Acts
Acts 1
(The Message)
1 Dear
Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus
began to do and teach 2 until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the
ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. 3 After
his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a
period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things
concerning the kingdom of God. 4 As they met and ate meals together, he told
them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but "must wait for
what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. 5 John baptized in
water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon." 6 When they
were together for the last time they asked, "Master, are you going to restore
the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?" 7 He told them, "You
don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. 8 What you'll get
is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to
be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of
the world." 9 These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up
and disappeared in a cloud. 10 They stood there, staring into the empty sky.
Suddenly two men appeared - in white robes! 11 They said, "You Galileans!
- why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who
was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly - and mysteriously
- as he left." 12 So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to
Jerusalem. It was a little over half a mile. 13 They went to the upper room
they had been using as a meeting place: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip,
Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James, son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, Judas,
son of James. 14 They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in
prayer, the women included. Also Jesus' mother, Mary, and his brothers.
Replacing Judas 15 During this time, Peter stood up in the company - there were
about one hundred twenty of them in the room at the time - 16 and said,
"Friends, long ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David regarding Judas,
who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus. That Scripture had to be
fulfilled, and now has been. 17 Judas was one of us and had his assigned place
in this ministry. 18 "As you know, he took the evil bribe money and bought
a small farm. There he came to a bad end, rupturing his belly and spilling his
guts. 19 Everybody in Jerusalem knows this by now; they call the place Murder
Meadow. 20 It's exactly what we find written in the Psalms: Let his farm become
haunted So no one can ever live there. "And also what was written later:
Let someone else take over his post. 21 "Judas must now be replaced. The
replacement must come from the company of men who stayed together with us 22
from the time Jesus was baptized by John up to the day of his ascension,
designated along with us as a witness to his resurrection." 23 They
nominated two: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 Then they
prayed, "You, O God, know every one of us inside and out. Make plain which
of these two men you choose 25 to take the place in this ministry and
leadership that Judas threw away in order to go his own way." 26 They then
drew straws. Matthias won and was counted in with the eleven apostles.
Acts 2
(The Message)
1 When the
Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Without warning
there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force - no one could tell where it
came from. It filled the whole building. 3 Then, like a wildfire, the Holy
Spirit spread through their ranks, 4 and they started speaking in a number of
different languages as the Spirit prompted them. 5 There were many Jews staying
in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. 6 When they
heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another,
their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. 7 They couldn't
for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying,
"Aren't these all Galileans? 8 How come we're hearing them talk in our
various mother tongues? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; Visitors from
Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the
parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene; 11 both Jews and proselytes; Even Cretans
and Arabs! "They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty
works!" 12 Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of
any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on
here?" 13 Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine." 14 That's
when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold
urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen
carefully and get this story straight. 15 These people aren't drunk as some of
you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk - it's only nine o'clock in the
morning. 16 This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen: 17 "In
the Last Days," God says, "I will pour out my Spirit on every kind of
people: Your sons will prophesy, also your daughters; Your young men will see
visions, your old men dream dreams. 18 When the time comes, I'll pour out my
Spirit On those who serve me, men and women both, and they'll prophesy. 19 I'll
set wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below, Blood and fire and
billowing smoke, 20 the sun turning black and the moon blood-red, Before the
Day of the Lord arrives, the Day tremendous and marvelous; 21 And whoever calls
out for help to me, God, will be saved." 22 "Fellow Israelites,
listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly
accredited by God to you - the miracles and wonders and signs that God did
through him are common knowledge - 23 this Jesus, following the deliberate and
well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their
own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed
him. 24 But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match
for him. 25 David said it all: I saw God before me for all time. Nothing can
shake me; he's right by my side. 26 I'm glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
I've pitched my tent in the land of hope. 27 I know you'll never dump me in
Hades; I'll never even smell the stench of death. 28 You've got my feet on the
life-path, with your face shining sun-joy all around. 29 "Dear friends,
let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried -
his tomb is in plain sight today. 30 But being also a prophet and knowing that
God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, 31
seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah - 'no trip to
Hades, no stench of death.' 32 This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us
here is a witness to it. 33 Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of
God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out
the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. 34 For David
himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say, God said to my Master,
"Sit at my right hand 35 Until I make your enemies a stool for resting
your feet." 36 "All Israel, then, know this: There's no longer room
for doubt - God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a
cross." 37 Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter
and the other apostles, "Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?"
38 Peter said, "Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of
you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift
of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is targeted to you and your children, but
also to all who are far away - whomever, in fact, our Master God invites."
40 He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over,
"Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!" 41
That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were
signed up. 42 They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the
life together, the common meal, and the prayers. 43 Everyone around was in awe
- all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! 44 And all the
believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. 45 They
sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need
was met. 46 They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed
by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, 47 as they
praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew
as God added those who were saved.
Acts 3
(The Message)
1 One day at
three o'clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the
Temple for prayer meeting. 2 At the same time there was a man crippled from
birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one
named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. 3 When he saw Peter
and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. 4 Peter, with John
at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." 5
He looked up, expecting to get something from them. 6 Peter said, "I don't
have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, walk!" 7 He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled
him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. 8 He jumped to his feet
and walked. 9 Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. 10 They
recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and
rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing. 11 The
man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to
where they were at Solomon's Porch to see it for themselves. 12 When Peter saw
he had a congregation, he addressed the people: 13 The God of Abraham and Isaac
and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One
that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. 14 You repudiated the Holy One,
the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. 15 You no sooner killed
the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead - and we're the witnesses.
16 Faith in Jesus' name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his
feet - yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right
before your eyes. 17 "And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you
were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. 18 But God, who
through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah
would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his
plans. 19 "Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can
wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, 20 and send
you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. 21 For the time being he
must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again
just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it
would be. 22 Moses, for instance, said, 'Your God will raise up for you a
prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you.
23 Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped
out from the people.' 24 "All the prophets from Samuel on down said the
same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. 25 These
prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family
tree. God's covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: 'By your offspring all
the families of the earth will be blessed.' 26 But you are first in line: God,
having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your
evil ways."
Acts 4
(The Message)
1 While Peter
and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple
police, and some Sadducees came up, 2 indignant that these upstart apostles
were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead
had taken place in Jesus. 3 They arrested them and threw them in jail until
morning, for by now it was late in the evening. 4 But many of those who
listened had already believed the Message - in round numbers about five
thousand! 5 The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers,
religious leaders, religion scholars, 6 Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John,
Alexander - everybody who was anybody was there. 7 They stood Peter and John in
the middle of the room and grilled them: "Who put you in charge here? What
business do you have doing this?" 8 With that, Peter, full of the Holy
Spirit, let loose: "Rulers and leaders of the people, 9 if we have been
brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding
this healing, 10 I'll be completely frank with you - we have nothing to hide.
By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One
God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you
healthy and whole. 11 Jesus is 'the stone you masons threw out, which is now
the cornerstone.' 12 Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or
will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one." 13 They
couldn't take their eyes off them - Peter and John standing there so confident,
so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two
were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized
them as companions of Jesus, 14 but with the man right before them, seeing him
standing there so upright - so healed! - what could they say against that? 15
They sent them out of the room so they could work out a plan. They talked it
over: 16 "What can we do with these men? By now it's known all over town
that a miracle has occurred, and that they are behind it. There is no way we
can refute that. 17 But so that it doesn't go any further, let's silence them
with threats so they won't dare to use Jesus' name ever again with
anyone." 18 They called them back and warned them that they were on no
account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and
John spoke right back, "Whether it's right in God's eyes to listen to you
rather than to God, you decide. 20 As for us, there's no question - we can't keep
quiet about what we've seen and heard." 21 The religious leaders renewed
their threats, but then released them. They couldn't come up with a charge that
would stick, that would keep them in jail. The people wouldn't have stood for
it - they were all praising God over what had happened. 22 The man who had been
miraculously healed was over forty years old. 23 As soon as Peter and John were
let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and
religious leaders had said. 24 Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in
a wonderful harmony in prayer: "Strong God, you made heaven and earth and
sea and everything in them. 25 By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth
of your servant and our father, David: Why the big noise, nations? Why the mean
plots, peoples? 26 Earth's leaders push for position, Potentates meet for
summit talks, The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers! 27 "For in fact they
did meet - Herod and Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples, even Israel
itself! - met in this very city to plot against your holy Son Jesus, the One
you made Messiah, 28 to carry out the plans you long ago set in motion. 29
"And now they're at it again! Take care of their threats and give your
servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, 30 as you stretch out
your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your
holy servant Jesus." 31 While they were praying, the place where they were
meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued
to speak God's Word with fearless confidence. 32 The whole congregation of
believers was united as one - one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim
ownership of their own possessions. No one said, "That's mine; you can't
have it." They shared everything. 33 The apostles gave powerful witness to
the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them. 34 And so
it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or
houses sold them and brought the price of the sale 35 to the apostles and made
an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person's
need. 36 Joseph, called by the apostles "Barnabas" (which means
"Son of Comfort"), a Levite born in Cyprus, 37 sold a field that he
owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.
Acts 5
(The Message)
1 But a man
named Ananias - his wife, Sapphira, conniving in this with him - sold a piece
of land, 2 secretly kept part of the price for himself, and then brought the
rest to the apostles and made an offering of it. 3 Peter said, "Ananias,
how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of
the price of the field? 4 Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you
sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to
pull a trick like this? You didn't lie to men but to God." 5 Ananias, when
he heard those words, fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone
who heard of it. 6 The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then
carried him out and buried him. 7 Not more than three hours later, his wife,
knowing nothing of what had happened, came in. 8 Peter said, "Tell me,
were you given this price for your field?" "Yes," she said,
"that price." 9 Peter responded, "What's going on here that you
connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your
husband are at the door, and you're next." 10 No sooner were the words out
of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they
found her body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 By
this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had
a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with. 12 Through
the work of the apostles, many God-signs were set up among the people, many
wonderful things done. They all met regularly and in remarkable harmony on the
Temple porch named after Solomon. 13 But even though people admired them a lot,
outsiders were wary about joining them. 14 On the other hand, those who put
their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both. 15 They
even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on stretchers and
bedrolls, hoping they would be touched by Peter's shadow when he walked by. 16
They came from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, throngs of them, bringing
the sick and bedeviled. And they all were healed. To Obey God Rather than Men
17 Provoked mightily by all this, the Chief Priest and those on his side,
mainly the sect of Sadducees, went into action, 18 arrested the apostles, and
put them in the town jail. 19 But during the night an angel of God opened the
jailhouse door and led them out. 20 He said, "Go to the Temple and take
your stand. Tell the people everything there is to say about this Life."
21 Promptly obedient, they entered the Temple at daybreak and went on with
their teaching. 22 When the police got there, they couldn't find them anywhere
in the jail. They went back and reported, 23 "We found the jail locked
tight as a drum and the guards posted at the doors, but when we went inside we
didn't find a soul." 24 The chief of the Temple police and the high
priests were puzzled. "What's going on here anyway?" 25 Just then
someone showed up and said, "Did you know that the men you put in jail are
back in the Temple teaching the people?" 26 The chief and his police went
and got them, but they handled them gently, fearful that the people would riot
and turn on them. 27 Bringing them back, they stood them before the High
Council. The Chief Priest said, 28 "Didn't we give you strict orders not
to teach in Jesus' name? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching
and are trying your best to blame us for the death of this man." 29 Peter
and the apostles answered, "It's necessary to obey God rather than men. 30
The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, the One you killed by hanging him on
a cross. 31 God set him on high at his side, Prince and Savior, to give Israel
the gift of a changed life and sins forgiven. 32 And we are witnesses to these
things. The Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey him, corroborates
every detail." 33 When they heard that, they were furious and wanted to
kill them on the spot. 34 But one of the council members stood up, a Pharisee
by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of God's Law who was honored by everyone. He
ordered the men taken out of the room for a short time, 35 then said,
"Fellow Israelites, be careful what you do to these men. 36 Not long ago
Theudas made something of a splash, claiming to be somebody, and got about four
hundred men to join him. He was killed, his followers dispersed, and nothing
came of it. 37 A little later, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean
appeared and acquired a following. He also fizzled out and the people following
him were scattered to the four winds. 38 "So I am telling you: Hands off
these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it
will fall apart, 39 but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it -
and you better not be found fighting against God!" 40 That convinced them.
They called the apostles back in. After giving them a thorough whipping, they
warned them not to speak in Jesus' name and sent them off. 41 The apostles went
out of the High Council overjoyed because they had been given the honor of
being dishonored on account of the Name. 42 Every day they were in the Temple
and homes, teaching and preaching Christ Jesus, not letting up for a minute.
Acts 6
(The Message)
1 During this
time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard
feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers - "Hellenists"
- toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being
discriminated against in the daily food lines. 2 So the Twelve called a meeting
of the disciples. They said, "It wouldn't be right for us to abandon our responsibilities
for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. 3
So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of
the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we'll assign them this task. 4 Meanwhile,
we'll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God's Word." 5
The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose -
Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor,
Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas, a convert from Antioch. 6 Then they presented them to
the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for
their task. 7 The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem
increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to
the faith. 8 Stephen, brimming with God's grace and energy, was doing wonderful
things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them. 9 But then
some men from the meeting place whose membership was made up of freed slaves,
Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some others from Cilicia and Asia, went up against
him trying to argue him down. 10 But they were no match for his wisdom and
spirit when he spoke. 11 So in secret they bribed men to lie: "We heard
him cursing Moses and God." 12 That stirred up the people, the religious
leaders, and religion scholars. They grabbed Stephen and took him before the
High Council 13 They put forward their bribed witnesses to testify: "This
man talks nonstop against this Holy Place and God's Law. 14 We even heard him
say that Jesus of Nazareth would tear this place down and throw out all the
customs Moses gave us." 15 As all those who sat on the High Council looked
at Stephen, they found they couldn't take their eyes off him - his face was
like the face of an angel!
