Study Desk

Paul and those with him traveled from town to town and gave the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

After Paul had seen the vision, we immediately prepared to leave for Macedonia, understanding that God had called us to tell the Good News to those people.

Then we went by land to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city in that part of Macedonia. We stayed there for several days.

On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the river where we thought we would find a special place for prayer. Some women had gathered there, so we sat down and talked with them.

Once, while we were going to the place for prayer, a servant girl met us. She had a special spirit in her, and she earned a lot of money for her owners by telling fortunes.

She kept this up for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, "By the power of Jesus Christ, I command you to come out of her!" Immediately, the spirit came out.

They are teaching things that are not right for us as Romans to do."

Paul went into the synagogue as he always did, and on each Sabbath day for three weeks, he talked with his fellow Jews about the Scriptures.

But some others became jealous. So they got some evil men from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot. They ran to Jason's house, looking for Paul and Silas, wanting to bring them out to the people.

The people leading Paul went with him to Athens. Then they carried a message from Paul back to Silas and Timothy for them to come to him as soon as they could.

While Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens, he was troubled because he saw that the city was full of idols.

God wanted them to look for him and perhaps search all around for him and find him, though he is not far from any of us:

‘By his power we live and move and exist.' Some of your own poets have said: ‘For we are his children.'

Paul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching God's word to the people.

Paul stayed with the believers for many more days. Then he left and sailed for Syria, with Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchrea Paul cut off his hair, because he had made a promise to God.

He stayed there for a while and then left and went through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia. He traveled from town to town in these regions, giving strength to all the followers.

Paul went into the synagogue and spoke out boldly for three months. He talked with the people and persuaded them to accept the things he said about the kingdom of God.

for two years. Because of his work, every Jew and Greek in Asia heard the word of the Lord.

Paul sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, ahead to Macedonia, but he himself stayed in Asia for a while.

But when they saw that Alexander was a Jew, they all shouted the same thing for two hours: "Great is Artemis of Ephesus!"