Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial^(A)

³¹ Then Jesus told them, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me,^(B) for it is written:

⁵⁴ But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled^(A) that say it must happen in this way?”

⁵⁶ But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”^(A) Then all the disciples deserted him and fled.

¹² Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man^(A) must suffer much^(B) and be rejected?^(C)

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”^{(A) 27} And beginning with Moses^(B) and all the Prophets,^(C) he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.^(D)

⁴⁶ He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer^(A) and rise from the dead on the third day,^(B)

² As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue,^(A) and on three Sabbath^(B) days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,^{(C) 3} explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer^(D) and rise from the dead.^(E) “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,”^(F) he said. ⁴ Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas,^(G) as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.

⁵ But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city.^(H) They rushed to Jason’s^(I) house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.^{[a] 6} But when they did not find them, they dragged^(J) Jason and some other believers^(K) before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world^(L) have now come here,^{(M) 7} and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”^{(N) 8} When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. ⁹ Then they made Jason^(O) and the others post bond and let them go.

In Berea

¹⁰ As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas^(P) away to Berea.^(Q) On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.^{(R) 11} Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica,^(S) for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures^(T) every day to see if what Paul said was true.^{(U) 12} As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.^(V)

¹³ But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea,^(W) some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. ¹⁴ The believers^(X) immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas^(Y) and Timothy^(Z) stayed at Berea. ¹⁵ Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens^(AA) and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.^(AB)

In Athens

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue^(AC) with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news^(AD) about Jesus and the resurrection.^{(AE) 19} Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus,^(AF) where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching^(AG) is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians^(AH) and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus^(AI) and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.^{(AJ) 23} For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship^(AK)—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it^(AL) is the Lord of heaven and earth^(AM) and does not live in temples built by human hands.^{(AN) 25} And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.^{(AO) 26} From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.^{(AP) 27} God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.^{(AQ) 28} ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’^[b](AR) As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’^[c]

²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.^{(AS) 30} In the past God overlooked^(AT) such ignorance,^(AU) but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.^{(AV) 31} For he has set a day when he will judge^(AW) the world with justice^(AX) by the man he has appointed.^(AY) He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”^(AZ)

³² When they heard about the resurrection of the dead,^(BA) some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” ³³ At that, Paul left the Council. ³⁴ Some of the people became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus,^(BB) also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

²² But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen^(A)— ²³ that the Messiah would suffer^(B) and, as the first to rise from the dead,^(C) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”^(D)

²⁴ At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,^(E) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning^(F) is driving you insane.”

²⁵ “I am not insane, most excellent^(G) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. ²⁶ The king is familiar with these things,^(H) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

²⁸ Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”^(I)

²⁹ Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”^(J)

³⁰ The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice^(K) and those sitting with them. ³¹ After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”^(L)

³² Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free^(M) if he had not appealed to Caesar.”^(N)

³ For what I received^(A) I passed on to you^(B) as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins^(C) according to the Scriptures,^(D)