What Saith The Word of God

Acts 16:16-40   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Paul and Silas in Prison 16  Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction. [ a ]   She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling.   17  As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you [ b ]   the way of salvation, are the slaves of the Most High God.” 18  And she did this for many days. But Paul was greatly aggravated and turning to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away. [ c ] 19  When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas   and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20  Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews   21  and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.” 22  Then the mob joined in the

Acts 16:11-15   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Lydia’s Conversion 11  Then, setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12  and from there to Philippi,   a Roman colony, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for a number of days.   13  On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there.   14  A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul. 15  After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”   And she persuaded us.

Acts 16:6-10   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Evangelization of Europe 6  They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia.   7  When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus   did not allow them.   8  So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas.   9  During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!”   10  After   he had seen the vision, we [ a ]   immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.

Acts 16:1-5   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Paul Selects Timothy 16  Then he went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy,   the son of a believing Jewish woman,   but his father was a Greek.   2  The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.   3  Paul wanted Timothy [ a ]   to go with him, so he took him and circumcised   him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek.   4  As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for them to observe.   5  So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.

Acts 15:36-40   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Paul and Barnabas Part Company 36  After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers in every town   where we have preached the message of the Lord and see how they’re doing.”   37  Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark. [ a ]   38  But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.   39  There was such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark   with him and sailed off to Cyprus.   40  Then Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers.

Acts 15:1-35   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Dispute in Antioch 15  Some men   came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses,   you cannot be saved!”   2  But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, the church arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy. 3  When they had been sent on their way by the church,   they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, explaining in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they created great joy among all the brothers. 4  When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.   5  But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!”

Acts 14:21-28   Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Church Planting 21  After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch,   22  strengthening the [ a ]   disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith   and by telling them, “It is necessary to pass through many troubles   on our way into the kingdom of God.” 23  When they had appointed elders   in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.   24  Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25  After they spoke the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia.   26  From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27  After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them   and that He had opened the door   of faith to the Gentiles.   28  And they spent a considerable t