Study Desk

What they are doing is advocating customs that are against the law for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans."

The jailer awoke, and when he saw the doors open he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, for he assumed that the prisoners had escaped.

Calling for lights, the jailer ran in, began to tremble and fell down in front of Sha'ul and Sila.

Sha'ul's escort went with him as far as Athens, then left with instructions for Sila and Timothy to come as quickly as they could.

While Sha'ul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit within him was disturbed at the sight of the city full of idols.

Also a group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers started meeting with him. Some asked, "What is this babbler trying to say?" Others, because he proclaimed the Good News about Yeshua and the resurrection, said, "He sounds like a propagandist for foreign gods."

For as I was walking around, looking at your shrines, I even found an altar which had been inscribed, ‘To An Unknown God.' So, the one whom you are already worshipping in ignorance — this is the one I proclaim to you.

God did this so that people would look for him and perhaps reach out and find him although in fact, he is not far from each one of us,

‘for in him we live and move and exist.' Indeed, as some of the poets among you have said, ‘We are actually his children.'

For he has set a Day when he will judge the inhabited world, and do it justly, by means of a man whom he has designated. And he has given public proof of it by resurrecting this man from the dead."

However when they set themselves against him and began hurling insults, he shook out his clothes and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! For my part, I am clean; from now on, I will go to the Goyim!"

because I am with you. No one will succeed in harming you, for I have many people in this city."

So Sha'ul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

Sha'ul remained for some time, then said good-bye to the brothers and sailed off to Syria, after having his hair cut short in Cenchrea, because he had taken a vow; with him were Priscilla and Aquila.

for he powerfully and conclusively refuted the unbelieving Jews in public, demonstrating by the Tanakh that Yeshua is the Messiah.

Sha'ul went into the synagogue; and for three months he spoke out boldly, engaging in dialogue and trying to persuade people about the Kingdom of God.

This went on for two years; so that everyone, both Jews and Greeks, living in the province of Asia heard the message about the Lord.

For instance, handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were brought to sick people; they would recover from their ailments; and the evil spirits would leave them.

So he dispatched two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia; but he himself remained in the province of Asia for awhile.

There was a silversmith named Demetrius who manufactured from silver, objects connected with the worship of the goddess Artemis; and he provided no small amount of work for the craftsmen.