Thematic Bible: Of paul


Thematic Bible



The whole city was stirred, and the people quickly collected, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple, when the doors were immediately shut.


Paul fixed his eyes upon the Council, and began: "Brothers, for my part, I have always ordered my life before God, with a clear conscience, up to this very day." At this, the High Priest Ananias ordered the men standing near to strike him on the mouth; Whereupon Paul turned to him and said: "God will strike you, you white-washed wall! Are you sitting there to try me in accordance with law, and yet, in defiance of law, order me to be struck?" read more.
The people standing near said to Paul: "Do you know that you are insulting God's High Priest?" "I did not know, Brothers, that it was the High Priest," said Paul, "for Scripture says--'Of the Ruler of thy People thou shalt speak no ill'." Noticing that some of those present were Sadducees and others Pharisees, Paul called out in the Council: "Brothers, I am a Pharisee and a son of Pharisees. It is on the question of hope for the dead and of their resurrection that I am on my trial."

On a sign from the Governor, Paul made this reply: "Knowing, as I do, for how many years you have acted as Judge to this nation, it is with confidence that I undertake my own defense. For you can easily ascertain that it is not more than twelve days ago that I went up to worship at Jerusalem, Where my prosecutors never found me holding discussions with any one, or causing a crowd to collect--either in the Temple, or in the Synagogues, or about the city; read more.
And they cannot establish the charges which they are now making against me. This, however, I do acknowledge to you, that it is as a believer in the Cause which they call heretical, that I worship the God of my ancestors. At the same time, I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the prophets; And I have a hope that rests in God--a hope which they also cherish--that there will one day be a resurrection of good and bad alike. This being so, I strive at all times to keep my conscience clear before both God and man. After some years' absence I had come to bring charitable gifts to my nation, and to make offerings; And it was while engaged in this that they found me in the Temple, after completing a period of purification, but not with any crowd or disorder. There were, however, some Jews from Roman Asia who ought to have been here before you, and to have made any charge that they may have against me-- Or else let my opponents here say what they found wrong in me when I was before the Council, Except as to the one sentence that I shouted out as I stood among them--'It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on my trial before you to-day'."

Turning to Paul, Agrippa said: "You are at liberty to speak for yourself." Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. "I have been congratulating myself, King Agrippa," he said, "that it is before you that I have to make my defense to-day, with regard to all the charges brought against me by Jews, Especially as you are so well-versed in all the customs and questions of the Jewish world. I beg you therefore to give me a patient hearing. read more.
My life, then, from youth upwards, was passed, from the very first, among my own nation, and in Jerusalem, and is within the knowledge of all Jews; And they have always known--if they choose to give evidence- -that, in accordance with the very strictest form of our religion, I lived a true Pharisee. Even now, it is because of my hope in the promise given by God to our ancestors that I stand here on my trial-- A promise which our Twelve Tribes, by earnest service night and day, hope to see fulfilled. It is for this hope, your Majesty, that I am accused--and by Jews themselves! Why do you all hold it incredible that God should raise the dead? I myself, it is true, once thought it my duty to oppose in every way the Name of Jesus of Nazareth; And I actually did so at Jerusalem. Acting on the authority of the Chief Priests, I myself threw many of the People of Christ into prison, and, when it was proposed to put them to death, I gave my vote for it. Time after time, in every Synagogue, I tried by punishments to force them to blaspheme. So frantic was I against them, that I pursued them even to towns beyond our borders. It was while I was traveling to Damascus on an errand of this kind, entrusted with full powers by the Chief Priests, That at mid-day, your Majesty, I saw right in my path, coming from the heavens, a light brighter than the glare of the sun, which shone all round me and those traveling with me. We all fell to the ground, and then I heard a voice saying to me in Hebrew-- 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? By kicking against the goad you are punishing yourself.' 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. And the Lord said: "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting; But get up and stand upright; for I have appeared to you in order to appoint you a servant and a witness of those revelations of me which you have already had, and of those in which I shall yet appear to you, Since I am choosing you out from your own people and from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; so that they may receive pardon for their sins, and a place among those who have become God's People, by faith in me.' After that, King Agrippa, I did not fail to obey the heavenly vision; On the contrary, first to those at Damascus and Jerusalem, and then through the whole of Judea, and to the Gentiles as well, I began to preach repentance and conversion to God, and a life befitting that repentance. This is why the Jews seized me in the Temple, and made attempts upon my life. However I have received help from God to this very day, and so stand here, and bear my testimony to high and low alike--without adding a word to what the Prophets, as well as Moses, declared should happen-- That the Christ must suffer, and that, by rising from the dead, he was destined to be the first to bring news of Light, not only to our nation, but also to the Gentiles."


