<p class="bodytext">Now while Peter was puzzling over<n id="1" /> what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon&#8217;s house was<n id="2" /> and approached<n id="3" /> the gate.

He said to them, &#8220;You know that<n id="1" /> it is unlawful<n id="2" /> for a Jew<n id="3" /> to associate with or visit a Gentile,<n id="4" /> yet God has shown me that I should call no person<n id="5" /> defiled or ritually unclean.<n id="6" />

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" />

&#8220;I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision,<n id="1" /> an object something like a large sheet descending,<n id="2" /> being let down from heaven<n id="3" /> by its four corners, and it came to me.

Therefore if God<n id="1" /> gave them the same gift<n id="2" /> as he also gave us after believing<n id="3" /> in the Lord Jesus Christ,<n id="4" /> who was I to hinder<n id="5" /> God?&#8221;

But while John was completing his mission,<n id="1" /> he said repeatedly,<n id="2" /> &#8216;What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!&#8217;<n id="3" />

After she and her household were baptized, she urged us,<n id="1" /> &#8220;If<n id="2" /> you consider me to be a believer in the Lord,<n id="3" /> come and stay in my house.&#8221; And she persuaded<n id="4" /> us.p>

But when the Jews from Thessalonica<n id="1" /> heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God<n id="2" /> in Berea,<n id="3" /> they came there too, inciting<n id="4" /> and disturbing<n id="5" /> the crowds.

Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens,<n id="1" /> and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Now when Silas and Timothy arrived<n id="1" /> from Macedonia,<n id="2" /> Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming<n id="3" /> the word, testifying<n id="4" /> to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.<n id="5" />

But when<n id="1" /> some were stubborn<n id="2" /> and refused to believe, reviling<n id="3" /> the Way<n id="4" /> before the congregation, he left<n id="5" /> them and took the disciples with him,<n id="6" /> addressing<n id="7" /> them every day<n id="8" /> in the lecture hall<n id="9" /> of Tyrannus.

<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" />

<p class="bodytext">When they arrived, he said to them, &#8220;You yourselves know how I lived<n id="1" /> the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot<n id="2" /> in the province of Asia,<n id="3" />

But I do not consider my life<n id="1" /> worth anything<n id="2" /> to myself, so that<n id="3" /> I may finish my task<n id="4" /> and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news<n id="5" /> of God&#8217;s grace.p>

When the seven days were almost over,<n id="1" /> the Jews from the province of Asia<n id="2" /> who had seen him in the temple area<n id="3" /> stirred up the whole crowd<n id="4" /> and seized<n id="5" /> him,

as both the high priest and the whole council of elders<n id="1" /> can testify about me. From them<n id="2" /> I also received<n id="3" /> letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way<n id="4" /> to make arrests there and bring<n id="5" /> the prisoners<n id="6" /> to Jerusalem<n id="7" /> to be punished.

<p class="bodytext">The following night the Lord<n id="1" /> stood near<n id="2" /> Paul<n id="3" /> and said, &#8220;Have courage,<n id="4" /> for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem,<n id="5" /> so you must also testify in Rome.&#8221;<n id="6" />p>

So now you and the council<n id="1" /> request the commanding officer<n id="2" /> to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine<n id="3" /> his case<n id="4" /> by conducting a more thorough inquiry.<n id="5" /> We are ready to kill him<n id="6" /> before he comes near this place.&#8221;<n id="7" />p>

He replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council<n id="2" /> tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him.

Paul replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;I am standing before Caesar&#8217;s<n id="2" /> judgment seat,<n id="3" /> where I should be tried.<n id="4" /> I have done nothing wrong<n id="5" /> to the Jews, as you also know very well.<n id="6" />