Book | Chapter | Verse | Text |
Acts |
21 |
1 |
After saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, we sailed straight to the island of Cos. The next day we reached Rhodes and then went to Patara. |
Acts |
21 |
2 |
There we boarded a ship sailing for the Syrian province of Phoenicia. |
Acts |
21 |
3 |
We sighted the island of Cyprus, passed it on our left, and landed at the harbor of Tyre, in Syria, where the ship was to unload. |
Acts |
21 |
4 |
We went ashore, found the local believers, and stayed with them a week. These disciples prophesied through the Holy Spirit that Paul should not go on to Jerusalem. |
Acts |
21 |
5 |
When we returned to the ship at the end of the week, the entire congregation, including wives and children, came down to the shore with us. There we knelt, prayed, |
Acts |
21 |
6 |
and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they returned home. |
Acts |
21 |
7 |
The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters but stayed only one day. |
Acts |
21 |
8 |
Then we went on to Caesarea and stayed at the home of Philip the Evangelist, one of the seven men who had been chosen to distribute food. |
Acts |
21 |
9 |
He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy. |
Acts |
21 |
10 |
During our stay of several days, a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. |
Acts |
21 |
11 |
When he visited us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Romans.'" |
Acts |
21 |
12 |
When we heard this, we who were traveling with him, as well as the local believers, begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. |
Acts |
21 |
13 |
But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! For I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but also to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus." |
Acts |
21 |
14 |
When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and said, "The will of the Lord be done." |
Acts |
21 |
15 |
Shortly afterward we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. |
Acts |
21 |
16 |
Some believers from Caesarea accompanied us, and they took us to the home of Mnason, a man originally from Cyprus and one of the early disciples. |
Acts |
21 |
17 |
All the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us cordially. |
Acts |
21 |
18 |
The next day Paul went in with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present. |
Acts |
21 |
19 |
After greetings were exchanged, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished among the Gentiles through his ministry. |
Acts |
21 |
20 |
After hearing this, they praised God. But then they said, "You know, dear brother, how many thousands of Jews have also believed, and they all take the law of Moses very seriously. |
Acts |
21 |
21 |
Our Jewish Christians here at Jerusalem have been told that you are teaching all the Jews living in the Gentile world to turn their backs on the laws of Moses. They say that you teach people not to circumcise their children or follow other Jewish customs. |
Acts |
21 |
22 |
Now what can be done? For they will certainly hear that you have come. |
Acts |
21 |
23 |
"Here's our suggestion. We have four men here who have taken a vow and are preparing to shave their heads. |
Acts |
21 |
24 |
Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, and pay for them to have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws. |
Acts |
21 |
25 |
"As for the Gentile Christians, all we ask of them is what we already told them in a letter: They should not eat food offered to idols, nor consume blood, nor eat meat from strangled animals, and they should stay away from all sexual immorality." |
Acts |
21 |
26 |
So Paul agreed to their request, and the next day he went through the purification ritual with the men and went to the Temple. Then he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them. |
Acts |
21 |
27 |
The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, |
Acts |
21 |
28 |
yelling, "Men of Israel! Help! This is the man who teaches against our people and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple--and he even defiles it by bringing Gentiles in!" |
Acts |
21 |
29 |
(For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.) |
Acts |
21 |
30 |
The whole population of the city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him. |
Acts |
21 |
31 |
As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. |
Acts |
21 |
32 |
He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul. |
Acts |
21 |
33 |
The commander arrested him and ordered him bound with two chains. Then he asked the crowd who he was and what he had done. |
Acts |
21 |
34 |
Some shouted one thing and some another. He couldn't find out the truth in all the uproar and confusion, so he ordered Paul to be taken to the fortress. |
Acts |
21 |
35 |
As they reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift Paul to their shoulders to protect him. |
Acts |
21 |
36 |
And the crowd followed behind shouting, "Kill him, kill him!" |
Acts |
