The Acts of the Apostles

<1+> BEGINNING THE BOOK OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, Published

according to the Vatican Model with the utmost fidelity.

[Chap. I.] I have indeed made the first discourse, O Theophilus, concerning all that Jesus
began to do and to teach, until the day when, commanding the apostles by the Holy Spirit,
whom he had chosen, he was taken up: to whom he presented himself alive after his passion
in with many arguments, appearing to them for forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of
God. not after these many days. Therefore those who had come together questioned him,
saying: Lord, will you restore the kingdom of Israel at this time? And he said to them: It is
not for you to know the times or moments which the Father has put in his power, but you
will receive the power of the coming of the Holy Spirit in you, and you shall be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. And when they
looked at him going up into heaven, behold, two men stood by them in white clothes, who
said: Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? Behold, Jesus, who was
taken up by you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go. into heaven.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
having a journey on the Sabbath. , and Simon the Zealot, and Judas James. These were all
persevering with one accord in prayer with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and
his brothers. brothers, the Scripture must be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold through
the mouth of David of Judah, who was the leader of those who arrested Jesus: who was
numbered among us and was allotted the lot of the minister 1 of this. And this man indeed
possessed a field from the wages of iniquity, and he was suspended in the middle, and all his
entrails were scattered. for it is in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation be desolate, and
let no one dwell in it: and let another take his episcopate. from the baptism of John until the
day when he was taken up by us, a witness of his resurrection with us, to become one of
these. of all, show which one you choose from these two to take the place of this ministry
and apostleship, from which Judas was broken, so that he may go to his place. And they gave
them lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, He was numbered with the eleven apostles. [Chap. 2.]
And when the days of Pentecost were completed, they were all together in the same place:
and suddenly there was a sound from heaven, as of the coming of a mighty spirit, and it
filled the whole house where they were sitting. And they appeared to them and they were
all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in various tongues, as the Holy Spirit gave
them utterance. Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, religious men from every nation
that is under heaven. At the sound of the voice, the multitude gathered together, and their
minds were confused, because everyone heard them speaking in their own language.
?Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and those who inhabit Mesopotamia, Judea, and
Cappadocia, Pontus, and Asia, Phyrgia, and Pamphylia, Egypt, and parts of Libya, which is c
from Cyrene, and sojourners from the Romans, Jews also, and proselytes, Cretans, and
Arabs: we heard them speak in our tongues the great things of God. Peter, standing with the
eleven, raised his voice and spoke to them: Men of Judah, and all you who dwell in
Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words. the third hour: but this is what
was said through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days (says the Lord), I will pour
out my Spirit on all flesh: and your sons and your daughters will prophesy: and your young
men will see visions, and your elders they shall dream dreams. And indeed upon my
servants and upon my maidservants, in those days I will pour out of my Spirit, and they
shall prophesy: and I will give wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. r into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the
great and manifest day of the Lord comes. And it will be: everyone who calls on the name of
the Lord will be saved. , and by the signs which God did through him in your midst, as you
also know: this one, delivered up by the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you
destroyed by the hands of the unrighteous: whom God raised up, freed from the pains of
hell, according to which it was impossible to hold him from him.David for he says to him: I
kept the Lord in my sight always: for he is at my right hand, that I should not be moved.
Because of this my heart rejoiced, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover, my flesh will rest in
hope: for you will not leave my soul in hell, nor give To see your holy corruption. You have
made known to me the ways of life: and you will fill me with the delight of your face. and his
tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, when he was a prophet, and he knew that by
swearing an oath God had sworn to him from the fruit of his loins to sit on his seat. he saw
his corruption. God resurrected this Jesus, of whom we are all witnesses. Therefore, being
exalted to the right hand of God, and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the
Father, he poured out this one, whom you see and hear. For David did not ascend into
heaven: but he himself said: He said The Lord to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I make
your enemies your footstool. Let all the house of Israel know most assuredly, that God has
made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus, whom you crucified. They said to Peter and to
the rest of the apostles: What shall we do, men and brothers? But Peter said to them: Do
penance, and let each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness
of sinners. one of your own: and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For there is a
promise to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, whom the Lord our God has
called. therefore they received his discourse, they were baptized: and on that day about
three thousand souls were added. They were persevering in the teaching of the apostles,
and in the sharing of the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. And fear came upon every
soul; also many wonders and signs were done by the apostles in Jerusalem, and there was
great fear in all. All those who believed were alike, and had everything in common. in the
temple, and breaking bread around the houses, they took food with joy and simplicity of
heart, praising God and having grace for all the people. the temple, at the ninth hour of the
prayer. , he was begging to receive alms. But Peter and John looking at him, said: Look at us.
But he was looking at them, hoping that he would receive something from them. But Peter
said: Silver and gold I have not: but what I have, I give you this: In the name of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth, arise and walk. And leaping up, he stood, and walked: and he entered with
them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him
walking, and praising God. and they were filled with astonishment and ecstasy, at what had
happened to them. And when he had taken hold of Peter and John, all the people ran to
them, to the portico which is called Solomon's, astonished. , or what do you look at us, as if
by our power or power we made this man walk? Pilate, having judged him, let him go. But
you denied the holy and just one, and asked for a man to be given to you as a murderer: but
you killed the author of life, whom God raised from the dead, of whom we are witnesses. ,
confirmed his name: and the faith that is through him gave this complete healing in the sight
of all of you. And now, brothers, I know that you did it through ignorance, as did your
leaders. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out: that when
the times of refreshment come from the sight of the Lord, and he sends him who was
preached to you, Jesus Christ, whom indeed heaven must receive until the times of
restitution of all that he has spoken God through the mouth of his holy prophets from the
ages. whatever he has spoken to you. But it will be: every soul that does not hear that
prophet will be exterminated from the people. our fathers, saying to Abraham: And in thy
seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. For you first God raised up his Son, and
sent him to bless you: that every one should turn from his iniquity. , and the magistrates of
the temple, and the Sadducees, grieved that they should teach the people, and announce in
Jesus the resurrection from the dead; and the number of the men became five thousand. and
Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the
priestly race. ; Leaders of the people and elders, listen: If we are judged today in the good
deed of a weak man, in which he was saved, let it be known to all of you, and to all the
people of Israel: because in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you
crucified: whom God raised from the dead, in this he stands before you sound. This is the
stone which was rejected by you builders, which was made the head of the corner: and
there is no salvation in anything else. For there is no other name under heaven given to
men, in which but when they saw the constancy of Peter and John, they discovered that the
men were illiterate and idiots, and they were astonished, and recognized them because they
had been with Jesus; and seeing also the man standing with them, who had been healed,
they could not contradict anything. to retire outside the council; and they conferred with
one another, saying: What shall we do to these men? for indeed a sign has become known
through them to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem: it is manifest, and we cannot deny it. men.
