Acts 18 Cross References - Goodspeed

¹ After this he left Athens and went to Corinth. ² There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and as they practiced the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together, for they were tent-makers. ⁴ Every Sabbath he would preach in the synagogue, and try to convince both Jews and Greeks. ⁵ By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was absorbed in preaching the message, emphatically assuring the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ⁶ But as they contradicted and abused him, he shook his clothes in protest, and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am not to blame for it! After this I will go to the heathen." ⁷ So he moved to the house of a devout proselyte named Titius Justus, which was next door to the synagogue. ⁸ But Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, and so did all his household, and many of the people of Corinth heard Paul and believed and were baptized. ⁹ One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid! Go on speaking and do not give up, ¹⁰ for I am with you, and no one shall attack you or injure you, for I have many people in this city." ¹¹ So he settled there for a year and a half, and taught them God's message. ¹² While Gallio was governor of Greece the Jews made a concerted attack upon Paul, and brought him before the governor. ¹³ "This fellow," they said, "is trying to induce people to worship God in ways that are against the law." ¹⁴ Before Paul could open his lips, Gallio said to the Jews, "If some misdemeanor or rascality were involved, Jews, you might reasonably expect me to listen to you. ¹⁵ But as it is only a question of words and titles and your own law, you must look after it yourselves. I refuse to decide such matters." ¹⁶ And he drove them away from the court. ¹⁷ Then they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio paid no attention to it. ¹⁸ Paul stayed some time longer, and then bade the brothers goodbye and sailed for Syria, with Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, because of a vow he had been under. ¹⁹ When they reached Ephesus he left them there. He went to the synagogue there and had a discussion with the Jews. ²⁰ They asked him to stay longer, but he would not consent. ²¹ He bade them goodbye, saying, "I will come back to you again if it is God's will." Then he sailed from Ephesus. ²² When he reached Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and paid his respects to the church, and then went on to Antioch. ²³ After spending some time there, he started out again, and traveled systematically through Galatia and Phrygia, reassuring all the disciples. ²⁴ A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, skilful in the use of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had had some instruction about the Way of the Lord, and he talked with burning zeal and taught painstakingly about Jesus, though he knew of no baptism but John's. ²⁶ He spoke very confidently in the synagogue at first, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the Way of God to him more correctly. ²⁷ As he wanted to cross to Greece, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival there he was of great service to those who through God's favor had become believers, ²⁸ for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, and showed from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

²³ "The maiden will be pregnant and will have a son, And they will name him Immanuel."—a word which means "God with us."

¹ In those days John the Baptist appeared, and preached in the desert of Judea. ² "Repent!" he said, "for the Kingdom of Heaven is coming!" ³ It was he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, when he said, "Hark! Someone is shouting in the desert, 'Get the Lord's way ready! Make his paths straight!' " ⁴ John wore clothing made of hair cloth, and he had a leather belt around his waist, and he lived on dried locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole Jordan valley went out to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, in acknowledgment of their sins. ⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to escape from the wrath that is coming? ⁸ Then produce fruit that will be consistent with your professed repentance! ⁹ Do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather,' for I tell you God can produce descendants for Abraham right out of these stones! ¹⁰ But the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Any tree that fails to produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire. ¹¹ I am baptizing you in water in token of your repentance, but he who is coming after me is stronger than I am, and I am not fit to carry his shoes. He will baptize you in the holy Spirit and in fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean up his threshing-floor, and store his wheat in his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with inextinguishable fire." ¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan, to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John dissuaded him, and said, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" ¹⁵ But Jesus answered, "Let it be so this time, for it is right for us to do everything that God requires." Then John consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, he went right up out of the water, and the heavens opened, and he saw the Spirit of God come down like a dove and light upon him, ¹⁷ and a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, my Beloved! This is my Chosen."

¹¹ And I tell you, many will come from the east and from the west and take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Kingdom of Heaven,

¹⁴ And where no one will welcome you, or listen to you, leave that house or town and shake off its very dust from your feet.

³⁰ But the very hairs on your heads are all counted.

⁵² He said to them, "Then remember that every scribe who has become a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven must be like a householder who can supply from his storeroom new things as well as old."

³ and he said, "I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven at all. ⁴ Anyone, therefore, who is as unassuming as this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven,

⁴³ "That, I tell you, is why the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to a people that will produce its proper fruit.

¹⁰ So his slaves went out on the roads, and got together all the people they could find, good or bad, and the hall was filled with guests.

³⁹ And he went on a little way, and threw himself on his face, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass by me. Yet not as I please but as you do!"

⁴ and said, "I did wrong when I handed an innocent man over to death!" They said, "What is that to us? You see to it yourself."

¹⁹ Now while he was on the bench his wife sent to him to say, "Do not have anything to do with that upright man, for I have just had a painful experience in a dream about him."

²⁴ When Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing but that a riot was beginning instead, he took some water and washed his hands in the presence of the crowd, saying, "I am not responsible for this man's death; you must see to it yourselves." ²⁵ And all the people answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"

¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all the heathen, baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teach them to observe all the commands that I have given you. I will always be with you, to the very close of the age."

³ Hark! Someone is shouting in the desert, 'Get the Lord's way ready, Make his paths straight,' "

³⁷ and found him, and said to him, "They are all looking for you!" ³⁸ He said to them, "Let us go somewhere else, to the neighboring country towns, so that I may preach in them, too, for that is why I came out here."

²² And a man named Jairus, the leader of a synagogue, came up and seeing him threw himself at his feet,

³⁵ Even as he spoke people came from the house of the leader of the synagogue and said, "Your daughter is dead. Why should you trouble the Master any further?"

¹⁹ He answered them and said, "O you unbelieving people, how long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!"

¹⁵ I tell you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it at all."

¹⁴ And they came up and said to him, "Master, we know that you tell the truth regardless of the consequences, for you are not guided by personal considerations, but teach the way of God with sincerity. Is it right to pay the poll tax to the emperor or not?

¹⁵ And he said to them, "Go to the whole world and proclaim the good news to all the creation. ¹⁶ He who believes it and is baptized will be saved, but he who does not believe it will be condemned.

