Looking for Paul

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JLG

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1) - Acts one

- After his death Jesus appeared many times to the disciples for a period of 40 days!

- And he kept speaking about the Kingdom of God!

- And he told them to stay in Jerusalem to be baptized with holy spirit!

- And they would spread the good news of the Kingdom all around the world!

- When he was telling them these things he was lifted up and he disappeared in a cloud!

- Then two men in white appeared to them and told them that they would see Jesus appearing as he left them!

- And the apostles were together with disciples for a total of 120 people!

- And Peter spoke in front on all saying that it was necessary for the scripture to be fulfilled!

- They had to choose a disciple who had been with Jesus and the apostles from the beginning to replace Judas!

- And Matthias was chosen!
 
2) Acts 2

- All together at the same place

- A noise from heaven filling the whole house

- Tongues as if of fire visible to them and distributed

- One tongue on each one of them

- All are filled with holy spirit and they start to speak in different languages

- Jews from every nation were staying in Jerusalem because there was the Festival of Pentecost

and they could hear them speaking in his own language about the magnificent things of God.

And Peter with the Eleven explained to the people that they were not drunk. And they spoke

about Jesus and all he did and about his resurrection. And they told the Jews to repent and get

baptized so they could receive the free gift of the holy spirit. And 3,000 people were added that

day. And all had everything in common and they were selling their possessions and properties

and distributing the proceeds to all.

So they received holy spirit and they could speak in languages for other people to be taught

about Jesus and God’s Kingdom. And they didn’t need translators and they could understand

what was said! It was no comedy!
 
3) Acts 3

- Peter and John cure a lame man at the entrance of the temple and they tell the people about

Jesus resurrected and the necessity to believe in him to be saved.

Acts 4

Of course, the priests, the captain of the temple and the Sadducees are annoyed because the

apostles teach the people about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. So they seize them and

take them into custody. But 5,000 people had listened to them and they become Christians.

When Peter and John speak in front of the rulers of people and elders, they say they cure the

crippled man in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the one they executed but he was

raised up from the dead by God. And Jesus is the only way to salvation. And the rulers could

not deny that the crippled man was cured. So they threaten Peter and John not to teach on the

basis of the name of Jesus. But Peter and John refuse not to do it. So they ask God to

strengthen them to keep speaking his word with boldness. And they are filled with holy spirit.

And all the Christians keep having everything in common. So people sell what they have and

share everything.

And Joseph, a Levite sells a piece of land and brings the money at the feet of the apostles.
 
4) Acts 5

- Ananias and his wife Sapphira sell some property.

- But they secretly held back some of the price.

- So they lie and as a consequence they both die.

- The sick are brought to the apostles and they cure them.

- But the high priest and the Sadducees are jealous and they put them into prison.

- During the night, God’s angel frees them and tells them to go to the temple and teach.

- They are brought in front of the Sanhedrin.

- Gamaliel, a Pharisee tells the Sanhedrin to be careful about the apostles because if they do

God’s work they may be fighting against God himself.

- So they flog the apostles and order them to stop speaking on the basis of Jesus’ name and let

them go.

- And the apostles keep going to the temple and from house to house teaching.
 
5) Acts 6

A problem appears between the disciples, between the Greek-speaking Jews and the Hebrew-

speaking Jews because the widows of the Hebrew-speaking Jews are privileged in the daily

distribution. So the apostles propose to select seven reputable men to be responsible for the

distribution. And more and more disciples are added. And Stephen performs many miracles and

some men become jealous of him so they persuade people against Stephen accusing him of

blasphemy. And they take him to the Sanhedrin. And his face is like an angel’s face.
 
6) Acts 7

Stephen tells about the history of Abraham and the promise God made him to give the

land to his descendants. But before that they would be foreigners and slaves for 400 years.

Then he speaks about the covenant of circumcision God made with Abraham and about

Isaac and Jacob and Joseph and the famine in Egypt and Jacob and his family went to

Egypt and Moses who freed the Israelites from Egypt and about the golden calf and the

40 years in the wilderness and about David and Solomon who built God’s temple and

about the sins of the Israelites. So the Jews become angry and they kill him by stoning

him. And the end of the chapter says that Stephen fell asleep in death or he was put to

repose.


https://biblehub.com/greek/2837.htm

koimaó from NG2749: sleep, fall asleep, die


Original Word: κοιμάομαι

Part of Speech: Verb

Transliteration: koimaó from NG2749

Phonetic Spelling: (koy-mah'-o)

Definition: sleep, fall asleep, die

Usage: I fall asleep, am asleep, sometimes of the sleep of death.
 