Acts 7
(The Message)
1 Then the
Chief Priest said, "What do you have to say for yourself?" 2 Stephen
replied, "Friends, fathers, and brothers, the God of glory appeared to our
father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before the move to Haran, 3
and told him, 'Leave your country and family and go to the land I'll show you.'
4 "So he left the country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran. After the
death of his father, he immigrated to this country where you now live, 5 but
God gave him nothing, not so much as a foothold. He did promise to give the
country to him and his son later on, even though Abraham had no son at the
time. 6 God let him know that his offspring would move to an alien country
where they would be enslaved and brutalized for four hundred years. 7 'But,'
God said, 'I will step in and take care of those slaveholders and bring my
people out so they can worship me in this place.' 8 "Then he made a
covenant with him and signed it in Abraham's flesh by circumcision. When
Abraham had his son Isaac, within eight days he reproduced the sign of
circumcision in him. Isaac became father of Jacob, and Jacob father of twelve
'fathers,' each faithfully passing on the covenant sign. 9 "But then those
'fathers,' burning up with jealousy, sent Joseph off to Egypt as a slave. God
was right there with him, though - 10 he not only rescued him from all his
troubles but brought him to the attention of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He was so
impressed with Joseph that he put him in charge of the whole country, including
his own personal affairs. 11 "Later a famine descended on that entire
region, stretching from Egypt to Canaan, bringing terrific hardship. Our hungry
fathers looked high and low for food, but the cupboard was bare. 12 Jacob heard
there was food in Egypt and sent our fathers to scout it out. 13 Having
confirmed the report, they went back to Egypt a second time to get food. On
that visit, Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and introduced
the Jacob family to Pharaoh. 14 Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and
everyone else in the family, seventy-five in all. 15 That's how the Jacob
family got to Egypt. 16 They were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb for
which Abraham paid a good price to the sons of Hamor. 17 "When the four
hundred years were nearly up, the time God promised Abraham for deliverance,
the population of our people in Egypt had become very large. 18 And there was
now a king over Egypt who had never heard of Joseph. 19 He exploited our race
mercilessly. He went so far as forcing us to abandon our newborn infants,
exposing them to the elements to die a cruel death. 20 "In just such a
time Moses was born, a most beautiful baby. He was hidden at home for three
months. 21 When he could be hidden no longer, he was put outside - and
immediately rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, who mothered him as her own son. 22
Moses was educated in the best schools in Egypt. He was equally impressive as a
thinker and an athlete. 23 "When he was forty years old, he wondered how
everything was going with his Hebrew kin and went out to look things over. 24
He saw an Egyptian abusing one of them and stepped in, avenging his underdog
brother by knocking the Egyptian flat. 25 He thought his brothers would be glad
that he was on their side, and even see him as an instrument of God to deliver
them. But they didn't see it that way. 26 The next day two of them were
fighting and he tried to break it up, told them to shake hands and get along
with each other: 'Friends, you are brothers, why are you beating up on each
other?' 27 "The one who had started the fight said, 'Who put you in charge
of us? 28 Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' 29
When Moses heard that, realizing that the word was out, he ran for his life and
lived in exile over in Midian. During the years of exile, two sons were born to
him. 30 "Forty years later, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel
appeared to him in the guise of flames of a burning bush. 31 Moses, not
believing his eyes, went up to take a closer look. He heard God's voice: 32 'I
am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' Frightened
nearly out of his skin, Moses shut his eyes and turned away. 33 "God said,
'Kneel and pray. You are in a holy place, on holy ground. 34 I've seen the
agony of my people in Egypt. I've heard their groans. I've come to help them.
So get yourself ready; I'm sending you back to Egypt.' 35 "This is the
same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, 'Who put you in charge of us?'
This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent
back as ruler and redeemer. 36 He led them out of their slavery. He did
wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through Egypt, down at the Red Sea,
and out in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to his
congregation, 'God will raise up a prophet just like me from your descendants.'
38 This is the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your
fathers assembled in the wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him
and handed them over to us, 39 words our fathers would have nothing to do with.
40 whining to Aaron, 'Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us
out here miles from nowhere - who knows what's happened to him!' 41 That was
the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and
congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put
together. 42 "God wasn't at all pleased; but he let them do it their way,
worship every new god that came down the pike - and live with the consequences,
consequences described by the prophet Amos: Did you bring me offerings of
animals and grains those forty wilderness years, O Israel? 43 Hardly. You were
too busy building shrines to war gods, to sex goddesses, Worshiping them with
all your might. That's why I put you in exile in Babylon. 44 "And all this
time our ancestors had a tent shrine for true worship, made to the exact
specifications God provided Moses. 45 They had it with them as they followed
Joshua, when God cleared the land of pagans, and still had it right down to the
time of David. 46 David asked God for a permanent place for worship. 47 But
Solomon built it. 48 "Yet that doesn't mean that Most High God lives in a
building made by carpenters and masons. The prophet Isaiah put it well when he
wrote, 49 "Heaven is my throne room; I rest my feet on earth. So what kind
of house will you build me?" says God. "Where I can get away and
relax? 50 It's already built, and I built it." 51 "And you continue,
so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately
ignoring the Holy Spirit, you're just like your ancestors. 52 Was there ever a
prophet who didn't get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who
dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you've kept up the family
tradition - traitors and murderers, all of you. 53 You had God's Law handed to
you by angels - gift-wrapped! - and you squandered it!" 54 At that point
they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. 55 But Stephen,
full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed - he only had eyes for God, whom he saw
in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. 56 He said, "Oh! I see
heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God's side!" 57 Yelling
and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, 58 they dragged him
out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and
asked a young man named Saul to watch them. 59 As the rocks rained down,
Stephen prayed, "Master Jesus, take my life." 60 Then he knelt down,
praying loud enough for everyone to hear, "Master, don't blame them for
this sin" - his last words. Then he died. Saul was right there,
congratulating the killers.
Acts 8
(The Message)
1 That set off
a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all
scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. 2 Good
and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral - not many dry eyes
that day! 3 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house
after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. 4 Forced to leave
home base, the Christians all became missionaries. Wherever they were
scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. 5 Going down to a Samaritan
city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. 6 When the people heard
what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God's action, they
hung on his every word. 7 Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed
that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. 8
And what joy in the city! 9 Previous to Philip's arrival, a certain Simon had
practiced magic in the city, posing as a famous man and dazzling all the
Samaritans with his wizardry. 10 He had them all, from little children to old
men, eating out of his hand. They all thought he had supernatural powers, and
called him "the Great Wizard." 11 He had been around a long time and
everyone was more or less in awe of him. 12 But when Philip came to town
announcing the news of God's kingdom and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ,
they forgot Simon and were baptized, becoming believers right and left! 13 Even
Simon himself believed and was baptized. From that moment he was like Philip's
shadow, so fascinated with all the God-signs and miracles that he wouldn't
leave Philip's side. 14 When the apostles in Jerusalem received the report that
Samaria had accepted God's Message, they sent Peter and John down 15 to pray
for them to receive the Holy Spirit. 16 Up to this point they had only been
baptized in the name of the Master Jesus; the Holy Spirit hadn't yet fallen on
them. 17 Then the apostles laid their hands on them and they did receive the
Holy Spirit. 18 When Simon saw that the apostles by merely laying on hands
conferred the Spirit, he pulled out his money, excited, 19 and said, "Sell
me your secret! Show me how you did that! How much do you want? Name your
price!" 20 Peter said, "To hell with your money! And you along with
it. Why, that's unthinkable - trying to buy God's gift! 21 You'll never be part
of what God is doing by striking bargains and offering bribes. 22 Change your
ways - and now! Ask the Master to forgive you for trying to use God to make
money. 23 I can see this is an old habit with you; you reek with money-lust."
24 "Oh!" said Simon, "pray for me! Pray to the Master that
nothing like that will ever happen to me!" 25 And with that, the apostles
were on their way, continuing to witness and spread the Message of God's
salvation, preaching in every Samaritan town they passed through on their
return to Jerusalem. 26 Later God's angel spoke to Philip: "At noon today
I want you to walk over to that desolate road that goes from Jerusalem down to
Gaza." 27 He got up and went. He met an Ethiopian eunuch coming down the
road. The eunuch had been on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and was returning to
Ethiopia, where he was minister in charge of all the finances of Candace, queen
of the Ethiopians. 28 He was riding in a chariot and reading the prophet
Isaiah. 29 The Spirit told Philip, "Climb into the chariot." 30
Running up alongside, Philip heard the eunuch reading Isaiah and asked,
"Do you understand what you're reading?" 31 He answered, "How
can I without some help?" and invited Philip into the chariot with him. 32
The passage he was reading was this: As a sheep led to slaughter, and quiet as
a lamb being sheared, He was silent, saying nothing. 33 He was mocked and put
down, never got a fair trial. But who now can count his kin since he's been
taken from the earth? 34 The eunuch said, "Tell me, who is the prophet
talking about: himself or some other?" 35 Philip grabbed his chance. Using
this passage as his text, he preached Jesus to him. 36 As they continued down
the road, they came to a stream of water. The eunuch said, "Here's water.
Why can't I be baptized?" 38 He ordered the chariot to stop. They both
went down to the water, and Philip baptized him on the spot. 39 When they came
up out of the water, the Spirit of God suddenly took Philip off, and that was
the last the eunuch saw of him. But he didn't mind. He had what he'd come for
and went on down the road as happy as he could be. 40 Philip showed up in
Azotus and continued north, preaching the Message in all the villages along
that route until he arrived at Caesarea.
Acts 9
(The Message)
1 All this time
Saul was breathing down the necks of the Master's disciples, out for the kill.
He went to the Chief Priest 2 and got arrest warrants to take to the meeting
places in Damascus so that if he found anyone there belonging to the Way,
whether men or women, he could arrest them and bring them to Jerusalem. 3 He
set off. When he got to the outskirts of Damascus, he was suddenly dazed by a
blinding flash of light. 4 As he fell to the ground, he heard a voice:
"Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?" 5 He said, "Who are
you, Master?" "I am Jesus, the One you're hunting down. 6 I want you
to get up and enter the city. In the city you'll be told what to do next."
7 His companions stood there dumbstruck - they could hear the sound, but
couldn't see anyone - 8 while Saul, picking himself up off the ground, found
himself stone blind. They had to take him by the hand and lead him into
Damascus. 9 He continued blind for three days. He ate nothing, drank nothing.
10 There was a disciple in Damascus by the name of Ananias. The Master spoke to
him in a vision: "Ananias." "Yes, Master?" he answered. 11
"Get up and go over to Straight Avenue. Ask at the house of Judas for a
man from Tarsus. His name is Saul. He's there praying. 12 He has just had a
dream in which he saw a man named Ananias enter the house and lay hands on him
so he could see again." 13 Ananias protested, "Master, you can't be
serious. Everybody's talking about this man and the terrible things he's been
doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! 14 And now he's
shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the
same to us." 15 But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked
him as my personal representative to Gentiles and kings and Jews. 16 And now I'm
about to show him what he's in for - the hard suffering that goes with this
job." 17 So Ananias went and found the house, placed his hands on blind
Saul, and said, "Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw
on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy
Spirit." 18 No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like
scales fell from Saul's eyes - he could see again! He got to his feet, was
baptized, 19 and sat down with them to a hearty meal. 20 but then went right to
work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the
Son of God. 21 They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they
could trust him, they kept saying, "Isn't this the man who wreaked havoc
in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn't he come here to do the same thing
- arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high
priests?" 22 But their suspicions didn't slow Saul down for even a minute.
His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming
the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah. 23
After this had gone on quite a long time, some Jews conspired to kill him, 24
but Saul got wind of it. They were watching the city gates around the clock so
they could kill him. 25 Then one night the disciples engineered his escape by
lowering him over the wall in a basket. 26 Back in Jerusalem he tried to join
the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn't trust him one bit.
27 Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and
stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the
Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with
his bold preaching in Jesus' name. 28 After that he was accepted as one of
them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he
preached in the Master's name. 29 But then he ran afoul of a group called
Hellenists - he had been engaged in a running argument with them - who plotted
his murder. 30 When his friends learned of the plot, they got him out of town,
took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus. 31 Things calmed down
after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country
- Judea, Samaria, Galilee - the church grew. They were permeated with a deep
sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them.
They prospered wonderfully. 32 Peter went off on a mission to visit all the churches.
In the course of his travels he arrived in Lydda and met with the believers
there. 33 He came across a man - his name was Aeneas - who had been in bed
eight years paralyzed. 34 Peter said, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get
up and make your bed!" And he did it - jumped right out of bed. 35
Everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him walking around and woke up to
the fact that God was alive and active among them. 36 Down the road a way in
Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, "Gazelle" in our language.
