The Gospel Goes Everywhere - NIV

1. At Antioch Barnabas and Saul are Set Apart for Mission Service. Saul's Name Is Changed to Paul.

Acts 13:1-3 In the church at Antioch there were ______________ and ______________: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the ______________) and Saul. [2] While they were __________________ the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." [3] So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 13:4-7 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. [5] When they arrived at Salamis, they __________________ the word of God in the Jewish __________________. John was with them as their helper. [6] They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish ______________ and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, [7] who was an ________________ of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an ___________________ man, sent for ______________ and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God.

Acts 13:8-12 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. [9] Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked ______________ at Elymas and said, [10] "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of __________________ that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and ______________. Will you never stop __________________ the right ways of the Lord? [11] Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." ___________________ mist and ______________ came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. [12] When the proconsul saw what had ______________, he ______________, for he was amazed at the ______________ about the Lord.

Acts 13:13-15 From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in ________________, where John left them to return to ________________. [14] From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. [15] After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "______________, if you have a message of _______________________ for the people, please speak."

Acts 13:16-21 ______________ up, Paul ______________ with his hand and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! [17] The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, [18] he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, [19] he ________________ seven ____________ in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their ___________________. [20] All this took about 450 years. "After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the ____________. [21] Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of ______________, who ruled forty years.

Acts 13:22-24 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He ________________ concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do __________________ I want him to do.' [23] "From this man's ___________________ God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. [24] Before the coming of Jesus, John preached __________________ and baptism to all the people of Israel.

Acts 13:25-31 As John was __________________ his work, he said: 'Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.' [26] "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of ________________ has been sent. [27] The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not ________________ Jesus, yet in __________________ him they ________________ the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. [28] Though they found no proper ground for a death ______________, they asked Pilate to have him ______________. [29] When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. [30] But God raised him from the dead, [31] and for many days he was seen by those who had ______________ with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his ________________ to our people.

2. Paul Used Much Scripture to Show That Jesus was the Promised Messiah.

Acts 13:32-37 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers [33] he has ________________ for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is ____________ in the second Psalm: " 'You are my Son; today I have become your Father. ' [34] The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: " 'I will give you the holy and sure ________________ promised to David.' [35] So it is stated ________________: " 'You will not let your Holy One see decay.' [36] "For when David had served God's ____________ in his own __________________, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body ____________. [37] But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

Acts 13:38-41 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is __________________ to you. [39] Through him everyone who believes is justified from __________________ you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. [40] Take care that what the ______________ have said does not happen to you: [41] " 'Look, you ______________, wonder and perish, for I am going to do ________________ in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.' "

Acts 13:42-43 As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the ________________, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. [43] When the _____________________ was ________________, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

Acts 13:44-45 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. [45] When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with ______________ and talked ________________ against what Paul was saying.

Acts 13:46-48 Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: "We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider __________________ worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. [47] For this is what the Lord has ________________ us: " 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring ________________ to the ends of the earth.' " [48] When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were ________________ for eternal life ______________.

Acts 13:49-52 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. [50] But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up ___________________ against Paul and ______________, and ______________ them from their region. [51] So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. [52] And the ________________ were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

3. Paul and Barnabas Preach in Iconium and Some of the Jews Caused Trouble.

Acts 14:1-4 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish ________________. There they spoke so ___________________ that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. [2] But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. [3] So Paul and Barnabas spent _____________________ time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who ________________ the message of his grace by enabling them to do __________________ signs and wonders. [4] The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.

Acts 14:5-7 There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. [6] But they found out about it and fled to the ________________ cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the ___________________ country, [7] where they ________________ to preach the good news.

4. A Healing in Lystra.

Acts 14:8-11 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. [9] He ______________ to Paul as he was ______________. Paul looked ______________ at him, saw that he had faith to be healed [10] and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. [11] When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the ________________ ______________, "The gods have come down to us in human form!"

Acts 14:12-18 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. [13] The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer __________________ to them. [14] But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, ______________: [15] "Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are ______________ you good news, telling you to turn from these ________________ things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and __________________ in them. [16] In the past, he let all nations go their own way. [17] Yet he has not left himself without ________________: He has shown ______________ by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he ______________ you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy." [18] Even with these words, they had __________________ keeping the crowd from ___________________ to them.

5. Jews from Antioch and Iconium Have Paul Stoned.

Acts 14:19-20 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. [20] But after the ________________ had ______________ around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and ______________ left for Derbe.