¹ In the fifteenth year of the reign of the Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod governor of Galilee, while his brother Philip was governor of the territory of Iturea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was the governor of Abilene, ² in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, a message from God came to Zechariah's son John in the desert. ³ And he went all through the Jordan Valley preaching repentance and baptism in order to obtain the forgiveness of sins, ⁴ as the book of the sermons of the prophet Isaiah says, "Hark! Someone is shouting in the desert, Get the Lord's way ready! Make his paths straight. ⁵ Every hollow must be filled up, And every mountain and hill leveled. What is crooked is to be made straight, And the rough roads are to be made smooth, ⁶ And all mankind is to see how God can save!" ⁷ So he would say to the crowds that came out there to be baptized by him, "You brood of snakes! Who warned you to fly from the wrath that is coming? ⁸ Then produce fruit that will be consistent with your professed repentance! And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our forefather,' for I tell you, God can produce descendants for Abraham right out of these stones! ⁹ But the axe is already lying at the roots of the trees. Any tree that fails to produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire." ¹⁰ The crowds would ask him, "Then what ought we to do?" ¹¹ And he answered, "The man who has two shirts must share with the man who has none, and the man who has food must do the same." ¹² Even tax-collectors came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Master, what ought we to do?" ¹³ He said to them, "Do not collect any more than you are authorized to." ¹⁴ And soldiers would ask him, "And what ought we to do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money or make false charges against people, but be satisfied with your pay." ¹⁵ As all this aroused people's expectations, and they were all wondering in their hearts whether John was the Christ, ¹⁶ John said to them all, "I am only baptizing you in water, but someone is coming who is stronger than I am, whose shoes I am not fit to untie. He will baptize you in the holy Spirit and in fire. ¹⁷ He has his winnowing fork in his hand, to clean up his threshing-floor, and store his wheat in his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with inextinguishable fire." ¹⁸ So with many varied exhortations he would preach the good news to the people, ¹⁹ but Herod the governor, whom he condemned because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and all the wicked things Herod had done, ²⁰ crowned them all by putting John in prison. ²¹ Now when all the people were baptized and when Jesus also after his baptism was praying, heaven opened ²² and the holy Spirit came down upon him in the material shape of a dove, and there came a voice from heaven, "You are my Son, my Beloved! You are my Chosen!" ²³ Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his work. He was the son, it was supposed, of Joseph, the son of Eli, ²⁴ the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Jannai, the son of Joseph, ²⁵ the son of Mattathias, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, ²⁶ the son of Maath, the son of Mattathias, the son of Semein, the son of Josech, the son of Joda, ²⁷ the son of Johanan, the son of Resa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Salathiel, the son of Neri, ²⁸ the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmadam, the son of Er, ²⁹ the son of Jesus, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, ³⁰ the son of Symeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonam, the son of Eliakim, ³¹ the son of Melea, the son of Menna, the son of Mattatha, the son of Nathan, the son of David, ³² the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Sala, the son of Nahshon, ³³ the son of Admin, the son of Arni, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, ³⁴ the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, ³⁵ the son of Serug, the son of Ragau, the son of Peleg, the son of Heber, the son of Shelah, ³⁶ the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, ³⁷ the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Maleleel, the son of Cainan, ³⁸ the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

¹⁶ And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath he went to the synagogue, as he was accustomed to do, and stood up to read the Scriptures.

²⁹ And all the people, even the tax-collectors, when they heard him, acknowledged the justice of God's demands, by accepting baptism from John,

⁵ And where they will not welcome you, leave that town and shake off the very dust from your feet as a protest against them."

⁶¹ Yet another man said to him, "Master, I am going to follow you, but let me first say goodbye to my people at home."

¹⁰ But whenever you come to a town and they do not welcome you, go out into the open streets and say, ¹¹ 'The very dust of your town that sticks to our feet we wipe off in protest. But understand this: the Kingdom of God is at hand!'

⁵⁰ I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am till it is over!

³¹ He answered, 'If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead!' "

²⁶ 'I tell you, the man who has will have more given him, and from the man who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away!

¹² But before all this, men will arrest you and persecute you, and hand you over to synagogues and prisons and have you brought before kings and governors on my account. ¹³ It will all lead to your testifying. ¹⁴ So make up your minds not to prepare your defense, ¹⁵ for I will give you such wisdom of utterance as none of your opponents will be able to resist or dispute.

¹⁸ Yet not a hair of your head will perish!

³² but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail. And afterward you yourself must turn and strengthen your brothers."

⁴³ OMITTED TEXT

⁶⁵ And they said many other abusive things to him.

¹⁹ And he said, "What is it?" They said to him, "About Jesus of Nazareth, who in the eyes of God and of all the people was a prophet mighty in deed and word,

²⁷ And he began with Moses and all the prophets and explained to them the passages all through the Scriptures that referred to himself.

⁴⁴ Then he said to them, "This is what I told you when I was still with you—that everything that is written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must come true."

¹² But to all who did receive him and believe in him he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ owing their birth not to nature nor to any human or physical impulse, but to God.

¹⁹ Now this is the testimony that John gave when the Jews sent priests and Levites to him from Jerusalem to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He admitted—he made no attempt to deny it—he admitted that he was not the Christ. ²¹ Then they asked him, "What are you then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "No, I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." ²² Then they said to him, "Who are you? We must have some answer to give those who sent us here. What have you to say for yourself?" ²³ He said, "I am a voice of one shouting in the desert, 'Straighten the Lord's way!' as the prophet Isaiah said." ²⁴ Now the messengers were Pharisees. ²⁵ And they asked him, "Then why are you baptizing people, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" ²⁶ "I am only baptizing in water," John answered, "but someone is standing among you of whom you do not know. ²⁷ He is to come after me, and I am not worthy to undo his shoe!" ²⁸ This took place at Bethany, on the farther side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. ²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and he said, "There is God's lamb, who is to remove the world's sin! ³⁰ This is the man of whom I spoke when I said, 'After me there is coming a man who is even now ahead of me, for he existed before me.' ³¹ I did not know him, but it is in order that he may be made known to Israel that I have come and baptized people in water." ³² And John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven like a dove, and it remained upon him. ³³ I did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'The one on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain, is the one who is to baptize in the holy Spirit.' ³⁴ And I did see it, and I testify that he is the Son of God." ³⁵ Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and looking at Jesus as he passed, he said, "There is God's lamb!"

⁴¹ Andrew immediately sought out his own brother Simon and said to him, "We have found the Messiah!"—that is to say, the Christ.

²⁸ You will bear me witness that I said, 'I am not the Christ; I have been sent in advance of him.'

³⁹ You pore over the Scriptures, for you think that you will find eternal life in them, and these very Scriptures testify to me,

¹⁷ Anyone who resolves to do his will will know whether my teaching comes from God, or originates with me.

¹⁶ I have other sheep too that do not belong to this fold. I must lead them too, and they will obey my voice, and they will all become one flock, with one shepherd.

