If I'm guilty and have done something that deserves death, I'm willing to die. But if there is nothing to their charges against me, no one can hand me over to them as a favor. I appeal to the emperor!"

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.

I was puzzled how I should investigate such matters, so I asked if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried there for these things.

The next day, we arrived at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly allowing him to visit his friends there and to receive any care he needed.

After putting out from there, we sailed on the sheltered side of Cyprus because the winds were against us.

There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy and put us on it.

"Men, I see that during this voyage there will be hardship and a heavy loss not only of the cargo and ship, but also of our lives."

Since the harbor was not a good place to spend the winter, most of the men favored putting out to sea from there on the chance that somehow they could reach Phoenix and spend the winter there. It is a Cretian harbor that faces southwest and northwest.

But now I urge you to have courage, because there will be no loss of life among you, but only loss of the ship.

There were 276 of us on the ship.

The people who lived there were unusually kind to us. It had started to rain and was cold, so they started a bonfire and invited us to join them around it.

When the people who lived there saw the snake hanging from his hand, they told one another, "This man must be a murderer! He may have escaped from the sea, but Justice won't let him live."

We stopped at Syracuse and stayed there for three days.

There we found some brothers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. After this, we arrived in Rome.

The brothers there heard about us and came as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and felt encouraged.

They examined me and wanted to let me go because there was no reason for me to receive the death penalty in my case.

There will be suffering and anguish for every human being who practices doing evil, for Jews first and for Greeks as well.

But there will be glory, honor, and peace for everyone who practices doing good, initially for Jews but also for Greeks as well,

What advantage, then, does the Jew have, or what value is there in circumcision?

There are all kinds of advantages! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the utterances of God.

God's righteousness through the faithfulness of Jesus the Messiah for all who believe. For there is no distinction among people,

What, then, is there to boast about? That has been eliminated. On what principle? On that of actions? No, but on the principle of faith.

since there is only one God who will justify the circumcised on the basis of faith and the uncircumcised by that same faith.

for the Law produces wrath. Now where there is no Law, neither can there be any violation of it.

Certainly sin was in the world before the Law was given, but no record of sin is kept when there is no Law.

So I find this to be a principle: when I want to do what is good, evil is right there with me.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in union with the Messiah Jesus.

There is no difference between Jew and Greek, because they all have the same Lord, who gives richly to all who call on him.

So it is at the present time: there is a remnant, chosen by grace.

And again, Isaiah says, "There will be a Root from Jesse. He will rise up to rule the gentiles, and the gentiles will hope in him."

My brothers, some members of Chloe's family have made it clear to me that there are quarrels among you.

Is there anyone who can understand his own thoughts except his own inner spirit? In the same way, no one can know the thoughts of God except God's Spirit.

That's because you are still worldly. As long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, you are worldly and living by human standards, aren't you?

In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are gathered together (and I am there in spirit), and the power of our Lord Jesus is there, too,

I say this to make you feel ashamed. Has it come to this, that there is not one person among you who is wise enough to settle disagreements between brothers?

Now concerning eating food offered to idols: We know that no idol is real in this world and that there is only one God.

For even if there are "gods" in heaven and on earth (as indeed there are many so-called "gods" and "lords"),

yet for us there is only one God, the Father, from whom everything came into being and for whom we live. And there is only one Lord, Jesus the Messiah, through whom everything came into being and through whom we live.

Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, because all of us eat from the same loaf.

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

Of course, there must be factions among you to show which of you are genuine!

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit,

and there are varieties of ministries, but the same Lord.

There are varieties of results, but it is the same God who produces all the results in everyone.

Now if all of it were one part, there wouldn't be a body, would there?

So there are many parts, but one body.

so that there might be no disharmony in the body, but that its parts should have the same concern for each other.

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

Love never fails. Now if there are prophecies, they will be done away with. If there are languages, they will cease. If there is knowledge, it will be done away with.

In the same way, lifeless instruments like the flute or harp produce sounds. But if there's no difference in the notes, how can a person tell what tune is being played?

There are, I suppose, many different languages in the world, yet none of them is without meaning.

Now if we preach that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, how can some of you keep claiming there is no resurrection of the dead?

If there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah has not been raised,

There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the splendor of those in heaven is of one kind, and that of those on earth is of another.

It is planted a physical body but is raised a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.

When you forgive someone, I do, too. Indeed, what I have forgiven if there was anything to forgive I did in the presence of the Messiah for your benefit,

However, their minds were hardened, for to this day the same veil is still there when they read the old covenant. Only in union with the Messiah is that veil removed.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom.

For even when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest. We suffered in a number of ways. Outwardly there were conflicts, inwardly there were fears.

For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what you have, not according to what you do not have.

I am afraid that I may come and somehow find you not as I want to find you, and that you may find me not as you want to find me. Perhaps there will be quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly conduct.

not that another one really exists. To be sure, there are certain people who are troubling you and want to distort the gospel about the Messiah.

gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.

There is one body and one Spirit. Likewise, you were called to the one hope of your calling.

There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Obscene, flippant, or vulgar talk is totally inappropriate. Instead, let there be thanksgiving.

Masters, treat your slaves the same way. Do not threaten them, for you know that both of you have the same Master in heaven, and there is no favoritism with him.

Therefore, if there is any encouragement in the Messiah, if there is any comfort of love, if there is any fellowship in the Spirit, if there is any compassion and sympathy,

Our citizenship, however, is in heaven, and it is from there that we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy keep thinking about these things.

In him there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free person. Instead, the Messiah is all and in all.

When people say, "There is peace and security," destruction will strike them as suddenly as labor pains come to a pregnant woman, and they will not be able to escape.

There is one God. There is also one mediator between God and human beings a human, the Messiah Jesus.

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

The sins of some people are obvious, leading them to judgment. The sins of others follow them there.

In a large house there are not only utensils made of gold and silver, but also those made of wood and clay. Some are for special use, while others are for ordinary use.

For there are many people who are rebellious, especially those who are converts from Judaism. They speak utter nonsense and deceive people.

As soon as I send Artemas to you, or perhaps Tychicus, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.

There your ancestors tested me,

There remains, therefore, a Sabbath rest for the people of God to keep,

Now if perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood for on this basis the people received the Law what further need would there be to speak of appointing another kind of priest according to the order of Melchizedek, not one according to the order of Aaron?

When a change in the priesthood takes place, there must also be a change in the Law.

There have been many priests, since each one of them had to stop serving in office when he died.

If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need to look for a second one,

For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be established.

In fact, under the Law almost everything is cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of the blood there is no forgiveness.

Instead, through those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year,

Now where there is forgiveness of these sins, there is no longer any offering for sin.

For if we choose to go on sinning after we have learned the full truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

What you endure disciplines you: God is treating you as sons. Is there a son whom his father does not discipline?

Every generous act of giving and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father who made the heavenly lights, in whom there is no inconsistency or shifting shadow.

If you give special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Please take this seat," but you say to the poor man, "Stand over there" or "Sit on the floor at my feet,"

You believe that there is one God. That's fine! Even the demons believe that and tremble with fear.

For wherever jealousy and rivalry exist, there is disorder and every kind of evil.

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge the one who can save and destroy. So who are you to judge your neighbor?

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town, stay there a year, conduct business, and make money."

Now there were false prophets among the people, just as there also will be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction on themselves.

This is the message that we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness none at all!

The person who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no reason for him to stumble.

You know that the Messiah was revealed to take away sins, and there is not any sin in him.