Peter and John before the Sanhedrin

¹While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,

²greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

³They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day.

⁴But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

⁵The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,

⁶along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family.

⁷They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!

⁹If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed,

¹⁰then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.

¹¹This Jesus is‘the stone you builders rejected,which has become the cornerstone.’

¹²Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

The Name Forbidden

¹³When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.

¹⁴And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response.

¹⁵So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrinand then conferred together.

¹⁶“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it.

¹⁷But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”

¹⁸Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

¹⁹But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.

²⁰For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

²¹After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened.

²²For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

The Believers’ Prayer

²³On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.

²⁴When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

²⁵You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant,our father David:‘Why do the nations rageand the peoples plot in vain?

²⁶The kings of the earth take their standand the rulers gather togetheragainst the Lordand against His Anointed One.’

²⁷In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.

²⁸They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.

²⁹And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,

³⁰as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

Sharing among Believers

³²The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.

³³With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.

³⁴There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales,

³⁵and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.

³⁶Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement),

³⁷sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Ashore on Malta

¹Once we were safely ashore, we learned that the island was called Malta.

²The islanders showed us extraordinary kindness. They kindled a fire and welcomed all of us because it was raining and cold.

³Paul gathered a bundle of sticks, and as he laid them on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself to his hand.

⁴When the islanders saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “Surely this man is a murderer. Although he was saved from the sea, Justicehas not allowed him to live.”

⁵But Paul shook the creature off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.

⁶The islanders were expecting him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

⁷Nearby stood an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and entertained us hospitably for three days.

⁸The father of Publius was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him, and after praying and placing his hands on him, he healed the man.

⁹After this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured as well.

¹⁰The islanders honored us in many ways and supplied our needs when we were ready to sail.

Paul Arrives in Italy

¹¹After three months we set sail in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered in the island. It had the Twin Brothersas a figurehead.

¹²Putting in at Syracuse, we stayed there three days.

¹³From there we weighed anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day, a south wind came up, and on the second day we arrived at Puteoli.

¹⁴There we found some brothers who invited us to spend the week with them. And so we came to Rome.

¹⁵The brothers there had heard about us and traveled as far as the Forum of Appiusand the Three Tavernsto meet us. When Paul saw them, he was encouraged and gave thanks to God.

Paul Preaches at Rome

¹⁶When we arrived in Rome,Paul was permitted to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.

¹⁷After three days, he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had gathered, he said to them, “Brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, I was taken prisoner in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

¹⁸They examined me and wanted to release me, because there was no basis for a death sentence against me.

¹⁹But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, even though I have no charge to bring against my nation.

²⁰So for this reason I have called to see you and speak with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”

²¹The leaders replied, “We have not received any letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the brothers from there reported or even mentioned anything bad about you.

²²But we consider your views worth hearing, because we know that people everywhere are speaking against this sect.”

²³So they set a day to meet with Paul, and many people came to the place he was staying. He expounded to them from morning to evening, testifying about the kingdom of God and persuading them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and the Prophets.

²⁴Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.

²⁵They disagreed among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final statement: “The Holy Spirit was right when He spoke to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

²⁶‘Go to this people and say,“You will be ever hearing but never understanding;you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.”

²⁷For this people’s heart has grown callous;they hardly hear with their ears,and they have closed their eyes.Otherwise they might see with their eyes,hear with their ears,understand with their hearts,and turn, and I would heal them.’

²⁸Be advised, therefore, that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!”

³⁰Paul stayed there two full years in his own rented house, welcoming all who came to visit him.

³¹Boldly and freely he proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith and Belief

¹O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.

²I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law, or by hearing with faith?

³Are you so foolish? After starting in the Spirit, are you now finishing in the flesh?

⁴Have you suffered so much for nothing, if it really was for nothing?

⁵Does God lavish His Spirit on you and work miracles among you because you practice the law, or because you hear and believe?

⁶So also, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

⁷Understand, then, that those who have faith are sons of Abraham.

⁸The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and foretold the gospel to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”

⁹So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Christ Has Redeemed Us

¹⁰All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”

¹¹Now it is clear that no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.”

¹²The law, however, is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.”

¹³Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.”

¹⁴He redeemed us in order that the blessing promised to Abrahamwould come to the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

The Purpose of the Law

¹⁵Brothers, let me put this in human terms. Even a human covenant, once it is ratified, cannot be canceled or amended.

¹⁶The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say, “and to seeds,” meaning many, but “and to your seed,”meaning One, who is Christ.

¹⁷What I mean is this: The law that came 430 years later does not revoke the covenant previously established by God, so as to nullify the promise.

¹⁸For if the inheritance depends on the law, then it no longer depends on a promise; but God freely granted it to Abraham through a promise.

¹⁹Why then was the law given? It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the seed to whom the promise referred. It was administered through angels by a mediator.

²⁰A mediator is unnecessary, however, for only one party; but God is one.

²¹Is the law, then, opposed to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could impart life, then righteousness would certainly have come from the law.

²²But the Scripture pronounces all things confined by sin, so that by faith in Jesus Christ the promise might be given to those who believe.

²³Before this faith came, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.

²⁴So the law became our guardian to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

²⁵Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

Sons through Faith in Christ

²⁶You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

²⁷For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

²⁸There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

²⁹And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed and heirs according to the promise.

The LORD Is on My Side

¹Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;His loving devotion endures forever.

²Let Israelsay,“His loving devotion endures forever.”

³Let the house of Aaron say,“His loving devotion endures forever.”

⁴Let those who fear the LORD say,“His loving devotion endures forever.”

⁵In my distress I called to the LORD,and He answered and set me free.

⁶The LORD is on my side;I will not be afraid.What can man do to me?

⁷The LORD is on my side; He is my helper.Therefore I will look in triumph on those who hate me.

⁸It is better to take refuge in the LORDthan to trust in man.

⁹It is better to take refuge in the LORDthan to trust in princes.

¹⁰All the nations surrounded me,but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

¹¹They surrounded me on every side,but in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

¹²They swarmed around me like bees,but they were extinguished like burning thorns;in the name of the LORD I cut them off.

¹³I was pushed so hard I was falling,but the LORD helped me.

¹⁴The LORD is my strength and my song,and He has become my salvation.

¹⁵Shouts of joy and salvation resound in the tents of the righteous:“The right hand of the LORD performs with valor!

¹⁶The right hand of the LORD is exalted!The right hand of the LORD performs with valor!”

¹⁷I will not die, but I will liveand proclaim what the LORD has done.

¹⁸The LORD disciplined me severely,but He has not given me over to death.

¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness,that I may enter and give thanks to the LORD.

²⁰This is the gate of the LORD;the righteous shall enter through it.

²¹I will give You thanks, for You have answered me,and You have become my salvation.

²²The stone the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone.

²³This is from the LORD,and it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day that the LORD has made;we will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵O LORD, save us, we pray.We beseech You, O LORD, cause us to prosper!

²⁶Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.From the house of the LORD we bless you.

²⁷The LORD is God;He has made His light to shine upon us.Bind the festal sacrifice with cordsto the horns of the altar.

²⁸You are my God, and I will give You thanks.You are my God, and I will exalt You.

²⁹Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good;His loving devotion endures forever.