7) Acts 8

Saul approves Stephen’s murder and a great persecution arises against the Christians in

Jerusalem who are scattered in Judea and Samaria except the apostles. And Saul organizes

the persecution putting men and women to prison. And Philip goes to the city of Samaria

to preach the Christ to them. And he cures many people. In the city there is a man called

Simon who practices magical arts and many think he gets his power from God. And he

becomes a believer and gets baptized and follows Philip. The apostles send Peter and

John to Samaria so the new Christians can get holy spirit by laying their hands on them.

And Simon wants to get the same power so he offers money. Peter tells him to repent and

be forgiven. So Simon asks Peter for making supplication for him. Then God’s angel sends

Philip to the road that runs down from Jerusalem to Gaza where he meets an Ethiopian

eunuch who has authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He came to Jerusalem

to worship. He reads aloud the prophet Isaiah but he doesn’t understand what he reads.

So Philip explains to him about Jesus. And Philip baptizes him.
 
8) Acts 9

So Saul keeps fighting the Way that is the Christians. As he goes to Damascus, he sees

a light and a voice asks him why he persecutes him and tells him he is Jesus. So Jesus

tells him to go to the city and he will be told what to do. Then Saul realizes he is blind.

And Jesus tells a disciple called Ananias in a vision to look for a man named Saul from

Tarsus and lay his hands on him so he can see again. But Ananias doesn’t understand

because he knows that Saul persecutes the Christians. But Jesus says that Saul has been

chosen to represent him in different parts of the world. So Ananias does according to

what Jesus told him to do. And Saul can see again and he is baptized. And then he goes

to the synagogues and preach about Jesus. And people are astonished because they know

he used to persecute the Christians and now he is one of them. So the Jews want to kill

him because he works against them. So some disciples help Saul to leave Damascus by

night. When he arrives in Jerusalem he tries to join the disciples but they are afraid of

him and they don’t believe he has become a disciple. So Barnabas leads him to the

apostles and he explains to them what happened to him as he was going to Damascus.

So he preaches about Jesus in Jerusalem and the Jews want to get rid of him so the

disciples send him to Caesarea. The situation improves for the Christians in Judea and

Galilee and Samaria and they keep multiplying. At the same time, Peter travels to Lydda

and he finds a paralyzed man who had been so for 8 years. And he cures him. So many

become Christians. In Joppa a woman and a Christian called Dorcas dies. As Joppa is

close to Lydda, the disciples ask Peter to come and resurrect her because she abounded

in good deeds. And Peter resurrects her and many people become believers.
 
9) Acts 10

Cornelius is a Roman army officer who fears God and he has a vision. God tells him to

send soldiers to get Simon Peter in Joppa. At the same time, Peter gets a vision and he

sees all sorts of animals and he is told to eat them but Peter says he can’t because they

are unclean. Then cornelius’ men arrive and want to speak to him. And the spirit in the

vision tells Peter about the three men who are asking for him and he tells him to follow

them because he has sent them. So they go back to Caesarea. So the time has come for

the apostles and the disciples to preach to the non Jews. So Peter starts speaking about

how God sent Jesus among the Jews and all the things he did. And the holy spirit starts

spreading upon all the people present in the room. And they start speaking in foreign

languages and magnifying God. And he baptizes all the people who are present.

So the time has come for the apostles and the disciples to look for faithful servants

among the non Jews. A great time for them indeed! In fact, like everywhere in the Bible,

like in the creation, God follows a precise timing or program which is always difficult

for human beings to understand. This is the same story for the end of this human society

and it will be a great surprise when it happens like all the big events in the Bible even

when people are told because they have eyes and ears but they can’t see and they can’t

hear. Well, in fact they don’t want! It’s always the same with humankind, people have a

brain but they don’t want to use it!
 
10) Acts 11

When Peter comes back to Jerusalem, the supporters of circumcision criticize him.

So he explains to them all the details and they stop objecting. Then some Christians

keep speaking to the Jews and others start talking to the Greek-speaking people and

many more people become Christians. And Barnabas is sent by the congregation in

Jerusalem as far as Antioch and more people become Christians. He goes for Paul in

Tarsus and he brings him to Antioch. Then for a whole year they assemble in the

congregation and there the disciples are called Christians for the first time.