Acts 14:21-23 They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, [22] _______________________ the disciples and ___________________ them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many ________________ to enter the kingdom of God," they said. [23] Paul and Barnabas ________________ elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, ________________ them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.

Acts 14:25-28 And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. [26] From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been ________________ to the grace of God for the work they had now ________________. [27] On arriving there, they gathered the church together and ______________ all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the ______________. [28] And they stayed there a long time with the ________________.

6. Disagreement Among the Christian Leaders.

Acts 15:1-2 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are ___________________, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." [2] This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were ________________, along with some other ________________, to go up to ________________ to see the apostles and elders about this question.

Acts 15:4-5 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported __________________ God had done through them. [5] Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the ________________ stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be ___________________ and required to obey the law of Moses."

Acts 15:6-11 The apostles and elders met to ______________ this ______________. [7] After much __________________, Peter got up and addressed them: "______________, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the ______________ might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. [8] God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. [9] He made no ___________________ between us and them, for he ______________ their hearts by faith. [10] Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the ________________ a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? [11] No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."

Acts 15:22-29 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called ________________) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. [23] With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile ________________ in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: ________________. [24] We have heard that some went out from us without our _______________________ and ________________ you, ________________ your minds by what they said. [25] So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul-- [26] men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. [27] ________________ we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. [28] It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following _____________________: [29] You are to abstain from food __________________ to idols, from blood, from the meat of ________________ animals and from sexual __________________. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

Acts 15:30-31 The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and ________________ the letter. [31] The people read it and were glad for its ___________________ message.

Acts 15:36-41 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing." [37] Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, [38] but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had ______________ them in ________________ and had not ________________ with them in the work. [39] They had such a sharp _____________________ that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, [40] but Paul chose Silas and left, ________________ by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. [41] He went through Syria and Cilicia, _______________________ the ______________.

7. Timothy Joined the Missionary Team.

Acts 16:1-5 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. [2] The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. [3] Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he ___________________ him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. [4] As they traveled from town to town, they ________________ the ________________ reached by the apostles and elders in ________________ for the people to obey. [5] So the ______________ were _____________________ in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Acts 16:9-10 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia ______________ and begging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." [10] After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, __________________ that God had called us to preach the __________ to them.

Acts 16:11-15 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for __________________, and the next day on to Neapolis. [12] From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of ________________. And we stayed there several days. [13] On the Sabbath 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 ______________ there. [14] One of those ________________ was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of ______________, who was a ________________ of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul's message. [15] When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. "If you ______________ me a ______________ in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my house." And she ________________ us.

Acts 16:16-18 Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit by which she ________________ the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. [17] This girl ______________ Paul and the rest of us, ______________, "These men are ______________ of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved." [18] She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so ______________ that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I ____________ you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.

Acts 16:19-22 When the owners of the slave girl realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the ___________________ 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 [21] by __________________ customs ______________ for us Romans to accept or ______________." [22] The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be ______________ and beaten.

Acts 16:23-26 After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. [24] Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. [25] About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other ________________ were ________________ to them. [26] Suddenly there was such a violent __________________ that the ___________________ of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and ___________________ chains came loose.

Acts 16:27-34 The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he ____________ the ________________ had ____________. [28] But Paul ____________, "Don't harm yourself ! We are all here!" [29] The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell ________________ before Paul and Silas. [30] He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" [31] They ____________, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved--you and your household." [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 the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then ___________________ he and all his family were ______________. [34] The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was __________ with joy because he had come to believe in God--he and his whole family.

Acts 16:35-40 When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: "Release those men." [36] The jailer told Paul, "The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be ______________. Now you can leave. Go in peace." [37] But Paul said to the officers: "They beat us ______________ without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come __________________ and escort us out." [38] The officers ______________ this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. [39] They came to appease them and ______________ them from the prison, __________________ them to leave the city. [40] After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to ____________ house, where they met with the ______________ and __________________ them. Then they left.