And calling them, they declared that they should not speak at all, nor teach in the name of
Jesus. But Peter and John answering, said to them: If it is right in the sight of God, you should
rather hear than God, judge: for we cannot do what we have seen, and we heard, not to
speak. But they threatened them and let them go: not finding how to punish them, for the
sake of the people, because they all glorified what had been done in that which had
happened. For there was a man more than forty years old in whom this sign of health had
been done. they came to their people and told them what the chief priests and elders had
said to them. thou hast made the heavens, and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them:
who, by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David, thy son, hast said: Why did
the nations roar, and the peoples meditated in vain? Lord, and against his Christ? For in that
city they assembled against your holy child Jesus, whom you anointed, Herod, and Pontius
Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to do what your hands and your plan
decreed to be done. And now, Lord , look at their threats and grant your servants to speak
your word with all confidence, in that you extend your hand for healings, and for signs and
wonders to be done through the name of your holy Son Jesus. And when they prayed, the
place in which they were gathered was moved : and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit,
and spoke the word of God with confidence. But the multitude of believers had one heart
and one soul: and none of them said that what they possessed was their own, but all things
were common to them. And with great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection
of Jesus Christ our Lord: and there was great grace in all of them. For there was not one
needy among them. according to each one's need. But Joseph, who was surnamed Barnabas
by the apostles (which is interpreted as the Son of consolation) Levites, Cyprius of the
genus, when he had a field, he sold it, and brought the price, and laid it at the feet of the
apostles. but a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a field and
defrauded him of the price of the land, his wife being aware of it: and bringing a certain
portion, he laid it at the feet of the apostles. to defraud of the price of the land? Did it not
remain with you, and was sold in your power? Why did you put this matter in your heart?
You did not lie to men, but to God. Hearing But Ananias fell and breathed his last when he
said these words. And there was a great fear upon all who heard. But the young men rose up
and removed him, and carrying him out, buried him. It was about the space of three hours,
and his wife, not knowing what had happened, came in. And she said to him Peter: Tell me,
woman, if you sold the field for that much? And she said: Yes, for that much. and they will
bring you up. She immediately fell at his feet and expired. But the young men coming in,
found her dead, and took her out and buried her near her husband. And there was great fear
in the whole church, and in all who heard these things. And by the hands of the apostles
many signs and wonders were done in the people. And they were all with one accord in
Solomon's portico. But none of the others dared to associate with them, but the people
magnified them. the sick, and put them on beds and litters, so that when Peter came, at least
his shadow might overshadow some of them, and they might be freed from their infirmities.
the high priest, and all who were with him (which is the heresy of the Sadducees), were
filled with zeal: and they laid hands on the apostles, and put them in public custody. and
standing and speaking to the people in the temple all the words of this life. When they
heard, they entered early into the temple and taught. But the high priest, and those who
were with him, assembled the council, and all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to
the prison to be brought. with all diligence, and the guards standing before the doors: but
when we opened them, we found no one inside. When the magistrates of the temple and the
chief priests heard these words, they wondered what was to become of them. standing and
teaching the people. Then the magistrate went with the ministers and brought them without
force: for the people were afraid lest they should be stoned; and when they had brought
them, they decided in council: and the high priest questioned them, saying; We commanded
you by commanding that you should not teach in this name: and behold, you have filled
Jerusalem with your teaching, and you want to bring upon us the blood of this man. You
killed him, hanging him on a tree. God exalted this prince and savior with his right hand, to
give repentance to Israel and the forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses of these words,
and the Holy Spirit, which God gave to all who obey him. to kill them. But a certain Pharisee,
named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law respected by all the people, rose up in the council, and
ordered the men to be brought to a short stand outside. , that he was someone to whom the
number of about four hundred men agreed: who was slain: and all who believed they gave
him, they were dispersed, and reduced to nothing. After this Judas Galileus stood in the days
of the profession, and he turned the people away from him, and he himself perished: and all,
as many as agreed with him, were scattered. And now therefore I say unto you, depart from
these men , and let them: for if this plan, or work, is of men, it will be dissolved; but if it is of
God, you will not be able to dissolve it, lest you should perhaps also be found in opposition
to God. in the name of Jesus, and they let them go. And they indeed went away rejoicing
from the sight of the council, because they were considered worthy to suffer insults for the
name of Jesus. And every day they did not stop, teaching in the temple and around the
houses, and evangelizing Christ Jesus [Chap. VI.] And in those days, when the number of the
disciples was increasing, there arose a murmuring of the Greeks against the Hebrews,
because their widows were despised in their daily ministry. t: It is not fair for us to abandon
the word of God and minister to the month. Consider, then, brothers, seven men of good
testimony, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we appoint over this work. The speech
was well received in the presence of all the multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of
faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochore, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmena,
and Nicolaus, who had come from Antioch. the word of the Lord was growing, and the
number of disciples in Jerusalem was greatly multiplied: even a great multitude of priests
obeyed the faith. But Stephen, full of grace and strength, performed great wonders and signs
among the people. And some of the synagogue, which is called the Libertines, the Cyrenians,
and the Alexandrians, rose up. and of those who were from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with
Stephen: and they could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit who spoke. They sent men
who said that they had heard him speaking words of blasphemy against Moses and against
God. They therefore stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes: and coming
together they seized him, and brought him into the council, and set up false witnesses who
said: This man does not cease. to speak words against the holy place and the law. For we
heard him say: For this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the traditions
which Moses handed down to us. And looking at him all who sat in the council saw his face
like the face of an angel 7.] And the high priest said: If these things are so? He who said:
Men, brothers and fathers, listen: the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he
was in Mesopotamia, before he stayed in Charan, and said to him: Get out of your country,
and of your kinship, and come to the land which I will show you. Then he came out of the
land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Charan. And he did not give him an inheritance in it, nor
a foot's step, but promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his seed after him, since
he had no son. they will subjugate them, and treat them badly for four hundred years: and
the nation whom they serve, I will judge, said the Lord: and after this they will come out and
serve me in that place. and Isaac, Jacob: and Jacob, twelve patriarchs. And the patriarchs,
competing, sold Joseph into Egypt, and God was with him, and delivered him from all his
tribulations, and gave him grace and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and
made him governor upon Egypt, and upon all his house. And there came a famine over all
Egypt and Canaan, and great tribulation: and our fathers found no food. But when Jacob
heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent his fathers ours first: and in the second Joseph
was known by his brothers, and his lineage was revealed to Pharaoh. And Joseph sent, Jacob
gathered his father, and all his kindred, seventy-five souls. And Jacob went down into Egypt,
and died himself, and his fathers And they were brought to Shechem, and were laid in the
sepulchre, which Abraham bought for the price of silver from the sons of Hemor, the son of
Shechem. the king in Egypt, who did not know Joseph. Here our race came round, and
afflicted our fathers, that they should expose their infants, that they should not be revived.
