“Then Paul went to the synagogue and preached boldly for the next three months, arguing persuasively about the Kingdom of God. But some became stubborn, rejecting his message and publicly speaking against the Way. So Paul left the synagogue and took his believers with him. Then he held daily discussions at the lecture hall of Tyrannous. This went on for the next two years, so that people throughout. the province of Asia – both Jews and Greeks – heard the word of the Lord.
God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled.” (Acts 19, vv. 8-12, NLT)
“”While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.
“No,”they replied, ‘we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.
And they replied,”The baptism of John.”
Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance of sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would came later, meaning Jesus.”
As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. They when Paul laid his hands on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.”” (Acts 19, vv 1-7, NLT)
“”Then he left and went to the home of Tiberius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.
One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you , and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to Me.” So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.”” (Acts 18: vv. 7-11, NLT)
“”Then Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he became acquainted with a Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from Rome. Paul lived and worked with them, for they were tentmakers, just as he was.
Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike. After Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “You blood is upon your own heads – I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”” (Acts 18: vv. 1-6, NLT)
“”While Paul was waiting for them (Silas and Timothy), the was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the city. He went to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square to all who happened to be there.
He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and His resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Other said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.”” Acts 17 , vv. 16-18, NLT)
“”So Paul, standing before the council, addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious in every way, for as I was walking along I saw your any shrines. And one of your altars has the inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown God’. This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you about.”
“He is the God who made the world and everything in it. Since He is Lord of heaven and earth, He doesn’t live in man-made temples, and human hands can’t serve His needs- for He has no needs. He Himself gives life and breath to everything, and He satisfies every need. From one man He created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand they should rise and fall, and He determined their boundaries.” “(Act 17, vv. 22-26, NLT)
“”God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now He commands everyone every where our to repent of their sins and turn to Him. For He has set a say for judging the world with justice by the Man He has appointed, and He proved to everyone who this is by raising Him from the dead.”
When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want to hear more about this later.” That ended Paul’s discussion with them, but some joined him and became believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.”” (Acts 17, vv. 30-34, NLT)
“”A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered then stripped and beaten with rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoner had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop!” Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved”?
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because all believed in God. ” (Acts 16: vv. 22-34, NLT)
“”We boarded a boat at Troas and saled straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.
On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, ‘come and stay at my home. ” And she urged us until we agreed.”” (Acts 16: vv. 11-15, NLT)
“”The following week almost the entire city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord. But when she of the Jews saw the crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever he said.
Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews. But since you have rejected it and judged for yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we will offer it to the Gentiles. For the Lord gave us a command when He said,
‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.’
When the Gentiles heard this, they were very glad and thanked the Lord for His message; and all who were chosen for eternal life became believers. So the Lord’s message spread throughout the region.
Then the Jews stirred up the influential religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town. So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”” (Acts 13: vv. 44-52, NLT)