8. The Mission Team Went to Thessalonica.

Acts 17:1-9 When they had passed through Amphipolis and ________________, they came to _____________________, where there was a Jewish synagogue. [2] As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the __________________, [3] __________________ and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am ___________________ to you is the Christ, " he said. [4] Some of the Jews were ________________ and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few ________________ women. [5] But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad __________________ from the ___________________, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. [6] But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other ______________ before the city officials, ______________: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, [7] and Jason has ______________ them into his house. They are all defying ______________ decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." [8] When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. [9] Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

Acts 17:10-15 As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. [11] Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the _______________________, for they received the message with great ________________ and examined the __________________ every day to see if what Paul said was true. [12] Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of ________________ Greek women and many Greek men. [13] When the Jews in _____________________ learned that Paul was ________________ the word of God at Berea, they went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. [14] The brothers ___________________ sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. [15] The men who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with _____________________ for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Acts 17:16-18 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly __________________ to see that the city was full of idols. [17] So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the ___________________ day by day with those who happened to be there. [18] A group of ________________ and Stoic _____________________ began to dispute 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 ________________ the good news about Jesus and the _____________________.

Acts 17:19-21 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are __________________? [20] You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean." [21] (All the ________________ and the __________________ who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and ________________ to the latest ideas.)

Acts 17:22-31 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very ________________. [23] For as I walked around and looked ________________ at your ____________ of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to ______________ to you. [24] "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in ____________ built by hands. [25] And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed ______________, ____________ he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. [26] From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he __________________ the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. [27] God did this so that men would seek him and ____________ reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. [28] 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' [29] "________________ 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 man's design and skill. [30] In the past God __________________ such ________________, but now he ______________ all people __________________ to repent. [31] For he has set a day when he will judge the world with ____________ by the man he has ________________. He has given proof of this to all men by ____________ him from the dead."

Acts 17:32-34 When they heard about the _____________________ of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject." [33] At that, Paul left the Council. [34] A few men became ________________ of Paul and believed. Among them was ________________, a member of the ________________, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others.

9. Paul Moved on to Corinth and Worked at His Tent Making Trade until Silas and Timothy Showed up.

Acts 18:1-4 After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. [2] There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife ________________, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, [3] and because he was a ________________ as they were, he stayed and worked with them. [4] Every Sabbath he reasoned in the ________________, trying to ______________ Jews and Greeks.

Acts 18:5-7 When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself ___________________ to preaching, __________________ to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. [6] But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my _________________________. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." [7] Then Paul left the ________________ and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a ________________ of God.

Acts 18:8-11 Crispus, the ________________ ruler, and his entire ________________ believed in the Lord; and many of the ___________________ who heard him believed and were baptized. [9] One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on ______________, do not be silent. [10] For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." [11] So Paul stayed for a year and a half, ______________ them the word of God.

Acts 18:12-17 While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court. [13] "This man," they charged, "is __________________ the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law." [14] Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, "If you Jews were making a ________________ about some ___________________ or serious crime, it would be __________________ for me to listen to you. [15] But since it involves ________________ about words and names and your own law--settle the matter __________________. I will not be a judge of such things." [16] So he had them ejected from the court. [17] Then they all turned on ________________ the ________________ ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.

Acts 18:18-21 Paul stayed on in Corinth for some time. Then he left the ______________ and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at ______________ because of a vow he had taken. [19] They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila. He himself went into the ________________ and ______________ with the Jews. [20] When they asked him to spend more time with them, he ______________. [21] But as he left, he ______________, "I will come back if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus.

Acts 18:22-23 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch. [23] After spending some time in Antioch, Paul set out from there and traveled from place to place __________________ the region of Galatia and Phrygia, _______________________ all the ________________.

Acts 18:24-28 Meanwhile a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was a learned man, with a thorough ________________ of the Scriptures. [25] He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and he spoke with great fervor and taught about Jesus accurately, though he knew only the baptism of John. [26] He began to speak boldly in the ________________. When ________________ and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and ________________ to him the way of God more __________________. [27] When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers __________________ him and wrote to the ________________ there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed. [28] For he __________________ refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

10. Christians in Ephesus Receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 19:1-7 While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at ____________. There he found some ________________ [2] and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" They answered, "No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." [3] So Paul asked, "Then what baptism did you receive?" "John's baptism," they ____________. [4] Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of __________________. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus." [5] On ____________ this, they were ______________ into the name of the Lord Jesus. [6] When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in ____________ and __________________. [7] There were about twelve men in all.

Acts 19:8-12 Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing _____________________ about the kingdom of God. [9] But some of them became ________________; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the ________________ with him and had ___________________ daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. [10] This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. [11] God did _______________________ miracles through Paul, [12] so that even _______________________ and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their ________________ were cured and the evil spirits left them.

