Acts 11-19

GOD’S WORD Translation

Peter Reports That Non-Jewish People Can Belong to the Church

11 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that people who were not Jewish had accepted God’s word. ² However, when Peter went to Jerusalem, the believers who insisted on circumcision began to argue with him. ³ They said, “You went to visit men who were uncircumcised, and you even ate with them.”

⁴ Then Peter began to explain to them point by point what had happened. He said, ⁵ “I was praying in the city of Joppa when I fell into a trance. I saw something like a large linen sheet being lowered by its four corners from the sky. The sheet came near me. ⁶ I looked into the sheet very closely and saw tame animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds. ⁷ I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill these animals, and eat them.’

⁸ “But I answered, ‘I can’t do that, Lord! I’ve never put anything impure or unclean ^[a] into my mouth.’

⁹ “A voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Don’t say that the things which God has made clean ^[b] are impure.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times. Then everything was pulled back into the sky again.

¹¹ “At that moment three men arrived at the house where we were staying. They had been sent from Caesarea to find me. ¹² The Spirit told me to go with them without any hesitation. Six believers ⌞from Joppa⌟ went with me, and we visited Cornelius’ home.

¹³ “He told us that he had seen an angel standing in his home. The angel told him, ‘Send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man whose name is Simon Peter. ¹⁴ He will give you a message that will save you and everyone in your home.’

¹⁵ “When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came to these people. This was the same thing that happened to us in the beginning. ¹⁶ I remembered that the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized by the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ When they believed, God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So who was I to interfere with God?”

¹⁸ When the others heard this, they had no further objections. They praised God by saying, “Then God has also led people who are not Jewish to turn to him so that they can change the way they think and act and have eternal life.”

The New Church in Antioch

¹⁹ Some of the believers who were scattered by the trouble that broke out following Stephen’s death went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and the city of Antioch. They spoke God’s word only to Jewish people. ²⁰ But other believers, who were from Cyprus and Cyrene, arrived in Antioch. They started to spread the Good News about the Lord Jesus to Greeks. ²¹ The Lord’s power was with his followers, and a large number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² After the news about Antioch reached the church in Jerusalem, Barnabas was sent to Antioch. ²³ When he arrived there, he was pleased to see what God had done for them out of kindness.^[c] So he encouraged all the people to remain solidly committed to the Lord. ²⁴ Barnabas was a dependable man, and he was full of the Holy Spirit and faith. A large crowd believed in the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas left Antioch to go to the city of Tarsus to look for Saul. ²⁶ After finding Saul, Barnabas brought him back to Antioch. Barnabas and Saul met with the church in Antioch for a whole year and taught a large group of people. The disciples were called Christians for the first time in the city of Antioch.

²⁷ At that time some prophets came from Jerusalem to the city of Antioch. ²⁸ One of them was named Agabus. Through the Spirit Agabus predicted that a severe famine would affect the entire world. This happened while Claudius was emperor. ²⁹ All the disciples in Antioch decided to contribute whatever they could afford to help the believers living in Judea. ³⁰ The disciples did this and sent their contribution with Barnabas and Saul to the leaders ⌞in Jerusalem⌟.

An Angel Frees Peter from Prison

12 About that time King Herod devoted his attention to mistreating certain members of the church. ² He had James, the brother of John, executed. ³ When he saw how this pleased the Jews, he arrested Peter too. This happened during the days of Unleavened Bread. ⁴ After capturing Peter, Herod had him thrown into prison with sixteen soldiers in squads of four to guard him. Herod wanted to bring Peter to trial in front of the people after Passover. ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying very hard to God for him.

⁶ The night before Herod was going to bring Peter to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. His hands were bound with two chains, and guards were in front of the door. They were watching the prison.

⁷ Suddenly, an angel from the Lord stood near Peter, and his cell was filled with light. The angel nudged Peter’s side, woke him up, and said, “Hurry! Get up!” At that moment the chains fell from Peter’s hands.

⁸ The angel told him, “Put your shoes on, and get ready to go!” Peter did this. Then the angel told him, “Put your coat on, and follow me.”

⁹ Peter followed the angel out of the cell. He didn’t realize that what the angel was doing was actually happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ They passed the first and second guardposts and came to the iron gate that led into the city. This gate opened by itself for them, so they went outside and up the street. The angel suddenly left Peter.