²⁴ So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense? If you are really the Christ, tell us so frankly!"

⁵² and not only for the nation but also for the purpose of uniting the scattered children of God.

²⁷ and you must bear testimony too, because you have been with me from the first.

³¹ Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves, and try him by your law." The Jews said to him, "We have no authority to put anyone to death."

¹³ When Pilate heard that, he had Jesus brought out and had him sit in the judge's seat in the place they call the Stone Platform, or in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

⁹ Parthians, Medes, Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, of Judea and Cappadocia, of Pontus, and Asia,

³⁶ "Therefore the whole nation of Israel must understand that God has declared this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ." ³⁷ When they heard this, they were stung to the heart, and they said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" ³⁸ Peter said to them, "You must repent, and every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, in order to have your sins forgiven; then you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit, ³⁹ for the promise of it belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those far away whom the Lord our God calls to him." ⁴⁰ He said much more besides in giving his testimony, and urged them to save themselves from that crooked age. ⁴¹ So they welcomed his message and were baptized, and about three thousand people joined them that day.

²⁰ for we cannot help telling of what we have seen and heard."

⁹ But members of the synagogue known as that of the Libyans, Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and men from Cilicia and Asia undertook to debate with Stephen,

¹³ Then they brought forward false witnesses, who said, "This man is constantly saying things against this holy place and against the Law,

²² So Moses was educated in all the Egyptian culture; he was strong in speech and action.

¹² But when they believed Philip's message of the good news of the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, men and women alike accepted baptism.

³¹ "Why, how can I," he answered, "unless someone explains it to me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him.

³⁵ Then Philip began, and starting from this passage, he told him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶ As they went on along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Here is some water! What is there to prevent my being baptized?" ³⁷ OMITTED TEXT ³⁸ So he ordered the car to stop, and Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

⁴⁰ while Philip found himself at Ashdod and went on telling the good news in all the towns all the way to Caesarea.

² and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women there who belonged to the Way, he might bring them in chains to Jerusalem.

²² But Saul grew more and more powerful, and bewildered the Jews who lived in Damascus by his proofs that Jesus was the Christ.

²⁷ But Barnabas got hold of him and introduced him to the apostles, and he told them how on his journey he had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken to him, and how boldly he had spoken for the cause of Jesus at Damascus.

¹ There was at Caesarea a man named Cornelius, a captain in what was known as the Italian regiment. ² He was a devout man, who feared God, as did all the members of his household. He was liberal in charities to the people, and always prayed to God.

²² They answered, "Cornelius, who is a captain, and an upright and God-fearing man, and who has a good reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to listen to what you have to say."

²⁴ and the day after, he reached Caesarea. Cornelius had invited in his relatives and his intimate friends and was waiting for them.

⁴² He also directed us to announce to the people and bear solemn testimony that he is the one whom God has appointed to be the judge of the living and the dead.

¹¹ Just at that moment three men, who had been sent from Caesarea to find me, reached the house where we were staying,

¹⁴ and he will tell you things that will save you and your whole household.'

¹⁹ The fugitives from the persecution that had broken out over Stephen went all the way to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they told the message to none but Jews. ²⁰ There were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene among them, however, who when they reached Antioch spoke to the Greeks also, and told them the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord's hand was with them, and there were a great many who believed and turned to the Lord. ²² The news about them came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas all the way to Antioch. ²³ When he reached there and saw the favor God had shown them, he was delighted, and encouraged them all to be resolute and steadfast in their devotion to the Lord, ²⁴ for he was an excellent man, full of the holy Spirit and faith. So a considerable number of people came over to the Lord. ²⁵ Then Barnabas went over to Tarsus to seek out Saul, ²⁶ and found him and brought him to Antioch. The result was that for a whole year they met with the church, and taught large numbers of people, and it was at Antioch that the disciples first came to be known as Christians. ²⁷ About that time some prophets from Jerusalem came down to Antioch, ²⁸ and one of them named Agabus got up and under the influence of the Spirit revealed the fact that there was going to be a great famine all over the world. This was the famine that occurred in the reign of Claudius.

¹ There were at Antioch in the church there a number of prophets and teachers—Barnabas, Symeon who was called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the governor, and Saul.

⁷ He was attached to the governor, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. He sent for Barnabas and Saul and asked them to let him hear God's message.

¹⁰ and said, "You monster of underhandedness and cunning! You son of the devil! You enemy of all that is right! Will you never stop trying to make the Lord's straight paths crooked?

¹² Then the governor, seeing what had happened, believed, and was thunderstruck at the Lord's teaching.

¹⁴ but they went on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue there and took seats. ¹⁵ After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue authorities sent to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any appeal to make to the people, proceed."

¹⁸ Then after he had taken care of them for forty years in the desert,

⁴² As they were going out, the people begged to have all this said to them again on the following Sabbath,

⁴⁵ But when the Jews saw the crowd, they were very jealous, and they contradicted what Paul said and abused him. ⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out plainly, and said, "God's message had to be told to you first, but since you thrust it off and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the heathen. ⁴⁷ For these are the orders the Lord has given us: " 'I have made you a light for the heathen, To be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth!' "

⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred up the well-to-do religious women and the leading men of the town, and they started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. ⁵¹ They shook off the dust from their feet in protest, and went to Iconium.

² But the Jews who refused their message stirred up the heathen and poisoned their minds against the brothers. ³ They spent some time there, speaking fearlessly and relying upon the Lord, who bore witness to his gracious message by letting signs and wonders be done by them.

¹⁹ But some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and won the people over, and they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead.

²² reassuring the disciples and encouraging them to stand by the faith and reminding them that we have to undergo many hardships to get into the Kingdom of God.

²⁶ and from there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had first been commended to God's favor for the work which they had now finished.

⁴ When they reached Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported how God had worked with them.

¹⁴ Symeon has told how God first showed an interest in taking from among the heathen a people to bear his name.

¹⁸ who has been making this known from of old.'

²² Then the apostles and elders with the whole church resolved to select representatives and send them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. They were Judas who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers. ²³ They were the bearers of this letter: "The apostles and the brothers who are elders send greeting to the brothers of heathen birth in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.

²⁹ that you avoid whatever has been sacrificed to idols, the tasting of blood and of the meat of animals that have been strangled, and immorality. Keep yourselves free from these things and you will get on well. Goodbye." ³⁰ So the delegates went down to Antioch and gathered the congregation together and delivered the letter;

³² Judas and Silas were themselves prophets, and gave the brothers much encouragement and strength by their words.

³⁵ But Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch and taught, and with many others preached the good news of the Lord's message.