Acts 19:13-20 Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, "In the name of Jesus, whom Paul ______________, I command you to come out." [14] Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. [15] [One day] the evil spirit answered them, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" [16] Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and ___________________ them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and ______________. [17] When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor. [18] Many of those who ______________ now came and openly ________________ their evil deeds. [19] A number who had ________________ sorcery ____________ their scrolls together and burned them ______________. When they __________________ the value of the scrolls, the total came to fifty ______________ ______________. [20] In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power.

Acts 19:21-22 After all this had ______________, Paul decided to go to ________________, passing through Macedonia and Achaia. "After I have been there," he said, "I must visit Rome also." [22] He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he stayed in the ______________ of Asia a little longer.

Acts 19:23-29 About that time there arose a great ___________________ about the Way. [24] A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in no little business for the craftsmen. [25] He called them together, along with the workmen in related trades, and said: "Men, you know we receive a good income from this business. [26] And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has ________________ and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in ___________________ the whole province of Asia. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all. [27] There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be ___________________, and the goddess herself, who is ________________ __________________ the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty." [28] When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: "Great is Artemis of the ________________!" [29] Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and ___________________, Paul's ________________ __________________ from ________________, and rushed as one man into the theater.

Acts 19:30-34 Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the ________________ would not let him. [31] Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater. [32] The ______________ was in ________________: Some were ______________ one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. [33] The Jews pushed Alexander to the front, and some of the crowd shouted instructions to him. He ______________ for silence in order to make a defense before the people. [34] But when they ______________ he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: "Great is Artemis of the ________________!"

Acts 19:35-41 The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: "Men of Ephesus, doesn't all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the ______________ of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? [36] Therefore, since these facts are __________________, you ought to be quiet and not do anything rash. [37] You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor __________________ our goddess. [38] If, then, ________________ and his fellow ________________ have a ________________ against anybody, the courts are open and there are __________________. They can press charges. [39] If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. [40] As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of today's events. In that case we would not be able to account for this ________________, since there is no reason for it." [41] After he had said this, he ________________ the assembly.

11. Paul Left for Macedonia.

Acts 20:1-3 When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after ___________________ them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia. [2] He ______________ through that area, ______________ many words of _______________________ to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, [3] where he stayed three months. Because the Jews made a plot against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.

Acts 20:6-10 But we sailed from ______________ after the Feast of __________________ Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days. [7] On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on ____________ until ______________. [8] There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were ____________. [9] Seated in a window was a young man named ______________, who was ____________ into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was __________ up dead. [10] Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!"

Acts 20:11-12 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until ______________, he left. [12] The people took the young man home alive and were greatly ________________.

Acts 20:16-25 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of ________________. [17] From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. [18] When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. [19] I served the Lord with great ______________ and with tears, although I was ______________ tested by the plots of the Jews. [20] You know that I have not ________________ to preach ______________ that would be helpful to you but have taught you ______________ and from house to house. [21] I have ______________ to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in __________________ and have faith in our Lord Jesus. [22] "And now, ________________ by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. [23] I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and ________________ are facing me. [24] However, I ______________ my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and ______________ the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of __________________ to the gospel of God's grace. [25] "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about ________________ the kingdom will ever see me again.

Acts 20:28-30 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you ________________. Be ________________ of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. [29] I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. [30] Even from your own number men will arise and ____________ the truth in order to draw away ________________ after them.

Acts 20:31-35 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. [32] "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are __________________. [33] I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or ______________. [34] You __________________ know that these hands of mine have ______________ my own needs and the needs of my __________________. [35] In __________________ I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, ___________________ the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "

Acts 20:36-38 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. [37] They all wept as they ______________ him and kissed him. [38] What grieved them most was his ________________ that they would never see his face again. Then they ___________________ him to the ship.

12. Paul was Warned by the Spirit Not to Go to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:3-6 After ______________ Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo. [4] ____________ the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to ________________. [5] But when our time was up, we left and ________________ on our way. All the disciples and their wives and ______________ accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray. [6] After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they ______________ home.

Acts 21:7-14 We ________________ our voyage from Tyre and landed at ________________, where we greeted the brothers and stayed with them for a day. [8] Leaving the next day, we reached ______________ and stayed at the house of Philip the __________________, one of the Seven. [9] He had four ________________ ________________ who __________________. [10] After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. [11] Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the ______________.' " [12] When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. [13] Then Paul ______________, "Why are you weeping and ______________ my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." [14] When he would not be ________________, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."