- Here we see how difficult it is to accept changes!

- And time is necessary to adapt!

- Everybody is different and needs time according to that difference!

- Human differences are also difficult to accept or to understand!

- A lot to think about!
 
11) Acts 12

Herod the king begins mistreating some members of the

congregation. He puts James the brother of John to death by

the sword. As it pleases the Jews, he also arrests Peter. So the

congregation is intensely praying to God for him. Herod is

going to bring him out but God sends one of his angel to free

him. Peter thinks he is seeing a vision. Then he goes to the

house of Mary the mother of John who is called Mark. And

the people in the house can’t believe it. So Peter tells them

what has just happened. Later Herod speaks in front of an

audience and they say “a god’s voice, and not a man’s!”

Instantly God’s angel strikes him because he did not give the

glory to God, and he is eaten up with worms and dies.

- Well, apparently he is finally punished for his bad deeds!

- He has an appropriate end according to his deeds!

- Barnabas and Saul, after fully carrying out the relief work

in Jerusalem, return and take along with them John also

called Mark.

- They are quite a good team working together for God!
 
12) Acts 13

Barnabas and Saul are selected by the holy spirit. Then they

go to Cyprus and they proclaim God’s word in the

synagogues of the Jews. They go through the whole island.

There they meet a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus, a sorcerer

and a false prophet. He is with the proconsul Sergius Paulus,

an intelligent man and he wants to hear God’s word so he

calls Barnabas and Saul. But Bar-Jesus also called Elymas

opposes them. Then, Saul, filled with holy spirit, looks at

him intensely and he speaks against him and because he

opposes God, he will be blind which happens instantly. And

the proconsul becomes a believer being astounded at God’s

teaching. Then Paul and his companions go on from Perga

and come to Antioch in Pisidia. They go to the synagogue on

the Sabbath day. Then Paul speaks to the people and he

speaks about Israel’s history from Egypt to the wilderness

and to the land of Canaan (for about 450 years). Then he tells

about judges until Samuel the prophet and the King Saul for

40 years and the king David and finally the Jesus the savior.

Before Jesus comes, John the Baptist invites people to get

baptize in symbol of repentance. And Paul says that he and

his companions has telling about this word of salvation.

Jesus has to die before being resurrected. Then Paul and his

companions are invited to come back the next Sabbath and

speak again about their message. But the Jews meaning the

religious leaders are jealous and they begin blasphemously

contradicting Paul. Thus he tells them that because they

reject God’s word, the time has come for them to turn to the

nations. So the people of the nations begin to rejoice and

many become believers. Then the Jews oppose Paul and

Barnabas inciting the prominent women who are God-

fearing and the principal men of the city against them. So

they go to Iconium.
- There we get an important event: Paul and Barnabas are

going to turn to the nations to teach them God’s word!

- As usual, the Jews or religious leaders oppose them because
they are jealous!

- PERSONAL INTERESTS NOT PEOPLE INTERESTS!
 
- Well, he didn't change Paul!

- He showed him the right direction!

- Paul thought he was right!

- He had a good knowledge of the Law!

- But he was wrong!

- But his heart was pure!

- And after Jesus showed him the way, he went straight away!

- Thus he showed his humility at the difference of the religious leaders!
 
13) Acts 14

In Iconium They both teach in the synagogue and many Jews

and Greeks become believers. As usual, the Jews oppose

them. But they keep speaking with boldness. Finally there is

a division in the city: some are for the Jews but others for the

apostles. So some people of the nations and the Jews with

their rulers want to stone them they flee to other cities and

keep declaring the good news. In Lystra Paul cures a man

who is lame from birth because of his faith. And the crowds

take them for gods. And they call Barnabas Zeus and Paul

Hermes as he takes the lead in speaking. And the priests of

Zeus want to offer sacrifices. But then the apostles Barnabas

and Paul rip their garments and leap out into the crowd and

cry out telling they are just humans. But Jews arrive from

Antioch and Iconium and persuade the crowds to stone Paul

and drag him outside the city thinking he is dead. But he

gets up and enters the city. Then They move to other cities to

make disciples and at the same time to encourage the

disciples. They appoint elders in each congregation.

- Paul and Barnabas know what they have to do and they

keep doing it!

- Paul is stoned but survives and goes as usual!

- He knows it is not going to be the last time!

- But he is ready to serve God at any cost!

- What a STRENGTH!
 
14) Acts 15

Some men come down from Judea teaching the disciples to

get circumcised to be saved. Then a discussion occurs

between these men and Paul and Barnabas. So some of these

men and Paul and Barnabas go up to the apostles and elders

in Jerusalem. They are well received in Jerusalem. But some

Pharisees who have become believers say it is necessary to be

circumcised and obey the Law of Moses. So the apostles and

the elders gather together to talk about this matter. Finally,

Peter speaks about the people of the nations who became

believers and receive the holy spirit. Then Barnabas and Paul

relate the facts about their action. Then, in turn, James

speaks about the matter. And the conclusion about the

disciples from the nations is that they must abstain from:

- THINGS POLLUTED BY IDOLS,

- SEXUAL IMMORALITY,

- WHAT IS STRANGLED,

- BLOOD.

And the apostles and the elders, together with the whole

congregation, decide to send chosen men to Antioch along

with Paul and Barnabas with a letter explaining the decision

which was made. After that and some days, Paul says to

Barnabas to return and visit the brothers in all the cities they

have been. But Barnabas wants to take along John also called

Mark. But Paul disagrees because he had left them and had

not share the work. So they have an argument so they decide

to separate Barnabas takes Mark to go to Cyprus and Paul

takes Silas to go to Syria and Cilicia.

- It is definitely an interesting part!

- Some Pharisees became Christians!

- But they still want to follow the Law of Moses and the

circumcision and they want the disciples from the nations to

do so!

- A group goes to Jerusalem so a decision can be taken!

- It is decided what the Christians must abstain!

- So it is also important for us!

- Barnabas and Paul have an argument!

- They disagree about whom to take with them!

- Maybe we may think it is not important!

- But it is because it is related to their work for God!

- And if you need to work together it is better to agree!
 
15) Acts 16

Paul wants Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman

but of a Greek father, to accompany him so he takes him

and circumcises him because of the Jews where he goes

for they all know his father is a Greek. In all the cities

they go, they tell the disciples about the decrees decided

by the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem. They can’t

go to some places because they are forbidden by the

holy spirit and by the spirit of Jesus. Then Paul gets a

vision at night where a Macedonian tells him to go

into Macedonia to help them. In Philippi they speak

to a group of women. One of them, Lydia who is

a worshipper of God listens to them and God opens

her heart. Then she and her household get baptized

and she invites them to stay with them. Then they

meet a servant girl with a spirit, a demon of divination,

and she keeps following them saying: “These men are

slaves of the Most High God and are proclaiming to you

the way of salvation.” After many days, Paul gets tired

and orders the spirit to leave the girl. But her masters

have made a lot of profit by fortune-telling. So they

seize Paul and Silas and drag them into the marketplace

to the rulers and speak against them. So the crowd rises

up together against them and the civil magistrates ,

after tearing the garments off them, give the command

to beat them with rods and throw them into prison. But

at night, when Paul and Silas are praying and praising

God with song, and the prisoners are listening to

them, suddenly a great earthquake occurs and all the

doors are instantly open, and everyone’s bonds come

loose. When the jailer wakes up and sees that the

prison doors are open, he wants to kill himself but Paul

tells not to do it because they are all present. And the

jailer asks Paul and Silas what he must do to be saved

and Paul tells him to believe in the Lord. So they teach

him with all those in his house. And the jailer washes

their wounds and he and his household are baptized. In

the morning, Paul and Silas are released. But Paul

refuses and says that the civil magistrates must

come themselves and escort them out. They are Romans

and didn’t do anything wrong so they don’t want

to be thrown out secretly. When they hear that Paul and

Silas are Romans, the civil magistrates grow fearful so

they come and escort them out and request them to

depart from the city. But they go to the house of Lydia.

And they encourage the brothers and depart.

- Paul and Silas travel and teach people and baptize them!

- Paul orders a spirit to leave a girl and they get into

trouble, they are beaten and put into prison!

- But God provokes an earthquake to destroy the prison!

- As a consequence, the jailer and his household

become Christians!

- And Paul will keep doing God’s work!
​
- And he knows he will get into trouble on many occasions!

- But nothing can prevent him from serving God because it is his purpose in life!

- Nothing else counts!

- Another good example to think about!
 
