Thematic Bible: Persecuted


Thematic Bible



And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He went to see them, Verse Conceptsevangelism, motivation forempiresCaesarCommands, in NTPunishment, Legal Aspects OfRefugeesGood Wives ExamplesAquilaRoman EmperorsGroups Sent Away






and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews and they are throwing our city into an uproar. Verse ConceptsFalse Accusations, Examples OfTroubling Groups Of Peoplerelentless



But while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack upon Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, "This man is persuading men to worship God contrary to the law." But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrong or of vicious crime, O Jews, it would be reasonable for me to put up with you; read more.
but since it is a matter of questions about words and names and your own law, see to it yourselves; I refuse to be a judge of these things." And he drove them from the judgment seat. And they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio paid no attention to this. After this Paul stayed many days longer, and then took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and with him were Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchrea he had his hair cut, for he had taken a vow.

But when her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities, and when they had brought them to the magistrates they said, "These men are Jews and they are throwing our city into an uproar. They advocate customs which it is not lawful for us Romans to accept or practice." read more.
The crowd joined against them, and the magistrates tore the garments off them and ordered them to be beaten with rods. And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to guard them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them, and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's chains were unfastened. When the jailer woke and saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!" And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas. He brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household." They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. He took them that very hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his family. Then he brought them up into his house, and set food before them; and he rejoiced with his whole household that he had believed in God.

Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue, and so spoke that a great number believed, both of Jews and of Greeks. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. So they spent a long time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. read more.
But the people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat them and to stone them, they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and to the surrounding country;