Acts 21:17-21 When we arrived at ________________, the brothers received us warmly. [18] The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. [19] Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. [20] When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: "You see, brother, how many ________________ of Jews have ______________, and all of them are zealous for the law. [21] They have been ______________ that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to __________________ their ______________ or live ________________ to our customs.

Acts 21:22-26 What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, [23] so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. [24] Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their ______________, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then ________________ will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you ______________ are living in ________________ to the law. [25] As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our ______________ that they should abstain from food __________________ to idols, from blood, from the meat of ________________ animals and from sexual __________________." [26] The next day Paul took the men and ______________ himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.

Acts 21:27-29 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, [28] ______________, "Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men __________________ against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place." [29] (They had __________________ seen ________________ the ______________ in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple area.)

Acts 21:30-32 The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all __________________. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and ___________________ the gates were shut. [31] While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of ________________ was in an uproar. [32] He at once took some ______________ and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped ____________ Paul.

Acts 21:33-36 The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. [34] Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the ______________. [35] When Paul reached the steps, the ______________ of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the ______________. [36] The crowd that ______________ kept ______________, "Away with him!"

Acts 21:37-40 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the ________________, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. [38] "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand __________________ out into the desert some time ago?" [39] Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." [40] Having ______________ the ________________'s __________________, Paul stood on the steps and ______________ to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:

13. Paul Addressed His Accusers.

Acts 22:1-11 "Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." [2] When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: [3] "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel I was __________________ trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. [4] I persecuted the ________________ of this Way to their death, ________________ both men and women and ______________ them into prison, [5] as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even ______________ letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as ________________ to ________________ to be ______________. [6] "About noon as I came near Damascus, ______________ a bright light from heaven flashed around me. [7] I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' [8] " 'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. " 'I am Jesus of ______________, whom you are ___________________,' he replied. [9] My companions saw the light, but they did not __________________ the voice of him who was ______________ to me. [10] " 'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. " 'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been ______________ to do.' [11] My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the __________________ of the light had blinded me.

Acts 22:12-21 "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout ______________ of the law and highly ________________ by all the Jews living there. [13] He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him. [14] "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the ________________ One and to hear words from his mouth. [15] You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. [16] And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be ______________ and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' [17] "When I ______________ to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance [18] and saw the Lord ______________. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your ________________ about me.' [19] " 'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one ________________ to another to ______________ and beat those who believe in you. [20] And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my ______________ and ______________ the clothes of those who were ____________ him.' [21] "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the ______________.' "

Acts 22:22-25 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!" [23] As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, [24] the ________________ ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks. He ______________ that he be flogged and __________________ in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. [25] As they ________________ him out to flog him, Paul said to the ________________ ______________ there, "Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn't even been found guilty?"

Acts 22:26-28 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and ______________ it. "What are you going to do?" he asked. "This man is a Roman citizen." [27] The commander went to Paul and asked, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" "Yes, I am," he answered. [28] Then the commander said, "I had to pay a big _________ for my ___________________." "But I was born a citizen," Paul ____________.

Acts 22:29-30 Those who were about to question him withdrew ___________________. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. [30] The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he ______________ him and ordered the chief priests and all the ________________ to ______________. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.

14. Paul Defended Himself Before the Council.

Acts 23:1-5 Paul looked ______________ at the ________________ and said, "My brothers, I have ________________ my duty to God in all good __________________ to this day." [2] At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. [3] Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you ___________________ wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by __________________ that I be struck!" [4] Those who were standing near Paul said, "You dare to insult God's high priest? [5] Paul replied, "Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is ____________: 'Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.' "

Acts 23:6-10 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the ________________, "My ______________, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." [7] When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. [8] (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are ____________ angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) [9] There was a great uproar, and some of the ______________ of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued __________________. "We find ____________ wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" [10] The dispute became so ____________ that the ________________ was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ____________ the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the ______________.

Acts 23:11-15 The ________________ night the Lord stood near Paul and said, "Take courage! As you have ________________ about me in ________________, so you must also testify in Rome." [12] The next morning the Jews formed a __________________ and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. [13] More than forty men were involved in this plot. [14] They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. [15] Now then, you and the ________________ petition the ________________ to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate ___________________ about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here."

Acts 23:16-18 But when the son of Paul's __________ heard of this plot, he went into the barracks and told Paul. [17] Then Paul __________ one of the centurions and said, "Take this young man to the commander; he has something to tell him." [18] So he took him to the commander. The centurion said, "Paul, the ______________, sent for me and asked me to bring this young man to you ____________ he has something to tell you."