She was well-known for doing good and helping out. 37 During the time Peter was
in the area she became sick and died. Her friends prepared her body for burial
and put her in a cool room. 38 Some of the disciples had heard that Peter was
visiting in nearby Lydda and sent two men to ask if he would be so kind as to
come over. 39 Peter got right up and went with them. They took him into the
room where Tabitha's body was laid out. Her old friends, most of them widows,
were in the room mourning. They showed Peter pieces of clothing the Gazelle had
made while she was with them. 40 Peter put the widows all out of the room. He
knelt and prayed. Then he spoke directly to the body: "Tabitha, get
up." 41 He took her hand and helped her up. Then he called in the
believers and widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 When this became
known all over Joppa, many put their trust in the Master. 43 Peter stayed on a
long time in Joppa as a guest of Simon the Tanner.
Acts 10
(The Message)
1 There was a
man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard
stationed there. 3 He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his
house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and
had the habit of prayer. One day about three o'clock in the afternoon he had a
vision. An angel of God, as real as his next-door neighbor, came in and said,
"Cornelius." 4 Cornelius stared hard, wondering if he was seeing
things. Then he said, "What do you want, sir?" 5 Here's what you are
to do. Send men to Joppa to get Simon, the one everyone calls Peter. 6 He is
staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is down by the sea." 7 As soon
as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two servants and one particularly
devout soldier from the guard. 8 He went over with them in great detail
everything that had just happened, and then sent them off to Joppa. 9 The next
day as the three travelers were approaching the town, Peter went out on the
balcony to pray. It was about noon. 10 Peter got hungry and started thinking
about lunch. While lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw
the skies open up. Something that looked like a huge blanket lowered by ropes
at its four corners settled on the ground. 12 Every kind of animal and reptile
and bird you could think of was on it. 13 Then a voice came: "Go to it,
Peter - kill and eat." 14 Peter said, "Oh, no, Lord. I've never so
much as tasted food that was not kosher." 15 The voice came a second time:
"If God says it's okay, it's okay." 16 This happened three times, and
then the blanket was pulled back up into the skies. 17 As Peter, puzzled, sat
there trying to figure out what it all meant, the men sent by Cornelius showed
up at Simon's front door. 18 They called in, asking if there was a Simon, also called
Peter, staying there. 19 Peter, lost in thought, didn't hear them, so the
Spirit whispered to him, "Three men are knocking at the door looking for
you. 20 Get down there and go with them. Don't ask any questions. I sent them
to get you." 21 Peter went down and said to the men, "I think I'm the
man you're looking for. What's up?" 22 They said, "Captain Cornelius,
a God-fearing man well-known for his fair play - ask any Jew in this part of
the country - was commanded by a holy angel to get you and bring you to his
house so he could hear what you had to say." 23 Peter invited them in and
made them feel at home. 24 A day later they entered Caesarea. Cornelius was
expecting them and had his relatives and close friends waiting with him. 25 The
minute Peter came through the door, Cornelius was up on his feet greeting him -
and then down on his face worshiping him! 26 Peter pulled him up and said,
"None of that - I'm a man and only a man, no different from you." 27
Talking things over, they went on into the house, where Cornelius introduced
Peter to everyone who had come. 28 Peter addressed them, "You know, I'm
sure that this is highly irregular. Jews just don't do this - visit and relax
with people of another race. But God has just shown me that no race is better
than any other. 29 So the minute I was sent for, I came, no questions asked.
But now I'd like to know why you sent for me." 30 Cornelius said,
"Four days ago at about this time, midafternoon, I was home praying.
Suddenly there was a man right in front of me, flooding the room with light. 31
He said, 'Cornelius, your daily prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to
God's attention. 32 I want you to send to Joppa to get Simon, the one they call
Peter. He's staying with Simon the Tanner down by the sea.' 33 "So I did
it - I sent for you. And you've been good enough to come. And now we're all
here in God's presence, ready to listen to whatever the Master put in your
heart to tell us." 34 Peter fairly exploded with his good news: "It's
God's own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! 35 It makes
no difference who you are or where you're from - if you want God and are ready
to do as he says, the door is open. 36 The Message he sent to the children of
Israel - that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again -
well, he's doing it everywhere, among everyone. 37 "You know the story of
what happened in Judea. It began in Galilee after John preached a total
life-change. 38 Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy
Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and
healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this
because God was with him. 39 "And we saw it, saw it all, everything he did
in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem where they killed him, hung him from a
cross. 40 But in three days God had him up, alive, and out where he could be
seen. 41 Not everyone saw him - he wasn't put on public display. Witnesses had
been carefully handpicked by God beforehand - us! We were the ones, there to
eat and drink with him after he came back from the dead. 42 He commissioned us
to announce this in public, to bear solemn witness that he is in fact the One
whom God destined as Judge of the living and dead. 43 But we're not alone in
this. Our witness that he is the means to forgiveness of sins is backed up by
the witness of all the prophets." 44 No sooner were these words out of
Peter's mouth than the Holy Spirit came on the listeners. 45 The believing Jews
who had come with Peter couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that the gift of
the Holy Spirit was poured out on "outsider" Gentiles, 46 but there
it was - they heard them speaking in tongues, heard them praising God. 47
"Do I hear any objections to baptizing these friends with water? They've
received the Holy Spirit exactly as we did." 48 Hearing no objections, he
ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked
Peter to stay on for a few days.
Acts 11
(The Message)
1 The news
traveled fast and in no time the leaders and friends back in Jerusalem heard
about it - heard that the non-Jewish "outsiders" were now
"in." 2 When Peter got back to Jerusalem, some of his old associates,
concerned about circumcision, called him on the carpet: 3 "What do you
think you're doing rubbing shoulders with that crowd, eating what is prohibited
and ruining our good name?" 4 So Peter, starting from the beginning, laid
it out for them step-by-step: 5 "Recently I was in the town of Joppa
praying. I fell into a trance and saw a vision: Something like a huge blanket,
lowered by ropes at its four corners, came down out of heaven and settled on
the ground in front of me. 6 Milling around on the blanket were farm animals,
wild animals, reptiles, birds - you name it, it was there. Fascinated, I took
it all in. 7 "Then I heard a voice: 'Go to it, Peter - kill and eat.' 8 I
said, 'Oh, no, Master. I've never so much as tasted food that wasn't kosher.' 9
The voice spoke again: 'If God says it's okay, it's okay.' 10 This happened three
times, and then the blanket was pulled back up into the sky. 11 "Just then
three men showed up at the house where I was staying, sent from Caesarea to get
me. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them, no questions asked. So I went with
them, I and six friends, to the man who had sent for me. 13 He told us how he
had seen an angel right in his own house, real as his next-door neighbor,
saying, 'Send to Joppa and get Simon, the one they call Peter. 14 He'll tell
you something that will save your life - in fact, you and everyone you care
for.' 15 "So I started in, talking. Before I'd spoken half a dozen
sentences, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as he did on us the first time. 16
I remembered Jesus' words: 'John baptized with water; you will be baptized with
the Holy Spirit.' 17 So I ask you: If God gave the same exact gift to them as
to us when we believed in the Master Jesus Christ, how could I object to
God?" 18 Hearing it all laid out like that, they quieted down. And then,
as it sank in, they started praising God. "It's really happened! God has
broken through to the other nations, opened them up to Life!" 19 Those who
had been scattered by the persecution triggered by Stephen's death traveled as
far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, but they were still only speaking and
dealing with their fellow Jews. 20 Then some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene
who had come to Antioch started talking to Greeks, giving them the Message of
the Master Jesus. 21 God was pleased with what they were doing and put his stamp
of approval on it - quite a number of the Greeks believed and turned to the
Master. 22 When the church in Jerusalem got wind of this, they sent Barnabas to
Antioch to check on things. 23 As soon as he arrived, he saw that God was
behind and in it all. He threw himself in with them, got behind them, urging
them to stay with it the rest of their lives. 24 He was a good man that way,
enthusiastic and confident in the Holy Spirit's ways. The community grew large
and strong in the Master. 25 Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul.
26 He found him and brought him back to Antioch. They were there a whole year,
meeting with the church and teaching a lot of people. It was in Antioch that
the disciples were for the first time called Christians. 27 It was about this
same time that some prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem. 28 One of them
named Agabus stood up one day and, prompted by the Spirit, warned that a severe
famine was about to devastate the country. (The famine eventually came during
the rule of Claudius.) 29 So the disciples decided that each of them would send
whatever they could to their fellow Christians in Judea to help out. 30 They
sent Barnabas and Saul to deliver the collection to the leaders in Jerusalem.
Acts 12
(The Message)
1 That's when
King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members. 2 He
murdered James, John's brother. 3 When he saw how much it raised his popularity
ratings with the Jews, he arrested Peter - all this during Passover Week, mind
you - 4 and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each
to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover. 5 All the time
that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him
most strenuously. 6 Then the time came for Herod to bring him out for the kill.
That night, even though shackled to two soldiers, one on either side, Peter
slept like a baby. And there were guards at the door keeping their eyes on the
place. Herod was taking no chances! 7 Suddenly there was an angel at his side
and light flooding the room. The angel shook Peter and got him up:
"Hurry!" The handcuffs fell off his wrists. 8 The angel said,
"Get dressed. Put on your shoes." Peter did it. Then, "Grab your
coat and let's get out of here." 9 Peter followed him, but didn't believe
it was really an angel - he thought he was dreaming. 10 Past the first guard
and then the second, they came to the iron gate that led into the city. It
swung open before them on its own, and they were out on the street, free as the
breeze. At the first intersection the angel left him, going his own way. 11
That's when Peter realized it was no dream. "I can't believe it - this
really happened! The Master sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's vicious
little production and the spectacle the Jewish mob was looking forward
to." 12 Still shaking his head, amazed, he went to Mary's house, the Mary
who was John Mark's mother. The house was packed with praying friends. 13 When
he knocked on the door to the courtyard, a young woman named Rhoda came to see
who it was. 14 But when she recognized his voice - Peter's voice! - she was so
excited and eager to tell everyone Peter was there that she forgot to open the
door and left him standing in the street. 15 But they wouldn't believe her,
dismissing her, dismissing her report. "You're crazy," they said. She
stuck by her story, insisting. They still wouldn't believe her and said,
"It must be his angel." 16 All this time poor Peter was standing out
in the street, knocking away. 17 Peter put his hands up and calmed them down.
He described how the Master had gotten him out of jail, then said, "Tell
James and the brothers what's happened." He left them and went off to
another place. 18 At daybreak the jail was in an uproar. "Where is Peter?
What's happened to Peter?" 19 When Herod sent for him and they could
neither produce him nor explain why not, he ordered their execution: "Off
with their heads!" Fed up with Judea and Jews, he went for a vacation to
Caesarea. 20 But things went from bad to worse for Herod. Now people from Tyre
and Sidon put him on the warpath. But they got Blastus, King Herod's right-hand
man, to put in a good word for them and got a delegation together to iron
things out. Because they were dependent on Judea for food supplies, they
couldn't afford to let this go on too long. 21 On the day set for their
meeting, Herod, robed in pomposity, took his place on the throne and regaled
them with a lot of hot air. 22 The people played their part to the hilt and
shouted flatteries: "The voice of God! The voice of God!" 23 That was
the last straw. God had had enough of Herod's arrogance and sent an angel to
strike him down. Herod had given God no credit for anything. Down he went.
Rotten to the core, a maggoty old man if there ever was one, he died. 24
Meanwhile, the ministry of God's Word grew by leaps and bounds. 25 Barnabas and
Saul, once they had delivered the relief offering to the church in Jerusalem,
went back to Antioch. This time they took John with them, the one they called
Mark.
Acts 13
(The Message)
1 The
congregation in Antioch was blessed with a number of prophet-preachers and
teachers: Barnabas, Simon, nicknamed Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen, an
advisor to the ruler Herod, Saul. 2 One day as they were worshiping God - they
were also fasting as they waited for guidance - the Holy Spirit spoke:
"Take Barnabas and Saul and commission them for the work I have called
them to do." 3 So they commissioned them. In that circle of intensity and
obedience, of fasting and praying, they laid hands on their heads and sent them
off. 4 Sent off on their new assignment by the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul
went down to Seleucia and caught a ship for Cyprus. 5 The first thing they did
when they put in at Salamis was preach God's Word in the Jewish meeting places.
They had John along to help out as needed. 6 They traveled the length of the
island, and at Paphos came upon a Jewish wizard 7 who had worked himself into
the confidence of the governor, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man not easily
taken in by charlatans. The wizard's name was Bar-Jesus. He was as crooked as a
corkscrew. 8 But Dr. Know-It-All (that's the wizard's name in plain English)
stirred up a ruckus, trying to divert the governor from becoming a believer. 9
But Saul (or Paul), full of the Holy Spirit and looking him straight in the
eye, said, 10 "You bag of wind, you parody of a devil - why, you stay up
nights inventing schemes to cheat people out of God. 11 But now you've come up
against God himself, and your game is up. You're about to go blind - no
sunlight for you for a good long stretch." He was plunged immediately into
a shadowy mist and stumbled around, begging people to take his hand and show
him the way. 12 When the governor saw what happened, he became a believer, full
of enthusiasm over what they were saying about the Master. 13 From Paphos, Paul
and company put out to sea, sailing on to Perga in Pamphylia. That's where John
called it quits and went back to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga the rest of them
traveled on to Antioch in Pisidia. 15 After the reading of the Scriptures -
God's Law and the Prophets - the president of the meeting asked them,
"Friends, do you have anything you want to say? A word of encouragement,
perhaps?" 16 Paul stood up, paused and took a deep breath, then said,
"Fellow Israelites and friends of God, listen. 17 God took a special
interest in our ancestors, pulled our people who were beaten down in Egyptian
exile to their feet, and led them out of there in grand style. 18 He took good
care of them for nearly forty years in that godforsaken wilderness 19 and then,
having wiped out seven enemies who stood in the way, gave them the land of
Canaan for their very own - 20 a span in all of about four hundred fifty years.
