Thematic Bible: Persecuted


Thematic Bible



He found a certain Jew named Aquila, a man of Pontus by race, who had recently come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. He came to them, Verse Conceptsevangelism, motivation forempiresCaesarCommands, in NTPunishment, Legal Aspects OfRefugeesGood Wives ExamplesAquilaRoman EmperorsGroups Sent Away

At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath, and lived there, to this day. Verse ConceptsCapturing CitiesWhere People Live To This Day

Letters were sent by couriers into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to plunder their possessions. Verse ConceptsMonth 12Killing Israelites

They said in their heart, "We will crush them completely." They have burned up all the places in the land where God was worshiped. Verse ConceptsBurning JerusalemThose Subjected To Peoplerelentless

"Come," they say, "and let's destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel may be remembered no more." Verse Conceptsenemies, of Israel and JudahForgetting PeopleNames Blotted OutAttempting To KillJews Under ThreatIdentityIdentity In Christremembrance

Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and brought accusation against the Jews. Verse ConceptsPeople Accusing People

When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Jews, are agitating our city, Verse ConceptsFalse Accusations, Examples OfTroubling Groups Of Peoplerelentless

Our pursuers are on our necks: We are weary, and have no rest. Verse ConceptsRest, PhysicalPursuing PeopleSleeplessnessUnrestTired In FlightPersecutiontired

Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude; she dwells among the nations, she finds no rest: all her persecutors overtook her within the straits. Verse ConceptsPursuing PeopleWorryExile Of Judah To BabylonOvertaking

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him before the judgment seat, saying, "This man persuades men to worship God contrary to the law." But when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If indeed it were a matter of wrong or of wicked crime, you Jews, it would be reasonable that I should bear with you; read more.
but if they are questions about words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves. For I don't want to be a judge of these matters." He drove them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks laid hold on Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn't care about any of these things. Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.

But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers. When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, "These men, being Jews, are agitating our city, and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans." read more.
The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods. When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured 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. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bonds were loosened. The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, "Don't harm yourself, for we are all here!" He called for lights and sprang in, and, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas, and brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 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 the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household. He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.

It happened in Iconium that they entered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. But the disbelieving Jews stirred up and embittered the souls of the Gentiles against the brothers. Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who testified to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. read more.
But the multitude of the city was divided. Part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. When some of both the Gentiles and the Jews, with their rulers, made a violent attempt to mistreat and stone them, they became aware of it, and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra, Derbe, and the surrounding region.