21 |
37 |
As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, "May I have a word with you?Do you know Greek?" the commander asked, surprised. |
Acts |
21 |
38 |
"Aren't you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took four thousand members of the Assassins out into the desert?" |
Acts |
21 |
39 |
"No," Paul replied, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these people." |
Acts |
21 |
40 |
The commander agreed, so Paul stood on the stairs and motioned to the people to be quiet. Soon a deep silence enveloped the crowd, and he addressed them in their own language, Aramaic. |
Acts |
22 |
1 |
"Brothers and esteemed fathers," Paul said, "listen to me as I offer my defense." |
Acts |
22 |
2 |
When they heard him speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater. |
Acts |
22 |
3 |
"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, and I was brought up and educated here in Jerusalem under Gamaliel. At his feet I learned to follow our Jewish laws and customs very carefully. I became very zealous to honor God in everything I did, just as all of you are today. |
Acts |
22 |
4 |
And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, binding and delivering both men and women to prison. |
Acts |
22 |
5 |
The high priest and the whole council of leaders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the Christians from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished. |
Acts |
22 |
6 |
"As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around me. |
Acts |
22 |
7 |
I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?' |
Acts |
22 |
8 |
"'Who are you, sir?' I asked. And he replied, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.' |
Acts |
22 |
9 |
The people with me saw the light but didn't hear the voice. |
Acts |
22 |
10 |
"I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord told me, 'Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all that you are to do.' |
Acts |
22 |
11 |
"I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led into Damascus by my companions. |
Acts |
22 |
12 |
A man named Ananias lived there. He was a godly man in his devotion to the law, and he was well thought of by all the Jews of Damascus. |
Acts |
22 |
13 |
He came to me and stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And that very hour I could see him! |
Acts |
22 |
14 |
"Then he told me, 'The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and hear him speak. |
Acts |
22 |
15 |
You are to take his message everywhere, telling the whole world what you have seen and heard. |
Acts |
22 |
16 |
And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on the name of the Lord.' |
Acts |
22 |
17 |
"One day after I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple, and I fell into a trance. |
Acts |
22 |
18 |
I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, 'Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't believe you when you give them your testimony about me.' |
Acts |
22 |
19 |
"'But Lord,' I argued, 'they certainly know that I imprisoned and beat those in every synagogue who believed on you. |
Acts |
22 |
20 |
And when your witness Stephen was killed, I was standing there agreeing. I kept the coats they laid aside as they stoned him.' |
Acts |
22 |
21 |
"But the Lord said to me, 'Leave Jerusalem, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!'" |
Acts |
22 |
22 |
The crowd listened until Paul came to that word; then with one voice they shouted, "Away with such a fellow! Kill him! He isn't fit to live!" |
Acts |
22 |
23 |
They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the air. |
Acts |
22 |
24 |
The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. |
Acts |
22 |
25 |
As they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried?" |
Acts |
22 |
26 |
The officer went to the commander and asked, "What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!" |
Acts |
22 |
27 |
So the commander went over and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?Yes, I certainly am," Paul replied. |
Acts |
22 |
28 |
"I am, too," the commander muttered, "and it cost me plenty!But I am a citizen by birth!" |
Acts |
22 |
29 |
The soldiers who were about to interrogate Paul quickly withdrew when they heard he was a Roman citizen, and the commander was frightened because he had ordered him bound and whipped. |
Acts |
22 |
30 |
The next day the commander freed Paul from his chains and ordered the leading priests into session with the Jewish high council. He had Paul brought in before them to try to find out what the trouble was all about. |
Acts |
23 |
1 |
Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: "Brothers, I have always lived before God in all good conscience!" |
Acts |
23 |
2 |
Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. |
Acts |
23 |
3 |
But Paul said to him, "God will slap you, you whitewashed wall! What kind of judge are you to break the law yourself by ordering me struck like that?" |
Acts |
23 |
4 |