Acts 23:19-24 The commander took the young man by the hand, drew him aside and asked, "What is it you want to tell me? [20] He said: "The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul before the ________________ tomorrow on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about him. [21] Don't give in to them, because more than forty of them are waiting in ambush for him. They have taken an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him. They are ready now, waiting for your consent to their request. [22] The commander ________________ the young man and ________________ him, "Don't tell anyone that you have reported this to me." [23] Then he called two of his __________________ and ordered them, "Get ready a __________________ of two hundred soldiers, seventy ______________ and two hundred ______________ to go to ______________ at nine tonight. [24] Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to ______________ Felix."

Acts 23:25-30 He wrote a letter as follows: [26] Claudius Lysias, To His __________________, Governor Felix: ________________. [27] This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, but I came with my troops and rescued him, for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen. [28] I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their ________________. [29] I found that the accusation had to do with ________________ about their law, but there was no charge against him that ______________ death or imprisonment. [30] When I was ______________ of a plot to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his ______________ to present to you their case against him.

Acts 23:31-35 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. [32] The next day they let the cavalry go on with him, while they ______________ to the ______________. [33] When the cavalry arrived in ______________, they ________________ the letter to the governor and handed Paul over to him. [34] The governor read the letter and asked what ______________ he was from. ______________ that he was from Cilicia, [35] he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers get here." Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard in Herod's palace.

15. Jewish Leaders and Their Attorney Brought Charges Against Paul.

Acts 24:1-9 Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. [2] When Paul was called in, Tertullus ________________ his case before Felix: "We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your ________________ has brought about reforms in this nation. [3] Everywhere and in every way, most ________________ Felix, we acknowledge this with profound ________________. [4] But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly. [5] "We have found this man to be a _____________________, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a __________________ of the Nazarene sect [6] and even tried to ________________ the temple; so we seized him. [We wanted to judge him according to our law.] [7] [But Lysias the ________________ came along with much violence and took him from us.] [8] [He ordered his accusers to come before you.] By ________________ him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are ______________ against him." [9] The Jews joined in the __________________, ________________ that these things were true.

Acts 24:10-16 When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: "I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. [11] You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to ________________ to worship. [12] My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or ______________ up a crowd in the __________________ or ______________ else in the city. [13] And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. [14] However, I admit that I worship the God of our fathers as a ______________ of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe __________________ that agrees with the Law and that is written in the ______________, [15] and I have the same hope in God as these men, that there will be a _____________________ of both the ________________ and the wicked. [16] So I strive always to keep my __________________ clear before God and man.

Acts 24:17-21 "After an absence of several years, I came to ________________ to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings. [18] I was _____________________ clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any ___________________. [19] But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have ______________ against me. [20] Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin-- [21] unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their ______________: 'It is __________________ the _____________________ of the dead that I am on trial before you today.' "

Acts 24:22-23 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the ___________________. "When Lysias the ________________ comes," he said, "I will decide your case." [23] He ordered the ________________ to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs.

Acts 24:24-27 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess. He sent for Paul and ______________ to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. [25] As Paul __________________ on _______________________, self-control and the ______________ to come, Felix was afraid and said, "That's enough for now! You may leave. When I find it __________________, I will send for you." [26] At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him __________________ and talked with him. [27] When two years had passed, Felix was ________________ by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison.

16. Felix was Replaced by Festus as Governor and Paul Seemed No Closer to Being Released.

Acts 25:1-5 Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem, [2] where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and ________________ the charges against Paul. [3] They urgently ________________ Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul ___________________ to Jerusalem, for they were ________________ an ambush to kill him along the way. [4] Festus ______________, "Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon. [5] Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done ______________ wrong."

Acts 25:6-8 After ______________ eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he ______________ the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. [7] When Paul ______________, the Jews who had come down from ________________ stood around him, ______________ many serious charges against him, which they could not prove. [8] Then Paul made his defense: "I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."

Acts 25:9-12 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, "Are you willing to go up to ________________ and stand trial before me there on these charges?" [10] Paul answered: "I am now standing before Caesar's court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you ______________ know very well. [11] If, however, I am guilty of doing ______________ ________________ death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!" [12] After Festus had ________________ with his council, he ______________: "You have ______________ to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!"

