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Week 57 Acts 17 Day 1 READ Acts 17:18 18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection, they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign gods.” Paul was willing to debate anyone as he talked about the resurrected Jesus. Both the Epicureans and the Stoic philosophers denied any accountability to G

Week 58 Acts 17, 18 Day 1 READ Acts 17:30-31 30 “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. 31 For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.” Having presented why the Athenian philosophers should not be idol worshipers, Paul now applies his message more s

Week 59 Acts 18 Day 1 READ Acts 18:7-8 7 Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue. 8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized. After Paul’s message was rejected in the synagogue, he went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God. He lived next door to th

Week 60 Acts 18 Day 1 READ Acts 18:18 18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with him. While at Corinth Paul wrote 1 & 2 Thessalonians. He had been driven out of Thessalonica earlier. Now he begins his trip back to Antioch in Syria. This was the l

Week 61 Acts 18, 19 Day 1 READ Acts 18:27-28 27 Apollos had been thinking about going to Achaia, and the brothers and sisters in Ephesus encouraged him to go. They wrote to the believers in Achaia, asking them to welcome him. When he arrived there, he proved to be of great benefit to those who, by God’s grace, had believed. 28 He refuted the Jews with powerful arguments in public debate. Using the Scriptures, he explained to them that Jesus was the Messiah. After Pri

Week 62 Acts 19 Day 1 READ Acts 19:11-12 11 God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. 12 When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled. It is one thing to perform a “miracle” but quite another to perform “unusual miracles.” When a cloth had even touched Paul’s skin and was placed on sick people two things occurred. The sick were healed and evil sp

Week 63 Acts 19 Day 1 READ Acts 19:23-25 23 About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way. 24 It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy. 25 He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business. Many had turned to God and bur

Week 64 Acts 19, 20 Day 1 READ Acts 19:38-39 38 “If Demetrius and the craftsmen have a case against them, the courts are in session and the officials can hear the case at once. Let them make formal charges. 39 And if there are complaints about other matters, they can be settled in a legal assembly. The mayor of Ephesus keeps trying to calm the rowdy crowd. He reasons that the silversmith and craftsmen can take their case to court. In that way things can be settled le

Week 65 Acts 20 Day 1 READ Acts 20:9-10 9 As Paul spoke on and on, a young man named Eutychus, sitting on the windowsill, became very drowsy. Finally, he fell sound asleep and dropped three stories to his death below. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, and took him into his arms. “Don’t worry,” he said, “he’s alive!” Paul was planning to leave Troas the next day so on this first day of the week he spoke until midnight. A young man sitting on the windowsill became drow

Week 66 Acts 20 Day 1 READ Acts 20:22-24 22 “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, 23 except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. 24 But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God. Paul had asked the elders of the church of Ephesus to come to Milet

Week 67 Acts 20, 21 Day 1 READ Acts 20:36-38 36 When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. 37 They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. 38 They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship. What a sad time this was of saying goodbye to those he never expected to see again after having spent three years with them. It was capped by Paul kneeling and praying with t

Week 68 Acts 21 Day 1 READ Acts 21:13-14 13 But he said, “Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus.” 14 When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.” When Agabus prophesied that Paul would be bound in Jerusalem, Paul’s companions and all the local believers begged Paul not to go there. Paul appeals to them to stop bre

Week 69 Acts 21 Day 1 READ Acts 21:25 25 “As for the Gentile believers, they should do what we already told them in a letter: They should abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality.” The leaders of the church in Jerusalem wanted Paul to go into the temple area to satisfy the Jews and said the Gentiles should keep doing as had been instructed. This was a repeat of what was decided for th

Week 70 Acts 21, 22 Day 1 READ Acts 21:37-38 37 As Paul was about to be taken inside, he said to the commander, “May I have a word with you?” “Do you know Greek?” the commander asked, surprised. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who led a rebellion some time ago and took 4,000 members of the Assassins out into the desert?” As Paul was rescued from the mob he asked permission to speak. The Roman commander was surprised Paul knew the Greek language. He thought Paul was an Eg