Those standing near Paul said to him, "Is that the way to talk to God's high priest?" |
Acts |
23 |
5 |
"I'm sorry, brothers. I didn't realize he was the high priest," Paul replied, "for the Scriptures say, 'Do not speak evil of anyone who rules over you.'" |
Acts |
23 |
6 |
Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were all my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!" |
Acts |
23 |
7 |
This divided the council--the Pharisees against the Sadducees-- |
Acts |
23 |
8 |
for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. |
Acts |
23 |
9 |
So a great clamor arose. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up to argue that Paul was all right. "We see nothing wrong with him," they shouted. "Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him." |
Acts |
23 |
10 |
The shouting grew louder and louder, and the men were tugging at Paul from both sides, pulling him this way and that. Finally, the commander, fearing they would tear him apart, ordered his soldiers to take him away from them and bring him back to the fortress. |
Acts |
23 |
11 |
That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, "Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have told the people about me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome." |
Acts |
23 |
12 |
The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath to neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul. |
Acts |
23 |
13 |
There were more than forty of them. |
Acts |
23 |
14 |
They went to the leading priests and other leaders and told them what they had done. "We have bound ourselves under oath to neither eat nor drink until we have killed Paul. |
Acts |
23 |
15 |
You and the high council should tell the commander to bring Paul back to the council again," they requested. "Pretend you want to examine his case more fully. We will kill him on the way." |
Acts |
23 |
16 |
But Paul's nephew heard of their plan and went to the fortress and told Paul. |
Acts |
23 |
17 |
Paul called one of the officers and said, "Take this young man to the commander. He has something important to tell him." |
Acts |
23 |
18 |
So the officer did, explaining, "Paul, the prisoner, called me over and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you." |
Acts |
23 |
19 |
The commander took him by the arm, led him aside, and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?" |
Acts |
23 |
20 |
Paul's nephew told him, "Some Jews are going to ask you to bring Paul before the Jewish high council tomorrow, pretending they want to get some more information. |
Acts |
23 |
21 |
But don't do it! There are more than forty men hiding along the way ready to jump him and kill him. They have vowed not to eat or drink until they kill him. They are ready, expecting you to agree to their request." |
Acts |
23 |
22 |
"Don't let a soul know you told me this," the commander warned the young man as he sent him away. |
Acts |
23 |
23 |
Then the commander called two of his officers and ordered, "Get two hundred soldiers ready to leave for Caesarea at nine o'clock tonight. Also take two hundred spearmen and seventy horsemen. |
Acts |
23 |
24 |
Provide horses for Paul to ride, and get him safely to Governor Felix." |
Acts |
23 |
25 |
Then he wrote this letter to the governor: |
Acts |
23 |
26 |
"From Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency, Governor Felix. Greetings! |
Acts |
23 |
27 |
This man was seized by some Jews, and they were about to kill him when I arrived with the troops. When I learned that he was a Roman citizen, I removed him to safety. |
Acts |
23 |
28 |
Then I took him to their high council to try to find out what he had done. |
Acts |
23 |
29 |
I soon discovered it was something regarding their religious law--certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment or death. |
Acts |
23 |
30 |
But when I was informed of a plot to kill him, I immediately sent him on to you. I have told his accusers to bring their charges before you." |
Acts |
23 |
31 |
So that night, as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris. |
Acts |
23 |
32 |
They returned to the fortress the next morning, while the horsemen took him on to Caesarea. |
Acts |
23 |
33 |
When they arrived in Caesarea, they presented Paul and the letter to Governor Felix. |
Acts |
23 |
34 |
He read it and then asked Paul what province he was from. "Cilicia," Paul answered. |
Acts |
23 |
35 |
"I will hear your case myself when your accusers arrive," the governor told him. Then the governor ordered him kept in the prison at Herod's headquarters. |
Acts |
24 |
1 |
Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish leaders and the lawyer Tertullus, to press charges against Paul. |
Acts |
24 |
2 |
When Paul was called in, Tertullus laid charges against Paul in the following address to the governor: "Your Excellency, you have given peace to us Jews and have enacted reforms for us. |
Acts |
24 |
3 |
And for all of this we are very grateful to you. |
Acts |
24 |
4 |
