Study Desk

And when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.

But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.

He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed for a time in the province of Asia.

The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander forward to explain himself, and he motioned for silence so he could make his defense to the people.

So if Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open and proconsuls are available. Let them bring charges against one another there.

Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood.

And now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

They were especially grieved by his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.

Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own feet and hands, and said, "The Holy Spirit says: 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and hand him over to the Gentiles.'"

Paul greeted them and recounted one by one the things God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

Then he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will, and to see the Righteous One, and to hear His voice.

You will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard.

And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, calling on His name.'

Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him down to you on the pretext of examining his case more carefully. We are ready to kill him on the way."

Then he called two of his centurions and said, "Prepare two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea in the third hour of the night.

"Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.

When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also instructed his accusers to present their case against him before you."

When the governor motioned for Paul to speak, he began his response: "Knowing that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I gladly make my defense.

He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard, but to allow him some freedom and permit his friends to minister to his needs.

After several days, Felix returned with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus.