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Acts New Living Translation (NLT)
chapter 1
The Promise of the Holy Spirit
1Dear Theophilus:
In my first book I told you about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2until the day he ascended to
heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions from the Holy Spirit. 3During the forty days after
his crucifixion, he appeared to the apostles from time to time and proved to them in many ways that he was
actually alive. On these occasions he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.
4In one of these meetings as he was eating a meal with them, he told them, "Do not leave Jerusalem until the
Father sends you what he promised. Remember, I have told you about this before. 5John baptized with water,
but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
The Ascension of Jesus
6When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, "Lord, are you going to free Israel now and
restore our kingdom?"
7"The Father sets those dates," he replied, "and they are not for you to know. 8But when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere--in Jerusalem, throughout
Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9It was not long after he said this that he was taken up into the sky while they were watching, and he
disappeared into a cloud. 10As they were straining their eyes to see him, two white-robed men suddenly
stood there among them. 11They said, "Men of Galilee, why are you standing here staring at the sky? Jesus
has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!"
Matthias Replaces Judas
12The apostles were at the Mount of Olives when this happened, so they walked the half mile back to
Jerusalem. 13Then they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying. Here is the list of
those who were present:
Peter,
John,
James,
Andrew,
Philip,
Thomas,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
James (son of Alphaeus),
Simon (the Zealot),
and Judas (son of James).
14They all met together continually for prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women,
and the brothers of Jesus.
15During this time, on a day when about 120 believers were present, Peter stood up and addressed them as
follows:
16"Brothers, it was necessary for the Scriptures to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided the Temple
police to arrest Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. 17Judas
was one of us, chosen to share in the ministry with us."
18(Judas bought a field with the money he received for his treachery, and falling there, he burst open, spilling
out his intestines. 19The news of his death spread rapidly among all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave
the place the Aramaic name Akeldama, which means "Field of Blood.")
20Peter continued, "This was predicted in the book of Psalms, where it says, `Let his home become desolate,
with no one living in it.' And again, `Let his position be given to someone else.'
21"So now we must choose another man to take Judas's place. It must be someone who has been with us all
the time that we were with the Lord Jesus-- 22from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was
taken from us into heaven. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus' resurrection."
23So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24Then they all
prayed for the right man to be chosen. "O Lord," they said, "you know every heart. Show us which of these
men you have chosen 25as an apostle to replace Judas the traitor in this ministry, for he has deserted us and
gone where he belongs." 26Then they cast lots, and in this way Matthias was chosen and became an apostle
with the other eleven.
chapter 2
The Holy Spirit Comes
1On the day of Pentecost, seven weeks after Jesus' resurrection, the believers were meeting together in one
place. 2Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven like the roaring of a mighty windstorm in the skies above
them, and it filled the house where they were meeting. 3Then, what looked like flames or tongues of fire
appeared and settled on each of them. 4And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began
speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.
5Godly Jews from many nations were living in Jerusalem at that time. 6When they heard this sound, they
came running to see what it was all about, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being
spoken by the believers.
7They were beside themselves with wonder. "How can this be?" they exclaimed. "These people are all from
Galilee, 8and yet we hear them speaking the languages of the lands where we were born! 9Here we
are--Parthians, Medes, Elamites, people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia,
10Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas of Libya toward Cyrene, visitors from Rome (both Jews and
converts to Judaism), 11Cretans, and Arabians. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages
about the wonderful things God has done!" 12They stood there amazed and perplexed. "What can this mean?"
they asked each other. 13But others in the crowd were mocking. "They're drunk, that's all!" they said.
Peter Preaches to a Crowd
14Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, "Listen carefully, all
of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this. 15Some of you are saying these
people are drunk. It isn't true! It's much too early for that. People don't get drunk by nine o'clock in the
morning. 16No, what you see this morning was predicted centuries ago by the prophet Joel:
17
`In the last days, God said,
I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
and your old men will dream dreams.
18
In those days I will pour out my Spirit
upon all my servants, men and women alike,
and they will prophesy.
19
And I will cause wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below--
blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20
The sun will be turned into darkness,
and the moon will turn bloodred,
before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives.
21
And anyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.'
22"People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus of Nazareth by doing wonderful miracles, wonders,
and signs through him, as you well know. 23But you followed God's prearranged plan. With the help of lawless
Gentiles, you nailed him to the cross and murdered him. 24However, God released him from the horrors of
death and raised him back to life again, for death could not keep him in its grip. 25King David said this about
him:
`I know the Lord is always with me.
I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
26
No wonder my heart is filled with joy,
and my mouth shouts his praises!
My body rests in hope.
27
For you will not leave my soul among the dead
or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
28
You have shown me the way of life,
and you will give me wonderful joy in your presence.'
29"Dear brothers, think about this! David wasn't referring to himself when he spoke these words I have
quoted, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. 30But he was a prophet, and he knew
God had promised with an oath that one of David's own descendants would sit on David's throne as the
Messiah. 31David was looking into the future and predicting the Messiah's resurrection. He was saying that
the Messiah would not be left among the dead and that his body would not rot in the grave.
32"This prophecy was speaking of Jesus, whom God raised from the dead, and we all are witnesses of this.
33Now he sits on the throne of highest honor in heaven, at God's right hand. And the Father, as he had
promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and hear today. 34For David himself
never ascended into heaven, yet he said,
`The LORD said to my Lord,
Sit in honor at my right hand
35
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.'
36So let it be clearly known by everyone in Israel that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified to be
both Lord and Messiah!"
37Peter's words convicted them deeply, and they said to him and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what
should we do?"
38Peter replied, "Each of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus
Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39This promise is to
you and to your children, and even to the Gentiles--all who have been called by the Lord our God." 40Then
Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, "Save yourselves from this
generation that has gone astray!"
41Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church--about three thousand in all.
42They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship,
sharing in the Lord's Supper and in prayer.
The Believers Meet Together
43A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.
44And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. 45They sold their
possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. 46They worshiped together at the Temple each
day, met in homes for the Lord's Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity-- 47all the
while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group
those who were being saved.
chapter 3
Peter Heals a Crippled Beggar
1Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o'clock prayer service. 2As they
approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple
gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. 3When he
saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money.
4Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, "Look at us!" 5The lame man looked at them eagerly,
expecting a gift. 6But Peter said, "I don't have any money for you. But I'll give you what I have. In the name
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!"
7Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man's feet and
anklebones were healed and strengthened. 8He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then,
walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
9All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. 10When they realized he was the lame beggar
they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! 11They all rushed out to
Solomon's Colonnade, where he was holding tightly to Peter and John. Everyone stood there in awe of the
wonderful thing that had happened.
Peter Preaches in the Temple
12Peter saw his opportunity and addressed the crowd. "People of Israel," he said, "what is so astounding
about this? And why look at us as though we had made this man walk by our own power and godliness? 13For
it is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God of all our ancestors who has brought
glory to his servant Jesus by doing this. This is the same Jesus whom you handed over and rejected before
Pilate, despite Pilate's decision to release him. 14You rejected this holy, righteous one and instead demanded
the release of a murderer. 15You killed the author of life, but God raised him to life. And we are witnesses of
this fact!
16"The name of Jesus has healed this man--and you know how lame he was before. Faith in Jesus' name has
caused this healing before your very eyes.
17"Friends, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your
leaders. 18But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had declared about the Messiah beforehand--that he
must suffer all these things. 19Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins.
20Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will send Jesus your
Messiah to you again. 21For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as
God promised long ago through his prophets. 22Moses said, `The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like me
from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you.' 23Then Moses said, `Anyone who
will not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from God's people and utterly destroyed.'
24"Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. 25You are the children of
those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to
Abraham, `Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.' 26When God raised up his
servant, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful
ways."
chapter 4
Peter and John before the Council
1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the leading priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and
some of the Sadducees came over to them. 2They were very disturbed that Peter and John were claiming, on
the authority of Jesus, that there is a resurrection of the dead. 3They arrested them and, since it was
already evening, jailed them until morning. 4But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so
that the number of believers totaled about five thousand men, not counting women and children.
5The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas
the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7They
brought in the two disciples and demanded, "By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?"
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Leaders and elders of our nation, 9are we being
questioned because we've done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed?
10Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of
Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. 11For Jesus is the
one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
`The stone that you builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.'
12There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save
them."
13The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could
see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had
been with Jesus. 14But since the man who had been healed was standing right there among them, the council
had nothing to say. 15So they sent Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among
themselves.
16"What should we do with these men?" they asked each other. "We can't deny they have done a miraculous
sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17But perhaps we can stop them from spreading their
propaganda. We'll warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus' name again." 18So they called the apostles
back in and told them never again to speak or teach about Jesus.
19But Peter and John replied, "Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20We cannot stop
telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard."