But lest I bore you, kindly give me your attention for only a moment as I briefly outline our case against this man. |
Acts |
24 |
5 |
For we have found him to be a troublemaker, a man who is constantly inciting the Jews throughout the world to riots and rebellions against the Roman government. He is a ringleader of the sect known as the Nazarenes. |
Acts |
24 |
6 |
Moreover he was trying to defile the Temple when we arrested him. |
Acts |
24 |
7 |
See Footnote |
Acts |
24 |
8 |
You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself." |
Acts |
24 |
9 |
Then the other Jews chimed in, declaring that everything Tertullus said was true. |
Acts |
24 |
10 |
Now it was Paul's turn. The governor motioned for him to rise and speak. Paul said, "I know, sir, that you have been a judge of Jewish affairs for many years, and this gives me confidence as I make my defense. |
Acts |
24 |
11 |
You can quickly discover that it was no more than twelve days ago that I arrived in Jerusalem to worship at the Temple. |
Acts |
24 |
12 |
I didn't argue with anyone in the Temple, nor did I incite a riot in any synagogue or on the streets of the city. |
Acts |
24 |
13 |
These men certainly cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing. |
Acts |
24 |
14 |
"But I admit that I follow the Way, which they call a sect. I worship the God of our ancestors, and I firmly believe the Jewish law and everything written in the books of prophecy. |
Acts |
24 |
15 |
I have hope in God, just as these men do, that he will raise both the righteous and the ungodly. |
Acts |
24 |
16 |
Because of this, I always try to maintain a clear conscience before God and everyone else. |
Acts |
24 |
17 |
"After several years away, I returned to Jerusalem with money to aid my people and to offer sacrifices to God. |
Acts |
24 |
18 |
My accusers saw me in the Temple as I was completing a purification ritual. There was no crowd around me and no rioting. |
Acts |
24 |
19 |
But some Jews from the province of Asia were there--and they ought to be here to bring charges if they have anything against me! |
Acts |
24 |
20 |
Ask these men here what wrongdoing the Jewish high council found in me, |
Acts |
24 |
21 |
except for one thing I said when I shouted out, 'I am on trial before you today because I believe in the resurrection of the dead!'" |
Acts |
24 |
22 |
Felix, who was quite familiar with the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, "Wait until Lysias, the garrison commander, arrives. Then I will decide the case." |
Acts |
24 |
23 |
He ordered an officer to keep Paul in custody but to give him some freedom and allow his friends to visit him and take care of his needs. |
Acts |
24 |
24 |
A few days later Felix came with his wife, Drusilla, who was Jewish. Sending for Paul, they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. |
Acts |
24 |
25 |
As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was terrified. "Go away for now," he replied. "When it is more convenient, I'll call for you again." |
Acts |
24 |
26 |
He also hoped that Paul would bribe him, so he sent for him quite often and talked with him. |
Acts |
24 |
27 |
Two years went by in this way; then Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. And because Felix wanted to gain favor with the Jewish leaders, he left Paul in prison. |
Acts |
25 |
1 |
Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem, |
Acts |
25 |
2 |
where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul. |
Acts |
25 |
3 |
They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem. (Their plan was to waylay and kill him.) |
Acts |
25 |
4 |
But Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon. |
Acts |
25 |
5 |
So he said, "Those of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations." |
Acts |
25 |
6 |
Eight or ten days later he returned to Caesarea, and on the following day Paul's trial began. |
Acts |
25 |
7 |
On Paul's arrival in court, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn't prove. |
Acts |
25 |
8 |
Paul denied the charges. "I am not guilty," he said. "I have committed no crime against the Jewish laws or the Temple or the Roman government." |
Acts |
25 |
9 |
Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?" |
Acts |
25 |
10 |
But Paul replied, "No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty. |
Acts |
25 |
11 |
If I have done something worthy of death, I don't refuse to die. But if I am innocent, neither you nor anyone else has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!" |
Acts |
25 |
12 |
Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, "Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you shall go!" |
Acts |
25 |
13 |
A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus. |
Acts |
25 |
14 |
During their stay of several days, Festus discussed Paul's case with the king. "There is a prisoner here," he told him, "whose case was left for me by Felix. |
Acts |
25 |
15 |
When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and other Jewish leaders pressed charges against him and asked me to sentence him. |
