Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra,^(A) where a disciple named Timothy^(B) lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer^(C) but whose father was a Greek. ² The believers^(D) at Lystra and Iconium^(E) spoke well of him. ³ Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.^{(F) 4} As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders^(G) in Jerusalem^(H) for the people to obey.^{(I) 5} So the churches were strengthened^(J) in the faith and grew daily in numbers.^(K)

Paul’s Vision of the Man of Macedonia

⁶ Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia^(L) and Galatia,^(M) having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.^{(N) 7} When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus^(O) would not allow them to. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.^{(P) 9} During the night Paul had a vision^(Q) of a man of Macedonia^(R) standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ After Paul had seen the vision, we^(S) got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel^(T) to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

¹¹ From Troas^(U) we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. ¹² From there we traveled to Philippi,^(V) a Roman colony and the leading city of that district^[a] of Macedonia.^(W) And we stayed there several days.

¹³ On the Sabbath^(X) we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira^(Y) named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart^(Z) to respond to Paul’s message. ¹⁵ When she and the members of her household^(AA) were baptized,^(AB) she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer,^(AC) we were met by a female slave who had a spirit^(AD) by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God,^(AE) who are telling you the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.^(AF)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of making money^(AG) was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(AH) and dragged^(AI) them into the marketplace to face the authorities. ²⁰ They brought them before the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar^{(AJ) 21} by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans^(AK) to accept or practice.”^(AL)

²² The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods.^{(AM) 23} After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer^(AN) was commanded to guard them carefully. ²⁴ When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.^(AO)

²⁵ About midnight^(AP) Paul and Silas^(AQ) were praying and singing hymns^(AR) to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken.^(AS) At once all the prison doors flew open,^(AT) and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(AU) 27} The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.^{(AV) 28} But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.^{(AW) 30} He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”^(AX)

³¹ They replied, “Believe^(AY) in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved^(AZ)—you and your household.”^{(BA) 32} Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. ³³ At that hour of the night^(BB) the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.^{(BC) 34} The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he^(BD) was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household.

³⁵ When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.” ³⁶ The jailer^(BE) told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”^(BF)

³⁷ But Paul said to the officers: “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens,^(BG) and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out.”

³⁸ The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed.^{(BH) 39} They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city.^{(BI) 40} After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house,^(BJ) where they met with the brothers and sisters^(BK) and encouraged them. Then they left.

2 Therefore, rid yourselves^(A) of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander^(B) of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk,^(C) so that by it you may grow up^(D) in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.^(E)

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

⁴ As you come to him, the living Stone^(F)—rejected by humans but chosen by God^(G) and precious to him— ⁵ you also, like living stones, are being built^(H) into a spiritual house^[a](I) to be a holy priesthood,^(J) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.^{(K) 6} For in Scripture it says:

⁷ Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,^(N)

⁸ and,

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.^(R)

⁹ But you are a chosen people,^(S) a royal priesthood,^(T) a holy nation,^(U) God’s special possession,^(V) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.^{(W) 10} Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;^(X) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society

¹¹ Dear friends,^(Y) I urge you, as foreigners and exiles,^(Z) to abstain from sinful desires,^(AA) which wage war against your soul.^{(AB) 12} Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds^(AC) and glorify God^(AD) on the day he visits us.

¹³ Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority:^(AE) whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong^(AF) and to commend those who do right.^{(AG) 15} For it is God’s will^(AH) that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.^{(AI) 16} Live as free people,^(AJ) but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil;^(AK) live as God’s slaves.^{(AL) 17} Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers,^(AM) fear God, honor the emperor.^(AN)

¹⁸ Slaves, in reverent fear of God submit yourselves to your masters,^(AO) not only to those who are good and considerate,^(AP) but also to those who are harsh. ¹⁹ For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God.^{(AQ) 20} But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.^{(AR) 21} To this^(AS) you were called,^(AT) because Christ suffered for you,^(AU) leaving you an example,^(AV) that you should follow in his steps.

²³ When they hurled their insults at him,^(AY) he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats.^(AZ) Instead, he entrusted himself^(BA) to him who judges justly.^{(BB) 24} “He himself bore our sins”^(BC) in his body on the cross,^(BD) so that we might die to sins^(BE) and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”^{(BF) 25} For “you were like sheep going astray,”^[f](BG) but now you have returned to the Shepherd^(BH) and Overseer of your souls.^(BI)

Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven

1 In my former book,^(A) Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach^{(B) 2} until the day he was taken up to heaven,^(C) after giving instructions^(D) through the Holy Spirit to the apostles^(E) he had chosen.^{(F) 3} After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them^(G) over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.^{(H) 4} On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait^(I) for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.^{(J) 5} For John baptized with^[a] water,^(K) but in a few days you will be baptized with^[b] the Holy Spirit.”^(L)

⁶ Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore^(M) the kingdom to Israel?”

⁷ He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.^{(N) 8} But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;^(O) and you will be my witnesses^(P) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,^(Q) and to the ends of the earth.”^(R)

⁹ After he said this, he was taken up^(S) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white^(T) stood beside them. ¹¹ “Men of Galilee,”^(U) they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back^(V) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas

¹² Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem^(W) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,^(X) a Sabbath day’s walk^[c] from the city. ¹³ When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room^(Y) where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.^{(Z) 14} They all joined together constantly in prayer,^(AA) along with the women^(AB) and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.^(AC)

¹⁵ In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) ¹⁶ and said, “Brothers and sisters,^[d](AD) the Scripture had to be fulfilled^(AE) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,^(AF) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. ¹⁷ He was one of our number^(AG) and shared in our ministry.”^(AH)

¹⁸ (With the payment^(AI) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;^(AJ) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. ¹⁹ Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language^(AK) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

and,

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²² beginning from John’s baptism^(AN) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness^(AO) with us of his resurrection.”

²³ So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed,^(AP) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.^(AQ) Show us^(AR) which of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.^(AS)

Jesus Prays to Be Glorified

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven^(A) and prayed:

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

Jesus Prays for All Believers