Book of Acts (English)

[Music] [Music] watch out the lips another break there's been an accident [Music] Luke was one of the first non-jewish converts to Christianity a valued and loyal companion of the Apostle Paul he travelled extensively with him throughout the Middle East and Europe [Music] in my former book deal Phyllis I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he was taken up to heaven after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the Apostles he had chosen after his suffering he showed himself to this men that gave many convincing proofs that he was alive he appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God on one occasion while he was eating with him he gave him this command do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the gift my father promised which you have heard me speak about for John baptized with water but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit [Music] so when they met together they asked him Lord you this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel he said to them it is not for you to know the times or dates the father has set by his own authority but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth after he said this he was taken up before their very eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight [Music] they were looking intently up into the skies he was going when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them men of Galilee they said why do you stand here looking into the sky this same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you've seen him going to him then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives a Sabbath days walk from the city when they arrived they went upstairs to the room where they were staying first president were Peter John James and Andrew Philip and Thomas Bartholomew and Matthew James son of Alphaeus and Simon the servant and Judas son of James they all joined together constantly in prayer along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers [Music] in those days Peter stood up among the believers the group numbering about a hundred and twenty and said brothers the scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas who serve as guides for those who arrested Jesus he was one of our number and shed in this ministry with the reward he got for his wickedness Judas bought a field there he fell headlong his body burst open and all his intestine spilled out everyone in Jerusalem heard about this so they called that field in their language Akeldama that his field of blood for said Peter has written in the Book of Psalms and his place be deserted there be no one to dwell in it and may another take his place of leadership therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us beginning from John's baptism at the time when Jesus was taken up from us for one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection so they proposed two men Joseph corpus Arvest also known as Justus and Matthias then they prayed Lord you know everyone's heart show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry which Judas left to go where he belongs [Music] then they cast lots and the lot fell to Matthias so he was added to the 11 apostles [Music] when the day of pentecost came they were all together in one place suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting [Music] they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each [Music] all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the spirit enabled on [Music] now they were staying in Jerusalem god-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven when they heard this sound a crowd came together in bewilderment because each one heard them speak in his own language utterly amazed they asked aren't all these men who are speaking Galileans then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language parthians medes and elamites residents of Mesopotamia Judea and Cappadocia Pontus and Asia Phrygia and Pamphylia Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene visitors from Rome both Jews and converts to Judaism Cretans and Arabs we hear them declaring the wonders of God in her own tongues amazed in her clenched they asked one another what does this mean some however made fun of them and said they have had too much wine then Peter stood up with the eleven raised his voice and addressed the crowd hello Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem let me explain this to you listen carefully to what I say these men are not drunk as you suppose that's only nine in the morning no this is what was spoken and the Prophet Joel in the last days God says I will pour out my spirit on all people their sons and daughters or prophesy your young men will see visions their old men will dream dreams even on my servants of men and women I will pour out my spirit in those days and they will prophesy I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below blood and fire and billows of smoke the Sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved men of Israel listen to this Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles wonders and signs which God did among you through him as you yourselves know this man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge and you with the help of wicked men put him to death by nailing him to the cross but God raised him from the dead freeing him from the agony of death because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him David said about him I saw the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand I will not be shaken therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices my body also will live in hope because you will not abandon me to the grave nor will you let your Holy One see decay you have made known to me the path of life you'll fill me with joy in your presence brothers I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried and his tomb is here this day but he was a prophet and you that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne seeing what was ahead spoke of the resurrection of the Christ that he was not abandoned to the grave noted his body see decay God has raised this Jesus to life and we're all witnesses of the fact exalted to the right hand of God he has received from the father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear what David did not ascend to heaven and yet he said the Lord said to my lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet therefore let all Israel they're short of this God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ when the people heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter in the other apostles Bravos what shall we do Peter replied repent and be baptized every one of in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit the promises for you and your children and for all who are far off for all whom the Lord our God will call with many other words he warmed them and he pleaded with them save yourselves from this corrupt generation those who accepted his message were baptized and about three thousand were added to their number that day they devoted themselves to the Apostles teaching and to fellowship to the breaking of bread and to prayer everyone was filled with all first of many wonders and miraculous signs done by the Apostles all the believers were together and had everything in common selling their possessions and goods they gave to anyone as he had need everyday they continued to meet together in the temple courts they broke bread in their homes and eat together with glad and sincere hearts praising God and joined the favour of all the people and the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved one day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer at 3 in the afternoon now a man who crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called beautiful where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts when he saw Peter and John about to enter he asked them for money Peter looked straight at him as did John then Peter said look at us so the man gave them his attention expecting to get something from them then Peter said silver or gold I do not have but what I have I give you in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth walk [Music] taking him by the right hand he helped him up and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong he jumped to his feet and began to walk [Music] then he went with them to the temple courts walking and jumping and praising God but not would people saw him walking praising God they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called beautiful and they were filled with Wonder and amazement of what had happened to him while the beggar held on to Peter and John all the people were astonished who came running to them in the place called Solomon's colonnade when Peter saw this he said to them men of Israel why does this surprise you why do you stare at us as if by our own power of godliness we had made this man walk the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob the god of Our Fathers has glorified his servant Jesus you handed him over to be killed and you disowned him before Pilate though he had decided to let him go you disowned the holy and righteous one and asked that a murderer be released to you you killed the author of life but God raised him from the dead we are witnesses of this by faith in the name of Jesus this man whom you see and know was made strong it is Jesus's name in the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him as you can all see now brothers I know that you acted in ignorance as did your leaders but this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets saying that his Christ would suffer repent then in turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out that times of refreshing may come from the Lord and that he may send the Christ who's been appointed for you even Jesus you must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything as he promised long ago through his holy prophets famosa said the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people you must listen to everything he tells you anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people indeed all the prophets from Samuel on as many have spoken have foretold these days and you are heirs of the prophets and of the Covenant God made with your fathers he said to Abraham through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed when God raised up a servant he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter of John while they were speaking to the people they were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming Jesus the resurrection of the Dead they seized Peter and John and because it was evening they put them in jail until the next day but many who heard the message believed and the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand the next day the rulers elders the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem anise the high priest was there and so were Caiaphas John Alexander and other men of the high priests family they had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them by what power or what name did you do this then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them rulers and elders of the people if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a crippled and are asked how he was healed then know this you and all the people of Israel it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead that this man stands before you healed jesus says the stone you bill is rejected which has become the capstone salvation is found in no one else there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved when they saw the courage of Peter and John and realize that they were unschooled ordinary men they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus but since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them there was nothing they could say so they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together what are we going to do with these men they asked everybody living in Jerusalem knows they've done an outstanding miracle and we cannot deny it but to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name then they call them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus but Peter and John replied judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God but we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard after further threats they let them go they could not decide how to punish them because all the people were praising God for what had happened for the man who was miraculously healed was over 40 years old on their release Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them when they heard this they raised their voices together in prayer to God Sovereign Lord they said you made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them he spoke by the Holy Spirit to the mouth of your servant our Father David why did the nation's rage and the people's plot in vain the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his anointed one indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in the city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus whom you anointed they did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen now Lord consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness stretch out your hand to heal and perform a reckless science and want us to the name of your holy servant Jesus after they prayed the place where they were meeting was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the Word of God both all the believers were one in heart and mind no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own but they