So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh

For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Now in fact all who want to live godly lives in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel.

Now if I am to go on living in the body, this will mean productive work for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer:

and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.

and when they did not find his body, they came back and said they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive.

Rather they had several points of disagreement with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus who was dead, whom Paul claimed to be alive.

The crowd was listening to him until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Away with this man from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!”

When the local people saw the creature hanging from Paul’s hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself has not allowed him to live!”

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, regarding the affliction that happened to us in the province of Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of living.

Then Festus said, “King Agrippa, and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace petitioned me both in Jerusalem and here, shouting loudly that he ought not to live any longer.