<p class="otpoetry"><b><i>so that the rest of humanityi>b><n id="1" /> <b><i>may seek the Lord,i>b>p> <p class="otpoetry"><b><i>namely,i>b><n id="2" /> <b><i>all the Gentilesi>b><n id="3" /> <b><i>I have called to be my own,i>b>&#8217;<n id="4" /> <b><i>says the Lord,i>b><n id="5" /> <i>who makes these thingsi>

For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship,<n id="1" /> I even found an altar with this inscription:<n id="2" /> &#8216;To an unknown god.&#8217; Therefore what you worship without knowing it,<n id="3" /> this I proclaim to you.

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.

Large numbers<n id="1" /> of those who had practiced magic<n id="2" /> collected their books<n id="3" /> and burned them up in the presence of everyone.<n id="4" /> When<n id="5" /> the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins.<n id="6" />

And now I entrust<n id="1" /> you to God and to the message<n id="2" /> of his grace. This message<n id="3" /> is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

When<n id="1" /> our time was over,<n id="2" /> we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied<n id="3" /> us outside of the city. After<n id="4" /> kneeling down on the beach and praying,<n id="5" />

And when the blood of your witness<n id="1" /> Stephen was shed,<n id="2" /> I myself was standing nearby, approving,<n id="3" /> and guarding the cloaks<n id="4" /> of those who were killing him.&#8217;<n id="5" />

<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>

<t /><p class="bodytext">When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, &#8220;Because I know<n id="1" /> that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense.<n id="2" />

While<n id="1" /> they were staying there many days, Festus<n id="2" /> explained Paul&#8217;s case to the king to get his opinion,<n id="3" /> saying, &#8220;There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix.

The brothers from there,<n id="1" /> when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius<n id="2" /> and Three Taverns<n id="3" /> to meet us. When he saw them,<n id="4" /> Paul thanked God and took courage.

Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously,<n id="1" /> &#8220;It was necessary to speak the word of God<n id="2" /> to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy<n id="3" /> of eternal life, we<n id="4" /> are turning to the Gentiles.<n id="5" />

&#8220;Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures<n id="1" /> just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn<n id="2" /> from these worthless<n id="3" /> things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth,<n id="4" /> the sea, and everything that is in them.

After there had been much debate,<n id="1" /> Peter stood up and said to them, &#8220;Brothers, you know that some time ago<n id="2" /> God chose<n id="3" /> me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message<n id="4" /> of the gospel<n id="5" /> and believe.<n id="6" />