At the same time Moses was born, and he was pleased with God, who was nourished for
three months, in his father's house. , Pharaoh's daughter took him up and raised him as her
own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was powerful in
his words and in his works. When the period of forty years was completed for him, it came
into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. He would give them salvation, but
they did not understand. But the next day he appeared to them who were quarreling, and
reconciled them in peace, saying: Men, you are brothers, so why do you harm one another?
upon us? Do you want to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? And Moses fled at
this word: and he became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons. And
when Moses saw it, he was astonished at the sight. Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob. But Moses, trembling, did not dare to consider. And the Lord said to him: Take off
the shoes of your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. I saw the affliction of
my people who are in Egypt, and the groaning I have heard them, and I have come down to
deliver them. And now I have come, and I will send you into Egypt. This Moses, whom they
denied, saying: Who made you a prince and a judge? God sent this prince and redeemer,
with the hand of an angel, who appeared to him in the bush. He led them out, performing
wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the desert for forty years.
This is Moses, who said to the children of Israel: God will raise up for you a prophet from
among your brothers: like me, you will hear him. This is who He was in the church in the
desert with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who accepted
to give us the words of life. for us gods who go before us: for this Moses, who brought us out
of the land of Egypt, we do not know what became of him. to serve the host of heaven, as it
is written in the book of the prophets: Did you offer me victims and sacrifices for forty years
in the wilderness, house of Israel? And you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of
your God Rempha, the figures which you made, to worship them. And I will transfer you
beyond Babylon. The tabernacle of the testimony was with our fathers in the wilderness, as
God commanded them, speaking to Moses, that he should make it according to the form
which he had seen. David, who found favor with God, and asked to find a tabernacle for the
God of Jacob. But Solomon built him a house. as the Prophet says: Heaven is my seat, but the
earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of
my rest? Did not my hand make all these things? With stiff necks and uncircumcised hearts
and ears, you always You resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. So also you. Which
of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? but these things they cut in their hearts, and
gnashed with their teeth at him. But when he was full of the Holy Spirit, looking up into
heaven, he saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said:
Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God And
crying out with a loud voice, their ears continued, and they attacked him with one accord.
And throwing him out of the city, they stoned him. of a young man, whose name was Saul.
And they stoned Stephen, calling on him, and saying: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And
falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, saying: Lord, do not hold this sin against
them. And when he had said this, he fell asleep in the Lord. But Saul he was consenting to
his murder. [Chapter 8.] But on that day a great persecution took place in the Church, which
was in Jerusalem, and all were scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria,
except the Apostles. But Stephen was cared for by fearful men, and they made a great
lamentation over Saul was ravaging the church, entering from house to house and dragging
men and women into custody. So those who were scattered passed through, preaching the
word of God. Philip, going down to the city of Samaria, preached Christ to them. they said,
hearing with one accord, and seeing the signs which he did. For many of those who had
unclean spirits came out crying with a loud voice. and the lame were taken care of. There
was therefore great joy in that city. And a certain man named Simon, who had formerly
been a magician in the city, was seducing the people of Samaria, saying that he was some
great man: to whom all from the least to the greatest listened, saying: Here it is the power of
God, which is called great. And they paid attention to him, because for a long time he had
bewitched them with his magic. But when they had believed in Philip preaching about the
kingdom of God, men and women were baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then Simon
himself believed: and when he had been baptized, He clung to Philip. Seeing also the
greatest signs and miracles being done, he marveled in astonishment. But when the apostles
who were in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them
Peter and John. When they came, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy
Spirit: for he had come to any of them, but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord
Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and received the Holy Spirit. because by the laying on of
the hands of the Apostles the Holy Spirit would be given, he offered them money, saying:
Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit.
You have no part or lot in this speech. For your heart is not right before God. Repent
therefore from this wickedness of yours: and ask God if perhaps this thought of your heart
will be forgiven you. I see that you are iniquity. But Simon answered and said: Pray for me
to the Lord, that none of these things which you have said come upon me. to Philip, saying:
Get up and go towards the south, to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza: this is
deserted. And he got up and went. ns Candace the Ethiopian queen, who was over all her
gazas, had come to worship in Jerusalem: and he was returning sitting on his chariot, and
reading the prophet Isaiah. the prophet, and said: Do you think you understand what you
are reading? He said: And how can I, unless someone shows me? And he asked Philip to
come up and sit with him. : and as a lamb before its shearing, without a word, so he opened
not his mouth. In humility his judgment was taken away. this? from himself, or from
someone else? But Philip opening his mouth, and beginning from that Scripture, he
preached Jesus to them. Is it necessary for me to be baptized? And Philip said; If you believe
with all your heart, you are allowed. And he answered and said: I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God. , and the eunuch saw him no more. But he went on his way rejoicing. But
Philip was found in Azotus, and passing through he preached the gospel to all the cities,
until he came to Caesarea. [Chap. 9.] But Saul, still breathing threats and murders against
the Lord's disciples, went to the chief priest and asked him for letters to Damascus to the
synagogues, so that if he found any men and women of this way bound, he would bring
them to Jerusalem. when he was on his way, it happened that he was approaching
Damascus: and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground,
he heard a voice saying to him: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? Who said: Who are
you, Lord? And he: I am Jesus. whom you will pursue. It is hard for you to kick against the
spur. And trembling and astonished he said: Lord, what do you want me to do? And the Lord
said to him: Get up and enter the city, and there you will be told what you must do. with
him, they stood astonished, indeed hearing a voice, but seeing no one. And Saul arose from
the ground, and opened his eyes, and saw nothing. However a certain disciple of Damascus,
named Ananias: and the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias. And he said: Behold, I am,
Lord. : for behold he prays. And the Lord said unto him: Go, for this is a vessel of my choice,
that he may bear my name before the nations, and kings, and the children of Israel. For I will
show him how much he must suffer for my name. And Ananias went and entered the house:
and laying hands on him, he said: Brother Saul, the Lord sent me Jesus, who appeared to you
on the way you were coming, that you might see and be filled with the Holy Spirit. And
immediately there fell from his eyes like scales, and he received his sight: and sur The
nation was baptized. And when he had received food, he was strengthened. And he was with
the disciples who were in Damascus for several days. And he continued to preach Jesus in
the synagogues, that this is the Son of God. , who was attacking in Jerusalem those who
invoked that name: and he came here to this end, to lead those bound to the chief priests?
many days, the Jews conspired together to kill him. And their plots became known to Saul.
And they guarded the gates day and night, that they might kill him. came to Jerusalem, he
was trying to join the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a
disciple. he had just seen the Lord on the way, and because he had spoken to him, and how
he acted faithfully in Damascus in the name of Jesus. They sought to kill him. When the
brothers learned this, they brought him to Caesarea and released Tarsus. While Peter was
going through all the world, he came to the saints who lived in Lydda. And he found there a
certain man named Aeneas, who had been lying on a bed for eight years, who was
paralyzed. And Peter said to him: Aeneas, the Lord Jesus Christ heals you: get up, And
immediately he arose. And all who lived in Lydda and Sarona saw him: who were converted
to the Lord. Now there was a certain disciple in Joppa, named Tabitha, who said Dorcas. She
was full of good works and alms, which she did. But it happened in those days that she died
sick. , they sent two men to him, begging them: Do not be slow to come to us. But Peter got
up and came with them. And when he arrived, they led him into the upper room. And when
they were all cast out, Peter kneeled down and prayed: and turning to the body, he said:
Tabitha, arise. But she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat down. He assigned
her alive. And it became known throughout all Joppa: and many believed in the Lord. And it
happened that many days stayed in Joppa, with Simon a certain tanner. s, the centurion of
the regiment, which is called Italian, religious, and fearing God with all his household, giving
many alms to the people, and supplicating God always: he saw in a clear vision, as it were at
the ninth hour of the day, an Angel of God entering into him, and saying to him: Cornelius.