21 But then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, out of
the tribe of Benjamin. After Saul had ruled forty years, 22 God removed him
from office and put King David in his place, with this commendation: 'I've
searched the land and found this David, son of Jesse. He's a man whose heart
beats to my heart, a man who will do what I tell him.' 23 "From out of
David's descendants God produced a Savior for Israel, Jesus, exactly as he
promised - 24 but only after John had thoroughly alerted the people to his
arrival by preparing them for a total life-change. 25 As John was finishing up
his work, he said, 'Did you think I was the One? No, I'm not the One. But the
One you've been waiting for all these years is just around the corner, about to
appear. And I'm about to disappear.' 26 "Dear brothers and sisters,
children of Abraham, and friends of God, this message of salvation has been
precisely targeted to you. 27 The citizens and rulers in Jerusalem didn't
recognize who he was and condemned him to death. 28 They couldn't find a good
reason, but demanded that Pilate execute him anyway. 29 They did just what the
prophets said they would do, but had no idea they were following to the letter
the script of the prophets, even though those same prophets are read every
Sabbath in their meeting places. 30 And then God raised him from death. 31
There is no disputing that - he appeared over and over again many times and
places to those who had known him well in the Galilean years, and these same
people continue to give witness that he is alive. 32 "And we're here today
bringing you good news: the Message that what God promised the fathers 33 has
come true for the children - for us! He raised Jesus, exactly as described in
the second Psalm: My Son! My very own Son! Today I celebrate you! 34 "When
he raised him from the dead, he did it for good - no going back to that rot and
decay for him. That's why Isaiah said, 'I'll give to all of you David's
guaranteed blessings.' 35 So also the psalmist's prayer: 'You'll never let your
Holy One see death's rot and decay.' 36 "David, of course, having
completed the work God set out for him, has been in the grave, dust and ashes,
a long time now. 37 But the One God raised up - no dust and ashes for him! 38 I
want you to know, my very dear friends, that it is on account of this
resurrected Jesus that the forgiveness of your sins can be promised. 39 He
accomplishes, in those who believe, everything that the Law of Moses could
never make good on. But everyone who believes in this raised-up Jesus is
declared good and right and whole before God. 40 "Don't take this lightly.
You don't want the prophet's sermon to describe you: 41 Watch out, cynics; Look
hard - watch your world fall to pieces. I'm doing something right before your
eyes That you won't believe, though it's staring you in the face." 42 When
the service was over, Paul and Barnabas were invited back to preach again the
next Sabbath. 43 As the meeting broke up, a good many Jews and converts to
Judaism went along with Paul and Barnabas, who urged them in long conversations
to stick with what they'd started, this living in and by God's grace. 44 When
the next Sabbath came around, practically the whole city showed up to hear the
Word of God. 45 Some of the Jews, seeing the crowds, went wild with jealousy
and tore into Paul, contradicting everything he was saying, making an ugly
scene. 46 But Paul and Barnabas didn't back down. Standing their ground they
said, "It was required that God's Word be spoken first of all to you, the
Jews. But seeing that you want no part of it - you've made it quite clear that
you have no taste or inclination for eternal life - the door is open to all the
outsiders. And we're on our way through it, 47 following orders, doing what God
commanded when he said, I've set you up as light to all nations. You'll
proclaim salvation to the four winds and seven seas!" 48 When the
non-Jewish outsiders heard this, they could hardly believe their good fortune.
All who were marked out for real life put their trust in God - they honored
God's Word by receiving that life. 49 And this Message of salvation spread like
wildfire all through the region. 50 Some of the Jews convinced the most
respected women and leading men of the town that their precious way of life was
about to be destroyed. Alarmed, they turned on Paul and Barnabas and forced
them to leave. 51 Paul and Barnabas shrugged their shoulders and went on to the
next town, Iconium, 52 brimming with joy and the Holy Spirit, two happy
disciples.
Acts 14
(The Message)
1 When they got
to Iconium they went, as they always did, to the meeting place of the Jews and
gave their message. The Message convinced both Jews and non-Jews - and not just
a few, either. 2 But the unbelieving Jews worked up a whispering campaign against
Paul and Barnabas, sowing mistrust and suspicion in the minds of the people in
the street. 3 The two apostles were there a long time, speaking freely, openly,
and confidently as they presented the clear evidence of God's gifts, God
corroborating their work with miracles and wonders. 4 But then there was a
split in public opinion, some siding with the Jews, some with the apostles. 5
One day, learning that both the Jews and non-Jews had been organized by their
leaders to beat them up, 6 they escaped as best they could to the next towns -
Lyconia, Lystra, Derbe, and that neighborhood - 7 but then were right back at
it again, getting out the Message. Gods or Men? 8 There was a man in Lystra who
couldn't walk. He sat there, crippled since the day of his birth. 9 He heard
Paul talking, and Paul, looking him in the eye, saw that he was ripe for God's
work, ready to believe. 10 So he said, loud enough for everyone to hear,
"Up on your feet!" The man was up in a flash - jumped up and walked
around as if he'd been walking all his life. 11 When the crowd saw what Paul
had done, they went wild, calling out in their Lyconian dialect, "The gods
have come down! These men are gods!" 12 They called Barnabas
"Zeus" and Paul "Hermes" (since Paul did most of the
speaking). 13 The priest of the local Zeus shrine got up a parade - bulls and
banners and people lined right up to the gates, ready for the ritual of
sacrifice. 14 When Barnabas and Paul finally realized what was going on, they
stopped them. Waving their arms, they interrupted the parade, calling out, 15
"What do you think you're doing! We're not gods! We are men just like you,
and we're here to bring you the Message, to persuade you to abandon these silly
god-superstitions and embrace God himself, the living God. We don't make God;
he makes us, and all of this - sky, earth, sea, and everything in them. 16
"In the generations before us, God let all the different nations go their
own way. 17 But even then he didn't leave them without a clue, for he made a
good creation, poured down rain and gave bumper crops. When your bellies were
full and your hearts happy, there was evidence of good beyond your doing."
18 Talking fast and hard like this, they prevented them from carrying out the
sacrifice that would have honored them as gods - but just barely. 19 Then some
Jews from Antioch and Iconium caught up with them and turned the fickle crowd
against them. They beat Paul unconscious, dragged him outside the town and left
him for dead. 20 But as the disciples gathered around him, he came to and got
up. He went back into town and the next day left with Barnabas for Derbe. 21
After proclaiming the Message in Derbe and establishing a strong core of
disciples, they retraced their steps to Lystra, then Iconium, and then Antioch,
22 putting muscle and sinew in the lives of the disciples, urging them to stick
with what they had begun to believe and not quit, making it clear to them that
it wouldn't be easy: "Anyone signing up for the kingdom of God has to go
through plenty of hard times." 23 Paul and Barnabas handpicked leaders in
each church. After praying - their prayers intensified by fasting - they
presented these new leaders to the Master to whom they had entrusted their
lives. 24 Working their way back through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia 25 and
preached in Perga. Finally, they made it to Attalia 26 and caught a ship back
to Antioch, where it had all started - launched by God's grace and now safely
home by God's grace. A good piece of work. 27 On arrival, they got the church
together and reported on their trip, telling in detail how God had used them to
throw the door of faith wide open so people of all nations could come streaming
in. 28 Then they settled down for a long, leisurely visit with the disciples.
Acts 15
(The Message)
1 It wasn't
long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be
circumcised: "If you're not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can't
be saved." 2 Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce
protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas,
and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem. 3
After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they
traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the Gentile
outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered - it was terrific news! 4 When
they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole
church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey
and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. 5 Some Pharisees
stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold
to the hard party line of the Pharisees. "You have to circumcise the pagan
converts," they said. "You must make them keep the Law of
Moses." 6 The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider
the matter. 7 The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and
more heated. Then Peter took the floor: "Friends, you well know that from
early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message
of this good news and embrace it - and not in any secondhand or roundabout way,
but firsthand, straight from my mouth. 8 And God, who can't be fooled by any
pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy
Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. 9 He treated the outsiders exactly as he
treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that
center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him. 10
"So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers
down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? 11 Don't we
believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer
generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So
what are we arguing about?" 12 There was dead silence. No one said a word.
With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the
miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their
ministry. 13 The silence deepened; you could hear a pin drop. 14 Simeon has
told us the story of how God at the very outset made sure that racial outsiders
were included. 15 This is in perfect agreement with the words of the prophets:
16 After this, I'm coming back; I'll rebuild David's ruined house; I'll put all
the pieces together again; I'll make it look like new 17 So outsiders who seek
will find, so they'll have a place to come to, All the pagan peoples included
in what I'm doing. 18 It's no afterthought; he's always known he would do this.
19 "So here is my decision: We're not going to unnecessarily burden
non-Jewish people who turn to the Master. 20 We'll write them a letter and tell
them, 'Be careful to not get involved in activities connected with idols, to
guard the morality of sex and marriage, to not serve food offensive to Jewish
Christians - blood, for instance.' 21 This is basic wisdom from Moses, preached
and honored for centuries now in city after city as we have met and kept the
Sabbath." 22 Everyone agreed: apostles, leaders, all the people. They
picked Judas (nicknamed Barsabbas) and Silas - they both carried considerable
weight in the church - and sent them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas 23 with
this letter: From the apostles and leaders, your friends, to our friends in
Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Hello! 24 We heard that some men from our church
went to you and said things that confused and upset you. Mind you, they had no
authority from us; we didn't send them. 25 We have agreed unanimously to pick
representatives and send them to you with our good friends Barnabas and Paul.
26 We picked men we knew you could trust, Judas and Silas - they've looked
death in the face time and again for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ. 27
We've sent them to confirm in a face-to-face meeting with you what we've
written. 28 It seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that you should not be
saddled with any crushing burden, but be responsible only for these bare necessities:
29 Be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; avoid
serving food offensive to Jewish Christians (blood, for instance); and guard
the morality of sex and marriage. These guidelines are sufficient to keep
relations congenial between us. And God be with you! Barnabas and Paul Go Their
Separate Ways 30 And so off they went to Antioch. On arrival, they gathered the
church and read the letter. 31 The people were greatly relieved and pleased. 32
Judas and Silas, good preachers both of them, strengthened their new friends
with many words of courage and hope. 33 Then it was time to go home. They were
sent off by their new friends with laughter and embraces all around to report
back to those who had sent them. 35 Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch,
teaching and preaching the Word of God. But they weren't alone. There were a
number of teachers and preachers at that time in Antioch. 36 After a few days
of this, Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit all our friends
in each of the towns where we preached the Word of God. Let's see how they're
doing." 37 Barnabas wanted to take John along, the John nicknamed Mark. 38
But Paul wouldn't have him; he wasn't about to take along a quitter who, as
soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. 39 Tempers
flared, and they ended up going their separate ways: Barnabas took Mark and
sailed for Cyprus; 40 Paul chose Silas and, offered up by their friends to the
grace of the Master, 41 went to Syria and Cilicia to build up muscle and sinew
in those congregations.
Acts 16
(The Message)
1 Paul came
first to Derbe, then Lystra. He found a disciple there by the name of Timothy,
son of a devout Jewish mother and Greek father. 2 Friends in Lystra and Iconium
all said what a fine young man he was. 3 Paul wanted to recruit him for their
mission, but first took him aside and circumcised him so he wouldn't offend the
Jews who lived in those parts. They all knew that his father was Greek. 4 As
they traveled from town to town, they presented the simple guidelines the
Jerusalem apostles and leaders had come up with. 5 That turned out to be most
helpful. Day after day the congregations became stronger in faith and larger in
size. 6 They went to Phrygia, and then on through the region of Galatia. Their
plan was to turn west into Asia province, but the Holy Spirit blocked that
route. 7 So they went to Mysia and tried to go north to Bithynia, but the
Spirit of Jesus wouldn't let them go there either. 8 Proceeding on through
Mysia, they went down to the seaport Troas. 9 That night Paul had a dream: A
Macedonian stood on the far shore and called across the sea, "Come over to
Macedonia and help us!" 10 The dream gave Paul his map. We went to work at
once getting things ready to cross over to Macedonia. All the pieces had come
together. We knew now for sure that God had called us to preach the good news
to the Europeans. 11 Putting out from the harbor at Troas, we made a straight
run for Samothrace. The next day we tied up at New City 12 and walked from
there to Philippi, the main city in that part of Macedonia and, even more
importantly, a Roman colony. We lingered there several days. 13 On the Sabbath,
we left the city and went down along the river where we had heard there was to
be a prayer meeting. We took our place with the women who had gathered there
and talked with them. 14 One woman, Lydia, was from Thyatira and a dealer in
expensive textiles, known to be a God-fearing woman. As she listened with
intensity to what was being said, the Master gave her a trusting heart - and
she believed! 15 After she was baptized, along with everyone in her household,
she said in a surge of hospitality, "If you're confident that I'm in this
with you and believe in the Master truly, come home with me and be my
guests." We hesitated, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. 16 One day,
on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic
and, with her fortunetelling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her.
