⁴⁰ So they went out of the prison and visited ^(A)Lydia. And when they had seen ^(B)the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

¹⁴ One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, ^(A)who was a worshiper of God. The Lord ^(B)opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.

² and we ^(A)sent Timothy, ^(B)our brother and God's coworker^[a] in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, ³ that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that ^(C)we are destined for this.

¹⁶ So we do not lose heart. ^(A)Though our outer self^[a] is wasting away, ^(B)our inner self ^(C)is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For ^(D)this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, ^18 (E)as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

God of All Comfort

^3 (A)Blessed be the ^(B)God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and ^(C)God of all comfort, ^4 (D)who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. ⁵ For as we share abundantly in ^(E)Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.^{[a] 6 (F)}If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. ⁷ Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you ^(G)share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

^22 (A)strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them ^(B)to continue in ^(C)the faith, and saying that ^(D)through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

⁸ We are ^(A)afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; ⁹ persecuted, but ^(B)not forsaken; ^(C)struck down, but not destroyed; ^10 (D)always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, ^(E)so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. ¹¹ For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. ¹² So ^(F)death is at work in us, but life in you.

¹² When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of ^(A)John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and ^(B)were praying. ¹³ And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, ^(C)a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ Recognizing Peter's voice, ^(D)in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. ¹⁵ They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is ^(E)his angel!” ¹⁶ But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. ¹⁷ But ^(F)motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to ^(G)James and to ^(H)the brothers.”^[a] Then he departed and went to another place.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

²³ When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them.