But he, looking at him, seized with fear, said: What is it, Lord? And he said to him: Your
prayers and your alms have gone up in remembrance in the sight of God. a certain tanner is
staying with Simon, whose house is near the sea: he will tell you what you ought to do. He
sent them to Joppa. But the next day, when they were on their way, and approaching the
city, Peter went up to the upper rooms to pray about the sixth hour. And when he was
hungry, he wanted to taste. an excess of mind: and he saw heaven opened, and a certain
vessel descending, like a great sheet, brought down from heaven to earth by four
beginnings, in which were all the four-footed things, and the serpents of the earth, and the
birds of the sky. And a voice came to him: Arise, Peter , kill, and eat. And Peter said: Far be it,
Lord, for I have never eaten anything common and unclean. And the voice said to him again
a second time: What God has purified, you must not say common. And this was done three
times: and immediately the vessel was taken back into heaven. And while Peter was
hesitating within himself, what was the vision which he had seen: behold, the men who had
been sent by Cornelius, inquiring into Simon's house, stood at the door. And while Peter was
thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him: Behold, three men are looking for you. So
get up, go down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them. What is the cause
for which you have come? Who said: Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and fearing God,
and having testimony from the whole nation of the Jews, received an answer from the holy
angel, that he should come to his house and hear words from you. , received hospitality. And
the next day he arose and went with them: and some of the brethren from Joppa
accompanied him. And the next day he entered Caesarea. But Cornelius was waiting for
them, having called together his relatives and the necessary friends. Cornelius came to him
and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying: Get up, I myself
am a man. but God has shown me that no man should be called common or unclean. Because
I came without hesitation, I was accused. I ask, then, why did you accuse me? He said: From
the ninth day until this hour, I was praying at nine o'clock in my house, and behold, a man
stood before me in a white garment and said: Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and
your alms have been remembered in the presence of God. to Joppa, and I found Simon, who
is surnamed Peter: he is lodging in the house of Simon the tanner by the sea. I therefore sent
to thee at once: and thou hast done well in coming. but Peter opened his mouth and said: I
have found in the truth, for God is not an acceptor of persons: but in every nation that
feareth him, and worketh righteousness, he is accepted. God sent a word to the children of
Israel, announcing peace through Jesus Christ The Lord.) You know that the word was made
through all Judea: for beginning in Galilee, after the baptism which John preached, Jesus of
Nazareth: how he anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went through
doing good and healing all opp freed from the devil, because God was with him. And we are
witnesses of all that he did in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by
hanging him on a tree. from God: to us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the
dead. And he commanded us to preach to the people and to bear witness, because he is the
one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. his name all who believe in
him. While he was still speaking these words to Peter, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard
the word. and magnifying God. Then answered Peter: Can anyone stop the water, so that
those who have received the Holy Spirit as well as we are not baptized? And he ordered
them to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay with
them for a few days. against him who were of the circumcision, saying: Why did you go in to
the men having the foreskin and eat with them? And Peter began to explain the order to
them, saying: I was in the city of Joppa praying, and I saw a vision in the excess of my mind,
a vessel coming down like a cloth A great thing was brought down from the sky in four
beginnings, and it came as far as me. I looked into it, and I saw the four-footed things of the
earth, and the beasts, and the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. And I heard a voice saying to
me: Get up, Peter, kill and eat. I said but: By no means, Lord. Because nothing common or
unclean has ever entered my mouth. And a second voice from heaven answered: What God
has made clean, you must not call common. And this was done three times: and everything
was received again into heaven. And behold, three men immediately stood in the house
where I was, sent to me from Caesarea. And the Spirit told me to go with them, not
hesitating. But these six brothers came with me, and we entered the man's house And he
told us how he had seen an Angel standing in his house and saying to him: Send to Joppa,
and call Simon, who is surnamed Peter, who will speak to you words in which you will be
saved, and all your household. But when I had begun to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon
them, as it fell upon us at the beginning. But I remembered the words of the Lord, as he said:
John indeed baptized with water, but I will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. : who was I, that
I could prevent God? When they heard this, they kept silent, and glorified God, saying:
Therefore God also gave repentance to the Gentiles unto life. they traveled as far as
Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking a word to no one, except only to the Jews.
Now there were some of them men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they entered Antioch,
spoke also to the Greeks, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with
them : and a great number of believers were converted to the Lord. And the word reached
the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem, concerning them: and they sent Barnabas as
far as Antioch. To the Lord: because he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit, and of
faith. whom he had found, he led to Antioch. And they spent a whole year there in the
church, and taught a great multitude, so that they were first known as the disciples of
Antioch, Christians. the spirit of a great famine to come in the whole world, which took place
under Claudius. Now the disciples, according as each one had, proposed to send for service
to the brethren living in Judea: which they did, sending to the elders by the hands of
Barnabas and Saul. .]And at the same time King Herod sent his hands to afflict some of the
Church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword. to be guarded by bands of
soldiers, desiring to deliver him to the people after the Passover. And Peter was indeed kept
in prison. but without intermission from the church to God for him. But when Herod was
about to produce him, in the very night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound by
two chains: and the guards were guarding the prison before the door. and striking Peter's
side, he woke him up, saying: Get up quickly. And the chains fell from his hands. And the
angel said to him: Gird yourself, and put on your boots. And he did so. And when he went
out, he followed him, and did not know that it was true that what was being done by an
angel, but he thought that he saw a vision. Passing the first and second guard, they came to
the Iron Gate, which leads to the city: which was open to them on the other side. and
immediately the angel departed from him. And Peter returning to himself, said: Now I know
truly, that the Lord sent his angel and delivered me from the hand of Herod, and from all the
expectation of the people of the Jews. and he came to the house of Mary, the mother of John,
who was surnamed Marcus, where many were gathered together and praying. When he
knocked at the door, a girl named Rhoda came forward to listen. she announced that Peter
was standing before the door. But they said to her: "Insane." they were silent, he told how
the Lord had brought him out of prison, and said: Tell James and his brothers these things.