¹¹ When Peter came to his senses, he said, “Now I’m sure that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish people are expecting to happen to me.”

¹² When Peter realized what had happened, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark. Many people had gathered at her home and were praying. ¹³ Peter knocked on the door of the entryway, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so happy that instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and reported, “Peter is standing at the door!”

¹⁵ The people told her, “You’re crazy!” But she insisted that Peter was at the door. They said, “It has to be his angel.”

¹⁶ But Peter kept knocking. When they opened the door, they were shocked to see him. ¹⁷ Peter motioned with his hand to quiet them down and told them how the Lord had taken him out of prison. He added, “Tell James and the other believers about this.” Then he left and went somewhere else.

¹⁸ In the morning the soldiers were in an uproar over what had happened to Peter. ¹⁹ Herod searched for Peter but couldn’t find him. So he questioned the guards and gave orders to have them executed.

Herod’s Death

Then Herod left Judea and went to Caesarea, where he stayed for a while.

²⁰ Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They were going to meet with Herod. They had agreed on what they wanted to do: They enlisted the help of Blastus to ask Herod for terms of peace. This was because their cities depended on Herod for their food supply. (Blastus was in charge of the king’s living quarters.)

²¹ The appointed day came. Herod, wearing his royal clothes, sat on his throne and began making a speech to them. ²² The people started shouting, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”

²³ Immediately, an angel from the Lord killed Herod for not giving glory to God. Herod was eaten by maggots, and he died.

²⁴ But God’s word continued to spread and win many followers.

Barnabas and Saul Travel to Cyprus

²⁵ After Barnabas and Saul delivered the contribution ⌞to the leaders in Jerusalem⌟, they returned ⌞to Antioch⌟ from Jerusalem. They brought John Mark with them.

13 Barnabas, Simeon (called the Black), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (a close friend of Herod since childhood), and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch.

² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me. I want them to do the work for which I called them.” ³ After fasting and praying, Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul, and released them ⌞from their work in Antioch⌟.

⁴ After Barnabas and Saul were sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to the city of Seleucia and from there sailed to the island of Cyprus. ⁵ Arriving in the city of Salamis, they began to spread God’s word in the synagogues. John Mark had gone along to help them. ⁶ They went through the whole island as far as the city of Paphos.

In Paphos they met a Jewish man named Barjesus. He was an astrologer who claimed to be a prophet. ⁷ He was associated with an intelligent man, Sergius Paulus, who was the governor of the island. The governor sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear God’s word. ⁸ Elymas, whose name means astrologer, opposed them and tried to distort the meaning of the faith so that the governor wouldn’t believe.

⁹ But Saul, also known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He stared at Elymas ¹⁰ and said, “You are full of dirty tricks and schemes, you son of the devil! You hate everything that has God’s approval. Quit trying to distort the truth about the way the Lord wants people to live. ¹¹ The Lord is against you now. For a while you will be blind, unable to see the light of day.”

Suddenly, Elymas couldn’t see a thing. He tried to find people to lead him. ¹² When the governor saw what had happened, he believed. The Lord’s teachings amazed him.

Paul and Barnabas Go to Antioch Near Pisidia

¹³ Paul and his men took a ship from Paphos and arrived in Perga, a city in Pamphylia. John Mark deserted them there and went back to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ Paul and Barnabas left Perga and arrived in Antioch, a city near Pisidia. On the day of rest—a holy day, they went into the synagogue and sat down.

¹⁵ After reading from Moses’ Teachings and the Prophets, the synagogue leaders sent ⌞a message⌟ to Paul and Barnabas. The message said, “Brothers, if you have any words of encouragement for the people, feel free to speak.”

¹⁶ Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Men of Israel and converts to Judaism, listen to me. ¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors and made them a strong nation while they lived as foreigners in Egypt. He used his powerful arm to bring them out of Egypt, ¹⁸ and he put up with them for about forty years in the desert. ¹⁹ Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as an inheritance. ²⁰ He did all this in about four hundred and fifty years.

“After that he gave his people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel.