⁴¹ He traveled through Syria and Cilicia and strengthened the churches.

¹ He went to Derbe and Lystra also. At Lystra there was a disciple named Timothy whose mother was a Jewish Christian while his father was a Greek,

⁶ Thus they crossed Phrygia and Galatia. The holy Spirit prevented them from delivering the message in Asia,

⁹ There Paul had a vision one night; a Macedonian was standing appealing to him and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

¹⁴ One of our hearers was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods, from the town of Thyatira. She was a believer in God, and the Lord touched her heart, and led her to accept Paul's teaching.

¹⁴ One of our hearers was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple goods, from the town of Thyatira. She was a believer in God, and the Lord touched her heart, and led her to accept Paul's teaching. ¹⁵ When she and her household were baptized, she appealed to us, and said, "If you are really convinced that I am a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she insisted upon our coming.

¹⁷ This girl would follow Paul and the rest of us, crying out, "These men are slaves of the Most High God, and they are making known to you a way of salvation."

³⁴ Then he took them up to his house and offered them food, and he and all his household were very happy over their new faith in God.

⁴⁰ After leaving the jail they went to Lydia's house, and saw the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left the town.

¹ After passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they reached Thessalonica, where the Jews had a synagogue. ² Paul went to it as he was accustomed to do, and for three Sabbaths he discussed the Scriptures with them, ³ explaining them and showing that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "Jesus," he said, "of whom I am telling you, is the Christ!"

³ explaining them and showing that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "Jesus," he said, "of whom I am telling you, is the Christ!" ⁴ He convinced some of them, and they joined Paul and Silas, along with a great many devout Greeks and a number of the principal women. ⁵ This offended the Jews and they gathered some unprincipled loafers, formed a mob and started a riot in the town. They attacked Jason's house, to find them and bring them out among the people.

¹¹ The Jews there were more high-minded than those at Thessalonica, and received the message with great eagerness and studied the Scriptures every day, to find out whether it was true.

¹³ But when the Jews at Thessalonica found out that God's message had been delivered at Berea by Paul, they came there too, to excite and stir up the populace. ¹⁴ Then the brothers immediately sent Paul off to the coast, while Silas and Timothy stayed behind. ¹⁵ The men who went with Paul took him all the way to Athens, and came back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin him as soon as possible.

¹⁵ The men who went with Paul took him all the way to Athens, and came back with instructions for Silas and Timothy to rejoin him as soon as possible. ¹⁶ While Paul waited for them at Athens, he was exasperated to see how idolatrous the city was. ¹⁷ He had discussions at the synagogue with the Jews and those who worshiped with them, and every day in the public square with any whom he happened to find.

³² When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We should like to hear you again on this subject."

³² When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We should like to hear you again on this subject." ³³ So Paul left the council.

² There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,

² There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and as they practiced the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together, for they were tent-makers. ⁴ Every Sabbath he would preach in the synagogue, and try to convince both Jews and Greeks. ⁵ By the time Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was absorbed in preaching the message, emphatically assuring the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

¹² While Gallio was governor of Greece the Jews made a concerted attack upon Paul, and brought him before the governor. ¹³ "This fellow," they said, "is trying to induce people to worship God in ways that are against the law."

¹⁵ But as it is only a question of words and titles and your own law, you must look after it yourselves. I refuse to decide such matters." ¹⁶ And he drove them away from the court. ¹⁷ Then they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio paid no attention to it.

¹⁷ Then they all seized Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio paid no attention to it. ¹⁸ Paul stayed some time longer, and then bade the brothers goodbye and sailed for Syria, with Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had his hair cut, because of a vow he had been under.

²¹ He bade them goodbye, saying, "I will come back to you again if it is God's will." Then he sailed from Ephesus.

²¹ He bade them goodbye, saying, "I will come back to you again if it is God's will." Then he sailed from Ephesus. ²² When he reached Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and paid his respects to the church, and then went on to Antioch.

²⁴ A Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, skilful in the use of the Scriptures. ²⁵ He had had some instruction about the Way of the Lord, and he talked with burning zeal and taught painstakingly about Jesus, though he knew of no baptism but John's. ²⁶ He spoke very confidently in the synagogue at first, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him home and explained the Way of God to him more correctly. ²⁷ As he wanted to cross to Greece, the brothers wrote to the disciples there, urging them to welcome him. On his arrival there he was of great service to those who through God's favor had become believers, ²⁸ for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, and showed from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

²⁸ for he vigorously refuted the Jews in public, and showed from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

¹ It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul, after passing through the interior, reached Ephesus. Finding some disciples there,

³ "How then were you baptized?" he asked. "With John's baptism," they answered.

⁸ He went to the synagogue there, and for three months spoke confidently, holding discussions and trying to persuade them about the Kingdom of God. ⁹ But as some of them were obstinate and refused to believe, finding fault with the Way before the people, he left them, and withdrew the disciples, and held daily discussions in the lecture-room of Tyrannus.

⁹ But as some of them were obstinate and refused to believe, finding fault with the Way before the people, he left them, and withdrew the disciples, and held daily discussions in the lecture-room of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that everyone who lived in Asia, Greeks as well as Jews, heard the Lord's message.

¹⁰ This went on for two years, so that everyone who lived in Asia, Greeks as well as Jews, heard the Lord's message.

¹⁷ This came to be known to everyone who lived in Ephesus, Greeks as well as Jews, and great awe came over them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus came to be held in high honor.

²¹ After these events, Paul, under the Spirit's guidance, resolved to go to Jerusalem, and to revisit Macedonia and Greece on the way. "After I have gone there," he said, "I must see Rome also."

²³ Just at that time a great commotion arose about the Way.

²⁶ and you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but almost all over Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and drawn away numbers of people, telling them that gods made by human hands are not gods at all.

¹⁶ For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to lose any time in Asia, for he was hurrying to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of the Harvest Festival.

²¹ but earnestly urged Greeks as well as Jews to turn to God in repentance and to believe in our Lord Jesus.

²⁶ Therefore I declare to you today that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, ²⁷ for I have not shrunk from letting you know God's purpose without reserve.

³¹ So you must be on your guard and remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped warning any of you, even with tears.

³⁴ You know well enough that these hands of mine provided for my needs and my companions. ³⁵ I showed you in every way that by hard work like that we must help those who are weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, for he said, 'It makes one happier to give than to be given to.' "

³ After sighting Cyprus and leaving it on our left, we sailed for Syria, and put in at Tyre, for the ship was to unload her cargo there.