Acts 25:13-22 A few days later King Agrippa and Bernice arrived at Caesarea to pay their ______________ to Festus. [14] Since they were ______________ many days there, Festus ________________ Paul's case with the king. He said: "There is a man here whom Felix left as a ______________. [15] When I went to Jerusalem, the chief priests and elders of the Jews brought charges against him and asked that he be ________________. [16] "I told them that it is not the Roman custom to hand over any man before he has faced his accusers and has had an ___________________ to defend himself against their charges. [17] When they came here with me, I did not delay the case, but ______________ the court the next day and ordered the man to be brought in. [18] When his accusers got up to speak, they did not charge him with any of the crimes I had ______________. [19] Instead, they had some points of dispute with him about their own ______________ and about a dead man named Jesus who Paul claimed was alive. [20] I was at a loss how to ___________________ such ____________; so I asked if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial there on these charges. [21] When Paul made his appeal to be held over for the ________________ ______________, I ordered him held until I could send him to Caesar." [22] Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I would like to hear this man myself." He ____________, "______________ you will hear him."

Acts 25:23-27 The next day Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the audience room with the high ranking officers and the leading men of the city. At the command of Festus, Paul was brought in. [24] Festus said: "King Agrippa, and all who are present with us, you see this man! The whole Jewish ________________ has __________________ me about him in ________________ and here in Caesarea, shouting that he ought not to live any longer. [25] I found he had done nothing ________________ of death, but because he made his appeal to the Emperor I decided to send him to Rome. [26] But I have nothing definite to write to His Majesty about him. Therefore I have brought him before all of you, and __________________ before you, King Agrippa, so that as a result of this investigation I may have ________________ to write. [27] For I think it is _____________________ to send on a ______________ without __________________ the charges against him."

17. King Agrippa Heard Paul Make His Case.

Acts 26:1-3 Then Agrippa said to Paul, "You have __________________ to speak for yourself." So Paul motioned with his hand and began his defense: [2] "King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews, [3] and __________________ so because you are well __________________ with all the Jewish customs and _______________________. Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

Acts 26:4-8 "The Jews all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child, from the ________________ of my life in my own country, and also in ________________. [5] They have known me for a long time and can testify, if they are willing, that according to the ________________ sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. [6] And now it is because of my hope in what God has promised our fathers that I am on trial today. [7] This is the promise our twelve tribes are hoping to see ________________ as they ________________ serve God day and night. O king, it is because of this hope that the Jews are accusing me. [8] Why should any of you ______________ it __________________ that God raises the dead?

Acts 26:9-11 "I too was convinced that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose the name of Jesus of Nazareth. [10] And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the ________________ of the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. [11] Many a time I went from one ________________ to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to ________________. In my ________________ against them, I even went to foreign cities to ________________ them.

Acts 26:12-18 "On one of these journeys I was going to ______________ with the authority and __________________ of the chief priests. [13] About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, ______________ than the sun, blazing around me and my __________________. [14] We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you ________________ me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.' [15] "Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?' " 'I am Jesus, whom you are ___________________,' the Lord replied. [16] 'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have ______________ to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will show you. [17] I will rescue you from your own people and from the ______________. I am sending you to them [18] to open their eyes and turn them from ______________ to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive ___________________ of sins and a place among those who are __________________ by faith in me.'

Acts 26:19-23 "So then, King Agrippa, I was not ___________________ to the vision from heaven. [20] First to those in ______________, then to those in ________________ and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I ______________ that they should repent and turn to God and prove their __________________ by their deeds. [21] That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. [22] But I have had God's help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the ______________ and Moses said would happen-- [23] that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would ______________ light to his own people and to the Gentiles."

Acts 26:24-29 At this point Festus ___________________ Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane." [25] "I am not insane, most ________________ Festus," Paul replied. "What I am saying is true and __________________. [26] The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am ________________ that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. [27] King Agrippa, do you believe the ______________? I know you do." [28] Then Agrippa said to Paul, "Do you think that in such a short time you can ______________ me to be a ________________?" [29] Paul replied, "Short time or long--I pray God that not only you but all who are ________________ to me today may become what I am, except for these chains."

Acts 26:30-32 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them. [31] They left the room, and while talking with one another, they said, "This man is not doing anything that ______________ death or _____________________." [32] Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not ______________ to Caesar."

18. So Paul was Sent to Rome.

Acts 27:1-8 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other ________________ were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the ______________ ______________. [2] We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the ______________ of Asia, and we put out to sea. ___________________, a __________________ from Thessalonica, was with us. [3] The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in ______________ to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. [4] From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. [5] When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and ________________, we landed at Myra in Lycia. [6] There the centurion found an ___________________ ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. [7] We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty ______________ off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, ______________ ____________. [8] We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.