²¹ “Then the people demanded a king, so God gave them Saul, son of Kish, from the tribe of Benjamin. After forty years ²² God removed Saul and made David their king. God spoke favorably about David. He said, ‘I have found that David, son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’

²³ “God had the Savior, Jesus, come to Israel from David’s descendants, as he had promised. ²⁴ Before Jesus began his ministry, John ⌞the Baptizer⌟ told everyone in Israel about the baptism of repentance.^{[d] 25} When John was finishing his work, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I’m not the person you’re looking for. He will come later. I’m not even good enough to untie his sandals.’

²⁶ “Brothers—descendants of Abraham and converts to Judaism—the message that God saves people was sent to us. ²⁷ The people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers didn’t know who Jesus was. They didn’t understand the prophets’ messages, which are read every day of rest—a holy day. So they condemned Jesus and fulfilled what the prophets had said. ²⁸ Although they couldn’t find any good reason to kill him, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ When they had finished doing everything that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God brought him back to life, ³¹ and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These people are now witnesses and are testifying to the Jewish people about him. ³² We are telling you the Good News: What God promised our ancestors has happened. ³³ God has fulfilled the promise for us, their descendants, by bringing Jesus back to life. This is what Scripture says in the second psalm:

³⁴ “God stated that he brought Jesus back to life and that Jesus’ body never decayed. He said, ‘I will give you the enduring love promised to David.’ ³⁵ Another psalm says, ‘You will not allow your holy one to decay.’ ³⁶ After doing God’s will by serving the people of his time, David died. He was laid to rest with his ancestors, but his body decayed. ³⁷ However, the man God brought back to life had a body that didn’t decay.

³⁸ “So, brothers, I’m telling you that through Jesus your sins can be forgiven. Sins kept you from receiving God’s approval through Moses’ Teachings. ³⁹ However, everyone who believes in Jesus receives God’s approval.

⁴⁰ “Be careful, or what the prophets said may happen to you.

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak on the same subject the next day of rest—a holy day. ⁴³ When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas talked with them and were persuading them to continue trusting God’s good will.^[e]

⁴⁴ On the next day of rest—a holy day, almost the whole city gathered to hear the Lord’s word. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they became very jealous. They used insulting language to contradict whatever Paul said.

⁴⁶ Paul and Barnabas told them boldly, “We had to speak God’s word to you first. Since you reject the word and consider yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, we are now going to turn to people of other nations. ⁴⁷ The Lord gave us the following order:

⁴⁸ The people who were not Jews were pleased with what they heard and praised the Lord’s word. Everyone who had been prepared for everlasting life believed. ⁴⁹ The word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region. ⁵⁰ But Jews stirred up devout women of high social standing and the officials of the city. These people started to persecute Paul and Barnabas and threw them out of their territory.

⁵¹ In protest against these people, Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet and went to the city of Iconium. ⁵² Meanwhile, the disciples ⌞in Antioch⌟ continued to be full of joy and the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas in Iconium

14 The same thing happened in the city of Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went into the synagogue and spoke in such a way that a large crowd of Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up some people who were not Jewish and poisoned their minds against the believers. ³ Paul and Barnabas stayed in the city of Iconium for a long time. They spoke boldly about the Lord, who confirmed their message about his good will ^[f] by having them perform miracles and do amazing things. ⁴ But the people of Iconium were divided. Some were for the Jews, while others were for the apostles.

⁵ In the meantime, Paul and Barnabas found out that the non-Jewish people and the Jewish people with their rulers planned to attack them and stone them to death. ⁶ So they escaped to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding territory. ⁷ They spread the Good News there.

Paul and Barnabas in Lystra

⁸ A man who was born lame was in Lystra. He was always sitting because he had never been able to walk. ⁹ He listened to what Paul was saying. Paul observed him closely and saw that the man believed he could be made well. ¹⁰ So Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up.” The man jumped up and began to walk.

¹¹ The crowds who saw what Paul had done shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come to us, and they look human.” ¹² They addressed Barnabas as Zeus and Paul as Hermes because Paul did most of the talking. ¹³ Zeus’ temple was at the entrance to the city. The priest of the god Zeus brought bulls with flowery wreaths around their necks to the temple gates. The priest and the crowd wanted to offer a sacrifice ⌞to Paul and Barnabas⌟.

