Study Desk

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling.

She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.

by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice."

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.

Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.

For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god . So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

‘For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.'

For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."

For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."

So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to them, "If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you.

Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the brothers and sisters and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchreae because of a vow he had taken.

For he vigorously refuted his Jewish opponents in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Messiah.

Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.

This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.

A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there.

The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people.