¹³ Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by crying and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound at Jerusalem but to die there for the sake of the Lord Jesus." ¹⁴ So as he would not yield, we gave up urging him, and said, "The Lord's will be done!"

¹⁴ So as he would not yield, we gave up urging him, and said, "The Lord's will be done!"

¹⁷ When we reached Jerusalem, the brothers there gave us a hearty welcome. ¹⁸ On the next day we went with Paul to see James, and all the elders came in. ¹⁹ Paul greeted them warmly and gave a detailed account of what God had done among the heathen through his efforts.

²⁴ Join them, undergo the rites of purification with them, and pay their expenses so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everybody will understand that there is no truth in the stories about you, but that you yourself observe the Law.

²⁷ The seven days were almost over when the Jews from Asia caught sight of him in the Temple, and stirred up all the crowd and seized him, ²⁸ shouting, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everybody everywhere against our people and the Law and this place, and besides he has actually brought Greeks into the Temple and desecrated this sacred place."

²⁸ shouting, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everybody everywhere against our people and the Law and this place, and besides he has actually brought Greeks into the Temple and desecrated this sacred place." ²⁹ For they had previously seen Trophimus of Ephesus with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the Temple. ³⁰ The whole city was thrown into confusion, and the people hurried together, and seized Paul and dragged him outside of the Temple, the gates of which were immediately shut. ³¹ They were trying to kill him when the news reached the colonel of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in a tumult. ³² He immediately got some officers and men and hurried down among them, and when they saw the colonel and the soldiers they stopped beating Paul. ³³ Then the colonel came up and seized him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and then inquired who he was and what he had been doing. ³⁴ Some of the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and as he could not find out the facts on account of the confusion, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks. ³⁵ When Paul got to the steps, he was actually carried by the soldiers, on account of the violence of the mob, ³⁶ for the mass of people followed them shouting, "Kill him!"

³⁹ "I am a Jew," Paul answered, "from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you to let me speak to the people."

¹⁸ and saw him saying to me, 'Make haste and leave Jerusalem at once, for they will not accept your evidence about me.'

¹¹ On the following night the Lord stood beside him and said, "Courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, you must testify in Rome also."

²³ Then he called in two of his officers and said to them, "Get two hundred men ready to march to Caesarea, with seventy mounted men and two hundred spear-men, by nine o'clock tonight."

²⁷ This man had been seized by the Jews and they were just going to kill him when I came upon them with my men and rescued him, as I had learned that he was a Roman citizen. ²⁸ As I wanted to learn what charge they made against him, I had him brought before their council, ²⁹ and found that their accusations had to do with questions about their Law, but that he was not charged with anything that would call for his death or imprisonment.

²⁹ and found that their accusations had to do with questions about their Law, but that he was not charged with anything that would call for his death or imprisonment.

⁵ For we have found this man a pest and a disturber of the peace among Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect, ⁶ and actually tried to desecrate the Temple, but we caught him.

⁶ and actually tried to desecrate the Temple, but we caught him. ⁷ OMITTED TEXT ⁸ If you will examine him yourself you will be able to find out from him all about the things we charge him with."

¹ Three days after his arrival in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,

⁸ Paul said in his own defense, "I have committed no offense against the Jewish Law or the Temple or the emperor." ⁹ Then Festus, wishing to gratify the Jews, said to Paul, "Will you go up to Jerusalem and be tried there before me on these charges?" ¹⁰ But Paul said, "I am standing before the emperor's court, where I ought to be tried. I have done the Jews no wrong, as you can easily see. ¹¹ If I am guilty and have done anything that deserves death, I do not refuse to die; but if there is no truth in the charges that these men make against me, no one can give me up to them; I appeal to the emperor."

¹⁸ But when his accusers got up, they did not charge him with any such crimes as I had expected. ¹⁹ Their differences with him were about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul said was alive.

¹⁹ Their differences with him were about their own religion and about a certain Jesus who had died but who Paul said was alive. ²⁰ I was at a loss as to how to investigate such matters, and I asked him if he would like to go to Jerusalem and be tried on these charges there.

²⁶ Yet I have nothing definite to write to our sovereign about him. So I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, in order to get from your examination of him something to put in writing.

¹ Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You are at liberty to speak in your own defense." So Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense. ² "I think myself fortunate, King Agrippa," said he, "that it is before you that I am to defend myself today against all the things the Jews charge me with, ³ especially because you are so familiar with all the Jewish customs and questions. I beg you, therefore, to listen to me with patience.

¹¹ and many a time in all the synagogues I had them punished, and tried to force them to say impious things. In my extreme rage against them I even pursued them to distant towns.

²⁰ but first to the people of Damascus and Jerusalem and then all over Judea, and even to the heathen I preached that they must repent and turn to God and live as men who have repented should.

²² To this day I have had God's help and I stand here to testify to high and low alike, without adding a thing to what Moses and the prophets declared would happen, ²³ if the Christ was to suffer and by being the first to rise from the dead was to proclaim the light to our people and to the heathen."

²⁸ "You are in a hurry to persuade me and make a Christian of me!" Agrippa said to Paul.

⁶ There the officer found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy, and put us on board her.

²³ For last night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood before me, ²⁴ and said, 'Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before the emperor, and see! God has given you the lives of all the people who are on the ship with you.' ²⁵ So keep up your courage, gentlemen! For I have faith in God that it will be just as I was told.

²³ So they fixed a day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying, and from morning till night he explained to them the Kingdom of God and gave his testimony, trying to convince them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

²⁸ "Understand then that this message of God's salvation has been sent to the heathen. They will listen to it!"

⁵ through whom we have received God's favor and been commissioned in his name to urge obedience and faith upon all the heathen,

¹⁰ and to ask that somehow by God's will I may some day at last succeed in reaching you.

²⁹ Does God belong to the Jews alone? Does he not belong to the heathen too? Of course he belongs to the heathen too;

³¹ Then what shall we conclude from this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

²⁵ Just as he says in Hosea, "I will call a people that was not mine, my people, And her who was not beloved, my beloved, ²⁶ And in the very place where they were told, 'You are no people of mine,' They shall be called sons of the living God."

³⁰ Then what do we conclude? That heathen who were not striving for uprightness attained it, that is, an uprightness which was produced by faith; ³¹ while Israel, straining after a law that should bring uprightness, did not come up to it. ³² And why? Because they did not seek it through faith, but through doing certain things. They stumbled over that stone that makes people stumble, ³³ as the Scripture says, "See, I will put a stone on Zion to make people stumble, and a rock to trip over, But no one who has faith in it will be disappointed."