¹⁴ When the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they were very upset. They rushed into the crowd ¹⁵ and said, “Men, what are you doing? We’re human beings like you. We’re spreading the Good News to you to turn you away from these worthless gods to the living God. The living God made the sky, the land, the sea, and everything in them. ¹⁶ In the past God allowed all people to live as they pleased. ¹⁷ Yet, by doing good, he has given evidence of his existence. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and your lives with happiness.” ¹⁸ Although Paul and Barnabas said these things, they hardly kept the crowd from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ However, Jews from the cities of Antioch and Iconium arrived in Lystra and won the people over. They tried to stone Paul to death and dragged him out of the city when they thought that he was dead. ²⁰ But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

The next day Paul and Barnabas left for the city of Derbe. ²¹ They spread the Good News in that city and won many disciples. Then they went back to the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch (which is in Pisidia). ²² They strengthened the disciples in these cities and encouraged the disciples to remain faithful. Paul and Barnabas told them, “We must suffer a lot to enter God’s kingdom.” ²³ They had the disciples in each church choose spiritual leaders,^[g] and with prayer and fasting they entrusted the leaders to the Lord in whom they believed.

²⁴ After they had gone through Pisidia, they went to Pamphylia. ²⁵ They spoke the message in the city of Perga and went to the city of Attalia. ²⁶ From Attalia they took a boat and headed home to the city of Antioch ⌞in Syria⌟. (In Antioch they had been entrusted to God’s care ^[h] for the work they had now finished.) ²⁷ When they arrived, they called the members of the church together. They reported everything God had done through them, especially that he had given people who were not Jewish the opportunity to believe. ²⁸ They stayed for a long time with these disciples.

Controversy about Moses’ Teachings

15 Some men came from Judea and started to teach believers that people can’t be saved unless they are circumcised as Moses’ Teachings require. ² Paul and Barnabas had a fierce dispute with these men. So Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were sent to Jerusalem to see the apostles and spiritual leaders ^[i] about this claim.

³ The church sent Paul and Barnabas ⌞to Jerusalem⌟. As they were going through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told the whole story of how non-Jewish people were turning to God. This story brought great joy to all the believers.

⁴ The church in Jerusalem, the apostles, and the spiritual leaders welcomed Paul and Barnabas when they arrived. Paul and Barnabas reported everything that God had done through them. ⁵ But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “People who are not Jewish must be circumcised and ordered to follow Moses’ Teachings.”

⁶ The apostles and spiritual leaders met to consider this statement. ⁷ After a lot of debating, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know what happened some time ago. God chose me so that people who aren’t Jewish could hear the Good News and believe. ⁸ God, who knows everyone’s thoughts, showed that he approved of people who aren’t Jewish by giving them the Holy Spirit as he gave the Holy Spirit to us. ⁹ God doesn’t discriminate between Jewish and non-Jewish people. He has cleansed non-Jewish people through faith as he has cleansed us Jews. ¹⁰ So why are you testing God? You’re putting a burden on the disciples, a burden neither our ancestors nor we can carry. ¹¹ We certainly believe that the Lord Jesus saves us the same way that he saves them—through his kindness.” ^[j]

¹² The whole crowd was silent. They listened to Barnabas and Paul tell about all the miracles and amazing things that God had done through them among non-Jewish people.

¹³ After they finished speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon has explained how God first showed his concern by taking from non-Jewish people those who would honor his name. ¹⁵ This agrees with what the prophets said. Scripture says,

¹⁹ “So I’ve decided that we shouldn’t trouble non-Jewish people who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead, we should write a letter telling them to keep away from things polluted by false gods, from sexual sins, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from eating bloody meat. ²¹ After all, Moses’ words have been spread to every city for generations. His teachings are read in synagogues on every day of rest—a holy day.”

²² Then the apostles, the spiritual leaders, and the whole church decided to choose some of their men to send with Paul and Barnabas to the city of Antioch. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, who were leaders among the believers. ²³ They wrote this letter for them to deliver:

From the apostles and the spiritual leaders, your brothers.

To their non-Jewish brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.

Dear brothers and sisters, ²⁴ We have heard that some individuals who came from us have confused you with statements that disturb you. We did not authorize these men ⌞to speak⌟. ²⁵ So we have come to a unanimous decision that we should choose men and send them to you with our dear Barnabas and Paul. ²⁶ Barnabas and Paul have dedicated their lives to our Lord, the one named Jesus Christ. ²⁷ We have sent Judas and Silas to report to you on our decision. ²⁸ The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to place any additional burdens on you. Do only what is necessary ²⁹ by keeping away from food sacrificed to false gods, from eating bloody meat, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual sins. If you avoid these things, you will be doing what’s right.