And he went out and went to another place. he found, after an inquiry had been made of the
guards, he ordered them to be taken: and descending from Judaea to Caesarea, he abode
there. who was over the king's chamber, they demanded peace, because their regions were
nourished by him. And on the appointed day, Herod, clothed in royal robes, sat before the
tribunal, and preached to them. the angel of the Lord, because he had not given honor to
God: and being consumed by worms, he expired; but the Word of the Lord grew and
multiplied. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having finished their ministry,
having taken John, who was surnamed Mark. [Chap. XIII.] Now there were in the church,
which was at Antioch, prophets and teachers, among whom were Barnabas, and Simon, who
was called Black, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manahen, who was Herod's tetrarch
collactaneus, and Saul. The Holy Spirit said to them: Separate Saul and Barnabas for me, for
the work for which I have taken them. Then fasting, and praying, and laying hands on them,
they let them go. and from there they sailed to Cyprus. And when they came to Salamis, they
preached the word in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John in their ministry.
Sergius Paulus, a prudent man. Here, Barnabas and Saul, having come together, longed to
hear the word of God. But Elymas the magician (for so his name is interpreted) resisted
them, seeking to turn the proconsul from the faith. , he said: O full of all deceit and all deceit,
son of the devil, enemy of all justice, do not stop subverting the right ways of the Lord. in the
darkness and darkness, and he went about seeking who would give him a hand. Then the
proconsul, when he saw what had been done, believed, marveling at the Lord's teaching.
And when Paul and those who were with him had sailed from Paphos , they came to
Pergena in Pamphylia. And John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. But they,
having passed through Pergena, came to Antioch in Pisidia: and having entered the
synagogue on the Sabbath day, they sat down. , if anyone among you has a word of
exhortation to the people, say it. Then Paul arose, and pointing to the silent ones with his
hand, said: Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen: the God of the people of Israel chose
our fathers, and exalted the people when they were inhabitants in the land of Egypt , and in
a high arm he brought them out of it, and for a period of forty years he supported their
behavior in the desert. a prophet. And thenceforth they asked for a king: and God gave them
Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, forty years. em: to whom he testified, he
said: I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my
wishes. This God brought forth from the seed according to the promise of Israel the savior
Jesus, preaching John, before the face of his coming, a baptism of repentance for all the
people of Israel. but as John completed his course, he said: I am not the one you think I am,
but behold, he is coming after me, whose shoes I am not worthy to untie. For those who
dwelt in Jerusalem, and its leaders, not knowing him, and judging the words of the prophets,
which are read every Sabbath, and finding no cause of death in him, asked Pilate to put him
to death. they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. Galilee in Jerusalem;
who until now are his witnesses to the people. And that which raised him from the dead,
that he would no longer return to corruption, he said thus: Because I will give you the holy
trusts of David. And thus and elsewhere he says: You will not let your holy one see
corruption. For David in his generation, when he had administered the will of God, slept, He
was placed with his fathers and saw corruption. Let it be known to you, then, men and
brothers, that through this man the remission of sins is announced to you, and from
everything by which you could not be justified in the law of Moses, in this everyone who
believes is justified. lest that which was said in the prophets should come upon you: Behold
the scorners, and marvel, and scatter: for I am working a work in your days, a work which
you would not believe, if any one told you. they besought them that they might speak these
words to them on the following Sabbath. And when the synagogue was dismissed, many of
the Jews, and worshipers who had come from abroad, followed Paul and Barnabas, who,
speaking, exhorted them to continue in the grace of God. And seeing the multitudes of the
Jews, they were filled with zeal, and contradicted those things which were said by Paul,
blaspheming them. to the nations. For thus the Lord commanded us: I have set you in the
light of the nations, that you may be for salvation to the ends of the earth. And hearing the
nations rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord: and believed as many as were
foreordained to eternal life. And the word of the Lord was spread throughout all the region.
n Paul and Barnabas: and they cast them out of their borders. But they, shaking off the dust
of their feet against them, came to Iconium. The disciples also were filled with joy and the
Holy Spirit. , and they would speak, so that a great multitude of Jews and Greeks would
believe. But the unbelieving Jews raised up and stirred up the souls of the Gentiles to anger
against their brothers. miracles were done by their hands. Now the multitude of the city was
divided: and indeed some were with the Jews, and some with the apostles. Lystra, and
Derben, and all the country round about, and there they were preaching the gospel. from his
mother's womb, who had never walked. Here he heard Paul speaking. Who, looking at him,
and seeing that he had faith to be saved, said with a loud voice: Get up on your feet straight.
And he jumped up and walked. But when the crowds saw what he had done Paul, they lifted
up their voice, saying Lycaonically: Gods made like unto men, they came down to us. He
wanted to sacrifice to the people. When the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard this, they
took their coats and jumped into the crowd, shouting and saying: Men, why are you doing
these things? , who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and all that is in them:
which in past generations let all nations go their ways. from heaven, giving rains and fruitful
times, filling our hearts with food and joy. And saying these things, they scarcely quieted the
multitudes, lest they should sacrifice to themselves. But some Jews from Antioch and
Iconium came over; that he was dead. But with the disciples surrounding him, he arose and
entered the city, and the next day he went with Barnabas to Derben. by faith: and since
through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. they went down to
Attalia, and from there they sailed to Antioch, whence they had been entrusted with the
grace of God, for work which they accomplished. But when they had come and assembled
the church, they reported how much God had done with them, and how they had opened the
door of faith to the Gentiles. And they tarried a considerable time with the disciples. unless
you are circumcised according to the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. Then Paul and
Barnabas having made no small rebellion against them, they decided that Paul and
Barnabas, and some others from the others, should go up to the apostles and priests in
Jerusalem, on this question. , passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling of the
conversion of the nations: and they made great joy to all the brethren. , saying: Because it is
necessary to circumcise them, I also command them to keep the law of Moses But when a
great search was made, Peter rose up and said to them: Men, brothers, you know that from
ancient times God chose among us, that through my mouth the nations should hear the
word of the Gospel and believe. And God, who knows the hearts, has borne witness , giving
them the Holy Spirit, as he also did to us, and there was no difference between us and them,
purifying their hearts by faith. We believe in Christ to be saved, just as they also. But the
whole multitude was silent: and they listened to Barnabas and Paul, recounting how many
signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. God visited to take from
the nations a people for his name. I will rebuild it and raise it up: that the rest of men may
seek the Lord, and all the nations upon whom my name is called, says the Lord doing these
things. The Lord has known his work from the ages. Because I judge, let not those who are
converted from the nations to God, but to write to them, that they may abstain from
defilements of idols, and fornication, and strangled things, and blood. with all the church, to
choose men from among them, and to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, Judas, who
was surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, the first men among the brethren, writing by their
hands. , and to Cilicia, brethren from the Gentiles, greeting. For we have heard that some of
us, having gone out, troubled you with words, overthrowing your souls, whom we did not
command: it pleased us to gather together i n one thing, to choose men, and to send to you,
together with our dearest Barnabas and Paul, men who gave up their lives for the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ. , and for us, you are not obliged to impose anything more on you than
these necessary things: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and
from strangled things, and from fornication; By those whom you guard, you do well. Good-
bye. They were then released, and went down to Antioch: and gathered together in
multitudes, they delivered the letter. When they had read it, they rejoiced over the
consolation. and they confirmed. And when they had been there for some time, they were
sent away in peace by the brethren, to those who had sent them. Silas was seen to remain
there: but Judas alone went to Jerusalem. After some days, Paul said to Barnabas: Let us
return and visit the brothers in all the cities where we preached the word of the Lord, how
they are doing. Barnabas wanted to take with him also John, whose surname was Marcus. to
them from Pamphylia, and he had not come with them to work) should not be received.