Acts 27:9-16 Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become ________________ because by now it was after the Fast. So Paul warned them, [10] "Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be __________________ and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also." [11] But the ________________, instead of ________________ to what Paul said, ______________ the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. [12] Since the harbor was __________________ to winter in, the ______________ decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and ________________. [13] When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had ______________ what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. [14] Before very long, a wind of ________________ force, called the "___________________," swept down from the island. [15] The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. [16] As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the ______________ secure.

Acts 27:17-20 When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the ______________ of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. [18] We took such a violent ________________ from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. [19] On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. [20] When ____________ sun nor stars ______________ for many days and the storm ________________ raging, we ____________ gave up all hope of being saved.

Acts 27:21-26 After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: "Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. [22] But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be ________________. [23] Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me [24] and said, 'Do not be __________, Paul. You must stand trial before __________; and God has __________________ given you the lives of all who sail with you.' [25] So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will __________ just as he told me. [26] _____________________, we must run ____________ on some __________."

Acts 27:27-32 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the ______________ Sea, when about ______________ the sailors sensed they were ___________________ land. [28] They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. [29] Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they ____________ four anchors from the stern and prayed for ______________. [30] In an ____________ to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, __________________ they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. [31] Then Paul said to the ________________ and the soldiers, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved." [32] So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.

Acts 27:33-36 Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. "For the last fourteen days," he said, "you have been in ______________ ______________ and have gone without food--you haven't eaten ______________. [34] Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head." [35] After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. [36] They were all __________________ and ate some food __________________.

Acts 27:37-41 Altogether there were 276 of us on board. [38] When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they ________________ the ship by ______________ the grain into the sea. [39] When ______________ came, they did not ________________ the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. [40] Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they ____________ the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. [41] But the ship struck a ____________ and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the ______________ of the surf.

Acts 27:42-44 The soldiers planned to kill the ________________ to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. [43] But the ________________ wanted to spare Paul's life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump ________________ first and get to land. [44] The rest were to get there on planks or on pieces of the ship. In this way ______________ reached land in safety.

19. They Discovered They Had Landed on Malta.

Acts 28:1-6 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. [2] The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and ______________ us all because it was raining and cold. [3] Paul ______________ a pile of ________________ and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, ______________ itself on his hand. [4] When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must be a ______________; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live." [5] But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and ______________ no ill effects. [6] The people ______________ him to swell up or ______________ fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.

Acts 28:7-10 There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days ___________________ us __________________. [8] His father was sick in bed, ________________ from fever and ________________. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. [9] When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. [10] They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they ________________ us with the ______________ we needed.

20. After Three Months They Continued Towards Rome.

Acts 28:11-15 After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had ______________ in the island. It was an Alexandrian ship with the __________________ of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. [12] We put in at ______________ and stayed there three days. [13] From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the ________________ day we reached Puteoli. [14] There we found some brothers who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. [15] The brothers there had heard that we were coming, and they ______________ as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these men Paul ____________ God and was __________________.

Acts 28:16-22 When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him. [17] Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had ________________, Paul said to them: "My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ________________, I was arrested in ________________ and handed over to the Romans. [18] They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime ________________ death. [19] But when the Jews ______________, I was ________________ to appeal to Caesar--not that I had any charge to bring against my own people. [20] For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain." [21] They replied, "We have not ______________ any letters from Judea __________________ you, and none of the brothers who have come from there has ______________ or said ______________ bad about you. [22] But we want to hear what your views are, for we know that people __________________ are talking against this sect."

Acts 28:23-24 They arranged to meet Paul on a certain day, and came in even larger numbers to the place where he was staying. From morning till evening he ________________ and declared to them the kingdom of God and tried to ______________ them about Jesus from the Law of Moses and from the ______________. [24] Some were ______________d by what he said, but others would not believe.

Acts 28:25-29 They ________________ among themselves and began to leave after Paul had made this final ________________: "The Holy Spirit spoke the truth to your forefathers when he said through Isaiah the prophet: [26] " 'Go to this people and say, "You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never __________________." [27] For this people's heart has become ________________; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. ________________ they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.' [28] "________________ I want you to know that God's ________________ has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen!" [29] [Andwhen he had spoken these words the Jews ______________ in dispute among themselves.]

Acts 28:30-31 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. [31] Boldly and without ________________ he ______________ the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

c:\a-\bibsty\acts\niv\s_a2_ni.htm