21The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn't know how to
punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God 22for this miraculous sign--the healing of a
man who had been lame for more than forty years.
The Believers Pray for Courage
23As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other believers and told them what the leading
priests and elders had said. 24Then all the believers were united as they lifted their voices in prayer: "O
Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-- 25you spoke long ago by the
Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying,
`Why did the nations rage?
Why did the people waste their time with futile plans?
26
The kings of the earth prepared for battle;
the rulers gathered together
against the Lord
and against his Messiah.'
27"That is what has happened here in this city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the
Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed. 28In
fact, everything they did occurred according to your eternal will and plan. 29And now, O Lord, hear their
threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching. 30Send your healing power; may miraculous
signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit.
And they preached God's message with boldness.
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that what they owned was not their own; they
shared everything they had. 33And the apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus,
and God's great favor was upon them all. 34There was no poverty among them, because people who owned
land or houses sold them 35and brought the money to the apostles to give to others in need.
36For instance, there was Joseph, the one the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means "Son of
Encouragement"). He was from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus. 37He sold a field he
owned and brought the money to the apostles for those in need.
chapter 5
Ananias and Sapphira
1There was also a man named Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property. 2He brought part of
the money to the apostles, but he claimed it was the full amount. His wife had agreed to this deception.
3Then Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of
the money for yourself. 4The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the
money was yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren't lying to us but to God."
5As soon as Ananias heard these words, he fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was
terrified. 6Then some young men wrapped him in a sheet and took him out and buried him.
7About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter asked her, "Was this the
price you and your husband received for your land?"
"Yes," she replied, "that was the price."
9And Peter said, "How could the two of you even think of doing a thing like this--conspiring together to test
the Spirit of the Lord? Just outside that door are the young men who buried your husband, and they will carry
you out, too."
10Instantly, she fell to the floor and died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they
carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11Great fear gripped the entire church and all others who
heard what had happened.
The Apostles Heal Many
12Meanwhile, the apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And the
believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon's Colonnade. 13No one else
dared to join them, though everyone had high regard for them. 14And more and more people believed and
were brought to the Lord--crowds of both men and women. 15As a result of the apostles' work, sick people
were brought out into the streets on beds and mats so that Peter's shadow might fall across some of them as
he went by. 16Crowds came in from the villages around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those possessed by
evil spirits, and they were all healed.
The Apostles Meet Opposition
17The high priest and his friends, who were Sadducees, reacted with violent jealousy. 18They arrested the
apostles and put them in the jail. 19But an angel of the Lord came at night, opened the gates of the jail, and
brought them out. Then he told them, 20"Go to the Temple and give the people this message of life!" 21So
the apostles entered the Temple about daybreak and immediately began teaching.
When the high priest and his officials arrived, they convened the high council, along with all the elders of
Israel. Then they sent for the apostles to be brought for trial. 22But when the Temple guards went to the jail,
the men were gone. So they returned to the council and reported, 23"The jail was locked, with the guards
standing outside, but when we opened the gates, no one was there!"
24When the captain of the Temple guard and the leading priests heard this, they were perplexed, wondering
where it would all end. 25Then someone arrived with the news that the men they had jailed were out in the
Temple, teaching the people.
26The captain went with his Temple guards and arrested them, but without violence, for they were afraid the
people would kill them if they treated the apostles roughly. 27Then they brought the apostles in before the
council. 28"Didn't we tell you never again to teach in this man's name?" the high priest demanded. "Instead,
you have filled all Jerusalem with your teaching about Jesus, and you intend to blame us for his death!"
29But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than human authority. 30The God of our
ancestors raised Jesus from the dead after you killed him by crucifying him. 31Then God put him in the place
of honor at his right hand as Prince and Savior. He did this to give the people of Israel an opportunity to turn
from their sins and turn to God so their sins would be forgiven. 32We are witnesses of these things and so is
the Holy Spirit, who is given by God to those who obey him."
33At this, the high council was furious and decided to kill them. 34But one member had a different
perspective. He was a Pharisee named Gamaliel, who was an expert on religious law and was very popular
with the people. He stood up and ordered that the apostles be sent outside the council chamber for a while.
35Then he addressed his colleagues as follows: "Men of Israel, take care what you are planning to do to
these men! 36Some time ago there was that fellow Theudas, who pretended to be someone great. About four
hundred others joined him, but he was killed, and his followers went their various ways. The whole movement
came to nothing. 37After him, at the time of the census, there was Judas of Galilee. He got some people to
follow him, but he was killed, too, and all his followers were scattered.
38"So my advice is, leave these men alone. If they are teaching and doing these things merely on their own,
it will soon be overthrown. 39But if it is of God, you will not be able to stop them. You may even find
yourselves fighting against God."
40The council accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered
them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. 41The apostles left the high council
rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus. 42And every day, in
the Temple and in their homes, they continued to teach and preach this message: "The Messiah you are
looking for is Jesus."
chapter 6
Seven Men Chosen to Serve
1But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. Those who spoke Greek
complained against those who spoke Hebrew, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the
daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers.
"We apostles should spend our time preaching and teaching the word of God, not administering a food
program," they said. 3"Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select seven men who are well
respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business. 4Then we
can spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word."
5This idea pleased the whole group, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy
Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (a Gentile convert to the Jewish
faith, who had now become a Christian). 6These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them
as they laid their hands on them.
7God's message was preached in ever-widening circles. The number of believers greatly increased in
Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
Stephen Is Arrested
8Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. 9But
one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They
were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. 10None of them was able to stand
against the wisdom and Spirit by which Stephen spoke.
11So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, "We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even
God." 12Naturally, this roused the crowds, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested
Stephen and brought him before the high council. 13The lying witnesses said, "This man is always speaking
against the Temple and against the law of Moses. 14We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will
destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us." 15At this point everyone in the
council stared at Stephen because his face became as bright as an angel's.
chapter 7
Stephen Addresses the Council
1Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these accusations true?"
2This was Stephen's reply: "Brothers and honorable fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our
ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he moved to Haran. 3God told him, `Leave your native land and
your relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.' 4So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and
lived in Haran until his father died. Then God brought him here to the land where you now live. 5But God gave
him no inheritance here, not even one square foot of land. God did promise, however, that eventually the
whole country would belong to Abraham and his descendants--though he had no children yet. 6But God also
told him that his descendants would live in a foreign country where they would be mistreated as slaves for
four hundred years. 7`But I will punish the nation that enslaves them,' God told him, `and in the end they will
come out and worship me in this place.' 8God also gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision at that time.
And so Isaac, Abraham's son, was circumcised when he was eight days old. Isaac became the father of
Jacob, and Jacob was the father of the twelve patriarchs of the Jewish nation.
9"These sons of Jacob were very jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt.
But God was with him 10and delivered him from his anguish. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of
Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and
put him in charge of all the affairs of the palace.
11"But a famine came upon Egypt and Canaan. There was great misery for our ancestors, as they ran out of
food. 12Jacob heard that there was still grain in Egypt, so he sent his sons to buy some. 13The second time
they went, Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, and they were introduced to Pharaoh. 14Then Joseph
sent for his father, Jacob, and all his relatives to come to Egypt, seventy-five persons in all. 15So Jacob went
to Egypt. He died there, as did all his sons. 16All of them were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb
Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17"As the time drew near when God would fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt
greatly increased. 18But then a new king came to the throne of Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
19This king plotted against our people and forced parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.
20"At that time Moses was born--a beautiful child in God's eyes. His parents cared for him at home for three
months. 21When at last they had to abandon him, Pharaoh's daughter found him and raised him as her own
son. 22Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he became mighty in both speech and action.
23"One day when he was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. 24During this
visit, he saw an Egyptian mistreating a man of Israel. So Moses came to his defense and avenged him, killing
the Egyptian. 25Moses assumed his brothers would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they
didn't.
26"The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker.
`Men,' he said, `you are brothers. Why are you hurting each other?'
27"But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside and told him to mind his own business. `Who made you a
ruler and judge over us?' he asked. 28`Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?'
29When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian, where his two
sons were born.
30"Forty years later, in the desert near Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to Moses in the flame of a burning
bush. 31Moses saw it and wondered what it was. As he went to see, the voice of the Lord called out to him,
32`I am the God of your ancestors--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Moses shook with terror and
dared not look.
33"And the Lord said to him, `Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 34You can be sure
that I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries. So I have come to rescue them.
Now go, for I will send you to Egypt.' 35And so God sent back the same man his people had previously
rejected by demanding, `Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' Through the angel who appeared to him in
the burning bush, Moses was sent to be their ruler and savior. 36And by means of many miraculous signs and
wonders, he led them out of Egypt, through the Red Sea, and back and forth through the wilderness for forty
years.
