³² But ^(A)I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, ^(B)strengthen your brethren.”

⁸ We are confident, yes, ^(A)well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

The Judgment Seat of Christ

⁹ Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ^10 (B)For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, ^(C)that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. ¹¹ Knowing, therefore, ^(D)the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are well known to God, and I also trust are well known in your consciences.

Be Reconciled to God

¹² For ^(E)we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity ^(F)to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart. ¹³ For ^(G)if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you. ¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that ^(H)if One died for all, then all died; ¹⁵ and He died for all, ^(I)that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.

^16 (J)Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, ^(K)yet now we know Him thus no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone ^(L)is in Christ, he is ^(M)a new creation; ^(N)old things have passed away; behold, all things have become ^(O)new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, ^(P)who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that ^(Q)God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not ^[a]imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

²⁰ Now then, we are ^(R)ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.

^18 (A)to open their eyes, in order ^(B)to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, ^(C)that they may receive forgiveness of sins and ^(D)an inheritance among those who are ^(E)sanctified^[a] by faith in Me.’

Paul’s Post-Conversion Life

¹⁹ “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, ²⁰ but ^(F)declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do ^(G)works befitting repentance.

³ So, ^(A)being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(B)describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.

¹⁰ and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, ^(A)you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?

¹⁹ So when he had received food, he was strengthened. ^(A)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.

Saul Preaches Christ

²⁰ Immediately he preached ^[a]the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

²¹ Then all who heard were amazed, and said, ^(B)“Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”

²² But Saul increased all the more in strength, ^(C)and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

^19 (A)Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, ^(A)“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the ^[a]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and ^(B)to your children, and ^(C)to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

A Vital Church Grows

⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this ^[b]perverse generation.” ⁴¹ Then those who ^[c]gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.