: The chosen lady and her children, whom I genuinely love, and not only I but also all who know the truth,

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are living according to the truth.

How blessed is the one who reads aloud and those who hear the words of this prophecy and obey what is written in it, for the time is near!