¹² There is no distinction between Jew and Greek for they all have the same Lord, and he is generous to all who call upon him. ¹³ For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. ¹⁴ But how are they to call upon him if they have not believed in him? And how are they to believe him if they have never heard him? And how are they to hear unless someone preaches to them? ¹⁵ And how are men to preach unless they are sent to do it? As the Scripture says, "How welcome is the coming of those who bring good news!" ¹⁶ It is true, they have not all accepted the good news, for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what we have told?" ¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing what is told, and that hearing comes through the message about Christ.

²⁰ Then Isaiah broke out boldly and said, "I have been found by men who were not looking for me, I have shown myself to men who were not asking what my will was." ²¹ But of Israel he said, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

¹¹ I ask then, has their stumbling led to their absolute ruin? By no means. Through their false step salvation has gone to the heathen, so as to make the Israelites jealous. ¹² But if their false step has so enriched the world, and their defeat has so enriched the heathen, how much more good the addition of their full number will do! ¹³ But it is to you who are of the heathen that I am speaking. So far then as I am an apostle to the heathen, I make the most of my ministry, ¹⁴ in the hope of making my countrymen jealous, and thus saving some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection has meant the reconciling of the world, what can the acceptance of them mean but life from the dead?

¹¹ not wanting in devotion, but on fire with the Spirit. Serve the Lord.

³ The man who does right has nothing to fear from the magistrates, as the wrongdoer has. If you want to have no fear of the authorities, do right, and they will commend you for it,

³ The man who does right has nothing to fear from the magistrates, as the wrongdoer has. If you want to have no fear of the authorities, do right, and they will commend you for it, ⁴ for they are God's agents to do you good. But if you do wrong you may well be afraid, for they do not carry swords for nothing. They are God's servants, to execute his wrath upon wrongdoers.

²⁶ For Macedonia and Greece have determined to make a contribution for the poor among God's people in Jerusalem.

³² so that, if it is God's will, I may come with a glad heart to see you and enjoy a visit with you.

¹ I want to introduce to you our sister Phoebe, who is a helper in the church at Cenchreae.

¹ I want to introduce to you our sister Phoebe, who is a helper in the church at Cenchreae. ² Welcome her as a Christian, as God's people should welcome one another, and give her whatever help she may need from you. For she has herself been a protection to many, including myself. ³ Remember me to Prisca and Aquila, my fellow-workers in the cause of Christ Jesus, ⁴ who risked their necks to save my life. Not only I but also all the churches among the heathen thank them. Remember me also to the church that meets at their house. ⁵ Remember me to my dear Epaenetus, who was the first man in Asia to turn to Christ.

¹ Paul, by the will of God called as an apostle of Jesus Christ, and our brother Sosthenes, ² to the church of God at Corinth, to those who are consecrated by union with Christ Jesus, and called as God's people, like all those anywhere who call on the name of Jesus Christ, their Lord as well as ours;

¹² What I mean is this, that one of you says, "I am a follower of Paul," another, "And I, of Apollos," another, "And I, of Cephas," and another, "And I, of Christ!" ¹³ Christ has been divided up! But was it Paul who was crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? ¹⁴ I am thankful that I never baptized any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ so that no one could say that you were baptized in my name. ¹⁶ And I did baptize the members of the household of Stephanas too; I do not know whether I baptized anyone else besides. ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the good news—but not with fine language, or the cross of Christ might seem an empty thing.

²³ but we proclaim a Christ who was crucified—an idea that is revolting to Jews and absurd to the heathen,

¹ So when I came to you, brothers, I did not come and tell you the secret purpose of God in superior, philosophical language, ² for I resolved, while I was with you, to forget everything but Jesus Christ and his crucifixion.

⁵ What is Apollos? Or what is Paul? Just servants through whom you came to have faith, as the Lord gave each of us opportunity. ⁶ I did the planting, Apollos the watering, but it was God who made the plants grow.

⁶ I did the planting, Apollos the watering, but it was God who made the plants grow.

¹⁰ Like an expert builder, I laid a foundation, as God commissioned me to do, and now someone else is building upon it. But let everyone be careful how he does so. ¹¹ For no one can lay any other foundation than the one that is laid, that is, Jesus Christ himself. ¹² And whether one uses gold or silver or costly stone in building on the foundation, or wood or hay or straw, ¹³ the quality of everyone's work will appear, for the Day will show it. For the Day will break in fire, and the fire will test the quality of everyone's work. ¹⁴ If what a man has built on the foundation stands the test, he will have his pay.

¹⁸ Let no one of you deceive himself. If any one of you imagines that he is wiser than the rest of you, in what this world calls wisdom, he had better become a fool, so as to become really wise.

⁶ Now, brothers, for your benefit I have applied all this only to Apollos and myself, by using us as illustrations to teach you the old lesson, "Never go beyond the letter," and to keep any of you from boasting of one teacher at the expense of another.

¹² we have worked with our hands for a living. When people abuse us, we bless them, when they persecute us, we put up with it,

¹⁹ But I am coming very soon to see you, if the Lord is willing, and then I will find out, not what these conceited people have to say, but what they can actually do.

⁹ Do you not know that wrongdoers will not have any share in God's kingdom? Do not let anyone mislead you. People who are immoral or idolaters or adulterers or sensual or given to unnatural vice ¹⁰ or thieves or greedy—drunkards, abusive people, robbers—will not have any share in God's kingdom. ¹¹ Some of you used to be like that; but you have washed it all away, you have been consecrated, you have become upright, by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the Spirit of our God.

² If a man thinks he has acquired some knowledge, he does not yet know it as well as he ought to know it.

⁶ Or is it only Barnabas and I that have no right to give up working for a living? ⁷ What soldier ever pays his expenses out of his own pay? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat any of the grapes? Who tends a flock and does not get any of the milk? ⁸ Am I saying only what men say? Does not the Law say so too? ⁹ For in the Law of Moses it reads, "You shall not muzzle an ox that is treading out the grain." Is it about the oxen that God is concerned? ¹⁰ Is he not clearly speaking in our interests? Of course this law was written in our interests, because the plowman ought to plow, and the thresher to thresh, in the expectation of sharing in the crop. ¹¹ If it was we who sowed the spiritual seed among you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? ¹² If others enjoy such rights over you, have we not a still better claim? But, you say, we have never availed ourselves of this right. No, we will stand anything rather than put any hindrance in the way of the good news of the Christ.

²⁰ To the Jews I have become like a Jew, to win Jews over; to men under the Law I have become like a man under the Law, though I am not myself under the Law, so as to win over those who are under the Law.

