“But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have norexcuse for not knowing God.
Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, every-living God, they worshiped idols made to like like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.” ( Romans 1: vv. 18-23, NLT)
“Let me say first that I thank my god through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in Him is being talked about all over the world.” (Romans 1: 8, NLT)
“I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, that I planned anytime to visit you, but I was prevented until now. I want to work among you and see the spiritual fruit, just as I have seen among other Gentiles. For I have a great sense of obligation to the people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike. So I am eager to come to you in Rome, to preach the Good News.
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. IT is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from the start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, ‘It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Romans 1: vv 13-17, NLT)
“”Once we were safe ashore, we learned the we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.
As Paul carried an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their mindsand decided he was a god.
Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were healed. As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail. people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.”” (Acts 28: vv. 1-10, NLT)
“”So the next day Agrippa and Bernice arrived at the auditorium with great pomp, accompanied by military officers and prominent men of the city. Festus ordered that Paul be brought in. Then Festus said, “King Agrippa and all who are here, this is the man whose death is demanded by all the Jews, both here and in Jerusalem. But in my opinion he has done nothing deserving death. However since he appealed his case to the emperor, I have decided to send him to Rome.”
“But what shall I write to the emperor? For there is no clear charge against him. So I have brought him before all of you, especially you, King Agrippa, so that after we examine him, I might have something to write. For It makes no sense to send a prisoner to the emperor without specifying the charges.”” (Acts 25, vv. 23-27, NLT)
“”But Paul replied, ” I am not insane, Most Excellent Festus. what I am saying is the sober truth. And King Agrippa knows about these things. I speak boldly, for I am sure these events are all familiar to him, for they were not done in a corner! King Agrippia, do you believe the prophets? I know you do-“
Agrippa interrupted him, “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?”
Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both of you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I, except for these chains.”
Then the King, the governor, Bernice, and all the others stood and left. As they went out, they talked it over and agreed, “This man hasn’t done anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”
And Agrippa said to Festus, “He could have been set free if he hadn’t appealed to Caesar.”” (Acts 26: vv. 24-32, NLT)
“”Paul realized that some members of the high counsel were Sadducee and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!”
This divided the council – the Pharisees against the Sadducees – for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these. So there was a great uproar. Some of the teachers of religious law who were Pharisees jumped up and began to argue forcefully. “We see nothing wrong with him,” they shouted. “Perhaps a spirit or an angel spoke to him.”As the conflict grew more violent, the commander was afraid they would tear Paul apart. So he ordered his soldiers to go and rescue him by force and take him back to the fortress.
That night the Lord appeared to Paul and said, “Be encouraged, Paul. Just as you have been a witness to Me here in Jerusalem, you must preach the Good News in Rome as well.”” (Acts 23, vv6-11, NLT)
“”On the first day of the week, we gathered with the local believers to share in the Lord’s Supper. Paul was preaching to them, and since he was living the next cay, he kept taking until midnight. The upstairs room where we met was lighted with many flickering lamps. As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became vey drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” Then they all went back upstairs, shared in the Lord’s Supper, and ate together. Paul continued talking to them until dawn, and then they left. Meanwhile, the young man was taken home unhurt, and everyone was greatly relieved.”” (Acts 20, vv. 7-12, NLT)
“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)