Acts |
25 |
16 |
Of course, I quickly pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They are given an opportunity to defend themselves face to face with their accusers. |
Acts |
25 |
17 |
"When they came here for the trial, I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. |
Acts |
25 |
18 |
But the accusations made against him weren't at all what I expected. |
Acts |
25 |
19 |
It was something about their religion and about someone called Jesus who died, but whom Paul insists is alive. |
Acts |
25 |
20 |
I was perplexed as to how to conduct an investigation of this kind, and I asked him whether he would be willing to stand trial on these charges in Jerusalem. |
Acts |
25 |
21 |
But Paul appealed to the emperor. So I ordered him back to jail until I could arrange to send him to Caesar." |
Acts |
25 |
22 |
"I'd like to hear the man myself," Agrippa said. And Festus replied, "You shall--tomorrow!" |
Acts |
25 |
23 |
So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. |
Acts |
25 |
24 |
Then Festus said, "King Agrippa and all present, this is the man whose death is demanded both by the local Jews and by those in Jerusalem. |
Acts |
25 |
25 |
But in my opinion he has done nothing worthy of death. However, he appealed his case to the emperor, and I decided to send him. |
Acts |
25 |
26 |
But what shall I write the emperor? For there is no real charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, and especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write. |
Acts |
25 |
27 |
For it doesn't seem reasonable to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges against him!" |
Acts |
26 |
1 |
Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak in your defense." So Paul, with a gesture of his hand, started his defense: |
Acts |
26 |
2 |
"I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, |
Acts |
26 |
3 |
for I know you are an expert on Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently! |
Acts |
26 |
4 |
"As the Jewish leaders are well aware, I was given a thorough Jewish training from my earliest childhood among my own people and in Jerusalem. |
Acts |
26 |
5 |
If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. |
Acts |
26 |
6 |
Now I am on trial because I am looking forward to the fulfillment of God's promise made to our ancestors. |
Acts |
26 |
7 |
In fact, that is why the twelve tribes of Israel worship God night and day, and they share the same hope I have. Yet, O king, they say it is wrong for me to have this hope! |
Acts |
26 |
8 |
Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead? |
Acts |
26 |
9 |
"I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. |
Acts |
26 |
10 |
Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many of the believers in Jerusalem to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. |
Acts |
26 |
11 |
Many times I had them whipped in the synagogues to try to get them to curse Christ. I was so violently opposed to them that I even hounded them in distant cities of foreign lands. |
Acts |
26 |
12 |
"One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading priests. |
Acts |
26 |
13 |
About noon, Your Majesty, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my companions. |
Acts |
26 |
14 |
We all fell down, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It is hard for you to fight against my will. ' |
Acts |
26 |
15 |
"'Who are you, sir?' I asked. "And the Lord replied, 'I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. |
Acts |
26 |
16 |
Now stand up! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and my witness. You are to tell the world about this experience and about other times I will appear to you. |
Acts |
26 |
17 |
And I will protect you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am going to send you to the Gentiles, |
Acts |
26 |
18 |
to open their eyes so they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God's people, who are set apart by faith in me.' |
Acts |
26 |
19 |
"And so, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven. |
Acts |
26 |
20 |
I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must turn from their sins and turn to God--and prove they have changed by the good things they do. |
Acts |
26 |
21 |
Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. |
Acts |
26 |
22 |
But God protected me so that I am still alive today to tell these facts to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen-- |
Acts |
26 |
23 |
that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead as a light to Jews and Gentiles alike." |
Acts |
26 |
24 |
Suddenly, Festus shouted, "Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!" |
Acts |
26 |
25 |
But Paul replied, "I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. I am speaking the sober truth. |
Acts |
26 |
26 |
And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak frankly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! |
Acts |
26 |
27 |