shared everything they had with great power the Apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and much grace was upon them all there were no needy persons among them for from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them brought the money from the sales and put it at the Apostles feet and it was distributed to anyone as he had made Joseph a Levite from Cyprus whom the Apostles called Barnabas which means son of encouragement sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the Apostles feet now a man named Ananias together with his wife Sapphira also sold a piece of property with his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself but brought the rests and put it at the Apostles feet then Peter said Ananias how is it that Satan has have filled your heart that you've lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you'll receive for the land didn't it belong to you before it was sold and after it was sold wasn't the money at your disposal what made you think of doing such a thing you have not lied to man but to God when Ananias heard this he fell down and died and great fear seized all who heard what had happened then the young men came forward wrapped up his body and carried him out and buried him about three hours later his wife came in not knowing what had happened Peter our sir tell me is this the price you and Ananias got for the land yes she said that is the price Peter said to her how could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord look the feet of the man who buried your husband at the door and they will carry you out also at that moment she fell down at his feet and died then the young men came in and finding her dead carried her out and buried her beside her husband great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events the Apostles perform many miraculous signs and wonders among the people and all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's colonnade no one else dared join them even though they were highly regarded by the people nevertheless more and more men and women received to the Lord and were added to their number as a result people brought those who were ill into the streets and made them on beds and math so that at least Peters shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits and all of them were healed then the high priest and all his associates who were members of the party of the Sadducees were filled with jealousy they arrested the Apostles and put them in the public jail but during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out [Music] [Laughter] [Music] go stand in the temple courts he said and tell the people the full message of this new life [Music] at daybreak they entered the temple courts as they had been told and began to teach the people when the high priest and his associates arrived they called together the Sanhedrin the full assembly of the elders of Israel and sent to the jail for the Apostles for on arriving at the jail the officers did not find them there so they went back and reported we found the jail securely locked with the guards standing at the doors but when we opened them we found no one inside on hearing this report the captain of the temple guard of the chief priests were puzzled wondering what would come of this then someone came and said look the men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people at that the captain went with his officers and brought the Apostles they did not use force because they feared that the people would stoned them having brought the Apostles and made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest we gave you strict orders not to teach in this name he said yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood Peter and the other apostles replied we must obey God rather than men the God of Our Fathers raised Jesus from the dead whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give to repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel we are witnesses of these things and so was the holy spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him when they heard this they were furious and wanted to put them to death but a Pharisee named Gamaliel a teacher of the law who was honoured by all the people stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while then he addressed them men of Israel consider carefully what you intend to do to these men some time ago fear disappeared claiming to be somebody and about 400 men rallied to him he was killed all his followers were dispersed and it all came to nothing after him Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt he too was killed and all his followers were scattered therefore in the present case I advise you leave these men alone let them go for it's their purpose or activity is of human origin it will fail but if it is from God you will not be able to stop these men you will only find yourselves fighting against God his speech persuaded them they call the Apostles in and had them flogged then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and let them go the Apostles left the Sanhedrin rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the name [Music] day after day into temple courts and from house to house they never stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ in those days when the number of disciples was increasing the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food so the twelve gathered all the disciples together and said it would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables brothers choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the spirit and wisdom we will turn this responsibility over to them and we'll give our attention to prayer in the Ministry of the word the proposal please the whole group they chose stephen a man full of faith and of the holy spirit also philip pre-chorus knockanure timur hominis and nicholas from antioch a convert to judaism they presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them so the Word of God spread the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith [Music] now Stephen a man full of God's grace and power did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people [Music] opposition arose however from members of the synagogue of the freedmen as it was called Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Silesia and Asia these men began to argue with Stephen but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the spirit by whom he spoke then they secretly persuaded some men to say we have heard Stephen speak blasphemy against Moses and against God [Music] so they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the laws they see Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin [Music] they produce false witnesses who testified this fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth would destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us all who was sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his face was like a face of an angel then the high priest asked him are these charges true to this he replied brothers and fathers listen to me the god of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia before he lived in her on leave your country and your people God said and go to the land I will show you so he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran after the death of his father God sent him to this land where you are now living he gave him no inheritance here not even a foot of ground but God promised him the Tina's descendants after him would possess the land even though at that time Abraham had no child God spoke to him in this way your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and they will be enslaved and mistreated for hundred years but I will punish the nation they serve as slaves God said and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place then he gave Abraham the Covenant of circumcision and Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth later Isaac became the father of Jacob and Jacob became the father of the 12 patriarchs because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph they sold him as a slave into Egypt but God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles he gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the good will of Pharaoh king of Egypt so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan bringing great suffering and our fathers could not find food when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt he sent our forefathers on their first visit on their second visit Joseph told his brothers who he was and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family after this Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family 75 in all then Jacob went down to Egypt where he and our fathers died the bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of ham or Shechem for a certain sum of money as the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased then another king who knew nothing about Joseph became ruler of Egypt he dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die at that time Moses was born and he was no ordinary child for three months he was cared for in his father's house when he was placed outside Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action when Moses was 40 years old he decided to visit his fellow Israelites he saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian so he went to his defence and avenged him by killing the Egyptian Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them but they did not the next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting he tried to reconcile them by saying men you are brothers why do you want to hurt each other but the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said who made you ruler and judge over us do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday when Moses heard this he fled to Midian where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons after 40 years had passed an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai when he saw this he was amazed at the sight as he went over to look more closely he heard the Lord's voice I am the God of your father's the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look then the Lord said to him take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free now come I will send you back to Egypt this is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words who made you ruler and judge he was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself to the angel who appeared to him in the bush he led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt at the Red Sea for forty years in the wilderness this is that Moses who told the Israelites God will send you a prophet like me from your own people he was in the Assembly in the desert with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our fathers and he received living words to pass on to us but our fathers refused to obey Him instead they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt they told Aaron make us guards who will go before us as for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt we don't know what has happened to him that was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf they brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made but God turned away and gave them over to the heavenly bodies disagrees with what is written in the book of the prophets did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert no house of Israel you have lifted up the shrine of Moloch and the star of your god roof on the idols you made to worship therefore I will send you into a exile beyond Babylon our forefathers had the tabernacle of the testimony with them in the desert it had been made as God directed Moses according to the pattern he had seen having received the tabernacle our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nation's God drove out before them it remained in the land until the time of David who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob but it was Solomon who built a house for him however the Most High does not live in houses made by men as the Prophet says heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool what kind of house will you build for me says the Lord or where will my resting place be has not my hand made all these things you've nagged people with uncircumcised hearts and ears you were just like your father's you always resist the Holy Spirit was there ever a prophet yo your fathers did not persecute they even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one and now you were betrayed and murdered him you who have received the Lord that was put into effect through angels but have not abated when they heard it they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him but Stephen full of the holy spirit looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God look he said I see heaven opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God at this they covered their ears and yelling at the top of their voices they all rushed at him dragged him out of the city and began his story [Music] meanwhile the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul while of a stoning him Stephen friend Lord Jesus receive my spirit that he fell on his knees [Music] and cried out God cannot hope his sin against them when he had said this he fell asleep and soul was there giving approval of his death [Music] on that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply but Saul began to destroy the church going from house to house he dragged off men and women and put them in prison those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there when