Historical
In Thessalonica Paul Reasons From The Scriptures That The Christ Had To Suffer
17 Now having traveled-through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And in accordance with the thing having become-a-custom with Paul, he went-in to them. And on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 opening them, and putting-before them that the Christ had-to suffer and rise-up from the dead, and that “This One is the Christ— the Jesus Whom I am proclaiming to you”. 4 And some of them were persuaded and were allotted-to[a] Paul and Silas— both a large number of the worshiping Greeks, and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews— having become-jealous, and having taking along some evil men from the marketplace, and having formed-a-crowd— were throwing the city into-a-commotion. And having suddenly-come-upon the house of Jason, they were seeking them[b] to bring them forth to the public-assembly. 6 But not having found them, they were dragging Jason and some brothers before the city-authorities[c], shouting that “The ones having upset the world— these ones are also present here, 7 whom Jason has received[d]. And these ones all are acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that Jesus is another king”. 8 And they stirred-up the crowd and the city-authorities hearing these things. 9 And having received the bond[e] from Jason and the others, they released them.
In Berea, The People Examine The Scriptures With Paul And Silas
10 And the brothers immediately sent-away both Paul and Silas during the night to Berea— who, having arrived, were going into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 Now these ones were more-noble[f] than the ones in Thessalonica— who[g] received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things might hold so. 12 So indeed many of them believed— and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. 13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica came-to-know that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there also, shaking[h] and stirring-up the crowds. 14 And at that time the brothers immediately sent Paul away, that he might go as-far-as to the sea. And both Silas and Timothy remained there.
In Athens, Paul Reasons With The Philosophers In The Marketplace
15 Now the ones conducting Paul brought him as far as Athens. And having received a command for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as they could, they were going away [to them]. 16 And while Paul was waiting-for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked[i] within him while observing the city being full-of-idols. 17 So indeed he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the ones worshiping, and in the marketplace every day with the ones happening-to-be-there. 18 And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. And some were saying, “What would this scavenger[j] be intending to say?” And others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities[k]”— because he was announcing-the-good-news as to Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And having taken-hold-of him, they brought him to the Areopagus[l], saying, “Can we know what this new teaching being spoken by you is? 20 For you are bringing-in some things being strange to our ears. So we want to know what these things mean”. 21 Now all Athenians and the strangers residing there were finding-an-opportunity[m] for nothing other than to say something or to hear something newer.
Paul Proclaims To Them The Creator-God And What He Wants From Mankind
22 And Paul, having been stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, “Men, Athenians, I see how you are very-religious in all respects. 23 For while going-about and looking-carefully-at[n] your objects-of-worship, I also found an altar in which it had been inscribed, ‘To a not-known god’. Therefore what you are worshiping while not-knowing, this I am proclaiming to you: 24 God, the One having made the world and all the things in it— this One, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made-by-human-hands. 25 Nor is He served by human hands, [as if] being-in-need of something[o]— He Himself giving life and breath and all things to all people. 26 And He made from one man every nation of mankind, that they should dwell upon all the face of the earth, having determined the times[p] having been appointed[q] for them and the boundaries of their dwelling-places[r]; 27 that they should seek God— if perhaps indeed they might grope-for[s] Him and find Him, though indeed He being not far from each one of us. 28 For in Him we live and move and exist, as also some of your poets[t] have said— ‘For we are indeed the One’s offspring[u]’. 29 Being then offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone— a work of human craft and thought. 30 So indeed, having overlooked[v] the times of ignorance, God, as to the present things, is commanding people that everyone everywhere should repent. 31 Because He set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man Whom He designated, having granted[w] a proof [x] to everyone— having raised Him up from the dead”.
At The Mention of a Resurrection From The Dead, Some Scoffed
32 Now having heard-of a resurrection of the dead, some were scoffing, but others said, “We will indeed again hear you concerning this”. 33 So Paul went out of their midst. 34 And some men having joined him believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite[y]; and a woman— Damaris by name; and others with them.