Farewell!

³⁰ So the men were sent on their way and arrived in the city of Antioch. They gathered the congregation together and delivered the letter. ³¹ When the people read the letter, they were pleased with the encouragement it brought them. ³² Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, spoke a long time to encourage and strengthen the believers.

³³ After Judas and Silas had stayed in Antioch for some time, the congregation sent them back to Jerusalem with friendly greetings to those who had sent them.^{[k] 35} Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught people about the Lord’s word and spread the Good News.

Paul and Barnabas Disagree

³⁶ After a while Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back to every city where we spread the Lord’s word. We’ll visit the believers to see how they’re doing.”

³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John Mark along. ³⁸ However, Paul didn’t think it was right to take a person like him along. John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to work. ³⁹ Paul and Barnabas disagreed so sharply that they parted ways. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to the island of Cyprus. ⁴⁰ Paul chose Silas and left after the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s care.^[l]

⁴¹ Paul went through the provinces of Syria and Cilicia and strengthened the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul in Lystra

16 Paul arrived in the city of Derbe and then went to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was Greek. ² The believers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of Timothy. ³ Paul wanted Timothy to go with him. So he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in those places and because he knew that Timothy’s father was Greek.

⁴ As they went through the cities, they told people about the decisions that the apostles and spiritual leaders ^[m] in Jerusalem had made for the people. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew in numbers every day.

Paul Has a Vision

⁶ Paul and Silas went through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia because the Holy Spirit kept them from speaking the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ They went to the province of Mysia and tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn’t allow this. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went to the city of Troas.

⁹ During the night Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia. The man urged Paul, “Come to Macedonia to help us.”

¹⁰ As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we immediately looked for a way to go to Macedonia. We concluded that God had called us to tell the people of Macedonia about the Good News.

Paul and Silas in Philippi

¹¹ So we took a ship from Troas and sailed straight to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the city of Neapolis, ¹² and from there we went to the city of Philippi. Philippi is a leading city in that part of Macedonia, and it is a Roman colony. We were in this city for a number of days.

¹³ On the day of rest—a holy day, we went out of the city to a place along the river where we thought Jewish people gathered for prayer. We sat down and began talking to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ A woman named Lydia was present. She was a convert to Judaism from the city of Thyatira and sold purple dye for a living. She was listening because the Lord made her willing to pay attention to what Paul said. ¹⁵ When Lydia and her family were baptized, she invited us to stay at her home. She said, “If you’re convinced that I believe in the Lord, then stay at my home.” She insisted. So we did.

¹⁶ One day when we were going to the place of prayer, a female servant met us. She was possessed by an evil spirit that told fortunes. She made a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes. ¹⁷ She used to follow Paul and shout, “These men are servants of the Most High God. They’re telling you how you can be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept doing this for many days. Paul became annoyed, turned to the evil spirit, and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!”

As Paul said this, the evil spirit left her. ¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them to the authorities in the public square. ²⁰ In front of the Roman officials, they said, “These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They’re Jews, ²¹ and they’re advocating customs that we can’t accept or practice as Roman citizens.”

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas. Then the officials tore the clothes off Paul and Silas and ordered ⌞the guards⌟ to beat them with sticks. ²³ After they had hit Paul and Silas many times, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security. ²⁴ So the jailer followed these orders and put Paul and Silas into solitary confinement with their feet in leg irons.

²⁵ Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God. The other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly, a violent earthquake shook the foundations of the jail. All the doors immediately flew open, and all the prisoners’ chains came loose.

²⁷ The jailer woke up and saw the prison doors open. Thinking the prisoners had escaped, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul shouted as loudly as he could, “Don’t hurt yourself! We’re all here!”

²⁹ The jailer asked for torches and rushed into the jail. He was trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas. ³⁰ Then he took Paul and Silas outside and asked, “Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved?”

³¹ They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved.” ³² They spoke the Lord’s word to the jailer and everyone in his home.

