Acts 15:40-18:5

Disciples’ Literal New Testament

Paul And Silas Revisit The Churches From Paul’s First Journey. Timothy Joins Them

⁴⁰ And Paul, having chosen^[a] Silas^[b], went forth, having been handed-over to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. ⁴¹ And he was going^[c] through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. 16 ¹ And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there— Timothy by name, the son of a believing Jewish woman^[d], but of a Greek father— ² who was being attested by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium. ³ Paul wanted this one to go forth with him. And having taken him, he circumcised him because of the Jews being in those places, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ And as they were proceeding through the cities, they were delivering^[e] to them the decrees^[f] to be keeping^[g] having been determined^[h] by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. ⁵ So indeed the churches were being made-firm in the faith and were abounding in number daily.

Paul Sees a Vision of a Macedonian Asking For His Help, And Makes Plans To Go

⁶ And they went through the Phrygian^[i] and Galatian region, having been forbidden^[j] by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. ⁷ And having come opposite Mysia, they were trying to proceed into Bithynia and the Spirit of ^[k] Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ And having passed-by^[l] Mysia, they came down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul during the night— a certain Macedonian man^[m] was standing and appealing-to him, and saying, “Having crossed to Macedonia, help us”. ¹⁰ And when he saw the vision, immediately we^[n] sought to go forth to Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to announce-the-good-news-to them.

In Philippi, Paul Meets Lydia And She Becomes a Believer

¹¹ And having put-to-sea from Troas, we ran-a-straight-course to Samothrace, and on the following day to Neapolis. ¹² And from there we went to Philippi, which is a city of the first^[o] district of Macedonia, a colony^[p]. And we were spending some days in this city. ¹³ And on the day of the Sabbath, we went outside the gate beside a river where we were supposing that there was a place of prayer^[q]. And having sat-down, we were speaking to the women having come together. ¹⁴ And a certain woman worshiping God— Lydia by name, a purple-fabric-dealer from the city of Thyatira— was listening, whose heart the Lord opened to pay-attention-to the things being spoken by Paul. ¹⁵ And when she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be a believer^[r] in the Lord, then having entered into my house, be staying with me”. And she prevailed-upon us.

Paul Casts a Demon Out of a Fortune-Telling Servant-Girl

¹⁶ And it came about while we were going to the place of prayer that a certain servant-girl having a soothsaying^[s] spirit met us, who was bringing-about a large profit to her masters telling-fortunes. ¹⁷ This one, while closely-following Paul and us^[t], was crying-out, saying, “These men are slaves of the Most-High God^[u], who are proclaiming to you a way^[v] of salvation”. ¹⁸ And she was doing this for many days. And Paul, having been greatly-annoyed, and having turned to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to depart from her!” And it went out at the very hour.

The Girl’s Masters Have Paul And Silas Beaten And Imprisoned

¹⁹ And her masters, having seen that their hope of profit went-out, having taken-hold-of Paul and Silas, dragged them into the marketplace^[w] before the rulers. ²⁰ And having brought them to the magistrates^[x], they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews. ²¹ And they are proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to be accepting nor to be doing, being Romans”. ²² And the crowd rose up together against them. And the magistrates, having torn-off their^[y] garments, were giving-orders to beat them with rods^[z]. ²³ And having laid many blows on them, they threw them into prison, having commanded the jailer to keep them securely— ²⁴ who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and secured their feet to the wood^[aa].

After an Earthquake Opens The Jail, The Jailer Believes And Is Baptized

²⁵ And about midnight Paul and Silas were singing-praise-to God while praying. And the prisoners were listening-to^[ab] them. ²⁶ And suddenly a great earthquake took place, so that the foundations of the jailhouse were shaken. And at-once all the doors were opened, and the bonds^[ac] of everyone were unfastened^[ad]. ²⁷ And the jailer— having become awakened, and having seen the doors of the prison having been opened, having drawn his sword— was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul called-out with a loud voice, saying, “Do no harm to yourself, for we are all here”. ²⁹ And having asked-for lights, he rushed-in. And having become trembling, he fell before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ And having brought them outside, he said, “Sirs, what must I do in order that I may be saved?” ³¹ And the ones said, “Put faith upon the Lord Jesus and you will be saved— you and your household”. ³² And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all the ones in his house. ³³ And having taken them at that hour of the night, he washed off their wounds. And he was baptized at-once— he and all his household. ³⁴ And having led them up to his house, he set a table before them and rejoiced-greatly— having believed in God with-his-whole-household.

The Magistrates Release Paul And Silas After Learning They Are Roman Citizens

³⁵ And having become day, the magistrates sent forth their officers^[ae], saying, “Release those men”. ³⁶ And the jailer reported these words to Paul, that “The magistrates have sent forth in order that you may be released. Now therefore having come out, proceed in peace”. ³⁷ But Paul said to them, “Having beaten us in public— uncondemned^[af] men being Romans^[ag]— they threw us into prison. And now they are throwing us out secretly? No indeed! But having come themselves, let them lead us out!” ³⁸ And the officers reported these words to the magistrates. And having heard that they were Romans, they became afraid. ³⁹ And having come, they appealed-to them. And having led them out, they were asking them to depart from the city. ⁴⁰ And having gone forth from the prison, they went-in^[ah] to Lydia. And having seen the brothers^[ai], they encouraged them, and went forth.

