Study Desk

But Paul wasn't having any of it. He said, "We were beaten and imprisoned without a trial. We are Roman citizens and what happened here is against the law. And now they want us to just go away like nothing happened? I don't think so! Let them come here and release us themselves."

So the city officials all went to the jailhouse and apologized for what had happened. They led Paul and Silas outside and begged them to saddle up and leave the city.

Paul and his crew passed through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia before arriving in Thessalonica. There was a Jewish church there, so they stopped to say hello.

But there were those hard-hearted Jews who wouldn't believe. They became so jealous of Paul that they rounded up some shady characters and convinced them to run through town and shoot out the lights and windows. These fellows tore up the town and then headed toward the home of Jason. They kicked the door down looking for Paul and Silas in order to lynch them.

I'm behind you so speak out boldly. No one's going to lay a finger on ya. There's more folks who ride for me here than you know about."

So Paul stuck around there for about eighteen months teaching and preaching about Jesus.

Despite his great arguments, some of the folks there spurned his message and spoke out publicly against Paul and the cowboy he rode for. So, Paul washed his hands of the Jewish church there and left, taking the believers with him. They moved their talks to a big room at Tyrannus.

No one can dispute this fact. So why are you worked up so much?

He stayed there about three months doing what God had called him to do for so long. He was about to board a ship for Syria when he heard of a plot by some Jews. So, Paul doubled back and gave them the slip as we went back the way he'd come through Macedonia.

We all met together on Sunday morning for a time of worship and the Lord's Supper. Paul planned on heading out the next day, so he taught all day long and well into the night.

Sitting on the sill of an open window, a young cowpuncher named Eutychus began to nod off. He grew so tired that he fell asleep and then fell out of the third story window. He was dead when he hit the ground.

"So, this is where I tell y'all, 'Adios.' We won't ever see each other again in this life. I have told y'all everything I could about God's outfit.

A hundred different answers were shouted out, and it was clear most of the people had no idea who Paul was or why he was being beaten. So the commander ordered that Paul be taken to the garrison to be questioned.

So quit lollygagging around and get to it. It's time to be baptized and get your sins washed away by the Top Hand.'

Two years went by, and Felix was finally replaced with Porcius Festus. Felix hadn't wanted the Jews to say anything bad about him, so he'd left Paul locked up the whole time.

If I deserve to be strung up, I wouldn't argue at all. I'd tell you if I'd done something wrong. But if I'm innocent, why send me to another trial. If you turn me over to these people, they will kill me. So, I invoke my Roman right! I appeal my case to Caesar himself!"

But Paul was adamant and asked that he appear before Caesar. So, I locked Paul back up until I could arrange to have him transferred to Rome."

But the question is this, what am I supposed to tell the emperor? What charge am I supposed to bring that will be both the truth and one that won't make me look like an idiot for sending him all the way to Rome? So I let you hear his story, King Agrippa. Maybe after you hear it, you can tell me how to proceed.

Why is so hard to believe God can bring someone dead back to life?

I went so far as to torture them in the churches just to get them to curse his name. I chased them down like the dogs I thought they were, even to foreign cities!