In Corinth Paul Teaches The Gentiles For 18 Months
18 After these things, having departed from Athens, he went to Corinth. 2 And having found a certain Jew— Aquila by name, a Pontian by nationality, having recently come from Italy because Claudius[z] had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome— and Priscilla his wife, he went to them. 3 And because of being the same-trade, he was staying with them and working— for they were tent-makers by trade. 4 And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuading Jews and Greeks. 5 But when both Silas and Timothy came[aa] down from Macedonia, Paul was occupying-himself with the word[ab], solemnly-testifying to the Jews that the Christ is Jesus. 6 But while they were opposing and blaspheming, he said to them, having shaken-out his garments, “Your blood be upon your head; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles”. 7 And having passed on from there, he entered into the house of a certain one worshiping God—Titius Justus by name— whose house was bordering[ac] on the synagogue. 8 And Crispus, the synagogue-official, believed in the Lord with his whole household. And many of the Corinthians hearing were believing and being baptized. 9 And the Lord said to Paul during the night through a vision, “Do not be afraid, but be speaking and do not be silent— 10 because I am with you, and no one will set-upon you to harm you; because there is a large people for Me in this city”. 11 And he sat for a year and six months[ad], teaching the word of God among them.
Paul Is Brought Before The Proconsul By The Jews. Gallio Refuses To Intervene
12 Now while Gallio[ae] was being proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with-one-accord rose-up-against Paul and brought him before the judgment-seat, 13 saying that “This one is persuading[af] people to worship God contrary to the Law”. 14 And Paul being about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were some crime or evil villainy, O Jews, I would have borne-with you in accordance with reason— 15 but since it is issues about talk[ag] and names[ah] and your Law, see to it yourselves. I am not willing to be a judge of these things”. 16 And he drove them away from the judgment-seat. 17 And having all taken-hold-of Sosthenes, the synagogue-official, they were striking him in front of the judgment seat. And none of these[ai] things was-a-concern to Gallio.
In Ephesus, Paul Prepares Them For a Future Visit And Then Returns Home To Antioch
18 And Paul, having stayed-on considerable days longer, having said-good-bye to the brothers, was sailing-off to Syria— and Priscilla and Aquila with him— having sheared his head in Cenchrea, for he had a vow[aj]. 19 And they came to Ephesus. And those[ak] ones he left-behind there[al]. And he himself, having entered into the synagogue, reasoned with the Jews. 20 And while they were asking him to stay for more time, he did not consent. 21 But having said-goodbye, and having said, “I will return again to you, God willing”, he put-to-sea from Ephesus. 22 And having come down to Caesarea, having gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch[am].
Paul Embarks On a Third Journey. Priscilla And Aquila Update Apollos
23 And having done some time there, he went forth[an], going successively through the Galatian region[ao] and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples. 24 Now a certain Jew— Apollos by name, an Alexandrian by nationality, an eloquent man— came to Ephesus, being powerful in the Scriptures. 25 This one had been instructed as to the way of the Lord. And boiling in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, knowing-about only the baptism of John. 26 And this one began to speak-boldly in the synagogue. And having heard him, Priscilla and Aquila took him aside and explained the way of God to him more-accurately. 27 And he wanting to go to Achaia, the brothers, having urged him forward, wrote to the disciples to welcome him; who, having arrived, greatly helped the ones having believed through grace. 28 For he was vigorously[ap] refuting the Jews in public, showing through the Scriptures that the Christ is Jesus.
Paul Arrives In Ephesus. He Baptizes Some Disciples of Apollos
19 And it came about during Apollos’s being in Corinth that Paul, having gone through the upper regions, came down to Ephesus and found some disciples. 2 And he said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit, having believed?” And the ones said to him, “But we did not even hear if [aq] the Holy Spirit is given”. 3 And he said, “Into what then were you baptized?” And the ones said, “Into John’s baptism”. 4 And Paul said, “John baptized a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe in the One coming after him, that is, in Jesus”. 5 And having heard it, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 And Paul having laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they were speaking in tongues and prophesying. 7 And all the men were [totaling] about twelve.
Paul Ministers In Ephesus For Over Two Years, Teaching And Doing Miracles
8 And having entered into the synagogue, he was speaking-boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading as to the things concerning the kingdom of God. 9 But when some were becoming-hardened, and were disobeying, speaking-evil-of the Way before the assembly— having departed from them, he separated the disciples, reasoning daily in the school[ar] of Tyrannus. 10 And this took place for two[as] years, so that all the ones dwelling-in Asia heard the word of the Lord— both Jews and Greeks. 11 And God was doing not the ordinary[at] miracles by the hands of Paul— 12 so that handkerchiefs or aprons[au] were even being carried-forth[av] from his skin to the ones being sick, and the diseases were being released from them, and the evil spirits were going out.