17 She started following Paul around, calling everyone's attention to us by
yelling out, "These men are working for the Most High God. They're laying
out the road of salvation for you!" 18 She did this for a number of days
until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that
possessed her, "Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!"
And it was gone, just like that. 19 When her owners saw that their lucrative
little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed
them up and dragged them into the market square. Then the police arrested them
20 and pulled them into a court with the accusation, "These men are
disturbing the peace - dangerous Jewish agitators 21 subverting our Roman law
and order." 22 By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out
for blood. 23 After beating them black and blue, they threw them into jail,
telling the jailkeeper to put them under heavy guard so there would be no
chance of escape. 24 He did just that - threw them into the maximum security
cell in the jail and clamped leg irons on them. 25 Along about midnight, Paul
and Silas were at prayer and singing a robust hymn to God. The other prisoners
couldn't believe their ears. 26 Then, without warning, a huge earthquake! The jailhouse
tottered, every door flew open, all the prisoners were loose. 27 Startled from
sleep, the jailer saw all the doors swinging loose on their hinges. Assuming
that all the prisoners had escaped, he pulled out his sword and was about to do
himself in, figuring he was as good as dead anyway, 28 when Paul stopped him:
"Don't do that! We're all still here! Nobody's run away!" 29 The
jailer got a torch and ran inside. Badly shaken, he collapsed in front of Paul
and Silas. 30 He led them out of the jail and asked, "Sirs, what do I have
to do to be saved, to really live?" 31 They said, "Put your entire
trust in the Master Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live - and
everyone in your house included!" 32 They went on to spell out in detail
the story of the Master - the entire family got in on this part. 33 They never
did get to bed that night. The jailer made them feel at home, dressed their
wounds, and then - he couldn't wait till morning! - was baptized, he and
everyone in his family. 34 There in his home, he had food set out for a festive
meal. It was a night to remember: He and his entire family had put their trust
in God; everyone in the house was in on the celebration. 35 At daybreak, the
court judges sent officers with the instructions, "Release these
men." 36 The jailer gave Paul the message, "The judges sent word that
you're free to go on your way. Congratulations! Go in peace!" 37 But Paul
wouldn't budge. He told the officers, "They beat us up in public and threw
us in jail, Roman citizens in good standing! And now they want to get us out of
the way on the sly without anyone knowing? Nothing doing! If they want us out
of here, let them come themselves and lead us out in broad daylight." 38
When the officers reported this, the judges panicked. They had no idea that
Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. 39 They hurried over and apologized,
personally escorted them from the jail, and then asked them if they wouldn't
please leave the city. 40 Walking out of the jail, Paul and Silas went straight
to Lydia's house, saw their friends again, encouraged them in the faith, and
only then went on their way.
Acts 17
(The Message)
1 They took the
road south through Amphipolis and Apollonia to Thessalonica, where there was a
community of Jews. 2 Paul went to their meeting place, as he usually did when
he came to a town, and for three Sabbaths running he preached to them from the
Scriptures. 3 He opened up the texts so they understood what they'd been
reading all their lives: that the Messiah absolutely had to be put to death and
raised from the dead - there were no other options - and that "this Jesus
I'm introducing you to is that Messiah." 4 Some of them were won over and
joined ranks with Paul and Silas, among them a great many God-fearing Greeks
and a considerable number of women from the aristocracy. 5 But the hard-line
Jews became furious over the conversions. Mad with jealousy, they rounded up a
bunch of brawlers off the streets and soon had an ugly mob terrorizing the city
as they hunted down Paul and Silas. 6 When they couldn't find them, they
collared Jason and his friends instead and dragged them before the city
fathers, yelling hysterically, "These people are out to destroy the world,
and now they've shown up on our doorstep, attacking everything we hold dear! 7
And Jason is hiding them, these traitors and turncoats who say Jesus is king
and Caesar is nothing!" 8 The city fathers and the crowd of people were
totally alarmed by what they heard. 9 They made Jason and his friends post
heavy bail and let them go while they investigated the charges. 10 That night,
under cover of darkness, their friends got Paul and Silas out of town as fast
as they could. They sent them to Berea, where they again met with the Jewish
community. 11 They were treated a lot better there than in Thessalonica. The
Jews received Paul's message with enthusiasm and met with him daily, examining
the Scriptures to see if they supported what he said. 12 A lot of them became
believers, including many Greeks who were prominent in the community, women and
men of influence. 13 But it wasn't long before reports got back to the
Thessalonian hard-line Jews that Paul was at it again, preaching the Word of
God, this time in Berea. They lost no time responding, and created a mob scene
there, too. 14 With the help of his friends, Paul gave them the slip - caught a
boat and put out to sea. Silas and Timothy stayed behind. 15 The men who helped
Paul escape got him as far as Athens and left him there. Paul sent word back
with them to Silas and Timothy: "Come as quickly as you can!" 16 The
longer Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy, the angrier he got - all
those idols! The city was a junkyard of idols. 17 He discussed it with the Jews
and other like-minded people at their meeting place. And every day he went out
on the streets and talked with anyone who happened along. 18 He got to know
some of the Epicurean and Stoic intellectuals pretty well through these
conversations. Some of them dismissed him with sarcasm: "What an
airhead!" But others, listening to him go on about Jesus and the
resurrection, were intrigued: "That's a new slant on the gods. Tell us
more." 19 These people got together and asked him to make a public
presentation over at the Areopagus, where things were a little quieter. They
said, "This is a new one on us. We've never heard anything quite like it.
Where did you come up with this anyway? 20 Explain it so we can
understand." 21 Downtown Athens was a great place for gossip. There were
always people hanging around, natives and tourists alike, waiting for the
latest tidbit on most anything. 22 So Paul took his stand in the open space at
the Areopagus and laid it out for them. "It is plain to see that you
Athenians take your religion seriously. 23 When I arrived here the other day, I
was fascinated with all the shrines I came across. And then I found one
inscribed, to the god nobody knows. I'm here to introduce you to this God so
you can worship intelligently, know who you're dealing with. 24 "The God
who made the world and everything in it, this Master of sky and land, doesn't
live in custom-made shrines 25 or need the human race to run errands for him,
as if he couldn't take care of himself. He makes the creatures; the creatures
don't make him. 26 Starting from scratch, he made the entire human race and
made the earth hospitable, with plenty of time and space for living 27 so we
could seek after God, and not just grope around in the dark but actually find
him. He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. 28 We
live and move in him, can't get away from him! One of your poets said it well:
'We're the God-created.' 29 Well, if we are the God-created, it doesn't make a
lot of sense to think we could hire a sculptor to chisel a god out of stone for
us, does it? 30 "God overlooks it as long as you don't know any better -
but that time is past. The unknown is now known, and he's calling for a radical
life-change. 31 He has set a day when the entire human race will be judged and
everything set right. And he has already appointed the judge, confirming him
before everyone by raising him from the dead." 32 At the phrase
"raising him from the dead," the listeners split: Some laughed at him
and walked off making jokes; others said, "Let's do this again. We want to
hear more." 33 But that was it for the day, and Paul left. 34 There were
still others, it turned out, who were convinced then and there, and stuck with
Paul - among them Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris.
Acts 18
(The Message)
1 After Athens,
Paul went to Corinth. 2 That is where he discovered Aquila, a Jew born in
Pontus, and his wife, Priscilla. They had just arrived from Italy, part of the
general expulsion of Jews from Rome ordered by Claudius. 3 Paul moved in with
them, and they worked together at their common trade of tentmaking. 4 But every
Sabbath he was at the meeting place, doing his best to convince both Jews and
Greeks about Jesus. 5 When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was
able to give all his time to preaching and teaching, doing everything he could
to persuade the Jews that Jesus was in fact God's Messiah. 6 But no such luck.
All they did was argue contentiously and contradict him at every turn. Totally
exasperated, Paul had finally had it with them and gave it up as a bad job. "Have
it your way, then," he said. "You've made your bed; now lie in it.
From now on I'm spending my time with the other nations." 7 He walked out
and went to the home of Titius Justus, a God-fearing man who lived right next
to the Jews' meeting place. 8 But Paul's efforts with the Jews weren't a total
loss, for Crispus, the meeting-place president, put his trust in the Master.
His entire family believed with him. 9 One night the Master spoke to Paul in a
dream: "Keep it up, and don't let anyone intimidate or silence you. 10 No
matter what happens, I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you.
You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city." 11 That
was all he needed to stick it out. He stayed another year and a half, faithfully
teaching the Word of God to the Corinthians. 12 But when Gallio was governor of
Achaia province, the Jews got up a campaign against Paul, hauled him into
court, 13 and filed chcrges: "This man is seducing people into acts of
worship that are illegal." 14 Just as Paul was about to defend himself,
Gallio interrupted and said to the Jews, "If this was a matter of criminal
conduct, I would gladly hear you out. 15 But it sounds to me like one more
Jewish squabble, another of your endless hairsplitting quarrels over religion.
Take care of it on your own time. I can't be bothered with this nonsense,"
16 and he cleared them out of the courtroom. 17 Now the street rabble turned on
Sosthenes, the new meeting-place president, and beat him up in plain sight of
the court. Gallio didn't raise a finger. He could not have cared less. 18 Paul
stayed a while longer in Corinth, but then it was time to take leave of his
friends. Saying his good-byes, he sailed for Syria, Priscilla and Aquila with
him. Before boarding the ship in the harbor town of Cenchrea, he had his head
shaved as part of a vow he had taken. 19 They landed in Ephesus, where
Priscilla and Aquila got off and stayed. Paul left the ship briefly to go to
the meeting place and preach to the Jews. 20 They wanted him to stay longer,
but he said he couldn't. 21 But after saying good-bye, he promised, "I'll
be back, God willing." 22 he sailed to Caesarea. He greeted the assembly
of Christians there, and then went on to Antioch, completing the journey. 23
After spending a considerable time with the Antioch Christians, Paul set off
again for Galatia and Phrygia, retracing his old tracks, one town after
another, putting fresh heart into the disciples. 24 A man named Apollos came to
Ephesus. He was a Jew, born in Alexandria, Egypt, and a terrific speaker,
eloquent and powerful in his preaching of the Scriptures. 25 He was
well-educated in the way of the Master and fiery in his enthusiasm. Apollos was
accurate in everything he taught about Jesus up to a point, but he only went as
far as the baptism of John. 26 He preached with power in the meeting place.
When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and told him the rest
of the story. 27 When Apollos decided to go on to Achaia province, his Ephesian
friends gave their blessing and wrote a letter of recommendation for him,
urging the disciples there to welcome him with open arms. The welcome paid off:
Apollos turned out to be a great help to those who had become believers through
God's immense generosity. 28 He was particularly effective in public debate
with the Jews as he brought out proof after convincing proof from the
Scriptures that Jesus was in fact God's Messiah.
Acts 19
(The Message)
1 Now, it
happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through
the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. 2 The
first thing he said was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you
believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him
with your heart? Did he get inside you?" "We've never even heard of
that - a Holy Spirit? God within us?" 3 "How were you baptized,
then?" asked Paul. "In John's baptism." 4 "That explains
it," said Paul. "John preached a baptism of radical life-change so
that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out
to be Jesus. If you've been baptized in John's baptism, you're ready now for
the real thing, for Jesus." 5 And they were. As soon as they heard of it,
they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. 6 Paul put his hands on
their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. From that moment on, they were
praising God in tongues and talking about God's actions. 7 Altogether there
were about twelve people there that day. 8 Paul then went straight to the
meeting place. He had the run of the place for three months, doing his best to
make the things of the kingdom of God real and convincing to them. 9 But then
resistance began to form as some of them began spreading evil rumors through
the congregation about the Christian way of life. So Paul left, taking the
disciples with him, and set up shop in the school of Tyrannus, holding class
there daily. 10 He did this for two years, giving everyone in the province of
Asia, Jews as well as Greeks, ample opportunity to hear the Message of the
Master. 11 God did powerful things through Paul, things quite out of the
ordinary. 12 The word got around and people started taking pieces of clothing -
handkerchiefs and scarves and the like - that had touched Paul's skin and then
touching the sick with them. The touch did it - they were healed and whole. 13
Some itinerant Jewish exorcists who happened to be in town at the time tried
their hand at what they assumed to be Paul's "game." They pronounced
the name of the Master Jesus over victims of evil spirits, saying, "I
command you by the Jesus preached by Paul!" 14 The seven sons of a certain
Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were trying to do this on a man 15 when the evil
spirit talked back: "I know Jesus and I've heard of Paul, but who are you?"
16 Then the possessed man went berserk - jumped the exorcists, beat them up,
and tore off their clothes. Naked and bloody, they got away as best they could.
17 It was soon news all over Ephesus among both Jews and Greeks. The
realization spread that God was in and behind this. Curiosity about Paul
developed into reverence for the Master Jesus. 18 Many of those who thus
believed came out of the closet and made a clean break with their secret
sorceries. 19 All kinds of witches and warlocks came out of the woodwork with
their books of spells and incantations and made a huge bonfire of them. Someone
estimated their worth at fifty thousand silver coins. 20 In such ways it became
evident that the Word of the Master was now sovereign and prevailed in Ephesus.
