Study Desk

Get up. Go down and go with them. Do not doubt if you should go, because I sent them."

God gave Jesus of Nazareth the Holy Spirit and power. He went around doing good and healing all who were troubled by the devil because God was with Him.

The Jewish followers who had come along with Peter were surprised and wondered because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also given to the people who were not Jews.

Those who went different places because of the trouble that started over Stephen had gone as far as the cities of Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch. They had preached the Word, but only to the Jews.

Herod looked for him but could not find him. He asked the soldiers who watched the prison about Peter. Herod said that the soldiers must be killed because Peter got away. Then Herod went down from the country of Judea to the city of Caesarea to stay for awhile.

Herod was very angry with the people of the cities of Tyre and Sidon. They went to him and asked for peace to be made between them and the king. They asked this because their country got food from the king's country. The people made friends with Blastus, the king's helper.

The angel of the Lord knocked him down because he did not give honor to God. He was eaten by worms and died.

The leader of the country put his trust in the Lord because he saw what had happened. He was surprised and wondered about the teaching of the Lord.

Before Jesus came, John had preached to all the Jews that they should be baptized because they were sorry for their sins and turned from them.

Paul and Barnabas said to the people in plain words, "We must preach the Word of God to you first. But because you put it aside, you are not good enough for life that lasts forever. So we will go to the people who are not Jews.

They said that Barnabas was Jupiter. Paul was called Mercury because he spoke more than Barnabas.

Paul did not think it was good to take him because he had left them while they were in Pamphylia. He had not helped them in the work.

Paul wanted Timothy to go with him as a missionary. He took him and had Timothy go through the religious act of becoming a Jew because of the Jews who were in those places. Everyone knew his father was a Greek.

Because of this, they were put in the inside room of the prison and their feet were put in pieces of wood that held them.

Some men from two different groups were arguing with Paul. The one group thought that men might as well get all the fun out of life that they can. The other group thought that wisdom alone makes men happy. Some of them said, "This man has lots of little things to talk about. They are not important. What is he trying to say?" Others said, "He preaches about strange gods." It was because he preached of Jesus and of His being raised from the dead.

"They were to look for God. Then they might feel after Him and find Him because He is not far from each one of us.

But because it is about words and names and your own Law, you will have to take care of it yourselves. I do not want to judge who is right or wrong in things like this."

Paul stayed in Corinth many days longer. Then he said good-bye and left the followers. He went by ship to the country of Syria with Priscilla and Aquila going with him. In the city of Cenchrea he had his hair cut short because of a promise he had made to God.

All the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus heard about it. Because of this all the people became afraid. And the name of the Lord Jesus was held in great honor.

I worked for the Lord without pride. Because of the trouble the Jews gave me, I have had many tears.