the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did they all paid close attention to what he said with shrieks evil spirits came out of many and many paralytics and crippled were healed so there was great joy in that city now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria [Music] he boasted that he was someone great and all the people both high and low gave him their attention and exclaimed this man has the divine power this man has the great power they followed him because he had amazed them for a long time his magic [Music] [Music] but when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ they were baptized both men and women Simon himself believed and was baptized and he followed Philip everywhere astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw when the Apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the Word of God they sent Peter and John to them when they arrived they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus then Peter and John placed their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit when Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the Apostles hands he offered the money and said give me also this ability so that everyone and whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit Peter answered may your money perish with you because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money you have no part or share in this ministry because your heart is not right before God repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart [Music] for I see that you're full of bitterness and captive to sin dead Simon answered pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me [Music] when they are testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord Peter and John returned to Jerusalem preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages [Music] now an angel of the Lord said to Philip go south to the road the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza so he started out and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch an important official in charge of all the Treasury of Candace queen of the Ethiopians this man had gone to Jerusalem to worship and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet the spirit told Philip go to that chariot and stay near it then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet you understand what you're reading Philip asked our Canon and he said let them when explained it to me so he invited Philip to come up and sit with him [Music] the UNEP was reading this passage of Scripture he was led like a sheep to the slaughter and as a lamb before the Shearer is silent so he did not open his mouth in his humiliation he was deprived of justice who can speak of his descendants for his life was taken from the earth the eunuch asked Philip Tommy please who is the prophet talking about himself or someone else then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news above Jesus as they traveled along the road they came to some water the eunuch said look here is water why can't I be baptized and he gave orders to stop the chariot then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized [Music] when they came up out of the water the spirit of the law Sutton took Philip away [Music] and the unit did not see him again but went on his way her choice Philip however appeared at as a tiss and travelled about preaching the gospel all the towns until he reached Cesare uh meanwhile soul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples he went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus so that if he found any there who belonged to the way where the men or women he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem as he neared Damascus on his journey suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him he fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him Saul Saul why do you persecute me who are you lord Saul asked [Music] I am Jesus whom you are persecuting he replied now get up and go into the city and you will be told what you must do the men traveling with souls stood there speechless they heard the sound but did not see anyone Saul got up from the ground but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing so they led him by the hand to Damascus for three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias the Lord called to him in a vision Ananias yes Lord he answered the Lord told him go to the house of Judas on straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul for his praying in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight Lord Ananias answered ah I have heard many reports about this man and of all the harm he has done to your Saints in Jerusalem and he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name but the Lord said to Ananias go this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel I will show him how much he must suffer for my name [Music] then Ananias went to the house and entered it placing his hands on Saul he said brother Saul the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit immediately something like scales fell from Saul's eyes and he could see again [Music] he got up and was baptized and after taking some food he regained his strength Sall spent several days with the disciples in Damascus at once he began to preach in the synagogue's that Jesus says the Son of God all those who heard him were astonished and asked isn't he the man who caused havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name and hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ after many days had gone by the Jews conspired to kill him but Saul learned of their plan day and night they kept close watch on the city gates and ordered killed him but his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall [Music] when he came to Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples but they were all afraid of him not believing that he really was a disciple but Barnabas took him and brought him to the Apostles he told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus so Saul stayed with him and moved about freely in Jerusalem speaking boldly in the name of the Lord he talked and debated with the Grecian Jews but they tried to kill him when the brothers learned of this they took him down to Cesare and sent him off to Tarsus then the church throughout Judea Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened and encouraged by the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers living in the fear of the Lord as Peter traveled about the country he went to visit the Saints and lie down there he found a man named Aeneas a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years and they asked Peter said to him Jesus Christ heals you get up and take care of your match immediately and this got up all those who lived in Lida and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha which is dorkus who was always doing good and helping the poor about that time she became ill and died and a body was washed and placed in an upstairs room Lida was near Joppa so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lida they sent two men to him and urged him please come at once Peter went with them and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room all the widows stood around him crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that dorcas had made while she was still with them Peter sent them all out of the room then he got down on his knees and prayed turning toward the dead woman he said Tabitha get up she opened her eyes and seen Peter she sat up he took her by the hand helped her to her feet then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive this became known all over Java and many people believed in the Lord [Music] [Music] Peter stayed in Joppa for some time for the Tanner named Simon at Cesare there was a man named Cornelius a Centurion in what was known as the Italian regiment he and his family were devout and god-fearing he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly one day at about 3:00 in the afternoon he had a vision he distinctly saw an angel of God who came to him and said Cornelius Cornelius stared at him and fear what is it Lord he asked the angel answered your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God now sent men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter he is staying with Simon the Tanner whose house is by the sea when the angel who spoke to him that God Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants [Music] he told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa about noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city Peter went up on the roof to pray he became hungry and wanted something to eat and while the mean was being prepared he fell into a trance he saw heaven open and something like a large sheets being let down to earth by its four corners it contained all kinds of four-footed animals as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air then a voice told him get up Peter kill and eat surely not Lord Peter replied I have never eaten anything impure or unclean the voice spoke to him a second time do not call anything impure that God has made clean this happened three times and immediately the Sheep was taken back to heaven while Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate they called out asking of Simon who was known as Peter was staying there while Peter was still thinking about the vision the spirit said to him Simon three men are looking so get up and go downstairs do not hesitate to go with them for I have sent them [Music] Peter went down and said to the man I'm the one you're looking for why have you come the man replied we have come from Cornelius the Centurion he is a righteous and god-fearing man who is respected by all the Jewish people a holy angel told him to have you come to his house so he could hear what you have to say then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests the next day Peter started out with them like some of the brothers from Joppa went along the following day he arrived in cesare Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends as Peter entered the house Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reference but Peter made him get up stand up he said I am only a man myself while talking with him Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people he said to them you are well aware that is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him but God has shown me but I should not call anyone impure or unclean so when I was sent for I came without raising any objection may I ask you why you sent for me Cornelius answered four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour at 3:00 in the afternoon suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said Cornelius God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor sent to dropper for Simon who is called Peter he is a guest in the home of Simon the Tanner who lives by the sea so I sent for you immediately and it was good of you to come now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us then Peter began to speak I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism that accepts men from every nation fear him and do what is right you know the message God sent to the people of Israel telling good news of peace through Jesus Christ who's Lord of all you know what has happened throughout Judea beginning in Galilee after the baptism but John preached how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil because God was with him we are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem they killed him by hanging him on a tree the God raised him from the dead and the third day and caused him to be seen he was not seen by all the people but by witnesses whom God had already chosen by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead all the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through his name while Peter was still speaking his words the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles so they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God then Peter said can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have [Music] so he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days [Music] the Apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the Word of God so when Peter went up to Jerusalem the circumcised believers criticized him and said he went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them Peter began explaining to them precisely as it had happened I was in the city of Joppa praying and then a trance I saw a vision I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners and it came down to where I was I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth while beasts reptiles the birds of the air then I heard a voice telling me get up beta kill and eat I replied surely not bored nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth the voice spoke from heaven a second time do not call anything impure that God has made clean this happened three times and then it was all pulled up to heaven again right then three men who had been sent to me from Cesare I stopped at the house where I was staying the spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them these six brothers also went with me and we entered the man's house he told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say sent a job of assignment who is called Peter he will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved as I began to speak the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning and I remembered what the Lord had said John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit so if God gave them the same gift as who gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ who was I to think that I could oppose God when they heard this they had no further objections and praise God saying so then God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia Cyprus and Antioch telling the message only to Jews some of them however men from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus the Lord's hand was with them and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord news of this reach the ears of the church in Jerusalem and they sent Barnabas to Antioch when he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts he was a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith and a great number of people were brought to the Lord then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul and when he found him he brought him to Antioch so for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch during this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch one of them named Agabus stood up and through the spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world this happened during the reign of Claudius the disciples each according to his ability decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea this they did sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and soul [Music] it was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belong to the church intending to persecute them he had James the brother of John put to death as a sword [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] when he saw that this pleased the Jews he proceeded to seize Peter also this happen during the festival of unleavened bread [Music] after arresting him he put him in prison handing him over to be guarded by four squads and four soldiers each Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after Passover so Peter was kept in prison but the church was earnestly praying to God for him the night before Herod was to bring him to trial Peter was sleeping between two soldiers bound with two chains and small trees stood guard at the entrance suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell he struck Peter on the side and woke him up quick get up he said and the chains fell off Peters wrists then the angel said to him put on your clothes and sandals and Peter ditto [Music] [Music] wrap your cloak around you and follow me the angel told him [Music] Peter followed him out of the prison but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening he thought he was seeing a fisherman they passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gates leading to the city [Music] it opened for them bite sir and they went through it [Music] when they had walked the length of one Street suddenly the angel left him then Peter came to himself and said now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod's clutches and from everything the Jewish people are anticipating when this had dawned on him he went to the house of Mary the mother of John also called mark where many people had gathered and were praying Peter knocked at the outer entrance and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door [Music] when she recognized Peters voice she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed Peter is at the door you're out of your mind they told her when she kept insisting that it was so they said it must be his angel but Peter kept on knocking [Music] and they opened the door and saw him they were astonished Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison [Music] tell James and the brothers about this he said and then he left for another place [Music] in the morning there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become a Peter after Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him he cross-examine the guards and ordered that they be executed then Herod went from Judea to Cesare and stayed there for a while he had been quarreling with the people of tyre and sidon they now joined together and sought an audience with him after securing the support of Blastoise a trusted personal servant of the king they asked for peace because they depended on the Kings country for their food supply on the appointed day Herod wearing his royal robes sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people they shouted a man immediately because Herod did not give praise to God an angel of the Lord struck him down and it was eaten by and died [Music] but the Word of God continued to spread and spread when Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission they returned from Jerusalem taking with them John also called mark in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers barnabas simeon called Niger Lucius of Cyrene Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the Tetrarch and soul while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting the Holy Spirit said set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them so after they had fasted and prayed they placed their hands on them and set them off the two of them sent on their way by the Holy Spirit went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus when they arrived at Salamis they proclaimed the Word of God in the Jewish synagogues John was with them as their helper they traveled through the whole island until they came to pass there they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named by Jesus who was an attendant to the proconsul Sergius Paulus the proconsul an intelligent man sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God but Elias the sorcerer for that is what his name means opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith then Saul who was also called Paul filled with the Holy Spirit looked straight at a limas and said you are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right you are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord now the hand of the Lord is against you you're going to be blind and for a time not even able to see the light of the Sun immediately midst and darkness came away and he groped about seeking someone to lead him by the hand when the proconsul saw what would happen he believed for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord from Paphos Paul and his companion sale to purga in Pamphylia where John left them to return to Jerusalem from purga they went on to Presidio Antioch on the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down after the reading from the law and the prophets the synagogue rulers sent word to them saying brothers if you have a message of encouragement for the people please speak standing up Paul motioned with his hand and said men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God listen to me the god of the people of Israel chose our fathers he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt with mighty power he led them out of that country he endured their conduct for about forty years in a desert here were through seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance all this took about four hundred and fifty years after this God gave them judges until the time of simila prophet then the people asked for a king and he gave them Saul son of Kish of the tribe of Benjamin who ruled 40 years after removing Saul he made David their King he testified concerning him I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart he will do everything I wanted to do from this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus as he promised before the coming of Jesus John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel as John was completing his work he said who do you think I am I am not that one no but he is coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie brother's children of Abraham as you god-fearing Gentiles it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent the people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus get in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath though they found no proper ground for a death sentence they asked Pilate to have him executed when they had carried out all that was written about him they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb but God raised him from the dead and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem they are now his witnesses to our people we tell you the good news what God promised our fathers he has fulfilled for us their children by raising up Jesus as it is written in the second Psalm you are my son today I've become your father the fact that God raised him from the dead never to decay is stated in these words I will give you the holy and Shore blessings promised to David so it is also stated elsewhere you will not let your Holy One see decay for when David had served God's purpose in his own generation he fell asleep he was buried with his father's and his body decayed but the one whom God raised from the dead did not see the gain therefore my brothers I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you [Laughter] through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you look you scoffers wonder and perish for I'm going to do something in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you as Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath when the congregation was dismissed many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God on the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord when the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly we had to speak the Word of God to you first since you rejected and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life we now turn to the Gentiles for this is what the Lord has commanded us I have made you a light for the Gentiles that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and honored the word of the Lord and all who were appointed for eternal life believed the word of the Lord spread through the whole region but the Jews incited two god-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city they stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region so they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit at Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue there they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed but the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poison their minds against the brothers so Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there speaking boldly for the Lord who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders the people of the city were divided some sided with the Jews others with the Apostles there was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews together with their leaders to ill treat them and stone them but they found out about it and fled to the liked Odeon cities of life strong endure and to the surrounding country where they continued to preach the good news in Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet who was lame from birth and had never walked he listened to Paul as he was speaking [Music] Paul look directly at him saw that he had faith to be healed and called out stand up on your feet [Music] [Music] at that the man jumped up and began to walk [Music] when the crowd saw what Paul had done they shouted in the laconian language the gods have come down to us in human form Barnabas they called Zeus and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker the priest of Zeus whose temple was just outside the city brought Bulls and Reed's to the city gates because he in the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them [Music] but when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd shouting [Music] we two only men human like you we are bringing you good news telling you to turn from these worthless things to the Living God who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them in the past he let all nations go their own way yet he has not left himself without testimony he has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy even with these words they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them [Music] then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over [Music] they stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city thinking he was dead [Music] [Music] but after the disciples who gathered around him he got up and went back into the city the next day he and Barnabas left for turb they preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples then they returned to Lystra Iconium and Antioch strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith we must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God they said Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and with prayer and fasting committed them to the Lord in whom they had put their trust after going through procedure they came into Pamphylia and when they had preached the word in purga they went down to italia and from italia they sailed back to Antioch where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed on arriving there they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles and they stayed there a long time with the disciples some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers unless you were circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses you cannot be saved this brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them so Paul and Barnabas were appointed along with some other believers to go up to Jerusalem and see the Apostles and elders about this question the church sent them on their way and as they travel through Phoenicia and Samaria they told how the Gentiles had been converted this news made all the brothers very glad when they came to Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church and the Apostles and elders to whom