Indeed, assuming Marcus, he sailed to Cyprus. Paulus, having chosen Silas, set out, having
been entrusted with the grace of God by his brothers. He was traveling through Syria and
Cilicia, strengthening the churches commanding to observe the precepts of the apostles and
elders. This Paul wanted to go with him: and assuming he circumcised him, because of the
Jews who were in those places. For they all knew that his father was a Gentile. And the
churches were indeed strengthened in faith, and increased in number every day. But
passing through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to
speak the word of God in Asia. and when they had passed through Mysia, they came down to
Troas: and a vision was shown to Paul during the night: a certain Macedonian man was
standing, and beseeching him, and saying: Passing into Macedonia, help us. But as he saw fit,
we immediately sought to set out for Macedonia, certain of the fact that God had called us to
preach the gospel to them. and thence to Philippi, which is a city of the first part of
Macedonia, a colony. Now we were in this city for several days, conferring. Lydia, the purple
woman of the city of Thyatira, worshiping God, heard it: whose heart the Lord opened to
consider those things which were said by Paul. .And he forced us. And it happened that as
we were going to prayer, we met a certain girl who had the spirit of a python, who was
making a great profit for her masters by divination. She followed Paul and us, crying out,
saying: These men are the servants of the exalted God, who tell you the way Saluti. And this
he did for many days. But Paul, being sorrowful, and turning, said to the spirit: I command
you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. And
when his lords saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and
brought them into the forum to the leaders, and offering them to the magistrates, said:
These men disturb our city, since they are Jews: and they proclaim a custom which it is not
lawful for us to undertake, nor to practice. when we are Romans. And the people ran against
them: and the magistrates, tearing their coats, ordered them to be slain with rods. into the
inner prison, and bound their feet with wood. At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and
praising God, and those who were in custody were listening. : and the bonds of the universe
are loosed. But the keeper of the prison awoke, and seeing the doors of the prison open,
wanted to kill himself with a drawn sword, thinking that the prisoners had fled. Then Paulus
cried out with a loud voice, saying: You have done no harm, for we are all here. Silas at his
feet: and bringing them out, he said: Lord, what must I do to be saved? But they said: Believe
in the Lord Jesus, and you and your house will be saved. And the word of the Lord was
spoken to him, with all who they were in his house. And taking them away at that hour of
the night, he washed their wounds: and he was baptized, and all his household immediately.
when it was day, the magistrates sent the policemen, saying: Let those men go. And the
keeper of the prison reported these words to Paul: Because they have sent the magistrates
to let you go; They sent the Romans into prison without compensation, and now they are
driving us out secretly? Not so: but let them come and drive us out themselves. And the
police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard
that they were Romans. , that they might go out of the city. But leaving the prison, they
entered into Lydia: and when they saw the brethren, they comforted them, and departed.
And Paul, according to custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths he reasoned with
them from the Scriptures, opening them up and insinuating that it was necessary for Christ
to suffer and to rise from the dead, and that this is Jesus Christ, whom I announce to you.
And some of them believed, and were joined Paul and Silas, and a great multitude of
worshipers and Gentiles, and not a few noble women. t the city: and the attendants of the
house of Jason sought to bring them out into the people. They make Caesar's, saying that
another king is Jesus. But the people, and the leaders of the city hearing these things, stirred
up the people. The Jews went in. Now these were the noblest of them, who are from
Thessalonica, who received the word with all eagerness, searching the Scriptures daily, if
these things were so. In Thessalonica the Jews, because the word of God had been preached
by Paul in Beroea, came and stirred up and disturbed the multitude. The brothers sent the
light away to go as far as the sea: but Silas and Timothy remained there. But those who were
leading Paul brought him as far as Athens, and having received orders from him to Silas and
Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible, they set out. He was waiting for them in
Athens, his spirit was stirred up in him, seeing the city devoted to idolatry. He therefore
debated in the synagogue with the Jews and the worshipers, and in the forum, all day long,
with those who were present. But certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with
him, and They said: What does Semiverbius want to say here? Others, on the other hand: He
seems to be a herald of new demons, because he was announcing to them Jesus and the
resurrection. (Now all the Athenians, and the foreign guests, were occupied with nothing
else, except either to say or to hear something new. ) And standing Paul in the middle of the
Areopagus, he said: Men of Athens, in all things I see you as being more superstitious. God,
who made the world and all that is in it, since he is the Lord of heaven and earth, does not
dwell in man-made temples, nor is he worshiped by human hands in need of anything, since
he himself gives to all life, and inspiration, and all things: and he made all things from one.
that a race of men should dwell upon the whole face of the earth, defining the appointed
times and limits of their dwelling, to seek God, if by chance they should draw him, or find
him, although he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live, and move, and have our
being; of your poets have said: For we are his race. Therefore, since we are the race of God,
we should not esteem gold, silver, or stone, the sculpture of man's art and thought, to be like
the divine. God, having thus despised, now announces to men that they should all do
penance everywhere, because he has appointed a day in which he will judge the world in
equity, in the man whom he has appointed, giving faith to all, raising him from the dead. But
when they had heard of the resurrection of the dead, some they laughed, but some said: We
will hear you about this again. So Paul went out from among them. But some men who
adhered to him believed: among them Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named
Damaris, and others with them. [Chap. XVIII.] After After leaving Athens he came to Corinth,
and finding a certain Jew named Aquila, of the Pontic family, who had recently come from
Italy, and his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome), he
came to them. And because he was of the same trade, he remained with them, and he
worked (they were stage makers of art). moving, Paul insisted on the word, testifying to the
Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But to those who contradicted and blasphemed them,
shaking his clothes, he said to them: Your blood is on your head: I am clean, from this I will
go to the Gentiles. , by the name of Titus the righteous, who worshiped God, whose house
was connected with the synagogue. But Crispus, the archsynagogue, believed in the Lord
with all his household: and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were
baptized. because I am with you, and let no one approach you to harm you, for I have many
people in this city. And he sat there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God
among them. , and they brought him to the tribunal, saying: Because he is persuading men
to worship God against the law. But when Paulus began to open his mouth, Gallio said to the
Jews: If indeed there was anything unjust, a that the worst deed, O men of the Jews, I would
rightly support you. But if there are questions about the word, and names, and your law,
you yourselves will see. I do not want to be the judge of these. And he threatened them from
the tribunal. him before the tribunal: and none of them cared for Gallio. But when Paulus
had still endured many days, bidding farewell to his brothers, he sailed for Syria, (and with
him Priscilla and Aquila) who shaved his head at Cenchres: for he had a vow. And he came
to Ephesus, and He left them there. But he himself entered the synagogue and argued with
the Jews. But when they begged him to remain a longer time, he did not consent, but saying
goodbye and saying: I will return to you again, God willing, he departed from Ephesus. and
he saluted the church, and went down to Antioch. , an Alexandrian man, an eloquent man,
came to Ephesus, powerful in the Scriptures. Here he was taught the way of the Lord: and he
spoke fervently in the spirit, and taught diligently the things of Jesus, knowing only the
baptism of John. Here therefore he began to act confidently in the synagogue. and Aquila,
received him, and expounded to him the way of the Lord more diligently. But when he
wished to go to Achaia, the brethren exhorted, wrote to the disciples to receive him. When
he came, he brought much to those who had believed. to be the Christ Jesus.[Chapter 19.]
