Study Desk

But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

for I didn't shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.

Watch out! Remember the three years I was with you—my constant watch and care over you night and day, and my many tears for you.

"And now I entrust you to God and the message of his grace that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those he has set apart for himself.

There we boarded a ship sailing for Phoenicia.

The next stop after leaving Tyre was Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed for one day.

But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus."

After this we packed our things and left for Jerusalem.

Go with them to the Temple and join them in the purification ceremony, paying for them to have their heads ritually shaved. Then everyone will know that the rumors are all false and that you yourself observe the Jewish laws.

"As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality."

So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.

(For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.)

The high priest and the whole council of elders can testify that this is so. For I received letters from them to our Jewish brothers in Damascus, authorizing me to bring the followers of the Way from there to Jerusalem, in chains, to be punished.

For you are to be his witness, telling everyone what you have seen and heard.

What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.'

I saw a vision of Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry! Leave Jerusalem, for the people here won't accept your testimony about me.'

"But the Lord said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles!' "

When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't even been tried?"

"I'm sorry, brothers. I didn't realize he was the high priest," Paul replied, "for the Scriptures say, ‘You must not speak evil of any of your rulers.'"

for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection or angels or spirits, but the Pharisees believe in all of these.