21 After all this had come to a head, Paul decided it was time to move on to
Macedonia and Achaia provinces, and from there to Jerusalem. "Then,"
he said, "I'm off to Rome. I've got to see Rome!" 22 He sent two of
his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, on to Macedonia while he stayed for a
while and wrapped things up in Asia. 23 But before he got away, a huge ruckus
occurred over what was now being referred to as "the Way." 24 A
certain silversmith, Demetrius, conducted a brisk trade in the manufacture of
shrines to the goddess Artemis, employing a number of artisans in his business.
25 He rounded up his workers and others similarly employed and said, "Men,
you well know that we have a good thing going here - 26 and you've seen how
Paul has barged in and discredited what we're doing by telling people that
there's no such thing as a god made with hands. A lot of people are going along
with him, not only here in Ephesus but all through Asia province. 27 "Not
only is our little business in danger of falling apart, but the temple of our
famous goddess Artemis will certainly end up a pile of rubble as her glorious
reputation fades to nothing. And this is no mere local matter - the whole world
worships our Artemis!" 28 That set them off in a frenzy. They ran into the
street yelling, "Great Artemis of the Ephesians! 29 Great Artemis of the
Ephesians!" They put the whole city in an uproar, stampeding into the
stadium, and grabbing two of Paul's associates on the way, the Macedonians
Gaius and Aristarchus. 30 Paul wanted to go in, too, but the disciples wouldn't
let him. 31 Prominent religious leaders in the city who had become friendly to
Paul concurred: "By no means go near that mob!" 32 Some were yelling
one thing, some another. Most of them had no idea what was going on or why they
were there. 33 As the Jews pushed Alexander to the front to try to gain
control, different factions clamored to get him on their side. But he brushed
them off and quieted the mob with an impressive sweep of his arms. 34 But the
moment he opened his mouth and they knew he was a Jew, they shouted him down:
"Great Artemis of the Ephesians! Great Artemis of the Ephesians!" -
on and on and on, for over two hours. 35 Finally, the town clerk got the mob
quieted down and said, "Fellow citizens, is there anyone anywhere who
doesn't know that our dear city Ephesus is protector of glorious Artemis and
her sacred stone image that fell straight out of heaven? 36 Since this is
beyond contradiction, you had better get hold of yourselves. This is conduct unworthy
of Artemis. 37 These men you've dragged in here have done nothing to harm
either our temple or our goddess. 38 "So if Demetrius and his guild of
artisans have a complaint, they can take it to court and make all the
accusations they want. 39 If anything else is bothering you, bring it to the
regularly scheduled town meeting and let it be settled there. 40 There is no
excuse for what's happened today. We're putting our city in serious danger.
Rome, remember, does not look kindly on rioters." 41 With that, he sent
them home.
Acts 20
(The Message)
1 With things
back to normal, Paul called the disciples together and encouraged them to keep
up the good work in Ephesus. Then, saying his good-byes, he left for Macedonia.
2 Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave
constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh
hope. 3 and stayed on for three months. Just as he was about to sail for Syria,
the Jews cooked up a plot against him. So he went the other way, by land back
through Macedonia, and gave them the slip. 4 His companions for the journey
were Sopater, son of Pyrrhus, from Berea; Aristarchus and Secundus, both
Thessalonians; Gaius from Derbe; Timothy; and the two from western Asia,
Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 They went on ahead and waited for us in Troas. 6
Meanwhile, we stayed in Philippi for Passover Week, and then set sail. Within
five days we were again in Troas and stayed a week. 7 We met on Sunday to
worship and celebrate the Master's Supper. Paul addressed the congregation. Our
plan was to leave first thing in the morning, but Paul talked on, way past
midnight. 8 We were meeting in a well-lighted upper room. 9 A young man named
Eutychus was sitting in an open window. As Paul went on and on, Eutychus fell
sound asleep and toppled out the third-story window. When they picked him up,
he was dead. 10 Paul went down, stretched himself on him, and hugged him hard.
"No more crying," he said. "There's life in him yet." 11
Then Paul got up and served the Master's Supper. And went on telling stories of
the faith until dawn! On that note, they left - Paul going one way, 12 the
congregation another, leading the boy off alive, and full of life themselves.
13 In the meantime, the rest of us had gone on ahead to the ship and sailed for
Assos, where we planned to pick up Paul. Paul wanted to walk there, and so had
made these arrangements earlier. 14 Things went according to plan: We met him
in Assos, took him on board, and sailed to Mitylene. 15 The next day we put in
opposite Chios, Samos a day later, and then Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to
bypass Ephesus so that he wouldn't be held up in Asia province. He was in a
hurry to get to Jerusalem in time for the Feast of Pentecost, if at all
possible. 17 From Miletus he sent to Ephesus for the leaders of the congregation.
18 When they arrived, he said, "You know that from day one of my arrival
in Asia I was with you totally - 19 laying my life on the line, serving the
Master no matter what, putting up with no end of scheming by Jews who wanted to
do me in. 20 I didn't skimp or trim in any way. Every truth and encouragement
that could have made a difference to you, you got. I taught you out in public
and I taught you in your homes, 21 urging Jews and Greeks alike to a radical
life-change before God and an equally radical trust in our Master Jesus. 22
"But there is another urgency before me now. I feel compelled to go to
Jerusalem. I'm completely in the dark about what will happen when I get there.
23 I do know that it won't be any picnic, for the Holy Spirit has let me know
repeatedly and clearly that there are hard times and imprisonment ahead. 24 But
that matters little. What matters most to me is to finish what God started: the
job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this
incredibly extravagant generosity of God. 25 "And so this is good-bye.
You're not going to see me again, nor I you, you whom I have gone among for so
long proclaiming the news of God's inaugurated kingdom. 26 I've done my best
for you, given you my all, 27 held back nothing of God's will for you. 28
"Now it's up to you. Be on your toes - both for yourselves and your
congregation of sheep. The Holy Spirit has put you in charge of these people -
God's people they are - to guard and protect them. God himself thought they
were worth dying for. 29 "I know that as soon as I'm gone, vicious wolves
are going to show up and rip into this flock, men 30 from your very own ranks
twisting words so as to seduce disciples into following them instead of Jesus.
31 So stay awake and keep up your guard. Remember those three years I kept at
it with you, never letting up, pouring my heart out with you, one after
another. 32 "Now I'm turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose
gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything
you could possibly need in this community of holy friends. 33 "I've never,
as you so well know, had any taste for wealth or fashion. 34 With these bare
hands I took care of my own basic needs and those who worked with me. 35 In everything
I've done, I have demonstrated to you how necessary it is to work on behalf of
the weak and not exploit them. You'll not likely go wrong here if you keep
remembering that our Master said, 'You're far happier giving than
getting.'" 36 Then Paul went down on his knees, all of them kneeling with
him, and prayed. 37 And then a river of tears. Much clinging to Paul, not
wanting to let him go. 38 They knew they would never see him again - he had
told them quite plainly. The pain cut deep. Then, bravely, they walked him down
to the ship.
Acts 21
(The Message)
1 And so, with
the tearful good-byes behind us, we were on our way. We made a straight run to
Cos, the next day reached Rhodes, and then Patara. 2 There we found a ship
going direct to Phoenicia, got on board, and set sail. 3 Cyprus came into view
on our left, but was soon out of sight as we kept on course for Syria, and
eventually docked in the port of Tyre. While the cargo was being unloaded, 4 we
looked up the local disciples and stayed with them seven days. Their message to
Paul, from insight given by the Spirit, was "Don't go to Jerusalem."
5 When our time was up, they escorted us out of the city to the docks. Everyone
came along - men, women, children. They made a farewell party of the occasion!
We all kneeled together on the beach and prayed. 6 Then, after another round of
saying good-bye, we climbed on board the ship while they drifted back to their
homes. 7 A short run from Tyre to Ptolemais completed the voyage. We greeted
our Christian friends there and stayed with them a day. 8 In the morning we
went on to Caesarea and stayed with Philip the Evangelist, one of "the
Seven." 9 Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied. 10 After
several days of visiting, a prophet from Judea by the name of Agabus came down
to see us. 11 He went right up to Paul, took Paul's belt, and, in a dramatic
gesture, tied himself up, hands and feet. He said, "This is what the Holy
Spirit says: The Jews in Jerusalem are going to tie up the man who owns this
belt just like this and hand him over to godless unbelievers." 12 When we
heard that, we and everyone there that day begged Paul not to be stubborn and
persist in going to Jerusalem. 13 But Paul wouldn't budge: "Why all this
hysteria? Why do you insist on making a scene and making it even harder for me?
You're looking at this backwards. The issue in Jerusalem is not what they do to
me, whether arrest or murder, but what the Master Jesus does through my
obedience. Can't you see that?" 14 We saw that we weren't making even a
dent in his resolve, and gave up. "It's in God's hands now," we said.
"Master, you handle it." 15 It wasn't long before we had our luggage
together and were on our way to Jerusalem. 16 Some of the disciples from
Caesarea went with us and took us to the home of Mnason, who received us warmly
as his guests. A native of Cyprus, he had been among the earliest disciples. 17
In Jerusalem, our friends, glad to see us, received us with open arms. 18 The
first thing next morning, we took Paul to see James. All the church leaders
were there. 19 After a time of greeting and small talk, Paul told the story,
detail by detail, of what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 They listened with delight and gave God the glory. 21 They've been told that
you advise believing Jews who live surrounded by Gentiles to go light on Moses,
telling them that they don't need to circumcise their children or keep up the
old traditions. This isn't sitting at all well with them. 22 "We're
worried about what will happen when they discover you're in town. There's bound
to be trouble. So here is what we want you to do: 23 There are four men from
our company who have taken a vow involving ritual purification, but have no
money to pay the expenses. 24 Join these men in their vows and pay their
expenses. Then it will become obvious to everyone that there is nothing to the
rumors going around about you and that you are in fact scrupulous in your
reverence for the laws of Moses. 25 "In asking you to do this, we're not
going back on our agreement regarding Gentiles who have become believers. We
continue to hold fast to what we wrote in that letter, namely, to be careful
not to get involved in activities connected with idols; to avoid serving food
offensive to Jewish Christians; to guard the morality of sex and
marriage." 26 So Paul did it - took the men, joined them in their vows,
and paid their way. The next day he went to the Temple to make it official and
stay there until the proper sacrifices had been offered and completed for each
of them. 27 When the seven days of their purification were nearly up, some Jews
from around Ephesus spotted him in the Temple. At once they turned the place
upside-down. They grabbed Paul 28 and started yelling at the top of their
lungs, "Help! You Israelites, help! This is the man who is going all over
the world telling lies against us and our religion and this place. He's even
brought Greeks in here and defiled this holy place." 29 (What had happened
was that they had seen Paul and Trophimus, the Ephesian Greek, walking together
in the city and had just assumed that he had also taken him to the Temple and
shown him around.) 30 Soon the whole city was in an uproar, people running from
everywhere to the Temple to get in on the action. They grabbed Paul, dragged
him outside, and locked the Temple gates so he couldn't get back in and gain
sanctuary. 31 As they were trying to kill him, word came to the captain of the
guard, "A riot! The whole city's boiling over!" 32 He acted swiftly.
His soldiers and centurions ran to the scene at once. As soon as the mob saw
the captain and his soldiers, they quit beating Paul. 33 The captain came up
and put Paul under arrest. He first ordered him handcuffed, and then asked who
he was and what he had done. 34 All he got from the crowd were shouts, one
yelling this, another that. It was impossible to tell one word from another in
the mob hysteria, so the captain ordered Paul taken to the military barracks.
35 But when they got to the Temple steps, the mob became so violent that the
soldiers had to carry Paul. 36 As they carried him away, the crowd followed,
shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!" 37 When they got to the barracks and
were about to go in, Paul said to the captain, "Can I say something to
you?" 38 I thought you were the Egyptian who not long ago started a riot
here, and then hid out in the desert with his four thousand thugs." 39
Paul said, "No, I'm a Jew, born in Tarsus. And I'm a citizen still of that
influential city. I have a simple request: Let me speak to the crowd." 40
Standing on the barracks steps, Paul turned and held his arms up. A hush fell
over the crowd as Paul began to speak. He spoke in Hebrew.