In Thessalonica Paul Reasons From The Scriptures That The Christ Had To Suffer

17 Now having traveled-through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. ² And in accordance with the thing having become-a-custom with Paul, he went-in to them. And on three Sabbaths he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, ³ opening them, and putting-before them that the Christ had-to suffer and rise-up from the dead, and that “This One is the Christ— the Jesus Whom I am proclaiming to you”. ⁴ And some of them were persuaded and were allotted-to^[aj] Paul and Silas— both a large number of the worshiping Greeks, and not a few of the leading women. ⁵ But the Jews— having become-jealous, and having taking along some evil men from the marketplace, and having formed-a-crowd— were throwing the city into-a-commotion. And having suddenly-come-upon the house of Jason, they were seeking them^[ak] to bring them forth to the public-assembly. ⁶ But not having found them, they were dragging Jason and some brothers before the city-authorities^[al], shouting that “The ones having upset the world— these ones are also present here, ⁷ whom Jason has received^[am]. And these ones all are acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that Jesus is another king”. ⁸ And they stirred-up the crowd and the city-authorities hearing these things. ⁹ And having received the bond^[an] from Jason and the others, they released them.

In Berea, The People Examine The Scriptures With Paul And Silas

¹⁰ And the brothers immediately sent-away both Paul and Silas during the night to Berea— who, having arrived, were going into the synagogue of the Jews. ¹¹ Now these ones were more-noble^[ao] than the ones in Thessalonica— who^[ap] received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things might hold so. ¹² So indeed many of them believed— and not a few of the prominent Greek women and men. ¹³ But when the Jews from Thessalonica came-to-know that the word of God was proclaimed by Paul in Berea also, they came there also, shaking^[aq] and stirring-up the crowds. ¹⁴ And at that time the brothers immediately sent Paul away, that he might go as-far-as to the sea. And both Silas and Timothy remained there.

In Athens, Paul Reasons With The Philosophers In The Marketplace

¹⁵ Now the ones conducting Paul brought him as far as Athens. And having received a command for Silas and Timothy that they should come to him as soon as they could, they were going away [to them]. ¹⁶ And while Paul was waiting-for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked^[ar] within him while observing the city being full-of-idols. ¹⁷ So indeed he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the ones worshiping, and in the marketplace every day with the ones happening-to-be-there. ¹⁸ And some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also were conversing with him. And some were saying, “What would this scavenger^[as] be intending to say?” And others, “He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities^[at]”— because he was announcing-the-good-news as to Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ And having taken-hold-of him, they brought him to the Areopagus^[au], saying, “Can we know what this new teaching being spoken by you is? ²⁰ For you are bringing-in some things being strange to our ears. So we want to know what these things mean”. ²¹ Now all Athenians and the strangers residing there were finding-an-opportunity^[av] for nothing other than to say something or to hear something newer.

Paul Proclaims To Them The Creator-God And What He Wants From Mankind

²² And Paul, having been stood in the midst of the Areopagus, said, “Men, Athenians, I see how you are very-religious in all respects. ²³ For while going-about and looking-carefully-at^[aw] your objects-of-worship, I also found an altar in which it had been inscribed, ‘To a not-known god’. Therefore what you are worshiping while not-knowing, this I am proclaiming to you: ²⁴ God, the One having made the world and all the things in it— this One, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made-by-human-hands. ²⁵ Nor is He served by human hands, [as if] being-in-need of something^[ax]— He Himself giving life and breath and all things to all people. ²⁶ And He made from one man every nation of mankind, that they should dwell upon all the face of the earth, having determined the times^[ay] having been appointed^[az] for them and the boundaries of their dwelling-places^[ba]; ²⁷ that they should seek God— if perhaps indeed they might grope-for^[bb] Him and find Him, though indeed He being not far from each one of us. ²⁸ For in Him we live and move and exist, as also some of your poets^[bc] have said— ‘For we are indeed the One’s offspring^[bd]’. ²⁹ Being then offspring of God, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone— a work of human craft and thought. ³⁰ So indeed, having overlooked^[be] the times of ignorance, God, as to the present things, is commanding people that everyone everywhere should repent. ³¹ Because He set a day on which He is going to judge the world in righteousness by a Man Whom He designated, having granted^[bf] a proof ^[bg] to everyone— having raised Him up from the dead”.

At The Mention of a Resurrection From The Dead, Some Scoffed

³² Now having heard-of a resurrection of the dead, some were scoffing, but others said, “We will indeed again hear you concerning this”. ³³ So Paul went out of their midst. ³⁴ And some men having joined him believed, among whom also were Dionysius the Areopagite^[bh]; and a woman— Damaris by name; and others with them.

In Corinth Paul Teaches The Gentiles For 18 Months

18 After these things, having departed from Athens, he went to Corinth. ² And having found a certain Jew— Aquila by name, a Pontian by nationality, having recently come from Italy because Claudius^[bi] had ordered all the Jews to depart from Rome— and Priscilla his wife, he went to them. ³ And because of being the same-trade, he was staying with them and working— for they were tent-makers by trade. ⁴ And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuading Jews and Greeks. ⁵ But when both Silas and Timothy came^[bj] down from Macedonia, Paul was occupying-himself with the word^[bk], solemnly-testifying to the Jews that the Christ is Jesus.