they reported everything God had done through them then some of the believers who belong to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said the Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses the Apostles and elders met to consider this question after much discussion Peter got up and addressed them brothers you know that some time ago God made a choice among you but the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe god who knows the heart showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them just as he did to us he made no distinction between us and them before he purified their hearts by faith now then why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear now we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved just as they are the whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them when they finished James spoke up brothers listen to me Simon has described to us how God had first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself the words of the prophets are in agreement with this as it is written after this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent it's ruins I will rebuild and I will restore it that the remnant of men may seek the Lord and all the Gentiles who bear my name says the Lord who does these things that have been known for ages it is my judgment therefore that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God instead we should write to them telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols from sexual immorality from the meats of strangled animals and from blood for Moses has been preaching in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogue's on every Sabbath then the apostles and elders with the whole church decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas they chose Judas called barsabbas and Silas two men who were beaters among the brothers with them they sent the following letter the apostles and elders your brother's to the Gentile believers in Antioch Syria and Silesia greetings we have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you troubling your minds by what they said so we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing it seemed go to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements you ought to abstain from food sacrifice to idols from blood from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual and morality you will do well to avoid these things farewell the men was sent off and went down to Antioch where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter the people read it and were glad for its encouraging message Judas and Silas who themselves were prophets said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers after spending some time there they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them but Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord some time later Paul said to Barnabas let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the Word of the laws and see how they are doing Barnabas wanted to take John also called mark with them but Paul did not think it wise to take him because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work they had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company Barnabas took mark and sailed for Cyprus but Paul chose Silas and left commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord he went through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches he came to dirt but then to Lystra where a disciple named Timothy lived whose mother was a Jewess and a believer but whose father was agreed the believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him Paul wanted to take him along in the journey so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area for they all knew that his father was a Greek [Music] as they travel from town to town they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey so the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily numbers Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia haven't been checked by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia when they came to the border of mightier they tried to enter Athena but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to so they passed by my seer and went down to Troas [Music] [Music] during the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him come over to Macedonia and help us [Music] after Paul had seen the vision we got ready and wants to leave for Macedonia concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them from Troy house we put out to sea and sail straight for Samothrace and the next day onto Neapolis from there we traveled to Philip I a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia and we stayed there several days on the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river where we expected to find a place of a prayer we sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there one of those listening was a woman named Lydia a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira who was a worshipper of God the Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message when she and the members of a household were baptized she invited us to her home if you consider me a believer in the Lord she said come and stay at my house [Music] and she persuaded us once when we were going to the place of Prayer we were met by slave girl who had a spirit by which he had predicted the future she earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling this girl followed Paul and the rest of us shouting these men are servants of the Most High God who had telling you the way to be saved she kept this up for many days finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit in the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her at that moment the spirit left her [Music] when the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone they ceased Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities they brought them before the magistrates and said these men are Jews and are throwing our city into an uproar by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept all practice the crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods [Applause] [Applause] after they had been severely flogged they were thrown into prison and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully on receiving such orders he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God and the other prisoners were listening to them suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken at once all the prison doors flew open and everybody's chains came loose the jailer woke up [Music] and when he saw the prison doors open he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped but Paul shouted don't harm yourself we are all here [Music] the jailer call for lights rushed in and felt trembling before Paul and Silas [Music] he then brought them out and asked sirs what must I do to be saved they replied believe in the Lord Jesus and you'll be saved you and your household then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house at that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds then immediately he and all his family were baptized the jailer brought them into his house and said a meal before them he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God he and his whole family when it was daylight the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order released these men the jailer told Paul the magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released now you can leave go in peace but Paul said to the officers they beat is publicly without a trial even though we are Roman citizens and threw us into prison and now do they want to get rid of us quietly no let them come themselves and his quarters out the officers reported this to the magistrates and when they heard the Paul and Silas were Roman citizens they were alarmed they came to appease them and escorted them from the prison requesting them to leave the city [Music] after Paul and Silas came out of the prison they went to Lydia's house where they met with the brothers and encouraged them [Music] then they left [Music] when they pass through Amphipolis and Apollonia they came to Thessalonica where there was a Jewish synagogue as his custom was Paul went into the synagogue and on three sabbath days he reasoned with them from the scriptures explaining and proving that the christ had to suffer and rise from the dead this is Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ he said some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas as did a large number of god-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women but the Jews were jealous so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace formed a mob and started a riot in the city they rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd but when they did not find them they dragged Jason some other brothers before the city officials shouting these men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here and Jason has welcomed them into his house they are all defying Caesar's decrees saying there is another key one call when they heard this the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil then they put Jason and the others on bail and let them go as soon as it was night the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to corral on arriving there they went to the Jewish synagogue now the Barons were more noble characters than the Thessalonians for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true many of the Jews believed as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men but when the Jews in Thessalonica learned the Paul was preaching the Word of God at Berea they went there to agitating the crowds and stirring them up the brothers immediately sent Paul to the coast but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea the men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible while Paul was waiting for them in Athens he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols so he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and god-fearing Greeks as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happen to be there a group of epicurean and stoic philosophers began to dispute with them some of the masked what is this babbler trying to say others remarked he seems to be advocating foreign gods they said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus where they said to him may we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting you are bringing some strange ideas to our ears and we want to know what they mean all the athenians and the foreigners who live there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas Paul then stood up in the meeting of the areopagus and said men of Athens I see that in every way you are very religious for as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship I even found an altar with this inscription to an unknown God now when you worship something unknown I am going to proclaim to you the God who made the world and everything in it is the lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands and he's not served by human hands as if he needed anything because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else from one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth and he determined the time set for them in the exact places where they should live God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for him and find him though he is not far from each one of us for in him we live and move and have our being as some of your own poets have said we are his offspring therefore since we are God's offspring we should not think that a divine being is like gold or silver or stone an image made by man's design and skill in the past God overlooked such ignorance but now he commands all people everywhere to repent for ye Saturday when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed he has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead when they heard about the resurrection of the Dead some of them sneered but others said we want to hear you again on this subject at that Paul left the council a few men became followers of Paul and believed among them was Dionysius a member of the Areopagus also a woman named Damaris and a number of others after this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth there he met a Jew named aquila a native a pontiff's who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to be bro Paul went to see them and because he was a tentmaker as they were he stayed and worked with them every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue trying to persuade Jews and Greeks when Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ but when the Jews of those poor became abusive he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them your blood be on your own hands I am clear of my responsibility from now on I will go to the gentleman then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of tshis justice a worshipper of God Christmas the synagogue ruler and his entire household believed in the Lord and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed who were baptized one night the Lord spoke to Paul and a vision to not be afraid keep on speaking to not be silent for I am with you and no one is going to attack and arm you because I have many people in this city sir Paul stayed for a year and a half teaching them the Word of God [Music] while Gallio was proconsul of a care the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court this man they charged his persuading the people to worship God and ways contrary to the law just as Paul was about to speak