³³ At that hour of the night, the jailer washed Paul and Silas’ wounds. The jailer and his entire family were baptized immediately. ³⁴ He took Paul and Silas upstairs into his home and gave them something to eat. He and his family were thrilled to be believers in God.

³⁵ In the morning the Roman officials sent guards who told the jailer, “You can release those men now.”

³⁶ The jailer reported this order to Paul by saying, “The officials have sent word to release you. So you can leave peacefully now.”

³⁷ But Paul told the guards, “Roman officials have had us beaten publicly without a trial and have thrown us in jail, even though we’re Roman citizens. Now are they going to throw us out secretly? There’s no way they’re going to get away with that! Have them escort us out!”

³⁸ The guards reported to the officials what Paul had said. When the Roman officials heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid. ³⁹ So the officials went to the jail and apologized to Paul and Silas. As the officials escorted Paul and Silas out of the jail, they asked them to leave the city.

⁴⁰ After Paul and Silas left the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. They met with the believers, encouraged them, and then left.

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

17 Paul and Silas traveled through the cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to the city of Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue. ² As usual, Paul went into the synagogue. On three consecutive days of rest—holy days, he had discussions about Scripture with the synagogue members. ³ He explained and showed them that the Messiah had to suffer, die, and come back to life, and that Jesus, the person he talked about, was this Messiah.

⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded to join Paul and Silas, especially a large group of Greeks who had converted to Judaism and the wives of many prominent men.

⁵ Then the Jews became jealous. They took some low-class characters who hung around the public square, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city. They attacked Jason’s home and searched it for Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. ⁶ When they didn’t find Paul and Silas, they dragged Jason and some other believers in front of the city officials. They shouted, “Those men who have made trouble all over the world are now here in Thessalonica, ⁷ and Jason has welcomed them as his guests. All of them oppose the emperor’s decrees by saying that there is another king, whose name is Jesus.”

⁸ The crowd and the officials were upset when they heard this. ⁹ But after they had made Jason and the others post bond, they let them go.

¹⁰ Immediately when night came, the believers sent Paul and Silas to the city of Berea.

Paul and Silas in Berea

When Paul and Silas arrived in the city of Berea, they entered the synagogue. ¹¹ The people of Berea were more open-minded than the people of Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive God’s message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if what Paul said was true. ¹² Many of them became believers, and quite a number of them were prominent Greek men and women.

¹³ But when the Jews in Thessalonica found out that Paul was also spreading God’s word in Berea, they went there to upset and confuse the people. ¹⁴ The believers immediately sent Paul to the seacoast, but Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.

Paul in Athens

¹⁵ The men who escorted Paul took him all the way to the city of Athens. When the men left Athens, they took instructions back to Silas and Timothy to join Paul as soon as possible.

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he saw that the city had statues of false gods everywhere. This upset him. ¹⁷ He held discussions in the synagogue with Jews and converts to Judaism. He also held discussions every day in the public square with anyone who happened to be there. ¹⁸ Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers had discussions with him. Some asked, “What is this babbling fool trying to say?” Others said, “He seems to be speaking about foreign gods.” The philosophers said these things because Paul was telling the Good News about Jesus and saying that people would come back to life.

¹⁹ Then they brought Paul to the city court, the Areopagus, and asked, “Could you tell us these new ideas that you’re teaching? ²⁰ Some of the things you say sound strange to us. So we would like to know what they mean.”

²¹ Everyone who lived in Athens looked for opportunities to tell or hear something new and unusual.

²² Paul stood in the middle of the court and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious. ²³ As I was going through your city and looking closely at the objects you worship, I noticed an altar with this written on it: ‘To an unknown god.’ I’m telling you about the unknown god you worship. ²⁴ The God who made the universe and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in shrines made by humans, ²⁵ and he isn’t served by humans as if he needed anything. He gives everyone life, breath, and everything they have. ²⁶ From one man he has made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth. He has given them the seasons of the year and the boundaries within which to live. ²⁷ He has done this so that they would look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. In fact, he is never far from any one of us. ²⁸ Certainly, we live, move, and exist because of him. As some of your poets have said, ‘We are God’s children.’ ²⁹ So if we are God’s children, we shouldn’t think that the divine being is like an image made from gold, silver, or stone, an image that is the product of human imagination and skill.