King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do--" |
Acts |
26 |
28 |
Agrippa interrupted him. "Do you think you can make me a Christian so quickly?" |
Acts |
26 |
29 |
Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains." |
Acts |
26 |
30 |
Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. |
Acts |
26 |
31 |
As they talked it over they agreed, "This man hasn't done anything worthy of death or imprisonment." |
Acts |
26 |
32 |
And Agrippa said to Festus, "He could be set free if he hadn't appealed to Caesar!" |
Acts |
27 |
1 |
When the time came, we set sail for Italy. Paul and several other prisoners were placed in the custody of an army officer named Julius, a captain of the Imperial Regiment. |
Acts |
27 |
2 |
And Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was also with us. We left on a boat whose home port was Adramyttium; it was scheduled to make several stops at ports along the coast of the province of Asia. |
Acts |
27 |
3 |
The next day when we docked at Sidon, Julius was very kind to Paul and let him go ashore to visit with friends so they could provide for his needs. |
Acts |
27 |
4 |
Putting out to sea from there, we encountered headwinds that made it difficult to keep the ship on course, so we sailed north of Cyprus between the island and the mainland. |
Acts |
27 |
5 |
We passed along the coast of the provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the province of Lycia. |
Acts |
27 |
6 |
There the officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he put us on board. |
Acts |
27 |
7 |
We had several days of rough sailing, and after great difficulty we finally neared Cnidus. But the wind was against us, so we sailed down to the leeward side of Crete, past the cape of Salmone. |
Acts |
27 |
8 |
We struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. |
Acts |
27 |
9 |
We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for long voyages by then because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it. |
Acts |
27 |
10 |
"Sirs," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on--shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and danger to our lives." |
Acts |
27 |
11 |
But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner than to Paul. |
Acts |
27 |
12 |
And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor--a poor place to spend the winter--most of the crew wanted to go to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure. |
Acts |
27 |
13 |
When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed along close to shore. |
Acts |
27 |
14 |
But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (a "northeaster," they called it) caught the ship and blew it out to sea. |
Acts |
27 |
15 |
They couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. |
Acts |
27 |
16 |
We sailed behind a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat that was being towed behind us. |
Acts |
27 |
17 |
Then we banded the ship with ropes to strengthen the hull. The sailors were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor and were thus driven before the wind. |
Acts |
27 |
18 |
The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. |
Acts |
27 |
19 |
The following day they even threw out the ship's equipment and anything else they could lay their hands on. |
Acts |
27 |
20 |
The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. |
Acts |
27 |
21 |
No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, "Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Fair Havens. You would have avoided all this injury and loss. |
Acts |
27 |
22 |
But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. |
Acts |
27 |
23 |
For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, |
Acts |
27 |
24 |
and he said, 'Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' |
Acts |
27 |
25 |
So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. |
Acts |
27 |
26 |
But we will be shipwrecked on an island." |
Acts |
27 |
27 |
About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the sailors sensed land was near. |
Acts |
27 |
28 |
They took soundings and found the water was only 120 feet deep. A little later they sounded again and found only 90 feet. |
Acts |
27 |
29 |
At this rate they were afraid we would soon be driven against the rocks along the shore, so they threw out four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight. |
Acts |
27 |
30 |
Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out anchors from the prow. |
Acts |
27 |
31 |
But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, "You will all die unless the sailors stay aboard." |
Acts |
27 |
32 |
So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat fall off. |
Acts |
27 |
33 |
As the darkness gave way to the early morning light, Paul begged everyone to eat. "You haven't touched food for two weeks," he said. |
Acts |
27 |
34 |
"Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish." |
Acts |
27 |
35 |
Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. |
