Study Desk

All of you, my fellow Israelites, are to know for sure that it is through Jesus that the message about forgiveness of sins is preached to you; you are to know that everyone who believes in him is set free from all the sins from which the Law of Moses could not set you free.

‘Look, you scoffers! Be astonished and die! For what I am doing today is something that you will not believe, even when someone explains it to you!'"

For this is the commandment that the Lord has given us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, so that all the world may be saved.'"

When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and praised the Lord's message; and those who had been chosen for eternal life became believers.

The apostles stayed there for a long time, speaking boldly about the Lord, who proved that their message about his grace was true by giving them the power to perform miracles and wonders.

The people of the city were divided: some were for the Jews, others for the apostles.

The priest of the god Zeus, whose temple stood just outside the town, brought bulls and flowers to the gate, for he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifice to the apostles.

and from there they sailed back to Antioch, the place where they had been commended to the care of God's grace for the work they had now completed.

When they arrived in Antioch, they gathered the people of the church together and told them about all that God had done with them and how he had opened the way for the Gentiles to believe.

Simon has just explained how God first showed his care for the Gentiles by taking from among them a people to belong to him.

For the Law of Moses has been read for a very long time in the synagogues every Sabbath, and his words are preached in every town."

There was a sharp argument, and they separated: Barnabas took Mark and sailed off for Cyprus,

As soon as Paul had this vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, because we decided that God had called us to preach the Good News to the people there.

On the Sabbath we went out of the city to the riverside, where we thought there would be a place where Jews gathered for prayer. We sat down and talked to the women who gathered there.

One day as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a young servant woman who had an evil spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.

She did this for many days, until Paul became so upset that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I order you to come out of her!" The spirit went out of her that very moment.

The jailer called for a light, rushed in, and fell trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas.

So the jailer told Paul, "The officials have sent an order for you and Silas to be released. You may leave, then, and go in peace."

While Paul was waiting in Athens for Silas and Timothy, he was greatly upset when he noticed how full of idols the city was.

(For all the citizens of Athens and the foreigners who lived there liked to spend all their time telling and hearing the latest new thing.)