37"Moses himself told the people of Israel, `God will raise up a Prophet like me from among your own people.'
38Moses was with the assembly of God's people in the wilderness. He was the mediator between the people
of Israel and the angel who gave him life-giving words on Mount Sinai to pass on to us.
39"But our ancestors rejected Moses and wanted to return to Egypt. 40They told Aaron, `Make us some gods
who can lead us, for we don't know what has become of this Moses, who brought us out of Egypt.' 41So they
made an idol shaped like a calf, and they sacrificed to it and rejoiced in this thing they had made. 42Then God
turned away from them and gave them up to serve the sun, moon, and stars as their gods! In the book of the
prophets it is written,
`Was it to me you were bringing sacrifices
during those forty years in the wilderness, Israel?
43
No, your real interest was in your pagan gods--
the shrine of Molech,
the star god Rephan,
and the images you made to worship them.
So I will send you into captivity
far away in Babylon.'
44"Our ancestors carried the Tabernacle with them through the wilderness. It was constructed in exact
accordance with the plan shown to Moses by God. 45Years later, when Joshua led the battles against the
Gentile nations that God drove out of this land, the Tabernacle was taken with them into their new territory.
And it was used there until the time of King David.
46"David found favor with God and asked for the privilege of building a permanent Temple for the God of
Jacob. 47But it was Solomon who actually built it. 48However, the Most High doesn't live in temples made by
human hands. As the prophet says,
49
`Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
Could you ever build me a temple as good as that?'
asks the Lord.
`Could you build a dwelling place for me?
50
Didn't I make everything in heaven and earth?'
51"You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy
Spirit? But your ancestors did, and so do you! 52Name one prophet your ancestors didn't persecute! They
even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One--the Messiah whom you betrayed and
murdered. 53You deliberately disobeyed God's law, though you received it from the hands of angels."
54The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists in rage. 55But
Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily upward into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw
Jesus standing in the place of honor at God's right hand. 56And he told them, "Look, I see the heavens
opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God's right hand!"
57Then they put their hands over their ears, and drowning out his voice with their shouts, they rushed at
him. 58They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. The official witnesses took off their coats
and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59And as they stoned him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60And he fell to his knees,
shouting, "Lord, don't charge them with this sin!" And with that, he died.
chapter 8
1 Saul was one of the official witnesses at the killing of Stephen.
Persecution Scatters the Believers
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem, and all the believers
except the apostles fled into Judea and Samaria. 2(Some godly men came and buried Stephen with loud
weeping.) 3Saul was going everywhere to devastate the church. He went from house to house, dragging out
both men and women to throw them into jail.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
4But the believers who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus. 5Philip,
for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah. 6Crowds listened
intently to what he had to say because of the miracles he did. 7Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as
they left their victims. And many who had been paralyzed or lame were healed. 8So there was great joy in
that city.
9A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, claiming to be someone great. 10The
Samaritan people, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as "the Great One--the Power of God."
11He was very influential because of the magic he performed. 12But now the people believed Philip's message
of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and
women were baptized. 13Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever
he went, and he was amazed by the great miracles and signs Philip performed.
14When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God's message, they
sent Peter and John there. 15As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new Christians to receive the
Holy Spirit. 16The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the
name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the
Holy Spirit.
18When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people's heads,
he offered money to buy this power. 19"Let me have this power, too," he exclaimed, "so that when I lay my
hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!"
20But Peter replied, "May your money perish with you for thinking God's gift can be bought! 21You can have
no part in this, for your heart is not right before God. 22Turn from your wickedness and pray to the Lord.
Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, 23for I can see that you are full of bitterness and held captive by
sin."
24"Pray to the Lord for me," Simon exclaimed, "that these terrible things won't happen to me!"
25After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And
they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News to them, too.
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
26As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, "Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to
Gaza." 27So he did, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the queen of
Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage,
he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
29The Holy Spirit said to Philip, "Go over and walk along beside the carriage."
30Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah; so he asked, "Do you understand what
you are reading?"
31The man replied, "How can I, when there is no one to instruct me?" And he begged Philip to come up into
the carriage and sit with him. 32The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
"He was led as a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
33
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth."
34The eunuch asked Philip, "Was Isaiah talking about himself or someone else?" 35So Philip began with this
same Scripture and then used many others to tell him the Good News about Jesus.
36As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look! There's some water! Why can't
I be baptized?" 38He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized
him.
39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away. The eunuch never saw him
again but went on his way rejoicing. 40Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the city of Azotus! He
preached the Good News there and in every city along the way until he came to Caesarea.
chapter 9
Sauls Conversion
1Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath. He was eager to destroy the Lord's followers, so he
went to the high priest. 2He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking their
cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them--both men
and women--back to Jerusalem in chains.
3As he was nearing Damascus on this mission, a brilliant light from heaven suddenly beamed down upon him!
4He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"
5"Who are you, sir?" Saul asked.
And the voice replied, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! 6Now get up and go into the city, and you
will be told what you are to do."
7The men with Saul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone's voice, but they
saw no one! 8As Saul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind. 9So his companions led
him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days. And all that time he went without food
and water.
10Now there was a believer in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, calling, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord!" he replied.
11The Lord said, "Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you arrive, ask for Saul of Tarsus.
He is praying to me right now. 12I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying his
hands on him so that he can see again."
13"But Lord," exclaimed Ananias, "I've heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in
Jerusalem! 14And we hear that he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest every believer in Damascus."
15But the Lord said, "Go and do what I say. For Saul is my chosen instrument to take my message to the
Gentiles and to kings, as well as to the people of Israel. 16And I will show him how much he must suffer for
me."
17So Ananias went and found Saul. He laid his hands on him and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who
appeared to you on the road, has sent me so that you may get your sight back and be filled with the Holy
Spirit." 18Instantly something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and
was baptized. 19Afterward he ate some food and was strengthened.
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul stayed with the believers in Damascus for a few days. 20And immediately he began preaching about
Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is indeed the Son of God!"
21All who heard him were amazed. "Isn't this the same man who persecuted Jesus' followers with such
devastation in Jerusalem?" they asked. "And we understand that he came here to arrest them and take them
in chains to the leading priests."
22Saul's preaching became more and more powerful, and the Jews in Damascus couldn't refute his proofs that
Jesus was indeed the Messiah. 23After a while the Jewish leaders decided to kill him. 24But Saul was told
about their plot, and that they were watching for him day and night at the city gate so they could murder
him. 25So during the night, some of the other believers let him down in a large basket through an opening in
the city wall.
26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They
thought he was only pretending to be a believer! 27Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them
how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus. Barnabas also told them what the Lord had said to Saul
and how he boldly preached in the name of Jesus in Damascus. 28Then the apostles accepted Saul, and after
that he was constantly with them in Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29He debated with
some Greek-speaking Jews, but they plotted to murder him. 30When the believers heard about it, however,
they took him to Caesarea and sent him on to his hometown of Tarsus.
31The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it grew in strength and numbers.
The believers were walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.
Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Dorcas
32Peter traveled from place to place to visit the believers, and in his travels he came to the Lord's people in
the town of Lydda. 33There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight
years. 34Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and make your bed!" And he was healed
instantly. 35Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon turned to the Lord when they saw Aeneas
walking around.
36There was a believer in Joppa named Tabitha (which in Greek is Dorcas). She was always doing kind things
for others and helping the poor. 37About this time she became ill and died. Her friends prepared her for burial
and laid her in an upstairs room. 38But they had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men
to beg him, "Please come as soon as possible!"
39So Peter returned with them; and as soon as he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. The room was
filled with widows who were weeping and showing him the coats and other garments Dorcas had made for
them. 40But Peter asked them all to leave the room; then he knelt and prayed. Turning to the body he said,
"Get up, Tabitha." And she opened her eyes! When she saw Peter, she sat up! 41He gave her his hand and
helped her up. Then he called in the widows and all the believers, and he showed them that she was alive.
42The news raced through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. 43And Peter stayed a long time in
Joppa, living with Simon, a leatherworker.
chapter 10
Cornelius Calls for Peter
1In Caesarea there lived a Roman army officer named Cornelius, who was a captain of the Italian Regiment.
2He was a devout man who feared the God of Israel, as did his entire household. He gave generously to
charity and was a man who regularly prayed to God. 3One afternoon about three o'clock, he had a vision in
which he saw an angel of God coming toward him. "Cornelius!" the angel said.
4Cornelius stared at him in terror. "What is it, sir?" he asked the angel.
And the angel replied, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have not gone unnoticed by God! 5Now send some
men down to Joppa to find a man named Simon Peter. 6He is staying with Simon, a leatherworker who lives
near the shore. Ask him to come and visit you."
7As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, one of
his personal attendants. 8He told them what had happened and sent them off to Joppa.