galio said to the Jews if you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime it would be reasonable for me to listen to you but since it involves questions about words and names and your own law settle the matter yourselves [Music] I will not be a judge of such things so he had them ejected from the court then they all turned on the saucepan who's the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court and Gallio showed no concern whatever [Music] Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time then he left the brothers and sailed for Syria accompanied by priscilla and aquila before he sailed he had his hair cut off at Central because of a vow he had taken they arrived at Ephesus where Paul left priscilla and aquila he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews when they asked him to spend more time with him he declined but as he left he promised I will come back if it is God's will then he set sail from Ephesus when he landed to Cesare huh he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch after spending some time in Antioch Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place throughout the region Galatia and Phrygia strengthening all the disciples meanwhile the Jew named Apollo's and native of Alexandra came to Ephesus he was a learned man with a thorough knowledge of the Scriptures he had been instructed in the way of the Lord and he spoke with great further and taught about Jesus accurately though he knew only the baptism of John he began to speak boldly in the synagogue when Priscilla and Aquila heard him they invited into their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately when Apollo's wanted to go to a cure the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him on arriving he was a great help to those who by grace had believed for P vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ while Apollo's was at Corinth Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus there he found some disciples and asked them did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed they answered no we have not even heard there is a Holy Spirit so Paul asked them then what baptism did you receive John's baptism they replied Paul said John's baptism was a baptism of repentance he told the people to believe in the one coming after him that is in Jesus on hearing this they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus when Paul placed his hands on them the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied there were about 12 men in all Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God but some of them became obstinate they refused to believe and publicly maligned the way sapore left them he took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus this went on for two years so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia and heard the word of the Lord God did extraordinary miracles through Paul so that even the handkerchiefs aprons that had touched him were taken to those who were ill and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who would demon-possessed they would say in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches I command you to come out seven sons of sceva a Jewish chief priests were doing this one day the evil spirit answered them Jesus I know and I know about Paul but who are you then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all he gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding when this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus they were all seized with fear and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor many of those who believed now came and openly confessed their evil deeds a number who had practiced sorcery brought their Scrolls together and burned them publicly when they calculated the value of the scrolls that total came to fifty thousand drachma in this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power after all this had happened Paul decided to go to Jerusalem passing through Macedonia and Nakia after I beam there he said I must visit Rome also he sent two of his helpers Timothy and Erastus to Macedonia while he stayed in the province of Asia a little longer about that time there arose a great disturbance about the way a silversmith named Demetrius who made silver shrines of artemis brought in no little business for the craftsmen there he called them together along with the workers in related trades and said you know we receive a good income from this business and you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia he says that man-made gods or no gods are told there is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discreditable is herself who is worshipped throughout the province of Asia and the world he roped of her divine majesty when they heard this they were furious and began shouting [Applause] which is Artemis of the Ephesians during the whole city wasn't enough for all the people seized Gaius and Aristarchus poles traveling companions from Macedonia and rushed as one man into the theatre Paul wanted to appear before the crowd but the disciples wouldn't let him even some of the officials of the province Friends of Paul sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theatre the assembly was in confusion some were shouting one thing some another most of the people do not even know why they were there the Jews pushed Alexander to the front and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him he motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people when they realized he was a Jew they all shouted in unison for about two hours the city clerk whitened the crowd and said men of Ephesus doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and over image which fell from heaven therefore since these facts are undeniable you were to be quiet and not do anything rash you have brought these men here though they have neither rubbed temples nor blaspheme doubt goddess if then Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody the courts are open and their approach on souls they can press charges if there is anything further you want to bring up it must be settled in a legal assembly as it is we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events in that case we would not be able to account for this commotion since there is reason for it after he had said this he dismissed the assembly [Music] [Music] when the uproar had ended hole sent for the disciples and after encouraging them said goodbye and set out for Macedonia he traveled through that area speaking many words of encouragement to the people and finally arrived in Greece where he stayed three months because the Jews had made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria he just had to go back to Macedonia he was accompanied by sulfur death son of Pyrus from Maria Aristarchus and secundus from tehsil annika guys from deb tipsy also and tickets and trophimus from the province of asia these men went on ahead and waited for us at row house when we sailed from Philip I after the feast of unleavened bread and five days later joined the others at row house where we stayed seven days [Music] [Music] on the first day of the week we came together to break bread Paul spoke to the people and because he intended to leave the next day kept on talking until midnight there were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting seated in a window as a young man named eutychus who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on when he was sound asleep he fell to the ground from the third storey and was picked up dead Paul went down threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him don't be alarmed he said [Music] ah hi he's alive then he went upstairs again and broke bread after talking until daylight he laughed the people took the young man home alive and were greatly competent [Music] we went on ahead to the ship and sail for a sauce where we were going to take Paul aboard he had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot when he met us at a sauce we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene the next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios the day after that we crossed over to Samos and on the following day arrived at Meletis Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the prophets of Asia for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem if possible by the day of Pentecost from ëletís Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church 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 I serve the Lord with great humility and with tears although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews you know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but I have taught you publicly and from house to house I have declared to both Jews and Greeks but they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus and now compelled by the Spirit I am going to Jerusalem not knowing what will happen to me there I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me however I consider my life worth nothing to me if only I'm able to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again therefore I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men for I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God [Music] keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers be shepherds of the Church of God which he brought with his own blood I know that after I leave savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them so be on your guard remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears now I commit you to God [Music] and to the world of His grace which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified [Music] I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing yourselves know that these hands of mine had supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions in everything I did I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive when he had said this he knelt down with all of them and prayed [Music] they're all wept as they embraced him and kissed him what grieve the most was his statement that they would never see his face again then they accompanied him to the ship [Music] [Music] after we had torn ourselves away from them we put out to sea in sails straight to costs the next day we went to roads and from there to Patara we found the ship crossing over to Phoenicia went on board and set sail after citing cyprus and passing to the south of it we sailed on to syria we landed a tire where our ship was to unload its cargo finding the disciples there we stayed within seven days through the spirit they urge or not to go on to Jerusalem but when our time was up we left and continued on our way all the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us to the city and there on the beach we knelt to pray after saying goodbye to each other we went aboard the ship and they returned home we continued our voyage from tyre and landed autonomous where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day leaving the next day we reach Cesare ER and state at the house of Phillip the Evangelist one of the seven he had four unmarried daughters who prophesied after we have been there a number of days a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea coming over to us he took Paul's belt tied his own hands and feet with it and said the Holy Spirit says in this way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles when we heard this we the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem then Paul answered why are you weeping and breaking my heart I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus when he would not be dissuaded we gave up and said the Lord's will be done after this we got ready and went up to Jerusalem some of the disciples from Cesare ER accompanied us and brought us to the home of nasan where we were to stay he was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples don't be arrived at Jerusalem the brothers received us warmly the next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James and all the elders were present Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry when they heard this they praised God then they said to Paul you see brother how many thousands of Jews have believed and all of them are zealous for the law they have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs what shall we do they will certainly hear that you have come so do what we tell you there are four men with us who have made a vow take these men join in their purification rites and pay their expenses so that they can have their head shaved then everybody will know there is no truth in these reports about you but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law as for the Gentile believers we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols from blood from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality the next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them [Music] when the seven days were nearly over some Jews from the province of Asia saw poor of the temple they stirred up the whole crowd and seized him shouting man nabis will help us this is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and how law and this place and besides here's brought Greeks into the temple area and defile this holy place [Music] there previously seen trophimus the Ephesian in the city would call and assume the poor had brought him into the temple area the whole city was aroused and the people came running from all directions seizing Paul they dragged him from the temple and immediately the gates were shot while they were trying to kill him news reached the commander of the Roman troops at