Week 71 Acts 22 Day 1 READ Acts 22:6-9 6 “As I was on the road, approaching Damascus about noon, a very bright light from heaven suddenly shone down around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 8 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the voice replied, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, the one you are persecuting.’ 9 The people with me saw the light but didn’t understand the voice speaking to me. Paul recounted for

Week 72 Acts 22, 23 Day 1 READ Acts 22:24-25 24 The commander brought Paul inside and ordered him lashed with whips to make him confess his crime. He wanted to find out why the crowd had become so furious. 25 When they tied Paul down to lash him, Paul said to the officer standing there, “Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been tried?” Up until now Paul had not revealed to the military officers that he was a Roman citizen. Now as they tied him

Week 73 Acts 23 Day 1 READ Acts 23:6 6 Paul realized that some members of the high council were Sadducees and some were Pharisees, so he shouted, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, as were my ancestors! And I am on trial because my hope is in the resurrection of the dead!” As Paul stood before the religious leaders in the Sanhedrin, he thought of an idea to divert attention. Knowing that the Pharisees, which he was one, believed in the supernatural and that the Sadducees di

Week 74 Acts 23 Day 1 READ Acts 23:20-22 20 Paul’s nephew told him, “Some Jews are going to ask you to bring Paul before the high council tomorrow, pretending they want to get some more information. 21 But don’t do it! There are more than forty men hiding along the way ready to ambush him. They have vowed not to eat or drink anything until they have killed him. They are ready now, just waiting for your consent.” 22 “Don’t let anyone know you told me this,” the commander

Week 75 Acts 24 Day 1 READ Acts 24:1-4 1 Five days later Ananias, the high priest, arrived with some of the Jewish elders and the lawyer Tertullus, to present their case against Paul to the governor. 2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented the charges against Paul in the following address to the governor: “You have provided a long period of peace for us Jews and with foresight have enacted reforms for us. 3 For all of this, Your Excellency, we are very grateful t

Week 76 Acts 24, 25 Day 1 READ Acts 24:22-23 22 At that point Felix, who was quite familiar with the Way, adjourned the hearing and said, “Wait until Lysias, the garrison commander, arrives. Then I will decide the case.” 23 He ordered an officer to keep Paul in custody but to give him some freedom and allow his friends to visit him and take care of his needs. Notice how “the Way” is used in referring to salvation. This appears only in Acts (see:19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14,

Week 77 Acts 25 Day 1 READ Acts 25:6-7 6 About eight or ten days later Festus returned to Caesarea, and on the following day he took his seat in court and ordered that Paul be brought in. 7 When Paul arrived, the Jewish leaders from Jerusalem gathered around and made many serious accusations they couldn’t prove. When Governor Festus had traveled from Caesarea to Jerusalem he met the accusers of Paul. Festus told them to come with him to make the accusations in Caesar

Week 78 Acts 25 Day 1 READ Acts 25:15-16 15 “When I was in Jerusalem, the leading priests and Jewish elders pressed charges against him and asked me to condemn him. 16 I pointed out to them that Roman law does not convict people without a trial. They must be given an opportunity to confront their accusers and defend themselves. Governor Festus continues to explain to King Agrippa his concern about what to do with Paul. He acknowledges that Roman law cannot convict so

Week 79 Acts 26 Day 1 READ Acts 26:1-3 1 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You may speak in your defense.” So Paul, gesturing with his hand, started his defense: 2 “I am fortunate, King Agrippa, that you are the one hearing my defense today against all these accusations made by the Jewish leaders, 3 for I know you are an expert on all Jewish customs and controversies. Now please listen to me patiently! Paul now gets the opportunity to present his case to King Agrippa. Paul

Week 80 Acts 26 Day 1 READ Acts 26:15-16 15 “‘Who are you, lord?’ I asked. “And the Lord replied, ‘I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting. 16 Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. Paul continued to tell King Agrippa and the others gathered about his conversion on the road to Damascus. He told about a bright light that caused his g