Peter Visits Cornelius
9The next day as Cornelius's messengers were nearing the city, Peter went up to the flat roof to pray. It was
about noon, 10and he was hungry. But while lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw the
sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. 12In the sheet were all sorts of
animals, reptiles, and birds. 13Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; kill and eat them."
14"Never, Lord," Peter declared. "I have never in all my life eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish laws."
15The voice spoke again, "If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't." 16The same vision was
repeated three times. Then the sheet was pulled up again to heaven.
17Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found the
house and stood outside at the gate. 18They asked if this was the place where Simon Peter was staying.
19Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, "Three men have come looking
for you. 20Go down and go with them without hesitation. All is well, for I have sent them."
21So Peter went down and said, "I'm the man you are looking for. Why have you come?"
22They said, "We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout man who fears the God of Israel
and is well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to send for you so you can go to his house
and give him a message." 23So Peter invited the men to be his guests for the night. The next day he went
with them, accompanied by some other believers from Joppa.
24They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for him and had called together his
relatives and close friends to meet Peter. 25As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell to the floor before him in
worship. 26But Peter pulled him up and said, "Stand up! I'm a human being like you!" 27So Cornelius got up,
and they talked together and went inside where the others were assembled.
28Peter told them, "You know it is against the Jewish laws for me to come into a Gentile home like this. But
God has shown me that I should never think of anyone as impure. 29So I came as soon as I was sent for.
Now tell me why you sent for me."
30Cornelius replied, "Four days ago I was praying in my house at three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a
man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me. 31He told me, `Cornelius, your prayers have been heard,
and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! 32Now send some men to Joppa and summon Simon
Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a leatherworker who lives near the shore.' 33So I sent for you at
once, and it was good of you to come. Now here we are, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord
has given you."
The Gentiles Hear the Good News
34Then Peter replied, "I see very clearly that God doesn't show partiality. 35In every nation he accepts those
who fear him and do what is right. 36I'm sure you have heard about the Good News for the people of
Israel--that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what happened all
through Judea, beginning in Galilee after John the Baptist began preaching. 38And no doubt you know that
God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and
healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, for God was with him.
39"And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Israel and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by
crucifying him, 40but God raised him to life three days later. Then God allowed him to appear, 41not to the
general public, but to us whom God had chosen beforehand to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and
drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that
Jesus is ordained of God to be the judge of all--the living and the dead. 43He is the one all the prophets
testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name."
The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit
44Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who had heard the message. 45The
Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out upon
the Gentiles, too. 46And there could be no doubt about it, for they heard them speaking in tongues and
praising God.
Then Peter asked, 47"Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit
just as we did?" 48So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius
asked him to stay with them for several days.
chapter 11
Peter Explains His Actions
1Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of
God. 2But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, some of the Jewish believers criticized him. 3"You entered
the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!" they said.
4Then Peter told them exactly what had happened. 5"One day in Joppa," he said, "while I was praying, I went
into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners from the sky.
And it came right down to me. 6When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of small animals, wild animals,
reptiles, and birds that we are not allowed to eat. 7And I heard a voice say, `Get up, Peter; kill and eat
them.'
8" `Never, Lord,' I replied. `I have never eaten anything forbidden by our Jewish laws.'
9"But the voice from heaven came again, `If God says something is acceptable, don't say it isn't.'
10"This happened three times before the sheet and all it contained was pulled back up to heaven. 11Just
then three men who had been sent from Caesarea arrived at the house where I was staying. 12The Holy
Spirit told me to go with them and not to worry about their being Gentiles. These six brothers here
accompanied me, and we soon arrived at the home of the man who had sent for us. 13He told us how an
angel had appeared to him in his home and had told him, `Send messengers to Joppa to find Simon Peter.
14He will tell you how you and all your household will be saved!'
15"Well, I began telling them the Good News, but just as I was getting started, the Holy Spirit fell on them,
just as he fell on us at the beginning. 16Then I thought of the Lord's words when he said, `John baptized
with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' 17And since God gave these Gentiles the same gift
he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to argue?"
18When the others heard this, all their objections were answered and they began praising God. They said,
"God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of turning from sin and receiving eternal life."
The Church in Antioch of Syria
19Meanwhile, the believers who had fled from Jerusalem during the persecution after Stephen's death traveled
as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the Good News, but only to Jews.
20However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to Gentiles
about the Lord Jesus. 21The power of the Lord was upon them, and large numbers of these Gentiles believed
and turned to the Lord.
22When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23When he
arrived and saw this proof of God's favor, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true
to the Lord. 24Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And large numbers of
people were brought to the Lord.
25Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to find Saul. 26When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both
of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching great numbers of people. (It was there at
Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
27During this time, some prophets traveled from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28One of them named Agabus stood up
in one of the meetings to predict by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world.
(This was fulfilled during the reign of Claudius.) 29So the believers in Antioch decided to send relief to the
brothers and sisters in Judea, everyone giving as much as they could. 30This they did, entrusting their gifts
to Barnabas and Saul to take to the elders of the church in Jerusalem.
chapter 12
James Is Killed and Peter Is Imprisoned
1About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 2He had the apostle
James (John's brother) killed with a sword. 3When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish leaders, he
arrested Peter during the Passover celebration 4and imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four
squads of four soldiers each. Herod's intention was to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5But
while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
Peters Miraculous Escape from Prison
6The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, chained between two soldiers, with others
standing guard at the prison gate. 7Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord
stood before Peter. The angel tapped him on the side to awaken him and said, "Quick! Get up!" And the
chains fell off his wrists. 8Then the angel told him, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." And he did. "Now
put on your coat and follow me," the angel ordered.
9So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn't realize it was
really happening. 10They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate to the street,
and this opened to them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then
the angel suddenly left him.
11Peter finally realized what had happened. "It's really true!" he said to himself. "The Lord has sent his angel
and saved me from Herod and from what the Jews were hoping to do to me!"
12After a little thought, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered
for prayer. 13He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14When
she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and
told everyone, "Peter is standing at the door!"
15"You're out of your mind," they said. When she insisted, they decided, "It must be his angel."
16Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally went out and opened the door, they were amazed.
17He motioned for them to quiet down and told them what had happened and how the Lord had led him out of
jail. "Tell James and the other brothers what happened," he said. And then he went to another place.
18At dawn, there was a great commotion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. 19Herod
Agrippa ordered a thorough search for him. When he couldn't be found, Herod interrogated the guards and
sentenced them to death. Afterward Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
The Death of Herod Agrippa
20Now Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they sent a delegation to make peace
with him because their cities were dependent upon Herod's country for their food. They made friends with
Blastus, Herod's personal assistant, 21and an appointment with Herod was granted. When the day arrived,
Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and made a speech to them. 22The people gave him a great
ovation, shouting, "It is the voice of a god, not of a man!"
23Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people's worship
instead of giving the glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died.
24But God's Good News was spreading rapidly, and there were many new believers.
25When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission in Jerusalem, they returned to Antioch, taking John Mark
with them.
chapter 13
Barnabas and Saul Are Sent Out
1Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called "the
black man"), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul. 2One
day as these men were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for
the special work I have for them." 3So after more fasting and prayer, the men laid their hands on them and
sent them on their way.
Pauls First Missionary Journey
4Sent out by the Holy Spirit, Saul and Barnabas went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for the
island of Cyprus. 5There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word
of God. (John Mark went with them as their assistant.)
6Afterward they preached from town to town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where
they met a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7He had attached himself to the governor,
Sergius Paulus, a man of considerable insight and understanding. The governor invited Barnabas and Saul to
visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God. 8But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name means in Greek),
interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what Saul and Barnabas said. He was trying to turn
the governor away from the Christian faith.
9Then Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked the sorcerer in the eye and said, 10"You son
of the Devil, full of every sort of trickery and villainy, enemy of all that is good, will you never stop perverting
the true ways of the Lord? 11And now the Lord has laid his hand of punishment upon you, and you will be
stricken awhile with blindness." Instantly mist and darkness fell upon him, and he began wandering around
begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. 12When the governor saw what had happened, he
believed and was astonished at what he learned about the Lord.
Paul Preaches in Antioch of Pisidia
13Now Paul and those with him left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There
John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. 14But Barnabas and Paul traveled inland to Antioch of Pisidia.
On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the services. 15After the usual readings from the books of
Moses and from the Prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message: "Brothers, if you have
any word of encouragement for us, come and give it!"
16So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet them, and started speaking. "People of Israel," he said, "and you
devout Gentiles who fear the God of Israel, listen to me.
17"The God of this nation of Israel chose our ancestors and made them prosper in Egypt. Then he powerfully
led them out of their slavery. 18He put up with them through forty years of wandering around in the
wilderness. 19Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to Israel as an inheritance.