²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, "I do not need you," or the head to the feet, "I do not need you."

³ For I passed on to you, as of first importance, the account I had received, that Christ died for our sins, as the Scriptures foretold, ⁴ that he was buried, that on the third day he was raised from the dead, as the Scriptures foretold,

¹⁰ But by God's favor I have become what I am, and the favor he showed me has not gone for nothing, but I have worked harder than any of them, although it was not really I but the favor God showed me.

³² From the human point of view, what good is it to me that I have fought wild animals here in Ephesus? If the dead do not rise at all, "Let us eat and drink, for we will be dead tomorrow!"

¹ About the collection for God's people, I want you to do as I told the churches of Galatia to do.

³ When I come I will send whatever persons you authorize with credentials, to carry your gift to Jerusalem.

⁷ For I do not want to see you now just in passing, for I hope to spend some time with you if the Lord permits it. ⁸ But I shall stay in Ephesus until the Harvest Festival,

¹² As for our brother Apollos, I have often urged him to visit you with the other brothers, and he is quite unwilling to come now, but he will come when he has a good opportunity.

¹⁵ Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the family of Stephanas was the first to be converted in Greece, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of God's people—

¹⁹ The churches of Asia wish to be remembered to you. Aquila and Prisca, with the congregation that meets at their house, send you their special Christian greetings.

¹ Paul, by God's will an apostle of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, to the church of God that is at Corinth, and all God's people all over Greece;

²³ But upon my soul I call God to witness that it is simply to spare you that I have stayed away from Corinth. ²⁴ Not that we are the masters of you and your faith; we are working with you to make you happy, for in your faith you stand firm enough.

¹ Am I falling into self-recommendation again? Do I, like some people, need letters of recommendation to you or from you? ² You are my recommendations, written on my heart, for everybody to read and understand.

¹¹ It is with this knowledge of what the fear of the Lord means that I appeal to men. My true character is perfectly plain to God, and I hope to your consciences too.

¹⁴ It is Christ's love that controls me, for I have become convinced that as one has died for all, all have died,

² for I know how willing you are to help in it; I boast of you for it to the people in Macedonia, telling them that Greece has been ready since last year, and your enthusiasm has been a stimulus to most of them.

¹⁰ For they say, "His letters are impressive and telling, but his personal appearance is insignificant and as a speaker he amounts to nothing."

¹ I wish you would put up with a little folly from me. Do put up with it!

⁴ For when somebody comes along and preaches another Jesus than the one I preached, or you receive a different spirit from the one you received or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it well enough!

⁷ Do you think that I did wrong in degrading myself to uplift you, because I preached God's good news to you without any compensation?

⁹ And when I was with you and wanted money, I did not burden any of you, for when the brothers came from Macedonia they supplied what I needed. So I kept myself, as I shall always do, from being a burden to you in any way. ¹⁰ By the truth of Christ that is in me, this boast of mine shall not be silenced anywhere in Greece.

¹ I have to boast. There is nothing to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations given me by the Lord. ² I know of a man fourteen years ago—whether in the body or out of it, I do not know, God knows—being actually caught up to the third heaven. ³ And I know that this man—I do not know whether it was in the body or out of it, God knows—

⁹ and he said to me, "My favor is enough for you, for only where there is weakness is perfect strength developed." So I am perfectly willing to boast of all my weakness, so that the strength of Christ may shelter me.

¹³ For what is there in which the other churches had the better of you, except in the fact that I would not permit myself to be a burden to you? You must forgive me that wrong!

¹¹ Now brothers, goodbye! Be what you ought to be, listen to my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace, and God the source of love and peace will be with you.

² and all the brothers who are here with me, to the churches of Galatia;

²¹ After that, I went to the districts of Syria and Cilicia.

¹⁴ and yet what must have tried you in my physical condition, you did not scorn and despise, but you welcomed me like an angel of God, like Christ Jesus himself.

¹ Paul, by God's will an apostle of Christ Jesus, to God's people who are steadfast in Christ Jesus;

⁸ For it is by his mercy that you have been saved through faith. It is not by your own action, it is the gift of God. ⁹ It has not been earned, so that no one can boast of it. ¹⁰ For he has made us, creating us through our union with Christ Jesus for the life of goodness which God had predestined us to live.

¹⁹ and for me, that when I open my lips I may be given a message, so that I may boldly make known the secret of the good news, ²⁰ for the sake of which I am an envoy, and in prison. Pray that, when I tell it, I may have the courage to speak as I ought.

²³ I am undecided between the two, for I long to depart and be with Christ, for that is far, far better,

²⁵ I am convinced of this, and so I know that I shall stay on and serve you all, to help you to develop and to be glad in your faith.

²⁹ For you have been granted the privilege not only of trusting in Christ but of suffering for him.

¹⁹ I hope, with the help of the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy to you soon, so that I, too, may be cheered by having news about you. ²⁰ For I have no one like him who would take such a real interest in you. ²¹ For they are all looking out for their own interests, not for those of Jesus Christ. ²² But you know his character, and how like a son helping his father he has worked like a slave with me in preaching the good news. ²³ So I hope to send him to you just as soon as I can see how my case is going to turn out. ²⁴ I trust the Lord to enable me to come to you myself before long.

²⁸ And in spreading the news of him, we warn everyone and teach everyone all our wisdom, in order to bring everyone to Christian perfection. ²⁹ That is what I am working for, fighting with all the energy with which he so mightily endows me.

¹² when in your baptism you were buried with him, and raised to life with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead.

¹⁶ Let the message of Christ live in your hearts in all its wealth of wisdom. Teach it to one another and train one another in it with thankfulness, with psalms, hymns, and sacred songs, and sing to God with all your hearts.

¹⁰ Aristarchus, my fellow-prisoner, wishes to be remembered to you, and so does Barnabas' cousin Mark. (About him you have had instructions; if he comes to see you, make him welcome.) ¹¹ So also does Jesus who is called Justus. They are the only ones among the converts from Judaism who have worked with me for the reign of God who have proved a comfort to me.

⁷ so that you set an example to all the believers in Macedonia and Greece. ⁸ For the Lord's message has rung out from you not only over Macedonia and Greece, but the story of your belief in God has gone everywhere, so that we never need to mention it.

² We had just been through ill-treatment and insults at Philippi, as you remember, but, in the face of great opposition, we took courage by the help of our God, and told you God's good news.

⁹ You remember, brothers, how we toiled and labored. We worked night and day, when we preached the good news to you, in order not to be a burden to any of you.

