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" />

There he<n id="1" /> found<n id="2" /> a Jew named Aquila,<n id="3" /> a native of Pontus,<n id="4" /> who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius<n id="5" /> had ordered all the Jews to depart from<n id="6" /> Rome.<n id="7" /> Paul approached<n id="8" /> them,

<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" />

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.

Paul said, &#8220;John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,<n id="1" /> that is, in Jesus.&#8221;

<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" />

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,

But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else,<n id="1" /> and when the commanding officer<n id="2" /> was unable<n id="3" /> to find out the truth<n id="4" /> because of the disturbance,<n id="5" /> he ordered Paul<n id="6" /> to be brought into the barracks.<n id="7" />

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" />

When the commanding officer<n id="1" /> had given him permission,<n id="2" /> Paul stood<n id="3" /> on the steps and gestured<n id="4" /> to the people with his hand. When they had become silent,<n id="5" /> he addressed<n id="6" /> them in Aramaic,<n id="7" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then when Paul noticed<n id="1" /> that part of them were Sadducees<n id="2" /> and the others Pharisees,<n id="3" /> he shouted out in the council,<n id="4" /> &#8220;Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection<n id="5" /> of the dead!&#8221;

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;

When Paul<n id="1" /> had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him,<n id="2" /> saying, &#8220;We have experienced a lengthy time<n id="3" /> of peace through your rule,<n id="4" /> and reforms<n id="5" /> are being made in this nation<n id="6" /> through your foresight.<n id="7" />

<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" />

But I confess this to you, that I worship<n id="1" /> the God of our ancestors<n id="2" /> according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law<n id="3" /> and that is written in the prophets.

But Festus,<n id="1" /> wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, &#8220;Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried<n id="2" /> before me there on these charges?&#8221;<n id="3" />

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.

But I have nothing definite<n id="1" /> to write to my lord<n id="2" /> about him.<n id="3" /> Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa,<n id="4" /> so that after this preliminary hearing<n id="5" /> I may have something to write.

Paul replied, &#8220;I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time<n id="1" /> not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>