Acts |
27 |
36 |
Then everyone was encouraged, |
Acts |
27 |
37 |
and all 276 of us began eating--for that is the number we had aboard. |
Acts |
27 |
38 |
After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard. |
Acts |
27 |
39 |
When morning dawned, they didn't recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get between the rocks and get the ship safely to shore. |
Acts |
27 |
40 |
So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. |
Acts |
27 |
41 |
But the ship hit a shoal and ran aground. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by the force of the waves and began to break apart. |
Acts |
27 |
42 |
The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape. |
Acts |
27 |
43 |
But the commanding officer wanted to spare Paul, so he didn't let them carry out their plan. Then he ordered all who could swim to jump overboard first and make for land, |
Acts |
27 |
44 |
and he told the others to try for it on planks and debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely ashore! |
Acts |
28 |
1 |
Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. |
Acts |
28 |
2 |
The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us and warm us. |
Acts |
28 |
3 |
As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, fastened itself onto his hand. |
Acts |
28 |
4 |
The people of the island saw it hanging there and said to each other, "A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live." |
Acts |
28 |
5 |
But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. |
Acts |
28 |
6 |
The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. |
Acts |
28 |
7 |
Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us courteously and fed us for three days. |
Acts |
28 |
8 |
As it happened, Publius's father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. |
Acts |
28 |
9 |
Then all the other sick people on the island came and were cured. |
Acts |
28 |
10 |
As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people put on board all sorts of things we would need for the trip. |
Acts |
28 |
11 |
It was three months after the shipwreck that we set sail on another ship that had wintered at the island--an Alexandrian ship with the twin gods as its figurehead. |
Acts |
28 |
12 |
Our first stop was Syracuse, where we stayed three days. |
Acts |
28 |
13 |
From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. |
Acts |
28 |
14 |
There we found some believers, who invited us to stay with them seven days. And so we came to Rome. |
Acts |
28 |
15 |
The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage. |
Acts |
28 |
16 |
When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a soldier. |
Acts |
28 |
17 |
Three days after Paul's arrival, he called together the local Jewish leaders. He said to them, "Brothers, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Roman government, even though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. |
Acts |
28 |
18 |
The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, for they found no cause for the death sentence. |
Acts |
28 |
19 |
But when the Jewish leaders protested the decision, I felt it necessary to appeal to Caesar, even though I had no desire to press charges against my own people. |
Acts |
28 |
20 |
I asked you to come here today so we could get acquainted and so I could tell you that I am bound with this chain because I believe that the hope of Israel--the Messiah--has already come." |
Acts |
28 |
21 |
They replied, "We have heard nothing against you. We have had no letters from Judea or reports from anyone who has arrived here. |
Acts |
28 |
22 |
But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about these Christians is that they are denounced everywhere." |
Acts |
28 |
23 |
So a time was set, and on that day a large number of people came to Paul's house. He told them about the Kingdom of God and taught them about Jesus from the Scriptures--from the five books of Moses and the books of the prophets. He began lecturing in the morning and went on into the evening. |
Acts |
28 |
24 |
Some believed and some didn't. |
Acts |
28 |
25 |
But after they had argued back and forth among themselves, they left with this final word from Paul: "The Holy Spirit was right when he said to our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet, |
Acts |
28 |
26 |
'Go and say to my people, You will hear my words, but you will not understand; you will see what I do, but you will not perceive its meaning. |
Acts |
28 |
27 |
For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes--so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.' |
Acts |
28 |
28 |
So I want you to realize that this salvation from God is also available to the Gentiles, and they will accept it." |
Acts |
28 |
29 |
See Footnote |
Acts |
28 |
30 |
For the next two years, Paul lived in his own rented house. He welcomed all who visited him, |
Acts |
28 |
31 |
proclaiming the Kingdom of God with all boldness and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. |