Now it happened, when Apollos was in Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper
parts, came to Ephesus and found some disciples; And he said to them, "Have you received
the Holy Spirit, believing?" But they said to him, "But we have not heard, if it is the Holy
Spirit." But he said, "In what then were you baptized?" the people of repentance, saying: In
him who was to come after him, that they might believe, that is, in Jesus. When they heard
this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on
them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues. and they prophesied.
Now there were about twelve men in all. And entering the synagogue, he spoke with
confidence for three months, debating and persuading about the kingdom of God. every day
disputing in the school of a certain tyrant. And this was done for two years, so that all who
lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, Jews and Gentiles. by the hand of Paul: in such a
way that even upon the sick were carried away from his body shrouds and half girdles, and
the sick departed from them, and the evil spirits came out. , saying: I adjure you by Jesus,
whom Paul preaches. Now there were some of the seven sons of Sceva, the chief priest of
the Jews, who were doing this. a man in whom was the worst demon, and the dominion of
both, rushed against them, so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. the name
of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many believers came, confessing and announcing their
deeds. and having counted their prices, they found money of fifty thousand denarii. Thus the
word of God grew mightily, and was strengthened. And when these things were finished,
Paul proposed in the Spirit, having passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to
Jerusalem, saying: For after I have been there, I must also go to Rome and sending into
Macedonia two of his servants, Timotheus and Erastus, he himself remained for a time in
Asia. But at that time there was no small disturbance in the way of the Lord. a little gain:
calling them together, and those who were workers of this kind, he said: Men, you know
that we have a gain by this artifice; : for there are no gods that are made with hands. Not
only will this part be in danger for us to come into redargument, but also the temple of the
great Diana will be counted as nothing. but her majesty, which all Asia and the world
worships, will begin to be destroyed. When they heard this, they were filled with anger, and
cried out, saying: Great Diana of the Ephesians. Paul's companions. But the disciples did not
allow Paul to enter the people. But some of the princes of Asia, who were his friends, sent to
him, begging him not to give himself into the theater. for which reason they had agreed. And
they drew Alexander from the crowd, the Jews pushing him. But Alexander, demanding
silence with his hand, wanted to give an account to the people. As they knew him to be a
Jew, the voice of all became one, as if for two hours they cried: Great Diana of the Ephesians.
And When the scribe had calmed the multitudes, he said: Men of Ephesus, for who is there
among men who does not know that the city of Ephesus is a cult of the great Diana and the
offspring of Jupiter? For you have brought these men, neither blasphemers, nor
blasphemers of your goddess. If Demetrius, and those who are with him artificers, have any
case against them, judicial assemblies are held, and the proconsuls are accused. But if you
ask for something else, it can be absolved in the legitimate church. For we are in danger of
being accused of the current sedition: since there is no one liable (of whom we can give an
account) to this gathering. And when he had said these things, he dismissed the church. but
the tumult ceased, when Paul called his disciples, and having exhorted them, he bade them
good-bye, and set out to go to Macedonia. He was about to sail from the Jews to Syria: and
he had a plan to return by way of Macedonia. He was accompanied by Sopater Pyrrhus of
Beroea, and Aristarchus of Thessalonica, and Secundus, and Gaius Derbaeus, and
Timotheus: but Tychicus and Trophimus are Asians. When these had gone before, they
supported us at Troas: but we sailed after the days of Azimos from Philippi, and came to
them in Troas in five days, where we tarried seven days. to break bread, Paul was disputing
with them, about to set out on the morrow, and the conversation continued until midnight.
he fell asleep from the third room down, and was taken up dead. To whom, when Paul had
come down, he lay down on him, and when he was gathered together, he said: Do not be
troubled, for his soul is in him. , so he set out. And they brought the child alive, and were not
in the least comforted. for he himself had arranged to make a journey by land. But when he
had met us at Asson, we took him to Mytilene. Ephesus, lest there should be any delay for
him in Asia. For he hastened, if it were possible for him, to make the day of Pentecost in
Jerusalem. And sending from Miletus to Ephesus, he called the elders of the church. When
they came to him and were together, he said to them: You know from the first day that I
entered Asia, how I was with you all the time, serving the Lord with all humility, and tears,
and the temptations that befell me from the snares of the Jews: how I did not take away
anything useful from which I could announce to you and teach you publicly. and through the
houses, witnessing to Jews and Gentiles repentance toward God, and faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ. I do not know what will happen to me in it, except that the Holy Spirit protests to me
through all the cities, saying: because bonds and tribulations remain for me in Jerusalem. ,
which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of God's grace. And now,
behold, I know that you will no longer see my face, all of you, through whom I have passed
preaching the kingdom of God. Therefore I confess to you this day, because I am clean from
the blood of all. For I will not subterfuge, so that I may announce to you all the counsel of
God. Pay attention to yourselves, and to the whole flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made
you bishops, to rule the Church of God, which he acquired with his own blood. I know that
after my departure ravenous wolves will enter among you, not sparing the flock And men
will rise up from among yourselves, speaking perverse things, in order to draw away the
disciples after them. For this reason, keep watch, remembering that for three years I did not
cease night and day, admonishing each one of you with tears. it is to build, and to give an
inheritance in all that is sanctified. I have not coveted silver and gold, or clothing of any
man, as you know; because those hands ministered to those things which I needed, and to
those who are with me. when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them
all. But there was a great weeping of all: and they bowed down on Paul's neck and kissed
him, grieving the most at the word which he had said, because they were no longer to see
his face. And they led him to the ship. Chapter 21.] And when it was done that we should sail
away from them, we came in a straight course to Coum, and the next day to Rhodes, and
thence to Patara. , we sailed into Syria, and came to Tyre: for there the ship was to unload
the cargo. and when we had departed, they brought us all with their wives and children to
the outskirts of the city, and kneeling on the shore, we prayed. , we stayed with them one
day. But the next day we set out and came to Caesarea. And entering the house of Philip the
Evangelist, who was one of the seven, we stayed with him. And there were four of his virgin
daughters prophesying. A prophet, named Agabus. When he came to us, he took Paul's
girdle: and binding his hands and feet, he said: These are the words of the Holy Spirit: The
man to whom this girdle is, so shall the Jews bind in Jerusalem, and deliver them into the
hands of the Gentiles. we had heard, we begged us, and those who were of that place, that he
should not go up to Jerusalem. I was ready to die in Jerusalem, for the name of the Lord
Jesus. And when we could not persuade him, we rested, saying: The will of the Lord be done.