20All this took about 450 years. After that, judges ruled until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21Then the
people begged for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned
for forty years. 22But God removed him from the kingship and replaced him with David, a man about whom
God said, `David son of Jesse is a man after my own heart, for he will do everything I want him to.'
23"And it is one of King David's descendants, Jesus, who is God's promised Savior of Israel! 24But before he
came, John the Baptist preached the need for everyone in Israel to turn from sin and turn to God and be
baptized. 25As John was finishing his ministry he asked, `Do you think I am the Messiah? No! But he is coming
soon--and I am not even worthy to be his slave.'
26"Brothers--you sons of Abraham, and also all of you devout Gentiles who fear the God of Israel--this
salvation is for us! 27The people in Jerusalem and their leaders fulfilled prophecy by condemning Jesus to
death. They didn't recognize him or realize that he is the one the prophets had written about, though they
hear the prophets' words read every Sabbath. 28They found no just cause to execute him, but they asked
Pilate to have him killed anyway.
29"When they had fulfilled all the prophecies concerning his death, they took him down from the cross and
placed him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from the dead! 31And he appeared over a period of many days to
those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem--these are his witnesses to the people of Israel.
32"And now Barnabas and I are here to bring you this Good News. God's promise to our ancestors has come
true in our own time, 33in that God raised Jesus. This is what the second psalm is talking about when it says
concerning Jesus,
`You are my Son.
Today I have become your Father.'
34For God had promised to raise him from the dead, never again to die. This is stated in the Scripture that
says, `I will give you the sacred blessings I promised to David.' 35Another psalm explains more fully, saying,
`You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.' 36Now this is not a reference to David, for after David
had served his generation according to the will of God, he died and was buried, and his body decayed. 37No,
it was a reference to someone else--someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay.
38"Brothers, listen! In this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. 39Everyone who believes in him is
freed from all guilt and declared right with God--something the Jewish law could never do. 40Be careful! Don't
let the prophets' words apply to you. For they said,
41
`Look, you mockers,
be amazed and die!
For I am doing something in your own day,
something you wouldn't believe
even if someone told you about it.' "
42As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue that day, the people asked them to return again and speak
about these things the next week. 43Many Jews and godly converts to Judaism who worshiped at the
synagogue followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them, "By God's grace, remain faithful."
Paul Turns to the Gentiles
44The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. 45But
when the Jewish leaders saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against
whatever he said.
46Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, "It was necessary that this Good News from God be
given first to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life--well,
we will offer it to Gentiles. 47For this is as the Lord commanded us when he said,
`I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.' "
48When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who
were appointed to eternal life became believers. 49So the Lord's message spread throughout that region.
50Then the Jewish leaders stirred up both the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they
incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. 51But they shook off the dust of their
feet against them and went to the city of Iconium. 52And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy
Spirit.
chapter 14
Paul and Barnabas in Iconium
1In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went together to the synagogue and preached with such power that a great
number of both Jews and Gentiles believed. 2But the Jews who spurned God's message stirred up distrust
among the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas, saying all sorts of evil things about them. 3The apostles
stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. The Lord proved their message was
true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4But the people of the city were divided in
their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.
5A mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them. 6When the apostles
learned of it, they fled for their lives. They went to the region of Lycaonia, to the cities of Lystra and Derbe
and the surrounding area, 7and they preached the Good News there.
Paul and Barnabas in Lystra and Derbe
8While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way
from birth, so he had never walked. 9He was listening as Paul preached, and Paul noticed him and realized he
had faith to be healed. 10So Paul called to him in a loud voice, "Stand up!" And the man jumped to his feet
and started walking.
11When the listening crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, "These men are gods
in human bodies!" 12They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul, because he was the
chief speaker, was Hermes. 13The temple of Zeus was located on the outskirts of the city. The priest of the
temple and the crowd brought oxen and wreaths of flowers, and they prepared to sacrifice to the apostles at
the city gates.
14But when Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out
among the people, shouting, 15"Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings like yourselves!
We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things to the living
God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 16In earlier days he permitted all the
nations to go their own ways, 17but he never left himself without a witness. There were always his
reminders, such as sending you rain and good crops and giving you food and joyful hearts." 18But even so,
Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.
19Now some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and turned the crowds into a murderous mob. They
stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, apparently dead. 20But as the believers stood around him, he
got up and went back into the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.
Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch of Syria
21After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned again to
Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to
continue in the faith, reminding them that they must enter into the Kingdom of God through many tribulations.
23Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church and prayed for them with fasting, turning them
over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had come to trust. 24Then they traveled back through Pisidia to
Pamphylia. 25They preached again in Perga, then went on to Attalia.
26Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun and where they had been
committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27Upon arriving in Antioch, they called
the church together and reported about their trip, telling all that God had done and how he had opened the
door of faith to the Gentiles, too. 28And they stayed there with the believers in Antioch for a long time.
chapter 15
The Council at Jerusalem
1While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the
Christians: "Unless you keep the ancient Jewish custom of circumcision taught by Moses, you cannot be
saved." 2Paul and Barnabas, disagreeing with them, argued forcefully and at length. Finally, Paul and Barnabas
were sent to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this
question. 3The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and
Samaria to visit the believers. They told them--much to everyone's joy--that the Gentiles, too, were being
converted.
4When they arrived in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were welcomed by the whole church, including the
apostles and elders. They reported on what God had been doing through their ministry. 5But then some of the
men who had been Pharisees before their conversion stood up and declared that all Gentile converts must be
circumcised and be required to follow the law of Moses.
6So the apostles and church elders got together to decide this question. 7At the meeting, after a long
discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from
among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.
8God, who knows people's hearts, confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as
he gave him to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for he also cleansed their hearts through
faith. 10Why are you now questioning God's way by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither
we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the special
favor of the Lord Jesus."
12There was no further discussion, and everyone listened as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous
signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13When they had finished, James stood and said, "Brothers, listen to me. 14Peter has told you about the time
God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. 15And this conversion of Gentiles agrees
with what the prophets predicted. For instance, it is written:
16
`Afterward I will return,
and I will restore the fallen kingdom of David.
From the ruins I will rebuild it,
and I will restore it,
17
so that the rest of humanity might find the Lord,
including the Gentiles--
all those I have called to be mine.
This is what the Lord says,
18
he who made these things known long ago.'
19And so my judgment is that we should stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, 20except that we
should write to them and tell them to abstain from eating meat sacrificed to idols, from sexual immorality, and
from consuming blood or eating the meat of strangled animals. 21For these laws of Moses have been
preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations."
The Letter for Gentile Believers
22Then the apostles and elders and the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to
Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church
leaders--Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas. 23This is the letter they took along with them:
"This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers
in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!
24"We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but they
had no such instructions from us. 25So it seemed good to us, having unanimously agreed on our decision, to
send you these official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26who have risked their
lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27So we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you what we have
decided concerning your question.
28"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these
requirements: 29You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or eating the meat
of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell."
30The four messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the Christians
and delivered the letter. 31And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this
encouraging message.
32Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke extensively to the Christians, encouraging and
strengthening their faith. 33They stayed for a while, and then Judas and Silas were sent back to Jerusalem,
with the blessings of the Christians, to those who had sent them. 35Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch to
assist many others who were teaching and preaching the word of the Lord there.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
36After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's return to each city where we previously preached the word of
the Lord, to see how the new believers are getting along." 37Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John
Mark. 38But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not shared in
their work. 39Their disagreement over this was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with
him and sailed for Cyprus. 40Paul chose Silas, and the believers sent them off, entrusting them to the Lord's
grace. 41So they traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia to strengthen the churches there.
chapter 16
Pauls Second Missionary Journey
1Paul and Silas went first to Derbe and then on to Lystra. There they met Timothy, a young disciple whose
mother was a Jewish believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2Timothy was well thought of by the believers
in Lystra and Iconium, 3so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the
area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a
Greek. 4Then they went from town to town, explaining the decision regarding the commandments that were
to be obeyed, as decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. 5So the churches were strengthened in
their faith and grew daily in numbers.
A Call from Macedonia
6Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had told them
not to go into the province of Asia at that time. 7Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed for the
province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go. 8So instead, they went on through
Mysia to the city of Troas.
9That night Paul had a vision. He saw a man from Macedonia in northern Greece, pleading with him, "Come
over here and help us." 10So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, for we could only conclude that
God was calling us to preach the Good News there.
Lydia of Philippi Believes in Jesus
11We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we
landed at Neapolis. 12From there we reached Philippi, a major city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman
colony; we stayed there several days.
13On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we supposed that some people
met for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had come together. 14One of them was
Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. As she listened to us,
the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15She was baptized along with other
members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am faithful to the Lord,"
she said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we did.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a
fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. 17She followed along behind us shouting, "These
men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved."
18This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and spoke to the demon within
her. "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her," he said. And instantly it left her.
19Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before
the authorities at the marketplace. 20"The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted.
21"They are teaching the people to do things that are against Roman customs."
22A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with
wooden rods. 23They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to
make sure they didn't escape. 24So he took no chances but put them into the inner dungeon and clamped
their feet in the stocks.
25Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were
listening. 26Suddenly, there was a great earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the
doors flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide
open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28But Paul shouted to him,
"Don't do it! We are all here!"
29Trembling with fear, the jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down before Paul and Silas.
30He brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"
31They replied, "Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with your entire household." 32Then
they shared the word of the Lord with him and all who lived in his household. 33That same hour the jailer
washed their wounds, and he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34Then he brought
them into his house and set a meal before them. He and his entire household rejoiced because they all
believed in God.
35The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, "Let those men go!" 36So the jailer told
Paul, "You and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace."
37But Paul replied, "They have publicly beaten us without trial and jailed us--and we are Roman citizens. So
now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!"
38When the police made their report, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman
citizens. 39They came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to
leave the city. 40Paul and Silas then returned to the home of Lydia, where they met with the believers and
encouraged them once more before leaving town.
chapter 17
Paul Preaches in Thessalonica
1Now Paul and Silas traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where
there was a Jewish synagogue. 2As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue service, and for three
Sabbaths in a row he interpreted the Scriptures to the people. 3He was explaining and proving the prophecies
about the sufferings of the Messiah and his rising from the dead. He said, "This Jesus I'm telling you about is
the Messiah." 4Some who listened were persuaded and became converts, including a large number of godly
Greek men and also many important women of the city.
5But the Jewish leaders were jealous, so they gathered some worthless fellows from the streets to form a
mob and start a riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they could drag them
out to the crowd. 6Not finding them there, they dragged out Jason and some of the other believers instead
and took them before the city council. "Paul and Silas have turned the rest of the world upside down, and
now they are here disturbing our city," they shouted. 7"And Jason has let them into his home. They are all
guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess allegiance to another king, Jesus."
8The people of the city, as well as the city officials, were thrown into turmoil by these reports. 9But the
officials released Jason and the other believers after they had posted bail.
Paul and Silas in Berea
10That very night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the
synagogue. 11And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened
eagerly to Paul's message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to check up on Paul and Silas, to see
if they were really teaching the truth. 12As a result, many Jews believed, as did some of the prominent Greek
women and many men.
13But when some Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went
there and stirred up trouble. 14The believers acted at once, sending Paul on to the coast, while Silas and
Timothy remained behind. 15Those escorting Paul went with him to Athens; then they returned to Berea with
a message for Silas and Timothy to hurry and join him.
Paul Preaches in Athens
16While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in
the city. 17He went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke
daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
18He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus
and his resurrection, they said, "This babbler has picked up some strange ideas." Others said, "He's pushing
some foreign religion."
19Then they took him to the Council of Philosophers. "Come and tell us more about this new religion," they
said. 20"You are saying some rather startling things, and we want to know what it's all about." 21(It should
be explained that all the Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time
discussing the latest ideas.)
22So Paul, standing before the Council, addressed them as follows: "Men of Athens, I notice that you are
very religious, 23for as I was walking along I saw your many altars. And one of them had this inscription on
it--`To an Unknown God.' You have been worshiping him without knowing who he is, and now I wish to tell
you about him.
24"He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn't
live in man-made temples, 25and human hands can't serve his needs--for he has no needs. He himself gives
life and breath to everything, and he satisfies every need there is. 26From one man he created all the nations
throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand which should rise and fall, and he determined their
boundaries.
27"His purpose in all of this was that the nations should seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him
and find him--though he is not far from any one of us. 28For in him we live and move and exist. As one of
your own poets says, `We are his offspring.' 29And since this is true, we shouldn't think of God as an idol
designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. 30God overlooked people's former ignorance about these
things, but now he commands everyone everywhere to turn away from idols and turn to him. 31For he has set
a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is
by raising him from the dead."
32When they heard Paul speak of the resurrection of a person who had been dead, some laughed, but others
said, "We want to hear more about this later." 33That ended Paul's discussion with them, 34but some joined
him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the Council, a woman named Damaris,
and others.
chapter 18
Paul Meets Priscilla and Aquila in Corinth
1Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in
Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had been expelled from Italy as a
result of Claudius Caesar's order to deport all Jews from Rome. 3Paul lived and worked with them, for they
were tentmakers just as he was.
4Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. 5And after Silas
and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent his full time preaching and testifying to the Jews, telling
them, "The Messiah you are looking for is Jesus." 6But when the Jews opposed him and insulted him, Paul
shook the dust from his robe and said, "Your blood be upon your own heads--I am innocent. From now on I
will go to the Gentiles."
7After that he stayed with Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue.
8Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and all his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also
became believers and were baptized.
9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, "Don't be afraid! Speak out! Don't be silent! 10For I
am with you, and no one will harm you because many people here in this city belong to me." 11So Paul stayed
there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.
12But when Gallio became governor of Achaia, some Jews rose in concerted action against Paul and brought
him before the governor for judgment. 13They accused Paul of "persuading people to worship God in ways
that are contrary to the law." 14But just as Paul started to make his defense, Gallio turned to Paul's accusers
and said, "Listen, you Jews, if this were a case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would be
obliged to listen to you. 15But since it is merely a question of words and names and your Jewish laws, you
take care of it. I refuse to judge such matters." 16And he drove them out of the courtroom. 17The mob had
grabbed Sosthenes, the leader of the synagogue, and had beaten him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio
paid no attention.
Paul Returns to Antioch of Syria
18Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that and then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and
sailed for the coast of Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. (Earlier, at Cenchrea, Paul had shaved his
head according to Jewish custom, for he had taken a vow.) 19When they arrived at the port of Ephesus, Paul
left the others behind. But while he was there, he went to the synagogue to debate with the Jews. 20They
asked him to stay longer, but he declined. 21So he left, saying, "I will come back later, God willing." Then he
set sail from Ephesus. 22The next stop was at the port of Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the
church at Jerusalem and then went back to Antioch.
23After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went back to Galatia and Phrygia, visiting all the believers,
encouraging them and helping them to grow in the Lord.
Apollos Instructed at Ephesus
24Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos, an eloquent speaker who knew the Scriptures well, had just arrived in
Ephesus from Alexandria in Egypt. 25He had been taught the way of the Lord and talked to others with great
enthusiasm and accuracy about Jesus. However, he knew only about John's baptism. 26When Priscilla and
Aquila heard him preaching boldly in the synagogue, they took him aside and explained the way of God more
accurately.
27Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him in
this. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to
be of great benefit to those who, by God's grace, had believed. 28He refuted all the Jews with powerful
arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them, "The Messiah you are looking for is
Jesus."
chapter 19
Pauls Third Missionary Journey
1While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces. Finally, he came to Ephesus,
where he found several believers. 2"Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" he asked them.
"No," they replied, "we don't know what you mean. We haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit."
3"Then what baptism did you experience?" he asked.
And they replied, "The baptism of John."
4Paul said, "John's baptism was to demonstrate a desire to turn from sin and turn to God. John himself told
the people to believe in Jesus, the one John said would come later."
5As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6Then when Paul laid his
hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. 7There were
about twelve men in all.
Paul Ministers in Ephesus
8Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about
the Kingdom of God. 9But some rejected his message and publicly spoke against the Way, so Paul left the
synagogue and took the believers with him. Then he began preaching daily at the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
10This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout the province of Asia--both Jews and
Greeks--heard the Lord's message.
11God gave Paul the power to do unusual miracles, 12so that even when handkerchiefs or cloths that had
touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and any evil spirits within
them came out.
13A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the
Lord Jesus. The incantation they used was this: "I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come
out!" 14Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15But when they tried it on a man possessed
by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, "I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?" 16And he leaped on
them and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and badly injured.
17The story of what happened spread quickly all through Ephesus, to Jews and Greeks alike. A solemn fear
descended on the city, and the name of the Lord Jesus was greatly honored. 18Many who became believers
confessed their sinful practices. 19A number of them who had been practicing magic brought their incantation
books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. 20So the
message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect.
The Riot in Ephesus
21Afterward Paul felt impelled by the Holy Spirit to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before returning to
Jerusalem. "And after that," he said, "I must go on to Rome!" 22He sent his two assistants, Timothy and
Erastus, on ahead to Macedonia while he stayed awhile longer in the province of Asia.
23But about that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24It began with Demetrius,
a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept
many craftsmen busy. 25He called the craftsmen together, along with others employed in related trades, and
addressed them as follows:
"Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. 26As you have seen and heard, this man
Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren't gods at all. And this is happening not only here in
Ephesus but throughout the entire province! 27Of course, I'm not just talking about the loss of public respect
for our business. I'm also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and
that Artemis--this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the
world--will be robbed of her prestige!"