³⁰ “God overlooked the times when people didn’t know any better. But now he commands everyone everywhere to turn to him and change the way they think and act. ³¹ He has set a day when he is going to judge the world with justice, and he will use a man he has appointed to do this. God has given proof to everyone that he will do this by bringing that man back to life.”

³² When the people of the court heard that a person had come back to life, some began joking about it, while others said, “We’ll hear you talk about this some other time.”

³³ With this response, Paul left the court. ³⁴ Some men joined him and became believers. With them were Dionysius, who was a member of the court, and a woman named Damaris, and some other people.

Paul in Corinth

18 After this, Paul left Athens and went to the city of Corinth. ² In Corinth he met a Jewish man named Aquila and his wife Priscilla. Aquila had been born in Pontus, and they had recently come from Italy because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them, ³ and because they made tents for a living as he did, he stayed with them and they worked together.

⁴ On every day of rest—a holy day, Paul would discuss ⌞Scripture⌟ in the synagogue. He tried to win over Jews and Greeks who had converted to Judaism. ⁵ But when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted all his time to teaching God’s word. He assured the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. ⁶ But they opposed him and insulted him. So Paul shook the dust from his clothes and told them, “You’re responsible for your own death. I’m innocent. From now on I’m going to people who are not Jewish.”

⁷ Then he left the synagogue and went to the home of a man named Titius Justus, who was a convert to Judaism. His house was next door to the synagogue. ⁸ The synagogue leader Crispus and his whole family believed in the Lord. Many Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

⁹ One night the Lord said to Paul in a vision, “Don’t be afraid to speak out! Don’t be silent! ¹⁰ I’m with you. No one will attack you or harm you. I have many people in this city.”

¹¹ Paul lived in Corinth for a year and a half and taught God’s word to them.

¹² While Gallio was governor of Greece, the Jews had one thought in mind. They attacked Paul and brought him to court. ¹³ They said, “This man is persuading people to worship God in ways that are against Moses’ Teachings.”

¹⁴ Paul was about to answer when Gallio said to the Jews, “If there were some kind of misdemeanor or crime involved, reason would demand that I put up with you Jews. ¹⁵ But since you’re disputing words, names, and your own teachings, you’ll have to take care of that yourselves. I don’t want to be a judge who gets involved in those things.” ¹⁶ So Gallio had them forced out of his court.

¹⁷ Then all ⌞the governor’s officers⌟ took Sosthenes, the synagogue leader, and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio couldn’t have cared less.

Paul’s Return Trip to Antioch

¹⁸ After staying in Corinth quite a while longer, Paul left ⌞for Ephesus⌟. Priscilla and Aquila went with him. In the city of Cenchrea, Aquila had his hair cut, since he had taken a vow. From Cenchrea they took a boat headed for Syria ¹⁹ and arrived in the city of Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. Paul went into the synagogue and had a discussion with the Jews. ²⁰ The Jews asked him to stay longer, but he refused. ²¹ As he left, he told them, “I’ll come back to visit you if God wants me to.”

Paul took a boat from Ephesus ²² and arrived in the city of Caesarea. He went ⌞to Jerusalem⌟, greeted the church, and went back to the city of Antioch.

²³ After spending some time in Antioch, Paul went through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, where he strengthened ⌞the faith of⌟ all the disciples.

Apollos Tells Others about Jesus

²⁴ A Jew named Apollos, who had been born in Alexandria, arrived in the city of Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker and knew how to use the Scriptures in a powerful way. ²⁵ He had been instructed in the Lord’s way and spoke enthusiastically. He accurately taught about Jesus but knew only about the baptism John performed. ²⁶ He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him ⌞home⌟ with them and explained God’s way to him more accurately.

²⁷ When Apollos wanted to travel to Greece, the believers ⌞in Ephesus⌟ encouraged him. They wrote to the disciples in Greece to tell them to welcome him. When he arrived in Greece, God’s kindness ^[n] enabled him to help the believers a great deal. ²⁸ In public Apollos helped them by clearly showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah and that the Jews were wrong.

Paul in Ephesus

19 While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior provinces to get to the city of Ephesus. He met some disciples in Ephesus ² and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”

They answered him, “No, we’ve never even heard of the Holy Spirit.”

³ Paul asked them, “What kind of baptism did you have?”