There were, however, some men who joined him, and became believers in Christ. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Court of Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and several others.




She had been doing this for several days, when Paul, much vexed, turned and said to the spirit within her: "In the Name of Jesus Christ I command you to leave her." That very moment the spirit left her.

God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul's hands;


Therefore Paul and Barnabas spent a long time there, and spoke out fearlessly, relying upon the Lord, who confirmed the Message of his Love by permitting signs and wonders to take place at their hands.

God did miracles of no ordinary kind by Paul's hands;


The hand of the Lord is upon you even now, and you will be blind for a time and unable to see the sun." Immediately a mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went feeling about for some one to guide him.


But Paul went down, threw himself upon him, and put his arms round him. "Do not be alarmed," he said, "he is still alive."


Said loudly: "Stand upright on your feet." The man leaped up, and began walking about,


It happened that the father of Publius was lying ill of fever and dysentery. So Paul went to see him; and, after praying, he placed his hands on him and cured him.


However, Paul shook the creature off into the fire and took no harm.


He instantly got together some officers and men, and charged down upon the crowd, who, when they saw the Commanding Officer and his men, stopped beating Paul.

The Commanding Officer ordered Paul to be taken into the Fort, and directed that he should be examined under the lash, that he might find out the reason for their outcry against him.

Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes, all but one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a whole day and night in the deep.


I do not propose to pay you a visit in passing now, for I hope to stay with you for some time, if the Lord permits.


After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, I fell into a trance,


Am I not free? Am I not an Apostle? Have I not seen our Lord Jesus? Are not you yourselves my work achieved in union with the Lord?

While on his journey, as he was nearing Damascus, suddenly a light from the heavens flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him-- "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" "Who are you, Lord?" he asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," the voice answered; read more.
"Yet stand up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."


After my return to Jerusalem, while I was praying one day in the Temple, I fell into a trance, And saw Jesus saying to me 'Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' 'Lord,' I answered, 'these people know that I used to imprison and scourge, in Synagogue after Synagogue, those who believed in you; read more.
And, when the blood of your martyr, Stephen, was being shed, I was myself standing by, approving of his death, and took charge of the clothes of those who were murdering him. But Jesus said to me 'Go; for I will send you to the Gentiles far away'."


I must boast! It is unprofitable; but I will pass to visions and revelations given by the Lord. I know a man in union with Christ, who, fourteen years ago-- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows-- was caught up (this man of whom I am speaking) to the third Heaven. And I know that this man--whether in the body or separated from the body I do not know; God knows-- read more.
Was caught up into Paradise, and heard unspeakable things of which no human being may tell.


One night the Lord said to Paul, in a vision: "Have no fear, but continue to speak, and refuse to be silenced; For I am with you, and no one shall do you harm, for I have many People in this city."


And there one night Paul saw a vision. A Macedonian was standing and appealing to him--'Come over to Macedonia and help us.'


And he has seen, in a vision, a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him, so that he may recover his sight."


Paul remained there some time after this, and then took leave of the Brethren, and sailed to Syria with Priscilla and Aquila, but not before his head had been shaved at Cenchreae, because he was under a vow.


For there are many--of whom I have often told you, and now tell you even with tears--who are living in enmity to the cross of the Christ.



Regard our Lord's forbearance as your one hope of Salvation. This is what our dear Brother Paul wrote to you, with the wisdom that God gave him.