the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar Kidd once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd when the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers they stopped beating Paul the commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains then he asked who he was and what he had done some in the crowd shattered one thing and some another and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar he ordered the poor be taken into the barracks [Music] when Paul reached the steps to violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers the crowd that followed kept shouting away with him away with them as the soldiers were about to take corners the barracks he asked the commander do you speak Greek he replied aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led 4000 terrorists out into the desert some time ago Paul answered I am a Jew from Tarsus in Silesia a citizen of no ordinary city please let me speak to the people after receiving the commander's permission Paul stood on the steps in motion to the crowd when they were all silent he said to the main Aramaic brothers and fathers listen now to my defense when they heard him speak to them in Aramaic they became very quiet then Paul said I am a Jew born in Tarsus of Silesia but brought up in this city under Gamaliel I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just a zealous for God as any of you are today I persecuted the followers of his way to their death arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison as also the high priests and all the council can testify I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished about noon as I came near Damascus suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me so so why do you persecute me who are you lord I asked I am Jesus of Nazareth whom you are persecuting he replied my companions saw the light but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me what shall I do Lord I asked get up Lord said go into Damascus there you will be told all that you have been assigned to do my companions led me by the hand into Damascus because the brilliance of the light her blind his baby man named Ananias came to see me he was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there he stood beside me and said brother solve receive your sight and at the very moment I was able to see him then he said the god of Our Fathers has chosen you to know his will and de-seed the righteous one and to hear words for his mouth you will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard and now what are you ready for get up and be baptized and wash your sins away calling on his name when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking quick he said to me leave Jerusalem immediately because they will not accept your testimony about me Lord I replied these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believed in you and when the blood of your martyrs Stephen was shed I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who are killing him then the Lord said to me go I will send you far away to the Gentiles the crowd listen to Paul until he said this then they raised their voices and shouted him he's not fit to live as they were shouting and throwing up their cloaks and cleaning dust into the air the commander ordered Paul be taken into the balance he directed that he be flogged and questioned in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this as they stretch them out to Prague in ball said to the Centurion standing there is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty when the Centurion heard this he went to the commander and reported it what are you going to do he asked this man is a Roman citizen the commander went to Paul and asked tell me are you a Roman citizen yes I am he answered then the commander said I had to pay a big price for my citizenship but I was born a citizen Paul replied those who are about to question him withdrew immediately the commander himself was a laughed when he realized that he had put Paul a Roman citizen in Chains [Music] the next day since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble then he brought Paul and had him stand before them Paul looked straight at the sandy drain and said my brother's I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day at this the high priests Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth then Paul said to him God will strike you you whitewashed wall you sit there to judge me according to the law get you yourself violate the law by commanding and I be struck those who were standing near Paul said you dare to insult God's High Priest Paul replied brothers I did not realize that he was the high priest for it is written do not speak evil about the ruler of your people then Paul knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees called out in the Sanhedrin my brother's I am a Pharisee the son of a Pharisee I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the Dead when he said this a dispute broke out between the fantasies and the Sadducees and the Assembly was divided the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection and that there are neither Angels nor spirits but the fantasy has acknowledged them all there was a great uproar and some of the teachers of the law were Pharisees stood up and vigorously we find nothing wrong with this man they said what if a spirit or an angel at spoken to the dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be tore to pieces by the moon he ordered the troops to go down and take him away from by force and bring him into the barracks [Music] the following night the Lord stood near Paul and said take courage as you have testified about me in Jerusalem so you must also testify in Rome the next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul more than 40 men were involved in this plot they went to the chief priests and the elders and said we have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul now then you and the Sanhedrin petitioned the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case we are ready to kill him before he gets here but when the son of Paul's sister heard of this plot he went into the barracks and told Paul then Paul called one of the Centurions and said take this young man to the commodity is something to tell him so he took him to the commander the Centurion said Paul the prisoner sent for me and asked me to bring this young head to Europe is here something to tell you the commander took the young man by the hand drew him aside and asked what is it you want to tell me he said the Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the Sanhedrin tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him don't give in to them because more than 40 of them are waiting in ambush for him they have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him they are ready now waiting for your consent to their request the commander dismissed the young man and cautioned him don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me then he called two of his insurance and ordered them get ready a detachment of 200 soldiers 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen to go to Chester via nine tonight provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to governor Felix he wrote a letter as follows Claudia's Lyceus to his Excellency governor Felix greetings this man was seized by the Jews and they are about to kill him but I came with my troops and rescued him before I had learned that he is a Roman citizen I wanted to know why they were accusing him so I brought him to their Sanhedrin I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law but there was no charge against him that deserve death our imprisonment when I was informed of a plot to be carried out against the man I sent him to you at once I also ordered his accusers to present to you their case against him so the soldiers carrying out their orders took Paul with them during the night and bought him his bars and depart rest's the next day they let the cavalry go on with him while they returned to the barracks [Music] when the cavalry arrived in Cesare they delivered the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to the governor read the letter and asked what province he was probably learning that he was from Silesia he said I will hear your case when the accusers get here then he ordered the poor be kept under guard in Herod's palace five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Cesare with some of the elders and a lawyer named - Tallis and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor when Paul was called in to Tallis presented his case before Felix we have enjoyed a long period of peace unto you and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation everywhere and in every way most excellent Felix we acknowledge this with profound gratitude but in order not to worry you further I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly we have found this man to be a troublemaker stirring up rights among the Jews all over the world he is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect and even tried to desecrate the temple so we seized him by examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him the Jews joined in the accusation asserting that these things were true when the governor motioned for him to speak Baal replied I know that for a number of years you've been a judge over this nation so I clad Lea make my defense you can easily verify that no more than 12 days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship my accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple all stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city and they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me however I admit that I worship the God of Our Fathers as a follower of the way which they call a sect I believe everything that is in accordance with the law and that is written in the prophets and I have the same hope in God as these men that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked so I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man after an absence of several years I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings I was ceremony clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this there was no crowd with me nor was I involved in any disturbance but there are some Jews from the province of Asia who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me all these who are here should state was crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence it is concerning the resurrection of the Dead that I am on trial before you today then Felix who was well acquainted with the way adjourned the proceedings when lysis the commander comes he said I will decide your case he ordered the Centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom permit his friends to take care of his needs several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla who was a choice he sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus as Paul discoursed about righteousness self-control and the judgment to come Felix was afraid and said that's enough for now you may leave when I find it convenient I will send for you at the same time he was hoping the Paul would offer him a bribe so he sent for him frequently and talked with him when two years had passed Felix were succeeded by porcius Festus but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews he let fall in prison three days after arriving in the province Festus went up from Cesare er to Jerusalem where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul they urgently requested Festus as a favour to them to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way Festus answered Paul is being held at Cesare er and I myself for going there soon let some of the leaders come with me and press charges against the man there if he's done anything wrong after spending eight or ten days with them he went down to Cesare the next day he convened the court and ordered the Paul be brought before him when Paul appeared the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood round him bringing many serious charges against him which they could not prove then Paul made his defence I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple organs Caesar Festus wishing to do the Jews a favor said to Paul are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges Paul answered I am now standing before Caesars courts why I ought to be tried I have not done any wrong to the Jews as you yourself know very well if however I am guilty of doing anything deserving death I do not refuse to die but if the charge is brought against me by these Jews are not true no one has the right to hand me over to them I appeal to Caesar after Festus had conferred with his counsel he declared you have appealed to Caesar to Caesar you will go [Music] a few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at chicer air to pay the respects festersen since they were spending many days there Festus discussed Paul's case with the king he said there is a man here whom Felix left as prisoner when I went to Jerusalem the chief priests and the elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be condemned I saw of him that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an opportunity to defend himself against their charges when they came here with me I did not delay the case but convened the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in when his accusers got up to speak they did not charge you with any of the crimes I had expected instead they had some points of dispute with him about their own religion and about a dead man named Jesus whom Paul claimed was alive