Study Desk

"So then, all the Jews know my manner of life from my youth up, which from the beginning was spent among my own nation [the Jewish people], and in Jerusalem.

"So then, I [once] thought to myself that it was my duty to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.

"While so engaged, as I was traveling to Damascus with the authority and commission and full power of the chief priests,

to open their [spiritual] eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness and release from their sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified (set apart, made holy) by faith in Me.'

"So, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision,

Then Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time [and with so little effort] you [almost] persuade me to become a Christian."

Now much time had been lost, and navigation was dangerous, because even [the time for] the fast (Day of Atonement) was already over, so Paul began to strongly warn them,

So when the south wind blew softly, thinking that they had obtained their goal, they weighed anchor and sailed along Crete, hugging the coast.

"So keep up your courage, men, for I believe God and have complete confidence in Him that it will turn out exactly as I have been told;

So they took soundings [using a weighted line] and found [the depth to be] twenty fathoms (120 feet); and a little farther on they sounded again and found [the depth to be] fifteen fathoms (90 feet).

"So I urge you to eat some food, for this is for your survival; for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish."

So they cut the cables and severed the anchors and left them in the sea while at the same time unlashing the ropes of the rudders; and after hoisting the foresail to the wind, they headed steadily for the beach.

The soldiers' plan was to kill the prisoners, so that none of them would dive overboard and swim [to land] and escape;

and [he commanded] the rest to follow, some on [floating] planks, and others on various things from the ship. And so it was that all of them were brought safely to land.

There we found some believers and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so we came to Rome.

For I long to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift, to strengthen and establish you;

I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that many times I have planned to come to you, (and have been prevented so far) so that I may have some fruit [of my labors] among you, even as I have among the rest of the Gentiles.

So, for my part, I am ready and eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.

For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them [abandoning them to the degrading power of sin],