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>

When Apollos<n id="1" /> wanted to cross over to Achaia,<n id="2" /> the brothers encouraged<n id="3" /> him<n id="4" /> and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he<n id="5" /> assisted greatly those who had believed by grace,

And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded<n id="1" /> and turned away<n id="2" /> a large crowd,<n id="3" /> not only in Ephesus<n id="4" /> but in practically all of the province of Asia,<n id="5" /> by saying<n id="6" /> that gods made by hands are not gods at all.<n id="7" />

When they heard this, they praised<n id="1" /> God. Then they said to him, &#8220;You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews<n id="2" /> there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers<n id="3" /> of the law.<n id="4" />

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,

Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away<n id="1" /> from him, and the commanding officer<n id="2" /> was frightened when he realized that Paul<n id="3" /> was<n id="4" /> a Roman citizen<n id="5" /> and that he had had him tied up.<n id="6" />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.

I have experienced<n id="1" /> help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except<n id="2" /> what the prophets and Moses said<n id="3" /> was going to happen:

Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided<n id="1" /> to put out to sea<n id="2" /> from there. They hoped that<n id="3" /> somehow they could reach<n id="4" /> Phoenix,<n id="5" /> a harbor of Crete facing<n id="6" /> southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there.

The local inhabitants<n id="1" /> showed us extraordinary<n id="2" /> kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain<n id="3" /> and was cold.

When the local people<n id="1" /> saw the creature hanging from Paul&#8217;s<n id="2" /> hand, they said to one another, &#8220;No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself<n id="3" /> has not allowed him to live!&#8221;<n id="4" />

But they were expecting that he was going to swell up<n id="1" /> or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited<n id="2" /> a long time and had seen<n id="3" /> nothing unusual happen<n id="4" /> to him, they changed their minds<n id="5" /> and said he was a god.<n id="6" />p>

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.

They replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there<n id="2" /> and reported or said anything bad about you.

Although they fully know<n id="1" /> God&#8217;s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die,<n id="2" /> they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.<n id="3" />p>

For if, by the transgression of the one man,<n id="1" /> death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!p>

For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree?p>

(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad). Do you desire not to fear authority? Do good and you will receive its commendation,

Greet Andronicus and Junia,<n id="1" /> my compatriots<n id="2" /> and my fellow prisoners. They are well known<n id="3" /> to the apostles,<n id="4" /> and they were in Christ before me.