Acts 22
(The Message)
1 "My dear
brothers and fathers, listen carefully to what I have to say before you jump to
conclusions about me." 2 When they heard him speaking Hebrew, they grew
even quieter. No one wanted to miss a word of this. 3 "I am a good Jew,
born in Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, but educated here in Jerusalem under
the exacting eye of Rabbi Gamaliel, thoroughly instructed in our religious
traditions. And I've always been passionately on God's side, just as you are
right now. 4 "I went after anyone connected with this 'Way,' went at them
hammer and tongs, ready to kill for God. I rounded up men and women right and
left and had them thrown in prison. 5 You can ask the Chief Priest or anyone in
the High Council to verify this; they all knew me well. Then I went off to our
brothers in Damascus, armed with official documents authorizing me to hunt down
the Christians there, arrest them, and bring them back to Jerusalem for
sentencing. 6 "As I arrived on the outskirts of Damascus about noon, a
blinding light blazed out of the skies 7 and I fell to the ground, dazed. I
heard a voice: 'Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me?' 8 "'Who are you,
Master?' I asked. 9 My companions saw the light, but they didn't hear the
conversation. 10 "Then I said, 'What do I do now, Master?' 11 And so we
entered Damascus, but nothing like the entrance I had planned - I was blind as
a bat and my companions had to lead me in by the hand. 12 "And that's when
I met Ananias, a man with a sterling reputation in observing our laws - the
Jewish community in Damascus is unanimous on that score. 13 He came and put his
arm on my shoulder. 'Look up,' he said. I looked, and found myself looking
right into his eyes - I could see again! 14 "Then he said, 'The God of our
ancestors has handpicked you to be briefed on his plan of action. You've
actually seen the Righteous Innocent and heard him speak. 15 You are to be a
key witness to everyone you meet of what you've seen and heard. 16 So what are
you waiting for? Get up and get yourself baptized, scrubbed clean of those sins
and personally acquainted with God.' 17 "Well, it happened just as Ananias
said. After I was back in Jerusalem and praying one day in the Temple, lost in
the presence of God, 18 I saw him, saw God's Righteous Innocent, and heard him
say to me, 'Hurry up! Get out of here as quickly as you can. None of the Jews
here in Jerusalem are going to accept what you say about me.' 19 "At first
I objected: 'Who has better credentials? They all know how obsessed I was with
hunting out those who believed in you, beating them up in the meeting places
and throwing them in jail. 20 And when your witness Stephen was murdered, I was
right there, holding the coats of the murderers and cheering them on. And now
they see me totally converted. What better qualification could I have?' 21
"But he said, 'Don't argue. Go. I'm sending you on a long journey to outsider
Gentiles.'" 22 The people in the crowd had listened attentively up to this
point, but now they broke loose, shouting out, "Kill him! He's an insect!
Stomp on him!" 23 They shook their fists. They filled the air with curses.
24 That's when the captain intervened and ordered Paul taken into the barracks.
By now the captain was thoroughly exasperated. He decided to interrogate Paul
under torture in order to get to the bottom of this, to find out what he had
done that provoked this outraged violence. 25 As they spread-eagled him with
thongs, getting him ready for the whip, Paul said to the centurion standing
there, "Is this legal: torturing a Roman citizen without a fair
trial?" 26 When the centurion heard that, he went directly to the captain.
"Do you realize what you've done? This man is a Roman citizen!" 27
The captain came back and took charge. "Is what I hear right? You're a
Roman citizen?" Paul said, "I certainly am." 28 The captain was
impressed. "I paid a huge sum for my citizenship. How much did it cost
you?" "Nothing," said Paul. "It cost me nothing. I was free
from the day of my birth." 29 That put a stop to the interrogation. And it
put the fear of God into the captain. He had put a Roman citizen in chains and
come within a whisker of putting him under torture! 30 The next day, determined
to get to the root of the trouble and know for sure what was behind the Jewish
accusation, the captain released Paul and ordered a meeting of the high priests
and the High Council to see what they could make of it. Paul was led in and
took his place before them.
Acts 23
(The Message)
1 Paul surveyed
the members of the council with a steady gaze, and then said his piece:
"Friends, I've lived with a clear conscience before God all my life, up to
this very moment." 2 That set the Chief Priest Ananias off. He ordered his
aides to slap Paul in the face. 3 Paul shot back, "God will slap you down!
What a fake you are! You sit there and judge me by the Law and then break the
Law by ordering me slapped around!" 4 The aides were scandalized:
"How dare you talk to God's Chief Priest like that!" 5 Paul acted
surprised. "How was I to know he was Chief Priest? He doesn't act like a
Chief Priest. You're right, the Scripture does say, 'Don't speak abusively to a
ruler of the people.' Sorry." 6 Paul, knowing some of the council was made
up of Sadducees and others of Pharisees and how they hated each other, decided
to exploit their antagonism: "Friends, I am a stalwart Pharisee from a
long line of Pharisees. It's because of my Pharisee convictions - the hope and
resurrection of the dead - that I've been hauled into this court." 7 The
moment he said this, the council split right down the middle, Pharisees and
Sadducees going at each other in heated argument. 8 Sadducees have nothing to
do with a resurrection or angels or even a spirit. If they can't see it, they
don't believe it. Pharisees believe it all. 9 And so a huge and noisy quarrel
broke out. Then some of the religion scholars on the Pharisee side shouted down
the others: "We don't find anything wrong with this man! And what if a
spirit has spoken to him? Or maybe an angel? What if it turns out we're
fighting against God?" 10 That was fuel on the fire. The quarrel flamed up
and became so violent the captain was afraid they would tear Paul apart, limb
from limb. He ordered the soldiers to get him out of there and escort him back
to the safety of the barracks. 11 That night the Master appeared to Paul:
"It's going to be all right. Everything is going to turn out for the best.
You've been a good witness for me here in Jerusalem. Now you're going to be my
witness in Rome!" 12 Next day the Jews worked up a plot against Paul. They
took a solemn oath that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed
him. 13 Over forty of them ritually bound themselves to this murder pact 14 and
presented themselves to the high priests and religious leaders. "We've
bound ourselves by a solemn oath to eat nothing until we have killed Paul. 15
But we need your help. Send a request from the council to the captain to bring
Paul back so that you can investigate the charges in more detail. We'll do the
rest. Before he gets anywhere near you, we'll have killed him. You won't be
involved." 16 Paul's nephew, his sister's son, overheard them plotting the
ambush. He went immediately to the barracks and told Paul. 17 Paul called over
one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the captain. He
has something important to tell him." 18 The centurion brought him to the
captain and said, "The prisoner Paul asked me to bring this young man to
you. He said he has something urgent to tell you." 19 The captain took him
by the arm and led him aside privately. "What is it? What do you have to
tell me?" 20 Paul's nephew said, "The Jews have worked up a plot against
Paul. They're going to ask you to bring Paul to the council first thing in the
morning on the pretext that they want to investigate the charges against him in
more detail. 21 But it's a trick to get him out of your safekeeping so they can
murder him. Right now there are more than forty men lying in ambush for him.
They've all taken a vow to neither eat nor drink until they've killed him. The
ambush is set - all they're waiting for is for you to send him over." 22
The captain dismissed the nephew with a warning: "Don't breathe a word of
this to a soul." 23 The captain called up two centurions. "Get two
hundred soldiers ready to go immediately to Caesarea. Also seventy cavalry and
two hundred light infantry. I want them ready to march by nine o'clock tonight.
24 And you'll need a couple of mules for Paul and his gear. We're going to
present this man safe and sound to Governor Felix." 25 Then he wrote this
letter: 26 From Claudius Lysias, to the Most Honorable Governor Felix: 27 I
rescued this man from a Jewish mob. They had seized him and were about to kill
him when I learned that he was a Roman citizen. So I sent in my soldiers. 28
Wanting to know what he had done wrong, I had him brought before their council.
29 It turned out to be a squabble turned vicious over some of their religious
differences, but nothing remotely criminal. 30 The next thing I knew, they had
cooked up a plot to murder him. I decided that for his own safety I'd better
get him out of here in a hurry. So I'm sending him to you. I'm informing his
accusers that he's now under your jurisdiction. 31 The soldiers, following
orders, took Paul that same night to safety in Antipatris. 32 In the morning
the soldiers returned to their barracks in Jerusalem, sending Paul on to
Caesarea under guard of the cavalry. 33 The cavalry entered Caesarea and handed
Paul and the letter over to the governor. 34 After reading the letter, the
governor asked Paul what province he came from and was told
"Cilicia." 35 Then he said, "I'll take up your case when your accusers
show up." He ordered him locked up for the meantime in King Herod's
official quarters.
Acts 24
(The Message)
1 Within five
days, the Chief Priest Ananias arrived with a contingent of leaders, along with
Tertullus, a trial lawyer. They presented the governor with their case against
Paul. 2 When Paul was called before the court, Tertullus spoke for the
prosecution: "Most Honorable Felix, we are most grateful in all times and
places for your wise and gentle rule. 3 We are much aware that it is because of
you and you alone that we enjoy all this peace and gain daily profit from your
reforms. 4 I'm not going to tire you out with a long speech. I beg your kind
indulgence in listening to me. I'll be quite brief. 5 "We've found this
man time and again disturbing the peace, stirring up riots against Jews all
over the world, the ringleader of a seditious sect called Nazarenes. 6 He's a
real bad apple, I must say. We caught him trying to defile our holy Temple and
arrested him. 8 You'll be able to verify all these accusations when you examine
him yourself." 9 The Jews joined in: "Hear, hear! That's right!"
10 The governor motioned to Paul that it was now his turn. Paul said, "I
count myself fortunate to be defending myself before you, Governor, knowing how
fair-minded you've been in judging us all these years. 11 I've been back in the
country only twelve days - you can check out these dates easily enough. I came
with the express purpose of worshiping in Jerusalem on Pentecost, and I've been
minding my own business the whole time. 12 Nobody can say they saw me arguing
in the Temple or working up a crowd in the streets. 13 Not one of their charges
can be backed up with evidence or witnesses. 14 "But I do freely admit
this: In regard to the Way, which they malign as a dead-end street, I serve and
worship the very same God served and worshiped by all our ancestors and embrace
everything written in all our Scriptures. 15 And I admit to living in hopeful
anticipation that God will raise the dead, both the good and the bad. If that's
my crime, my accusers are just as guilty as I am. 16 "Believe me, I do my
level best to keep a clear conscience before God and my neighbors in everything
I do. 17 I've been out of the country for a number of years and now I'm back.
While I was away, I took up a collection for the poor and brought that with me,
along with offerings for the Temple. 18 It was while making those offerings
that they found me quietly at my prayers in the Temple. There was no crowd, there
was no disturbance. 19 It was some Jews from around Ephesus who started all
this trouble. And you'll notice they're not here today. They're cowards, too
cowardly to accuse me in front of you. 20 "So ask these others what crime
they've caught me in. Don't let them hide behind this smooth-talking Tertullus.
21 The only thing they have on me is that one sentence I shouted out in the
council: 'It's because I believe in the resurrection that I've been hauled into
this court!' Does that sound to you like grounds for a criminal case?" 22
Felix shilly-shallied. He knew far more about the Way than he let on, and could
have settled the case then and there. But uncertain of his best move
politically, he played for time. "When Captain Lysias comes down, I'll
decide your case." 23 He gave orders to the centurion to keep Paul in
custody, but to more or less give him the run of the place and not prevent his
friends from helping him. 24 A few days later Felix and his wife, Drusilla, who
was Jewish, sent for Paul and listened to him talk about a life of believing in
Jesus Christ. 25 As Paul continued to insist on right relations with God and
his people, about a life of moral discipline and the coming Judgment, Felix
felt things getting a little too close for comfort and dismissed him.
"That's enough for today. I'll call you back when it's convenient."
26 At the same time he was secretly hoping that Paul would offer him a
substantial bribe. These conversations were repeated frequently. 27 After two
years of this, Felix was replaced by Porcius Festus. Still playing up to the
Jews and ignoring justice, Felix left Paul in prison.
Acts 25
(The Message)
1 Three days
after Festus arrived in Caesarea to take up his duties as governor, he went up
to Jerusalem. 2 The high priests and top leaders renewed their vendetta against
Paul. 3 They asked Festus if he wouldn't please do them a favor by sending Paul
to Jerusalem to respond to their charges. A lie, of course - they had revived
their old plot to set an ambush and kill him along the way. 4 Festus answered
that Caesarea was the proper jurisdiction for Paul, and that he himself was
going back there in a few days. 5 "You're perfectly welcome," he
said, "to go back with me then and accuse him of whatever you think he's
done wrong." 6 About eight or ten days later, Festus returned to Caesarea.
The next morning he took his place in the courtroom and had Paul brought in. 7
The minute he walked in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem were all
over him, hurling the most extreme accusations, none of which they could prove.
8 Then Paul took the stand and said simply, "I've done nothing wrong
against the Jewish religion, or the Temple, or Caesar. Period." 9 Festus,
though, wanted to get on the good side of the Jews and so said, "How would
you like to go up to Jerusalem, and let me conduct your trial there?" 10
Paul answered, "I'm standing at this moment before Caesar's bar of
justice, where I have a perfect right to stand. And I'm going to keep standing
here. I've done nothing wrong to the Jews, and you know it as well as I do. 11
If I've committed a crime and deserve death, name the day. I can face it. But
if there's nothing to their accusations - and you know there isn't - nobody can
force me to go along with their nonsense. We've fooled around here long enough.
I appeal to Caesar." 12 Festus huddled with his advisors briefly and then
gave his verdict: "You've appealed to Caesar; you'll go to Caesar!"
