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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

Week 81 Acts 26, 27 Day 1 READ Acts 26:28-29 28 Agrippa interrupted him. “Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly?” 29 Paul replied, “Whether quickly or not, I pray to God that both you and everyone here in this audience might become the same as I am, except for these chains.” After Paul asked Agrippa if he believed the prophets, Agrippa answered in a way that has caused a difference of opinion. Was he accusing Paul of trying to convert him

Week 82 Acts 27 Day 1 READ Acts 27:9-10 9 We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it. 10 “Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on—shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” Luke continues to record what the trip was like as they were on their way to Rome because of Paul’s appeal to meet with Caesar. Paul told the o

Week 83 Acts 27 Day 1 READ Acts 27:21-22 21 No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. 22 But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. The ship’s crew was all fighting for their lives. Paul reminded them he had warned them of what was coming, but they didn’t liste

Week 84 Acts 27, 28 Day 1 READ Acts 27:39-41 39 When morning dawned, they didn’t recognize the coastline, but they saw a bay with a beach and wondered if they could get to shore by running the ship aground. 40 So they cut off the anchors and left them in the sea. Then they lowered the rudders, raised the foresail, and headed toward shore. 41 But they hit a shoal and ran the ship aground too soon. The bow of the ship stuck fast, while the stern was repeatedly smashed by

Week 85 Acts 28 Day 1 READ Acts 28:13-15 13 From there we sailed across to Rhegium. A day later a south wind began blowing, so the following day we sailed up the coast to Puteoli. 14 There we found some believers, who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15 The brothers and sisters in Rome had heard we were coming, and they came to meet us at the Forum on the Appian Way. Others joined us at The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he was encourage