16) Acts 17

Paul arrives in Thessalonica and he goes to the synagogue

of the Jews. For three sabbaths he reasons with them from

the Scriptures, explaining and proving by references that

it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from

the dead. As a result, some of them become believers and

associate themselves with Paul and Silas, and so do a great

multitude of the Greeks who worship God, along with quite

a few of the principal women. As usual, the Jews are getting

jealous and they make a mess. They assault the house of

Jason and are seeking to have Paul and Silas brought out

to the mob. They can’t find them so they drag Jason and

some of the brothers to the city rulers who finally free

them. Then the brothers send Paul and Silas to Beroea

who go to the synagogue. There the Jews are more noble-

minded and they accept the word with the greatest

eagerness of mind, carefully examining the Scriptures

daily to see whether these things are so. Therefore, many

of them become believers, and so do quite a few of the

reputable Greek women as well as some of the men. But

the Jews from Thessalonica go to Beroea to agitate the

crowds against Paul and Silas and those who have accepted

their message. Then Paul is sent to Athens and then Silas

and Timothy. Paul becomes irritated on seeing that the city

is full of idols. He begins to reason in the synagogue with

the Jews and the other people who worship God and every

day in the marketplace with those who happen to be on

hand. Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers discuss with

them and they bring them to the Areopagus. And Paul

speaks about God, a living God, not one made of gold or

sliver or stone or sculptured by men. Time has come for

God to judge the inhabited earth by a man whom he has

appointed and resurrected from the dead. Some become

believers.

- In Beroea, the Jews carefully examine the Scriptures

daily to see whether these things are right!

- That’s interesting because they listen but not only,

they carefully examine the Scriptures!

- Moreover, they do it daily!

- That’s what we can call 100% active!

- It is not possible to let others think for us!

- It is not possible to let others decide for us!

- The equipment is here: the Bible!

- We just have to dig again and again!
 
17) Acts 18

In Corinth, Paul makes tents and talks every sabbath

to persuade Jews and Greeks. But because the Jews

oppose him and speak abusively he decides to turn

to the nations. And many Corinthians become Christians.

In a vision at night, the Lord tells Paul to stay in Corinth

and not to be afraid and keep on speaking. And Paul

stays in the city for a year and a half. And the Jews

organize an attack against Paul and bring him before

the proconsul but he sees that the matter has nothing

to do with the Romans, so they must solve the problem

by themselves. Then Paul goes to Ephesus. And he gets

into the synagogue and reasons with the Jews. Then he

keeps moving from different places strengthening

all the disciples. A Jew named Apollos arrives in Ephesus.

He is an eloquent man who is well-versed in the

Scriptures and he has been instructed in the way of

God so he is speaking and teaching accurately about

Jesus but he was only baptized by John the Baptist.

And he goes to Achaia and keeps teaching about Jesus

and helps many disciples.

- Here we are told about Paul who keeps being

active teaching people and encouraging the disciples!

- He is not afraid of anybody!

- He has a vision and the Lord tells him to stay in the

city and teaching people and not being afraid!

- And Paul does according what he is told!

- We are also told about Apollos who is a Jew and a disciple!

- He also does a good job to help strengthen the disciples!
 
18) Acts 19

Paul goes to Ephesus and asks the disciples there if they

had received holy spirit but they have never heard about

it. In fact, they were baptized in john’s baptism. Thus

they get baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then he

lays his hands on them and they receive holy spirit and

begin speaking in foreign languages and prophesying.

There are 12 men in all. Then Paul teaches in the

synagogue for three months. As usual some Jews oppose

him speaking injuriously about the Way before the crowd.

As a consequence, he gives talks daily in the

school auditorium of Tyrannus for two years. And

many people are cured, even cloths and aprons that

have touched Paul’s body cure the sick. But when seven

sons of a Jewish chief priest names Sceva try to do it,

the wicked spirit opposes them and he attacks them and

they flee naked and wounded out. Many who

become believers come and confess and report their

practices openly and many valuable books about magical

arts are brought and burnt. But some oppose the Way

and Paul because they make a lot of money through

business related to religion and especially about the

worship of the goddess Artemis. So there occurs a

lot of confusion in the city. The disciples tells Paul not

to go in public to protect him. And the city recorder

finally calms the crowd down.

- More and more disciples are added!

- Paul does a good teaching job!

- And as usual, opponents bring confusion and violence

to oppose him and the Way!

- it is always connected to personal and financial interests!

- But Paul is never impressed!

- Only the disciples prevent him from risking his own life!
 
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