Even Some Non-Believing Priests Tried To Utilize Paul’s Power
13 And even some of the Jewish exorcists[aw] going-around attempted to name the name of the Lord Jesus over the ones having the evil spirits, saying, “I make you swear[ax] by the Jesus Whom Paul is proclaiming”. 14 Now there were seven sons of a certain Sceva[ay], a Jewish chief priest, doing this. 15 But having responded, the evil spirit said to them, “I know Jesus and know-about Paul, but who are you?” 16 And the man in whom was the evil spirit— having leaped on them, having subdued[az] all[ba] of them— prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and having been wounded. 17 And this became known to all the ones dwelling-in Ephesus— both Jews and Greeks. And fear fell upon them all.
Jesus Was Being Magnified And The Word of The Lord Was Prevailing
18 And the name of the Lord Jesus was being magnified. And many of the ones having believed were coming, confessing-out[bb] and declaring[bc] their [evil] practices. 19 And many of the ones having practiced sorceries, having brought-together their books, were burning them up in the presence of everyone. And they calculated-up the prices of them, and found it to be fifty thousand silver-coins[bd]. 20 Thus in accordance with the might[be] of the Lord, the word was growing and prevailing.
Paul Decides To Return To Jerusalem And Then Go To Rome. He Sends Timothy Ahead
21 Now when these[bf] things were completed, Paul put[bg] in his spirit that, having gone through Macedonia and Achaia, he should be going to Jerusalem, having said that “After I come-to-be there, I must also see Rome”. 22 And having sent-out two of the ones ministering with him to Macedonia— Timothy and Erastus— he himself held-on in Asia for a time.
There Is a Big Uproar In Ephesus Over a Decline In The Sale of Idols Due To Paul
23 Now about that time, no small disturbance took place concerning the Way. 24 For a certain Demetrius by name, a silversmith making silver shrines[bh] of Artemis[bi], was bringing-about no small business for the craftsmen— 25 whom having assembled-together, and the workers with respect to such things, he said, “Men, you know that prosperity for us is from this business. 26 And you are seeing and hearing that this Paul— having persuaded people not only from Ephesus, but from almost all Asia— turned-away a considerable crowd, saying that the gods being made with hands are not gods. 27 But not only is-there-a-danger for us that this[bj] part may come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted for nothing, and that she whom all Asia and the world worships may even be about to be torn-down[bk] from her majesty”.
Amid The City-Wide Confusion, Friends of Paul Are Seized
28 And having heard it, and having become full of rage, they were crying-out, saying, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!” 29 And the city was filled with confusion. And they rushed with-one-accord into the theater, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus— Macedonian fellow-travelers of Paul. 30 And while Paul was wanting to enter into the public-assembly, the disciples were not letting him. 31 And even some of the Asian-officials[bl]— being friends with him, having sent to him— were urging him not to give himself to the theater. 32 Then indeed, other ones were crying-out another[bm] thing. For the assembly was confused, and the majority did not know for what reason they had come together. 33 And some from the crowd gave-instructions-to[bn] Alexander— the Jews having put him forward. And Alexander, having waved his hand, was intending to speak-a-defense to the public-assembly. 34 But having recognized that he was a Jew, one voice came[bo] from everyone— crying-out for about two hours, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
The Town Mayor Calms And Dismisses The Crowd
35 And the town-mayor[bp], having calmed the crowd, says, “Men, Ephesians, who indeed is there of mankind who does not know the city of the Ephesians as being temple-keeper[bq] of the great Artemis, and of the image fallen-from-heaven[br]? 36 These things then being undeniable, you must continue-being calmed[bs] and doing nothing reckless— 37 for you brought here these men being neither temple-robbers nor ones blaspheming our goddess. 38 So indeed if Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, courts are being led[bt], and there are proconsuls. Let them bring-a-charge against one another. 39 Now if you are seeking-for anything further[bu], it will be settled in the lawful assembly. 40 For indeed we are in-danger-of being charged with a riot because of today— there being no cause[bv] for it— in relation to which[bw] we will not be able to render an account for this gathering”. 41 And having said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing