&#8220;So,&#8221; he said, &#8220;let your leaders<n id="1" /> go down there<n id="2" /> with me, and if this man has done anything wrong,<n id="3" /> they may bring charges<n id="4" /> against him.&#8221;p>

Because I was at a loss<n id="1" /> how I could investigate these matters,<n id="2" /> I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried<n id="3" /> there on these charges.<n id="4" />

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;

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen<n id="1" /> went as far as<n id="2" /> Phoenicia,<n id="3" /> Cyprus,<n id="4" /> and Antioch,<n id="5" /> speaking the message<n id="6" /> to no one but Jews.

After the reading from the law and the prophets,<n id="1" /> the leaders of the synagogue<n id="2" /> sent them a message,<n id="3" /> saying, &#8220;Brothers,<n id="4" /> if you have any message<n id="5" /> of exhortation<n id="6" /> for the people, speak it.&#8221;<n id="7" />

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>

These Jews<n id="1" /> were more open-minded<n id="2" /> than those in Thessalonica,<n id="3" /> for they eagerly<n id="4" /> received<n id="5" /> the message, examining<n id="6" /> the scriptures carefully every day<n id="7" /> to see if these things were so.

But just as Paul was about to speak,<n id="1" /> Gallio said to the Jews, &#8220;If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy,<n id="2" /> I would have been justified in accepting the complaint<n id="3" /> of you Jews,<n id="4" />

For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus<n id="1" /> so as not to spend time<n id="2" /> in the province of Asia,<n id="3" /> for he was hurrying<n id="4" /> to arrive in Jerusalem,<n id="5" /> if possible,<n id="6" /> by the day of Pentecost.

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks,<n id="1" /> he said<n id="2" /> to the commanding officer,<n id="3" /> &#8220;May I say<n id="4" /> something to you?&#8221; The officer<n id="5" /> replied,<n id="6" /> &#8220;Do you know Greek?<n id="7" />

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;

<t /><p class="bodytext">When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed<n id="1" /> a bay<n id="2" /> with a beach,<n id="3" /> where they decided to run the ship aground if they could.