<p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> the church throughout Judea, Galilee,<n id="2" /> and Samaria experienced<n id="3" /> peace and thus was strengthened.<n id="4" /> Living<n id="5" /> in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church<n id="6" /> increased in numbers.p>

with respect to Jesus from Nazareth,<n id="1" /> that<n id="2" /> God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He<n id="3" /> went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,<n id="4" /> because God was with him.<n id="5" />

The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers<n id="1" /> also went with me, and we entered the man&#8217;s house.

One of them, named Agabus, got up<n id="1" /> and predicted<n id="2" /> by the Spirit that a severe<n id="3" /> famine<n id="4" /> was about to come over the whole inhabited world.<n id="5" /> (This<n id="6" /> took place during the reign of Claudius.)<n id="7" />

While they were serving<n id="1" /> the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, &#8220;Set apart<n id="2" /> for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.&#8221;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now<n id="1" /> as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means.<n id="2" /> She<n id="3" /> brought her owners<n id="4" /> a great profit by fortune-telling.<n id="5" />

She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed,<n id="1" /> and turned<n id="2" /> and said to the spirit, &#8220;I command you in the name of Jesus Christ<n id="3" /> to come out of her!&#8221; And it came out of her at once.<n id="4" />

He had been instructed in<n id="1" /> the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm<n id="2" /> he spoke and taught accurately the facts<n id="3" /> about Jesus, although he knew<n id="4" /> only the baptism of John.

so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body<n id="1" /> were brought<n id="2" /> to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.<n id="3" />

But some itinerant<n id="1" /> Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name<n id="2" /> of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by<n id="3" /> evil spirits, saying, &#8220;I sternly warn<n id="4" /> you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.&#8221;

Then the man who was possessed by<n id="1" /> the evil spirit jumped on<n id="2" /> them and beat them all into submission.<n id="3" /> He prevailed<n id="4" /> against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now after all these things had taken place,<n id="1" /> Paul resolved<n id="2" /> to go to Jerusalem,<n id="3" /> passing through Macedonia<n id="4" /> and Achaia.<n id="5" /> He said,<n id="6" /> &#8220;After I have been there, I must also see Rome.&#8221;<n id="7" />

Watch out for<n id="1" /> yourselves and for all the flock of which<n id="2" /> the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,<n id="3" /> to shepherd the church of God<n id="4" /> that he obtained<n id="5" /> with the blood of his own Son.<n id="6" />

There was a great commotion,<n id="1" /> and some experts in the law<n id="2" /> from the party of the Pharisees stood up<n id="3" /> and protested strongly,<n id="4" /> &#8220;We find nothing wrong<n id="5" /> with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?&#8221;

So they began to leave,<n id="1" /> unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: &#8220;The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors<n id="2" /> through the prophet Isaiah

For God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the gospel<n id="1" /> of his Son, is my witness that<n id="2" /> I continually remember you

Not only this, but we ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit,<n id="1" /> groan inwardly as we eagerly await our adoption,<n id="2" /> the redemption of our bodies.<n id="3" />

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him,<n id="1" /> so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.p>

to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. I serve<n id="1" /> the gospel of God<n id="2" /> like a priest, so that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering,<n id="3" /> sanctified by the Holy Spirit.p>

<p class="bodytext">Now I urge you, brothers and sisters,<n id="1" /> through our Lord Jesus Christ and through the love of the Spirit, to join fervently with me in prayer to God on my behalf.