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Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able to see the light of the sun.” Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
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All this took about 450 years. “After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.
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So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.
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And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
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After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
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For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
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After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them.
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Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”
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(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)
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From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.
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Priscilla, Aquila and Apollos
Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.
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When they asked him to spend more time with them, he declined.
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After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
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The Riot in Ephesus
About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way.
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Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
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When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.
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When it was time to leave, we left and continued on our way. All of them, including wives and children, accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.
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“Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?”
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At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him.
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They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect of our religion, living as a Pharisee.
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Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.
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Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”
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Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”
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Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them,
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After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss.