I was at a loss how to investigate such matters so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges when Paul made his appeal to be held over for the Emperor's decision I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar then Agrippa said to Festus I would like to hear this man myself he replied tomorrow you will hear him [Music] the next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room of the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city at the command of Festus Paul was brought in [Music] fessor said king agrippa and all who are present with us you see this man the whole Jewish community has petitioned me about him in Jerusalem and here in Cesare ER shouting that he ought not to live any longer I found he had done nothing deserving of death but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome but I have nothing definite to write to his majesty about him therefore I have brought him before all of you and especially before you King Agrippa so that as a result of this investigation I may have something to write for I think it is unreasonable to send on a prisoner without specifying the charges against him then Agrippa said to Paul you have permission to speak for yourself so Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense King Agrippa I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusation of the Jews and especially so because you are well acquainted with all Jewish customs and controversies therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently the Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child from the beginning of my life in my own country but also in Jerusalem they have known me for a long time and can testify if they are willing that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived as a Pharisee and now it it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today this is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night Oh king it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth and that is just what I did in Jerusalem on the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Saints in prison and when they were put to death I cast my vote against them many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished and I tried to force them to blaspheme in my obsession against them I even went to foreign cities to persecute them on one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and Commission of the chief priests about noon o King as I was on the road I saw a light from heaven brighter than the Sun blazing around me and my companions we all fell to the ground and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic Saul Saul why do you persecute me it is hard for you to kick against the goads then I asked who are you lord I am Jesus whom you are persecuting the Lord replied now get up and stand on your feet I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you've seen of me and what I will show you I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me so then King Agrippa I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven first of those in Damascus then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and to the Gentiles also I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds that is why the Jew sees me in the temple courts and tried to kill me but I have had God's help to this very day so I stand here and testified to small and great alike I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen that the Christ would suffer and as the first to rise from the dead would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles at this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense you're out of your mind Paul he shouted you're great learning is driving you and say a high of not insane most excellent Festus or replied what I'm saying is true and reasonable the King is familiar with these things and I can speak freely to him I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice because it was not done in a corner [Music] King Agrippa do you believe profits I know you do then Agrippa said to Paul do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian Paul replied short time or long I pray God not only you all we're listening to me today may become what I am except for these chains the King rose and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them they left the room and while talking with one another they said this man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment who grippers said to Festus this man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar when it was decided that we would sail for Italy Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a Centurion named Julius who belonged to the Imperial regiment we boarded a ship from adamantium about to sail of her ports along the coast of the province of Asia and we put out to sea Aristarchus the Macedonian from Thessalonica was with us the next day we landed at sideand and julius in kindness to paul allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs from there we put out to sea again and pass through the lis of cyprus because the winds were against us when we had sailed across the open sea of the coast of Silesia and Pamphylia we landed at Myra in Lyceum there the Centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for a two-layer put us on board we made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Snider's when the wind did not allow us to hold a course we sailed to the knee of Crete opposite salmone we moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called fair havens near the town of lacier much time had been lost and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement Sir Paul warned them men I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo and to our own lives also but the Centurion instead of listening to what Paul said followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship since the harbour was unsuitable to winter in the majority decided that we should sail on hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there this was a harbor in Crete facing both Southwest and northwest when a gentle south wind began to blow they thought they had obtained what they wanted so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete before very long a wind of hurricane force called the north eastern swept down from the island the ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind so we gave way to it and were driven along as we passed the B of a small island called Couder we were hardly able to make the lifeboats secure server men hoisted it aboard then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together fearing they would run aground on the sandbars of searches they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along we took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard on the third day they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hats [Music] when neither Sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging we finally gave up all hope of being saved after the man had gone a long time without food Paul stood up before them and said man you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete then you would have spared yourself this damage and loss but now I urge you to keep up your courage because not one of you will be lost only the ship will be destroyed last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said do not be afraid Paul you must stand trial before Caesar and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you so keep up your courage man for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me nevertheless we must run the ground on some Island on the 14th night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea when about midnight two sailors sense they were approaching land they took soundings and town that the water was 40 meters deep a short time later they took soundings again and found it was 30 meters deep fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight in an attempt to escape from the ship the sailors let the lifeboat down into the scene pretending that we're going to lower some anchors from the bow then Paul said to the Centurion of the soldiers unless these men stay with the ship you cannot be saved [Music] so the soldiers cut the ropes to tell the lifeboat and that it fall away [Music] just before dawn poor urged them all to eat for the last 14 days he said you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food you haven't eaten anything now I urge you to take some food you needed to survive not one of you will lose a single hair from his head after he said this he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all then he broke it and began to eat they were all encouraged and ate some food themselves altogether there were 276 of us on board when they had eaten as much as they wanted they'd like him to ship by throwing the grain into the scene when daylight came they did not recognize the land but they saw a vein with a sandy beach where they decided to run the ship aground if they could cutting loose the anchors they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach but the ship struck a sandbar ran aground the Valle stuck fast and would not move and the stern was broken to pieces by pounding of the serve the soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping but the Centurion wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan he ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land the rest were to get their own planks or on pieces of the ship in this way everyone reached land in safety once safely on shore we found out that the island was called Malta the Islanders showed us unusual kindness they built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining in cold paul gathered a pile of brushwood and as he put it on the fire a fiber driven out by the heat fastened itself on his hand when the Islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand they said to each other this man must be a murderer for very escaped from the sea justice has not allowed him to live but Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects [Music] the people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead but after waiting a long time and seen nothing unusual happened to him they changed their minds and said he was a god there was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius the chief official of the island he welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably his father was ill in bad suffering from fever and dysentery Paul went in to see him and after prayer placed his hands on him and healed him [Music] when this had happened the rest of those on the island who were ill came and were cured they honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail they furnished us with the supplies we needed after three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods castor and pollux we put in a Syracuse and stayed there three days from there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium the next day the south wind came up and on the following day we reached Puccio Lea there we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them and so we came to Rome [Music] the brothers there had heard that we were coming and they traveled as far as the forum of Appius and the three taverns to meet us at the sight of these men Paul thank God and was encouraged when we got to Rome Paul was allowed to live by himself with a soldier to guard him three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews [Music] when they are dissembled Paul said to them my brothers although I've done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed it over to the Romans they examined me and wanted to release me because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death but when the Jews objected I was compelled to appeal to Caesar not that I had any charge to bring against my own people for this reason I've asked to see you and talk with you it is because of the hope of Israel that I'm bound with this chain they replied we have not received any letters from Judea concerning you and none of the brothers who have come from there has reported or said anything bad about you but we want to hear what your views are for we know that people everywhere are talking against this sect they arranged to meet Paul on a certain day and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying from morning till evening he explained and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to convince them about Jesus from the law of Moses and from the prophets some were convinced by what he said but others would not believe they disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made his final statement the Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet go to his people and say you will be ever hearing but never understanding you'll be ever seeing but never perceiving for this people's heart has become calloused they hardly hear of their ears and they have closed their eyes otherwise they might see with their eyes hear with their ears understand with their hearts and turn and I would heal them therefore I want you to know that God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles [Music] and they will listen [Music] for two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him [Music] boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] doctor [Music] go in peace grace and peace to you captain [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] you

Channel: Light of Life TV

Views: 1,145,579

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Id: hBEKAGnyIOk

Length: 192min 10sec (11530 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 18 2018