28At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" 29A crowd began
to gather, and soon the city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along
Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia. 30Paul wanted to go in, but the
believers wouldn't let him. 31Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him,
begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.
32Inside, the people were all shouting, some one thing and some another. Everything was in confusion. In
fact, most of them didn't even know why they were there. 33Alexander was thrust forward by some of the
Jews, who encouraged him to explain the situation. He motioned for silence and tried to speak in defense.
34But when the crowd realized he was a Jew, they started shouting again and kept it up for two hours:
"Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"
35At last the mayor was able to quiet them down enough to speak. "Citizens of Ephesus," he said. "Everyone
knows that Ephesus is the official guardian of the temple of the great Artemis, whose image fell down to us
from heaven. 36Since this is an indisputable fact, you shouldn't be disturbed, no matter what is said. Don't do
anything rash. 37You have brought these men here, but they have stolen nothing from the temple and have
not spoken against our goddess. 38If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are
in session and the judges can take the case at once. Let them go through legal channels. 39And if there are
complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. 40I am afraid we are in danger of
being charged with rioting by the Roman government, since there is no cause for all this commotion. And if
Rome demands an explanation, we won't know what to say." 41Then he dismissed them, and they dispersed.
chapter 20
Paul Goes to Macedonia and Greece
1When it was all over, Paul sent for the believers and encouraged them. Then he said good-bye and left for
Macedonia. 2Along the way, he encouraged the believers in all the towns he passed through. Then he
traveled down to Greece, 3where he stayed for three months. He was preparing to sail back to Syria when he
discovered a plot by some Jews against his life, so he decided to return through Macedonia.
4Several men were traveling with him. They were Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus; Aristarchus and
Secundus, from Thessalonica; Gaius, from Derbe; Timothy; and Tychicus and Trophimus, who were from the
province of Asia. 5They went ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6As soon as the Passover season ended, we
boarded a ship at Philippi in Macedonia and five days later arrived in Troas, where we stayed a week.
Pauls Final Visit to Troas
7On the first day of the week, we gathered to observe the Lord's Supper. Paul was preaching; and since he
was leaving the next day, he talked until midnight. 8The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many
flickering lamps. 9As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became
very drowsy. Finally, he sank into a deep sleep and fell three stories to his death below. 10Paul went down,
bent over him, and took him into his arms. "Don't worry," he said, "he's alive!" 11Then they all went back
upstairs and ate the Lord's Supper together. And Paul continued talking to them until dawn; then he left.
12Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved.
Paul Meets the Ephesian Elders
13Paul went by land to Assos, where he had arranged for us to join him, and we went on ahead by ship. 14He
joined us there and we sailed together to Mitylene. 15The next day we passed the island of Kios. The
following day, we crossed to the island of Samos. And a day later we arrived at Miletus.
16Paul had decided against stopping at Ephesus this time because he didn't want to spend further time in the
province of Asia. He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem, if possible, for the Festival of Pentecost. 17But when
we landed at Miletus, he sent a message to the elders of the church at Ephesus, asking them to come down
to meet him.
18When they arrived he declared, "You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now 19I
have done the Lord's work humbly--yes, and with tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the
plots of the Jews. 20Yet I never shrank from telling you the truth, either publicly or in your homes. 21I have
had one message for Jews and Gentiles alike--the necessity of turning from sin and turning to God, and of
faith in our Lord Jesus.
22"And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me,
23except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24But my life is
worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus--the work of telling others the
Good News about God's wonderful kindness and love.
25"And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. 26Let me
say plainly that I have been faithful. No one's damnation can be blamed on me, 27for I didn't shrink from
declaring all that God wants for you.
28"And now beware! Be sure that you feed and shepherd God's flock--his church, purchased with his
blood--over whom the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders. 29I know full well that false teachers, like
vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. 30Even some of you will distort
the truth in order to draw a following. 31Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you--my constant
watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.
32"And now I entrust you to God and the word of his grace--his message that is able to build you up and give
you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.
33"I have never coveted anyone's money or fine clothing. 34You know that these hands of mine have worked
to pay my own way, and I have even supplied the needs of those who were with me. 35And I have been a
constant example of how you can help the poor by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord
Jesus: `It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
36When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. 37They wept aloud as they embraced him
in farewell, 38sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they
accompanied him down to the ship.
chapter 21
Pauls Journey to Jerusalem
1After 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. 2There we boarded a ship sailing for the Syrian province of
Phoenicia. 3We 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. 4We 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. 5When 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, 6and said our farewells. Then we went aboard, and they
returned home.
7The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters but stayed only
one day. 8Then 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. 9He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of
prophecy.
10During our stay of several days, a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from
Judea. 11When 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.' " 12When we heard this, we who were traveling with him, as well as the local
believers, begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
13But 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." 14When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him,
we gave up and said, "The will of the Lord be done."
Paul Arrives at Jerusalem
15Shortly afterward we packed our things and left for Jerusalem. 16Some 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. 17All the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem welcomed us cordially.
18The next day Paul went in with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were
present. 19After greetings were exchanged, Paul gave a detailed account of the things God had accomplished
among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20After 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. 21Our 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. 22Now what can be done? For they will certainly hear that you have come.
23"Here's our suggestion. We have four men here who have taken a vow and are preparing to shave their
heads. 24Go 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.
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."
Paul Is Arrested
26So 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.
27The 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, 28yelling, "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!" 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.)
30The 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. 31As they were trying to kill
him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32He
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. 33The commander arrested him and ordered
him bound with two chains. Then he asked the crowd who he was and what he had done. 34Some 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. 35As they reached the stairs, the mob grew so violent the soldiers had to lift Paul
to their shoulders to protect him. 36And the crowd followed behind shouting, "Kill him, kill him!"
Paul Speaks to the Crowd
37As 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. 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?"
39"No," Paul replied, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, which is an important city. Please, let me talk to these
people." 40The 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.
chapter 22
1 "Brothers and esteemed fathers," Paul said, "listen to me as I offer my defense." 2When they heard him
speaking in their own language, the silence was even greater. 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. 4And I persecuted the followers of the Way, hounding some to death, binding and delivering
both men and women to prison. 5The 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.
6"As I was on the road, nearing Damascus, about noon a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone around
me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, `Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'
8" `Who are you, sir?' I asked. And he replied, `I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are persecuting.' 9The
people with me saw the light but didn't hear the voice.
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.'
11"I was blinded by the intense light and had to be led into Damascus by my companions. 12A 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. 13He came to me and stood beside me and said, `Brother Saul, receive your sight.' And
that very hour I could see him!
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. 15You are to take his message everywhere, telling the whole world what you have seen
and heard. 16And now, why delay? Get up and be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on the
name of the Lord.'
17"One day after I returned to Jerusalem, I was praying in the Temple, and I fell into a trance. 18I 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.'
19" `But Lord,' I argued, `they certainly know that I imprisoned and beat those in every synagogue who
believed on you. 20And when your witness Stephen was killed, I was standing there agreeing. I kept the
coats they laid aside as they stoned him.'
21"But the Lord said to me, `Leave Jerusalem, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!' "
22The 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!" 23They yelled, threw off their coats, and tossed handfuls of dust into the
air.
Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship
24The 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. 25As 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?"
26The officer went to the commander and asked, "What are you doing? This man is a Roman citizen!"
27So the commander went over and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?"
"Yes, I certainly am," Paul replied.
28"I am, too," the commander muttered, "and it cost me plenty!"
"But I am a citizen by birth!"
29The 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.
Paul before the High Council
30The 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.
chapter 23
1 Gazing intently at the high council, Paul began: "Brothers, I have always lived before God in all good
conscience!"
2Instantly Ananias the high priest commanded those close to Paul to slap him on the mouth. 3But 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?"
4Those standing near Paul said to him, "Is that the way to talk to God's high priest?"
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.' "
6Paul 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!"
7This divided the council--the Pharisees against the Sadducees-- 8for the Sadducees say there is no
resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. 9So 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." 10The 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.
11That 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."
The Plan to Kill Paul
12The next morning a group of Jews got together and bound themselves with an oath to neither eat nor drink
until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than forty of them. 14They 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. 15You 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."
16But Paul's nephew heard of their plan and went to the fortress and told Paul. 17Paul called one of the
officers and said, "Take this young man to the commander. He has something important to tell him."
18So 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."
19The commander took him by the arm, led him aside, and asked, "What is it you want to tell me?"
20Paul'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. 21But 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."
22"Don't let a soul know you told me this," the commander warned the young man as he sent him away.