¹⁴ For you, brothers, followed the example of God's churches in Judea that are in union with Christ Jesus, for you in your turn had to bear the same ill-treatment from your neighbors as they did from the Jews, ¹⁵ who killed the Lord Jesus and persecuted the prophets and us; who displease God, and in their hostility to all mankind ¹⁶ try to keep us from speaking to the heathen so that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But God's wrath has overtaken them at last!

² and I sent my brother Timothy, a servant of God in preaching the good news of the Christ, to strengthen you in your faith

¹⁸ Therefore, encourage one another with this truth.

¹⁴ We beg you, brothers, warn the idlers, cheer up the despondent, keep hold of the weak, be patient with everybody.

¹³ We always have to thank God for you, brothers whom the Lord so loves, because God chose you from the beginning to be saved through consecration by the Spirit and through faith in the truth, ¹⁴ and called you to it through our preaching of the good news, so that you may share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸ I did not eat anybody's bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor I worked night and day, in order not to be a burden to any of you. ⁹ Not that I had not a right to my support, but to give you in my own conduct an example to imitate.

³ As I asked you to do when I was on my way to Macedonia, stay on in Ephesus in order to warn certain people there not to teach strange views ⁴ nor to devote themselves to fictions and interminable pedigrees; such things lead to controversy instead of the divine system which operates through faith.

²² Never ordain anyone hastily; do not make yourself responsible for the sins of others; keep your life pure.

⁴ is a conceited, ignorant person, with a morbid craving for speculations and arguments which result only in envy, quarreling, abuse, base suspicions,

¹⁸ The Lord grant that he may be shown mercy by the Lord on that Day! And you know well enough how he helped me at Ephesus.

⁴ Anyone who is in the army keeps from being involved in business affairs, so as to please the officer who enlisted him.

²³ Avoid foolish, crude speculations; you know they only lead to quarrels,

²⁵ correcting his opponents with gentleness; for God may possibly let them repent and acknowledge the truth,

¹² and I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

¹⁷ But the Lord stood by me, and gave me strength, so that I might make a full presentation of the message and let all the heathen hear it. So I was saved from the jaws of the lion.

¹⁹ Remember me to Prisca and Aquila, and to the members of the household of Onesiphorus. ²⁰ Erastus stayed in Corinth. I left Trophimus sick at Miletus.

²² The Lord be with your spirit. God bless you all.

⁴ But when the goodness and kindness of God our Savior were revealed, ⁵ he saved us, not for any upright actions we had performed, but from his own mercy, through the bath of regeneration and renewal by the holy Spirit, ⁶ which he has poured out upon us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,

⁹ But have nothing to do with foolish controversies, pedigrees, strife, and wrangles about the Law, for they are profitless and futile.

¹³ Do all you can to help Zenas the expert in the Law and Apollos on with their journey, and see that they have everything they need.

² He can sympathize with the ignorant and misguided because he is himself subject to weakness,

¹ Let us therefore leave elementary Christian teaching alone and advance toward maturity. We must not be always relaying foundations, of repentance for wrong-doing, and of faith in God,

³ And we will advance if God permits it.

¹ For this man Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was on his way back from defeating the kings, and gave him his blessing, ² to whom Abraham apportioned one tenth of all the spoil, who is first, as his name shows, king of righteousness and then king of Salem, which means king of peace— ³ with no father or mother or ancestry, and with no beginning to his days nor end to his life, but like no one but the Son of God, continues as priest forever. ⁴ Now see how great this man must have been to have the patriarch Abraham give him a tenth of the spoil. ⁵ Those of the descendants of Levi who are appointed to the priesthood are directed by the Law to collect tithes from the people, that is, from their own brothers, although they are descended from Abraham like themselves. ⁶ But this man, whose ancestry is not connected with theirs, collected tithes from Abraham himself, and gave his blessing to the man who had received the promises from God. ⁷ But, beyond any doubt, it is the inferior that is blessed by the superior. ⁸ In the one case, mortal men collect tithes; but in the other, one who, it is intimated, lives on. ⁹ In one way of putting it, Levi himself, the collector of the tithes, through Abraham paid him tithes, ¹⁰ for none of Abraham's posterity was yet begotten at the time of his meeting with Melchizedek.

¹² So tighten your loosening hold! Stiffen your wavering stand! ¹³ And keep your feet in straight paths, so that limbs that are lame may not be dislocated but instead be cured.

¹⁶ Do not be misled, my dear brothers. ¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect present is from heaven, and comes down from the Father of the heavenly lights, about whom there is no variation of changing shadow. ¹⁸ Of his own accord he brought us into being through the message of truth, so that we might be a kind of first-fruits among his creatures.

⁶ But you humiliate the poor. Are not the rich your oppressors? Is it not they who drag you into court?

⁶ But you humiliate the poor. Are not the rich your oppressors? Is it not they who drag you into court? ⁷ Is it not they who slander the noble name you bear?

¹⁵ This, instead of saying, "If it is the Lord's will, we shall live to do this or that."

¹⁶ So confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be cured. An upright man can do a great deal by prayer when he tries.

¹ Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who are scattered as foreigners over Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ² whom God the Father has chosen and predestined by the consecration of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ, and to be sprinkled with his blood; God bless you and give you perfect peace. ³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has caused us to be born anew to a life of hope through Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead,

¹⁴ Even if you should suffer for uprightness, you are blessed. But do not be afraid of them, nor be troubled, ¹⁵ but reverence Christ in your hearts as Lord, and always be ready to make your defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that you have. But do so gently and respectfully,

¹⁷ For it is better to suffer for doing right, if that should be God's will, than for doing wrong.

⁴ They are amazed that you no longer join them in plunging into the flood of dissipation, and they abuse you for it;

¹⁴ If you are being abused for the sake of Christ, you are blessed, because the glorious Spirit of God is resting upon you.

¹² By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I think him, I have written you this short letter to encourage you and bear my testimony that this is what the true mercy of God means. Stand fast in it.

¹⁸ You must grow in the blessing and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory to him now and forever.

⁸ So we ought to support such men, to show that we are ready to co-operate with the truth. ⁹ I have written briefly to the church, but Diotrephes who likes to be their leader will not accept what I say. ¹⁰ So if I come, I will bring up the things that he is doing, and how he is maliciously accusing me. Not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers himself, and he is interfering with those who want to do so, and has them put out of the church. ¹¹ say, "Write what you see in a roll and send it to the seven churches—to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea."

¹ "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: " 'He who holds the seven stars in his right hand and goes about among the seven gold lampstands speaks thus:

¹⁶ But the earth helped the woman, for the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river which the dragon had poured out of his mouth.