They answered, “John’s baptism.”

⁴ Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.^[o] John told people to believe in Jesus, who was coming later.”

⁵ After they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶ When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came to them, and they began to talk in other languages and to speak what God had revealed. ⁷ About twelve men were in the group.

⁸ For three months Paul would go into the synagogue and speak boldly. He had discussions with people to convince them about God’s kingdom. ⁹ But when some people became stubborn, refused to believe, and had nothing good to say in front of the crowd about the way ⌞of Christ⌟, he left them. He took his disciples and held daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. ¹⁰ This continued for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

¹¹ God worked unusual miracles through Paul. ¹² People would take handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched Paul’s skin to those who were sick. Their sicknesses would be cured, and evil spirits would leave them.

¹³ Some Jews used to travel from place to place and force evil spirits out of people. They tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus to force evil spirits out of those who were possessed. These Jews would say, “I order you ⌞to come out⌟ in the name of Jesus, whom Paul talks about.” ¹⁴ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.

¹⁵ But the evil spirit answered them, “I know Jesus, and I’m acquainted with Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ Then the man possessed by the evil spirit attacked them. He beat them up so badly that they ran out of that house naked and wounded.

¹⁷ All the Jews and Greeks living in the city of Ephesus heard about this. All of them were filled with awe for the name of the Lord Jesus and began to speak very highly about it. ¹⁸ Many believers openly admitted their involvement with magical spells and told all the details. ¹⁹ Many of those who were involved in the occult gathered their books and burned them in front of everyone. They added up the cost of these books and found that they were worth 50,000 silver coins. ²⁰ In this powerful way the word of the Lord was spreading and gaining strength.

²¹ After all these things had happened, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem by traveling through Macedonia and Greece. He said, “After I have been there, I must see Rome.” ²² So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed longer in the province of Asia.

A Riot in Ephesus

²³ During that time a serious disturbance concerning the way ⌞of Christ⌟ broke out in the city of Ephesus.

²⁴ Demetrius, a silversmith, was in the business of making silver models of the temple of Artemis. His business brought a huge profit for the men who worked for him. ²⁵ He called a meeting of his workers and others who did similar work. Demetrius said, “Men, you know that we’re earning a good income from this business, ²⁶ and you see and hear what this man Paul has done. He has won over a large crowd that follows him not only in Ephesus but also throughout the province of Asia. He tells people that gods made by humans are not gods. ²⁷ There’s a danger that people will discredit our line of work, and there’s a danger that people will think that the temple of the great goddess Artemis is nothing. Then she whom all Asia and the rest of the world worship will be robbed of her glory.”

²⁸ When Demetrius’ workers and the others heard this, they became furious and began shouting, “Artemis of the Ephesians is great!” ²⁹ The confusion spread throughout the city, and the people had one thought in mind as they rushed into the theater. They grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who traveled with Paul, and they dragged the two men into the theater with them.

³⁰ Paul wanted to go into the crowd, but his disciples wouldn’t let him. ³¹ Even some officials who were from the province of Asia and who were Paul’s friends sent messengers to urge him not to risk going into the theater.

³² Some people shouted one thing while others shouted something else. The crowd was confused. Most of the people didn’t even know why they had come together. ³³ Some people concluded that Alexander was the cause, so the Jews pushed him to the front. Alexander motioned with his hand to quiet the people because he wanted to defend himself in front of them. ³⁴ But when they recognized that Alexander was a Jew, everyone started to shout in unison, “Artemis of the Ephesians is great!” They kept doing this for about two hours.

³⁵ The city clerk finally quieted the crowd. Then he said, “Citizens of Ephesus, everyone knows that this city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis. Everyone knows that Ephesus is the keeper of the statue that fell down from Zeus. ³⁶ No one can deny this. So you have to be quiet and not do anything foolish. ³⁷ The men you brought here don’t rob temples or insult our goddess. ³⁸ If Demetrius and the men who work for him have a legal complaint against anyone, we have special days and officials to hold court. That’s where they should bring charges against each other. ³⁹ If you want anything else, you must settle the matter in a legal assembly. ⁴⁰ At this moment we run the risk of being accused of rioting today for no reason. We won’t be able to explain this mob.” ⁴¹ After saying this, he dismissed the assembly.^[p]