Paul Is Sent to Caesarea
23Then 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. 24Provide horses
for Paul to ride, and get him safely to Governor Felix." 25Then he wrote this letter to the governor:
26"From Claudius Lysias, to his Excellency, Governor Felix. Greetings! 27This 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. 28Then I took him to their high council to try to find out what he had done.
29I soon discovered it was something regarding their religious law--certainly nothing worthy of imprisonment
or death. 30But 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."
31So that night, as ordered, the soldiers took Paul as far as Antipatris. 32They returned to the fortress
the next morning, while the horsemen took him on to Caesarea. 33When they arrived in Caesarea, they
presented Paul and the letter to Governor Felix. 34He read it and then asked Paul what province he was from.
"Cilicia," Paul answered.
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.
chapter 24
Paul Appears before Felix
1Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish leaders and the lawyer Tertullus, to
press charges against Paul. 2When 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. 3And for all of this we
are very grateful to you. 4But lest I bore you, kindly give me your attention for only a moment as I briefly
outline our case against this man. 5For 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. 6Moreover he was trying to defile the Temple when we
arrested him. 8You can find out the truth of our accusations by examining him yourself." 9Then the other
Jews chimed in, declaring that everything Tertullus said was true.
10Now 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.
11You can quickly discover that it was no more than twelve days ago that I arrived in Jerusalem to worship
at the Temple. 12I didn't argue with anyone in the Temple, nor did I incite a riot in any synagogue or on the
streets of the city. 13These men certainly cannot prove the things they accuse me of doing.
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. 15I have hope in God, just as these
men do, that he will raise both the righteous and the ungodly. 16Because of this, I always try to maintain a
clear conscience before God and everyone else.
17"After several years away, I returned to Jerusalem with money to aid my people and to offer sacrifices to
God. 18My accusers saw me in the Temple as I was completing a purification ritual. There was no crowd
around me and no rioting. 19But some Jews from the province of Asia were there--and they ought to be here
to bring charges if they have anything against me! 20Ask these men here what wrongdoing the Jewish high
council found in me, 21except 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!' "
22Felix, 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." 23He 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.
24A 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. 25As 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." 26He also hoped that Paul would bribe him, so he sent for him quite often and talked with him.
27Two 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.
chapter 25
Paul Appears before Festus
1Three days after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take over his new responsibilities, he left for Jerusalem,
2where the leading priests and other Jewish leaders met with him and made their accusations against Paul.
3They asked Festus as a favor to transfer Paul to Jerusalem. (Their plan was to waylay and kill him.) 4But
Festus replied that Paul was at Caesarea and he himself would be returning there soon. 5So he said, "Those
of you in authority can return with me. If Paul has done anything wrong, you can make your accusations."
6Eight or ten days later he returned to Caesarea, and on the following day Paul's trial began. 7On Paul's
arrival in court, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they
couldn't prove. 8Paul 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."
9Then Festus, wanting to please the Jews, asked him, "Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial
before me there?"
10But 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. 11If 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!"
12Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, "Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to
Caesar you shall go!"
13A few days later King Agrippa arrived with his sister, Bernice, to pay their respects to Festus. 14During
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. 15When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and other Jewish leaders
pressed charges against him and asked me to sentence him. 16Of 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.
17"When they came here for the trial, I called the case the very next day and ordered Paul brought in. 18But
the accusations made against him weren't at all what I expected. 19It was something about their religion and
about someone called Jesus who died, but whom Paul insists is alive. 20I 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. 21But Paul appealed to the emperor. So I ordered him back to jail until I could arrange to send him
to Caesar."
22"I'd like to hear the man myself," Agrippa said.
And Festus replied, "You shall--tomorrow!"
Paul Speaks to Agrippa
23So 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. 24Then 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. 25But in my opinion he has done nothing worthy of death. However, he appealed his case to the
emperor, and I decided to send him. 26But 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. 27For it doesn't seem reasonable to send a prisoner to the emperor without
specifying the charges against him!"
chapter 26
1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You may speak in your defense."
So Paul, with a gesture of his hand, started his defense: 2"I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one
hearing my defense against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, 3for I know you are an expert
on Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently!
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. 5If they would admit it, they know that I have been a member of the
Pharisees, the strictest sect of our religion. 6Now I am on trial because I am looking forward to the fulfillment
of God's promise made to our ancestors. 7In 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!
8Why does it seem incredible to any of you that God can raise the dead?
9"I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the followers of Jesus of Nazareth.
10Authorized 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. 11Many 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.
12"One day I was on such a mission to Damascus, armed with the authority and commission of the leading
priests. 13About noon, Your Majesty, a light from heaven brighter than the sun shone down on me and my
companions. 14We 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.'
15" `Who are you, sir?' I asked.
"And the Lord replied, `I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16Now 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. 17And I will protect you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I
am going to send you to the Gentiles, 18to 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.'
19"And so, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to that vision from heaven. 20I 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. 21Some Jews arrested me in
the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me. 22But 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-- 23that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead as a light
to Jews and Gentiles alike."
24Suddenly, Festus shouted, "Paul, you are insane. Too much study has made you crazy!"
25But Paul replied, "I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. I am speaking the sober truth. 26And 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! 27King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do--"
28Agrippa interrupted him. "Do you think you can make me a Christian so quickly?"
29Paul 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."
30Then the king, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. 31As they talked it over they
agreed, "This man hasn't done anything worthy of death or imprisonment." 32And Agrippa said to Festus, "He
could be set free if he hadn't appealed to Caesar!"
chapter 27
Paul Sails for Rome
1When 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. 2And 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.
3The 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. 4Putting 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. 5We passed along the coast of the provinces of Cilicia and Pamphylia, landing at Myra, in the
province of Lycia. 6There the officer found an Egyptian ship from Alexandria that was bound for Italy, and he
put us on board.
7We 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. 8We struggled along
the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea. 9We 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.
10"Sirs," he said, "I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on--shipwreck, loss of cargo, injuries, and danger
to our lives." 11But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship's captain and the owner
than to Paul. 12And 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.
The Storm at Sea
13When 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. 14But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength
(a "northeaster," they called it) caught the ship and blew it out to sea. 15They couldn't turn the ship into the
wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale.
16We sailed behind a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat
that was being towed behind us. 17Then 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.
18The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo
overboard. 19The following day they even threw out the ship's equipment and anything else they could lay
their hands on. 20The terrible storm raged unabated for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until
at last all hope was gone.
21No 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.
22But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. 23For last night an
angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, 24and 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.' 25So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. 26But we will be shipwrecked
on an island."
The Shipwreck
27About midnight on the fourteenth night of the storm, as we were being driven across the Sea of Adria, the
sailors sensed land was near. 28They took soundings and found the water was only 120 feet deep. A little
later they sounded again and found only 90 feet. 29At 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.
30Then the sailors tried to abandon the ship; they lowered the lifeboat as though they were going to put out
anchors from the prow. 31But Paul said to the commanding officer and the soldiers, "You will all die unless the
sailors stay aboard." 32So the soldiers cut the ropes and let the boat fall off.
33As the darkness gave way to the early morning light, Paul begged everyone to eat. "You haven't touched
food for two weeks," he said. 34"Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads
will perish." 35Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it.
36Then everyone was encouraged, 37and all 276 of us began eating--for that is the number we had aboard.
38After eating, the crew lightened the ship further by throwing the cargo of wheat overboard.
39When 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. 40So they cut off the anchors and left
them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. 41But 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.
42The soldiers wanted to kill the prisoners to make sure they didn't swim ashore and escape. 43But 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, 44and he told the others to try for it on planks and
debris from the broken ship. So everyone escaped safely ashore!
chapter 28
Paul on the Island of Malta
1Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. 2The 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.
3As 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. 4The 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." 5But Paul shook off the
snake into the fire and was unharmed. 6The 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.
7Near 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. 8As 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. 9Then all the other
sick people on the island came and were cured. 10As 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.
Paul Arrives at Rome
11It 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. 12Our first stop was Syracuse, where we
stayed three days. 13From 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. 14There we found some believers, who invited us to stay with
them seven days. And so we came to Rome.
15The 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.
16When we arrived in Rome, Paul was permitted to have his own private lodging, though he was guarded by a
soldier.
Paul Preaches at Rome under Guard
17Three 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. 18The Romans tried me and wanted to release me, for
they found no cause for the death sentence. 19But 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. 20I
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."
21They replied, "We have heard nothing against you. We have had no letters from Judea or reports from
anyone who has arrived here. 22But we want to hear what you believe, for the only thing we know about
these Christians is that they are denounced everywhere."
23So 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. 24Some believed and
some didn't. 25But 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,
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.
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.'
28So I want you to realize that this salvation from God is also available to the Gentiles, and they will accept
it."
30For the next two years, Paul lived in his own rented house. He welcomed all who visited him, 31proclaiming
the Kingdom of God with all boldness and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him.