13 A few days later King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice, visited Caesarea to
welcome Festus to his new post. 14 After several days, Festus brought up Paul's
case to the king. "I have a man on my hands here, a prisoner left by
Felix. 15 When I was in Jerusalem, the high priests and Jewish leaders brought
a bunch of accusations against him and wanted me to sentence him to death. 16 I
told them that wasn't the way we Romans did things. Just because a man is
accused, we don't throw him out to the dogs. We make sure the accused has a
chance to face his accusers and defend himself of the charges. 17 So when they
came down here I got right on the case. I took my place in the courtroom and
put the man on the stand. 18 "The accusers came at him from all sides, 19
but their accusations turned out to be nothing more than arguments about their
religion and a dead man named Jesus, who the prisoner claimed was alive. 20
Since I'm a newcomer here and don't understand everything involved in cases
like this, I asked if he'd be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there. 21
Paul refused and demanded a hearing before His Majesty in our highest court. So
I ordered him returned to custody until I could send him to Caesar in
Rome." 22 Agrippa said, "I'd like to see this man and hear his
story." "Good," said Festus. "We'll bring him in first
thing in the morning and you'll hear it for yourself." 23 The next day
everybody who was anybody in Caesarea found his way to the Great Hall, along
with the top military brass. Agrippa and Bernice made a flourishing grand
entrance and took their places. Festus then ordered Paul brought in. 24 Festus
said, "King Agrippa and distinguished guests, take a good look at this
man. A bunch of Jews petitioned me first in Jerusalem, and later here, to do
away with him. They have been most vehement in demanding his execution. 25 I
looked into it and decided that he had committed no crime. He requested a trial
before Caesar and I agreed to send him to Rome. 26 But what am I going to write
to my master, Caesar? All the charges made by the Jews were fabrications, and
I've uncovered nothing else. 27 For it seems to me silly to send a prisoner all
that way for a trial and not be able to document what he did wrong."
Acts 26
(The Message)
1 Agrippa spoke
directly to Paul: "Go ahead - tell us about yourself." 2 "I
can't think of anyone, King Agrippa, before whom I'd rather be answering all
these Jewish accusations than you, 3 knowing how well you are acquainted with
Jewish ways and all our family quarrels. 4 "From the time of my youth, my
life has been lived among my own people in Jerusalem. 5 Practically every Jew
in town who watched me grow up - and if they were willing to stick their necks
out they'd tell you in person - knows that I lived as a strict Pharisee, the
most demanding branch of our religion. 6 It's because I believed it and took it
seriously, 7 committed myself heart and soul to what God promised my ancestors
- the identical hope, mind you, that the twelve tribes have lived for night and
day all these centuries - it's because I have held on to this tested and tried
hope that I'm being called on the carpet by the Jews. They should be the ones
standing trial here, not me! 8 For the life of me, I can't see why it's a
criminal offense to believe that God raises the dead. 9 "I admit that I
didn't always hold to this position. For a time I thought it was my duty to
oppose this Jesus of Nazareth with all my might. 10 Backed with the full
authority of the high priests, I threw these believers - I had no idea they
were God's people! - into the Jerusalem jail right and left, and whenever it
came to a vote, I voted for their execution. 11 I stormed through their meeting
places, bullying them into cursing Jesus, a one-man terror obsessed with
obliterating these people. And then I started on the towns outside Jerusalem.
12 "One day on my way to Damascus, armed as always with papers from the
high priests authorizing my action, 13 right in the middle of the day a blaze
of light, light outshining the sun, poured out of the sky on me and my
companions. Oh, King, it was so bright! 14 We fell flat on our faces. Then I
heard a voice in Hebrew: 'Saul, Saul, why are you out to get me? Why do you
insist on going against the grain?' 15 "I said, 'Who are you, Master?' 16
But now, up on your feet - I have a job for you. I've handpicked you to be a
servant and witness to what's happened today, and to what I am going to show
you. 17 "'I'm sending you off 18 to open the eyes of the outsiders so they
can see the difference between dark and light, and choose light, see the
difference between Satan and God, and choose God. I'm sending you off to
present my offer of sins forgiven, and a place in the family, inviting them
into the company of those who begin real living by believing in me.' 19
"What could I do, King Agrippa? I couldn't just walk away from a vision
like that! I became an obedient believer on the spot. 20 I started preaching
this life-change - this radical turn to God and everything it meant in everyday
life - right there in Damascus, went on to Jerusalem and the surrounding
countryside, and from there to the whole world. 21 "It's because of this
'whole world' dimension that the Jews grabbed me in the Temple that day and
tried to kill me. They want to keep God for themselves. 22 But God has stood by
me, just as he promised, and I'm standing here saying what I've been saying to
anyone, whether king or child, who will listen. And everything I'm saying is
completely in line with what the prophets and Moses said would happen: 23 One,
the Messiah must die; two, raised from the dead, he would be the first rays of
God's daylight shining on people far and near, people both godless and
God-fearing." 24 That was too much for Festus. He interrupted with a
shout: "Paul, you're crazy! You've read too many books, spent too much
time staring off into space! Get a grip on yourself, get back in the real
world!" 25 But Paul stood his ground. "With all respect, Festus, Your
Honor, I'm not crazy. I'm both accurate and sane in what I'm saying. 26 The
King knows what I'm talking about. I'm sure that nothing of what I've said
sounds crazy to him. He's known all about it for a long time. You must realize
that this wasn't done behind the scenes. 27 You believe the prophets, don't
you, King Agrippa? Don't answer that - I know you believe." 28 But Agrippa
did answer: "Keep this up much longer and you'll make a Christian out of
me!" 29 Paul, still in chains, said, "That's what I'm praying for,
whether now or later, and not only you but everyone listening today, to become
like me - except, of course, for this prison jewelry!" 30 The king and the
governor, along with Bernice and their advisors, got up 31 and went into the
next room to talk over what they had heard. They quickly agreed on Paul's
innocence, saying, "There's nothing in this man deserving prison, let
alone death." 32 Agrippa told Festus, "He could be set free right now
if he hadn't requested the hearing before Caesar."
Acts 27
(The Message)
1 As soon as
arrangements were complete for our sailing to Italy, Paul and a few other
prisoners were placed under the supervision of a centurion named Julius, a
member of an elite guard. 2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that was bound
for Ephesus and ports west. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, went
with us. 3 The next day we put in at Sidon. Julius treated Paul most decently -
let him get off the ship and enjoy the hospitality of his friends there. 4 Out
to sea again, we sailed north under the protection of the northeast shore of
Cyprus because winds out of the west were against us, 5 and then along the
coast westward to the port of Myra. 6 There the centurion found an Egyptian
ship headed for Italy and transferred us on board. 7 We ran into bad weather
and found it impossible to stay on course. After much difficulty, we finally
made it to the southern coast of the island of Crete 8 and docked at Good
Harbor (appropriate name!). 9 By this time we had lost a lot of time. We had
passed the autumn equinox, so it would be stormy weather from now on through
the winter, too dangerous for sailing. Paul warned, 10 "I see only
disaster ahead for cargo and ship - to say nothing of our lives! - if we put
out to sea now." 11 The centurion set Paul's warning aside and let the
ship captain and the shipowner talk him into trying for the next harbor. 12 But
it was not the best harbor for staying the winter. Phoenix, a few miles further
on, was more suitable. 13 When a gentle southerly breeze came up, they weighed
anchor, thinking it would be smooth sailing. 14 But they were no sooner out to
sea than a gale-force wind, the infamous nor'easter, struck. 15 They lost all
control of the ship. It was a cork in the storm. 16 We came under the lee of
the small island named Clauda, and managed to get a lifeboat ready and reef the
sails. 17 But rocky shoals prevented us from getting close. We only managed to
avoid them by throwing out drift anchors. 18 Next day, out on the high seas
again and badly damaged now by the storm, we dumped the cargo overboard. 19 The
third day the sailors lightened the ship further by throwing off all the tackle
and provisions. 20 It had been many days since we had seen either sun or stars.
Wind and waves were battering us unmercifully, and we lost all hope of rescue.
21 With our appetite for both food and life long gone, Paul took his place in
our midst and said, "Friends, you really should have listened to me back
in Crete. We could have avoided all this trouble and trial. 22 But there's no
need to dwell on that now. From now on, things are looking up! I can assure you
that there'll not be a single drowning among us, although I can't say as much
for the ship - the ship itself is doomed. 23 "Last night God's angel stood
at my side, an angel of this God I serve, 24 saying to me, 'Don't give up,
Paul. You're going to stand before Caesar yet - and everyone sailing with you
is also going to make it.' 25 So, dear friends, take heart. I believe God will
do exactly what he told me. 26 But we're going to shipwreck on some island or
other." 27 On the fourteenth night, adrift somewhere on the Adriatic Sea,
at about midnight the sailors sensed that we were approaching land. 28
Sounding, they measured a depth of one hundred twenty feet, and shortly after
that ninety feet. 29 Afraid that we were about to run aground, they threw out
four anchors and prayed for daylight. 30 Some of the sailors tried to jump ship.
They let down the lifeboat, pretending they were going to set out more anchors
from the bow. 31 Paul saw through their guise and told the centurion and his
soldiers, "If these sailors don't stay with the ship, we're all going
down." 32 So the soldiers cut the lines to the lifeboat and let it drift
off. 33 With dawn about to break, Paul called everyone together and proposed
breakfast: "This is the fourteenth day we've gone without food. None of us
has felt like eating! 34 But I urge you to eat something now. You'll need
strength for the rescue ahead. You're going to come out of this without even a
scratch!" 35 He broke the bread, gave thanks to God, passed it around, 36
and they all ate heartily - 37 two hundred seventy-six of us, all told! 38 With
the meal finished and everyone full, the ship was further lightened by dumping
the grain overboard. 39 At daybreak, no one recognized the land - but then they
did notice a bay with a nice beach. They decided to try to run the ship up on
the beach. 40 They cut the anchors, loosed the tiller, raised the sail, and ran
before the wind toward the beach. 41 But we didn't make it. Still far from
shore, we hit a reef and the ship began to break up. 42 The soldiers decided to
kill the prisoners so none could escape by swimming, 43 but the centurion,
determined to save Paul, stopped them. He gave orders for anyone who could swim
to dive in and go for it, 44 and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it
to shore safely.
Acts 28
(The Message)
1 Once everyone
was accounted for and we realized we had all made it, we learned that we were
on the island of Malta. 2 The natives went out of their way to be friendly to
us. The day was rainy and cold and we were already soaked to the bone, but they
built a huge bonfire and gathered us around it. 3 Paul pitched in and helped.
He had gathered up a bundle of sticks, but when he put it on the fire, a
venomous snake, roused from its torpor by the heat, struck his hand and held
on. 4 Seeing the snake hanging from Paul's hand like that, the natives jumped
to the conclusion that he was a murderer getting his just deserts. 5 Paul shook
the snake off into the fire, none the worse for wear. 6 They kept expecting him
to drop dead, but when it was obvious he wasn't going to, they jumped to the conclusion
that he was a god! 7 The head man in that part of the island was Publius. He
took us into his home as his guests, drying us out and putting us up in fine
style for the next three days. 8 Publius's father was sick at the time, down
with a high fever and dysentery. Paul went to the old man's room, and when he
laid hands on him and prayed, the man was healed. 9 Word of the healing got
around fast, and soon everyone on the island who was sick came and got healed.
10 We spent a wonderful three months on Malta. They treated us royally, took
care of all our needs and outfitted us for the rest of the journey. 11 When an
Egyptian ship that had wintered there in the harbor prepared to leave for
Italy, we got on board. The ship had a carved Gemini for its figurehead:
"the Heavenly Twins." 12 We put in at Syracuse for three days 13 and
then went up the coast to Rhegium. Two days later, with the wind out of the
south, we sailed into the Bay of Naples. 14 We found Christian friends there
and stayed with them for a week. 15 Friends in Rome heard we were on the way
and came out to meet us. One group got as far as Appian Court; another group
met us at Three Taverns - emotion-packed meetings, as you can well imagine.
Paul, brimming over with praise, led us in prayers of thanksgiving. 16 When we
actually entered Rome, they let Paul live in his own private quarters with a
soldier who had been assigned to guard him. 17 Three days later, Paul called
the Jewish leaders together for a meeting at his house. He said, "The Jews
in Jerusalem arrested me on trumped-up charges, and I was taken into custody by
the Romans. I assure you that I did absolutely nothing against Jewish laws or
Jewish customs. 18 After the Romans investigated the charges and found there
was nothing to them, they wanted to set me free, 19 but the Jews objected so
fiercely that I was forced to appeal to Caesar. I did this not to accuse them
of any wrongdoing or to get our people in trouble with Rome. We've had enough
trouble through the years that way. 20 I did it for Israel. I asked you to come
and listen to me today to make it clear that I'm on Israel's side, not against
her. I'm a hostage here for hope, not doom." 21 They said, "Nobody
wrote warning us about you. And no one has shown up saying anything bad about
you. 22 But we would like very much to hear more. The only thing we know about
this Christian sect is that nobody seems to have anything good to say about
it." 23 They agreed on a time. When the day arrived, they came back to his
home with a number of their friends. Paul talked to them all day, from morning
to evening, explaining everything involved in the kingdom of God, and trying to
persuade them all about Jesus by pointing out what Moses and the prophets had
written about him. 24 Some of them were persuaded by what he said, but others
refused to believe a word of it. 25 When the unbelievers got cantankerous and
started bickering with each other, Paul interrupted: "I have just one more
thing to say to you. The Holy Spirit sure knew what he was talking about when
he addressed our ancestors through Isaiah the prophet: 26 Go to this people and
tell them this: "You're going to listen with your ears, but you won't hear
a word; You're going to stare with your eyes, but you won't see a thing. 27
These people are blockheads! They stick their fingers in their ears so they
won't have to listen; They screw their eyes shut so they won't have to look, so
they won't have to deal with me face-to-face and let me heal them." 28
"You've had your chance. The non-Jewish outsiders are next on the list.
And believe me, they're going to receive it with open arms!" 30 Paul lived
for two years in his rented house. He welcomed everyone who came to visit. 31
He urgently presented all matters of the kingdom of God. He explained everything
about Jesus Christ. His door was always open.
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