, Mnason, a certain Cyprian, an ancient disciple. And when we arrived at Jerusalem, the
brothers gladly received us. But the next day Paul went in with us to James, and all the
elders were gathered. When they heard, they magnified God, and said to him: You see,
brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all
rivals of the law. they must circumcise their children, and not enter according to custom. go,
do as we say to you: there are four men with us, who have a vow upon themselves. the law.
But of these who believed from the Gentiles we wrote, judging them to abstain from idols,
sacrifices, and blood, and strangled things, and fornication. days of purification, until an
offering was offered for each one of them. But while the seven days were over, the Jews who
were from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people and laid hands
on him, crying: Men of Israel, help: this is the man who against the people, and the law, and
this place, teaching all everywhere, moreover, he brought the Gentiles into the temple and
violated that holy place. For they had seen Trophimus of Ephesus in the city with him,
whom they valued because in Paul had entered the temple. And the whole city was moved,
and there was a gathering of the people. And seizing Paul, they dragged him outside the
temple: and the doors were immediately closed. the centurions, he ran to them. When they
saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. and when he had come to the
steps, it happened that he was carried away by the soldiers because of the violence of the
people. For a multitude of the people followed him, crying: Take him away. to speak to you?
Who said: Do you know Greek? And Paul said to him: I am indeed a Jew from Tarsus in
Cilicia, not the governor of an unknown city. But I beseech you, allow me to speak to the
people. When this was done, he spoke in the Hebrew language, saying: [Chap. XXII.] Men,
brothers and fathers, listen to what I am now giving you a reason. born in Tarsus of Cilicia,
but brought up in that city, unlike the feet of Gamaliel, educated according to the truth of the
father's law, a rival of the law, as you all are today: who pursued this way until death, tying
and delivering into custody men and women, like a prince the priests bear witness to me,
and all the elders, from whom I also received letters, I went to the brothers in Damascus, in
order to bring the prisoners from there to Jerusalem, so that they might be punished. in the
middle of the day, a great light suddenly shone around me from heaven: and falling to the
ground, I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And I
answered: Who are you, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you And
those who were with me indeed saw the light, but did not hear the voice of him who spoke
with me. And I said: What shall I do, Lord? And when I could not see because of the
brightness of that light, being led by the hand by the companions, I came to Damascus. And a
certain Ananias, a man according to the law, having testimony from all the Jews who lived
together, coming to me and standing, said to me: Brother Saul, look. hour I looked at him.
But he said: The God of our fathers has predestined you to know his will, and to see what is
just, and to hear the voice from his mouth, because you will be his witness to all men, of
what you have seen and heard. And now why do you delay? Arise, and baptize and wash
away your sins, invoking his name. But it happened to me returning to Jerusalem, and
praying in the temple, that I became in a stupor of mind, and saw him saying to me: Make
haste, and get out of Jerusalem quickly: for they will not receive your testimony about me.
And I said: Lord, they know that it was I who was imprisoning and slaughtering in the
synagogues those who believed in you. me: Go, for I will send thee far away into the nations.
But they heard him until this word, and lifted up their voice, saying, Take him out of the land
of such a man: for it is not right for him to live. in a sharp manner, the tribune ordered that
he be brought into the camp, and beaten with whips, and tortured, that he might know for
what reason they had thus hailed him. Is it lawful for you to scourge a Roman and an
indemnified one? Hearing this, the centurion went to the tribune and told him, saying: What
are you going to do? for this man is a Roman citizen. And the tribune coming up said to him:
Tell me if you are a Roman? Yes. And the tribune answered: I have obtained this very civility
by many things. And Paulus said: And I was also born. Immediately therefore those who
were torturing him departed from him. And the next day, wanting to know more carefully
the reason for which he was being accused by the Jews, he released him, and commanded
the priests to assemble, and the whole council, and bringing Paul forth, he set among them. ,
I have with all good conscience conversed before God until this day. But Ananias, the chief
priest, ordered those standing by to strike him in the mouth. And those who stood by said:
Do you curse the high priest of God? And Paul said: I did not know, brothers, that he is the
chief of the priests. For it is written: You shall not curse the prince of your people. one of the
Sadducees, and the other of the Pharisees, cried out in the council: Men, brothers, I am a
Pharisee, the son of the Pharisees, I judge about the hope and resurrection of the dead. that
there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor the Spirit: but the Pharisees both confess. And a
great clamor was made. was done, the tribune, fearing lest Paul should be torn from them,
ordered the soldiers to descend, and to seize him from among them, and to bring him into
the camp. The Lord stopped him and said: Be steadfast, for just as you have testified about
me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome. And on the day that happened some of
the Jews gathered together and worshiped themselves, saying that they would neither eat
nor drink until they had killed Paul. and there were more than forty men who had made this
conspiracy. They came to the chief priests and the elders and said: We have sworn with
devotion that we will taste nothing until we kill Paulus. But before he approaches, we are
ready to kill him. When Paul's sister's son heard of the plot, he came and entered the camp
and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions to him and said: Bring this young man
to the tribune. for he has something to tell him. And the tribune, taking hold of his hand,
withdrew with him, and asked him: What is it that you have to tell me? And he said: It is
proper for the Jews to ask you to bring Paul to the council on the morrow, as if they were
going to inquire more definitely about him. But you must not believe them, for there are
more than forty men lying in wait for him, who have vowed not to eat or drink until they kill
him, and now they are ready, waiting for your promise. and having called the two
centurions, he said to them: Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, and
seventy horsemen, and two hundred lancers, from the third hour of the night: and prepare
the horses, that they may bring Paul safely to the governor Felix. (For he feared that the
Jews might kidnap him and kill him, and that he himself would later suffer slander, as
though he were about to accept money.) Writing a letter containing these words: CLAUD
IUS Lypsias, salutation to the best governor, Felicus. This man, having been seized by the
Jews, and about to be killed by them, coming up with the army, I seized him, knowing that
he was a Roman. And when he was brought to me of the snares which they had prepared, I
sent him to thee, denouncing them, and to the accusers, that they may say to thee. Farewell.
They marched through the night to Antipatris. And the next day, having released the
horsemen to go with him, they returned to the camp. When they had come to Caesarea, and
had delivered the letter to the governor, they set him and Paulus before him. knowing that
he is from Cilicia. I will hear you, he said, when your accusers come. And he ordered that he
be kept in Herod's palace. then Ananias, with some of the elders, and Tertullus, a certain
orator, who went to the governor against Paul. with all thanksgiving. But I will not prolong
thee longer, I beseech thee, hear us briefly for thy clemency. to judge according to our law.
Lysias, the tribune, having arrived, with great force rescued him from our hands,
commanding his accusers to come to you: from whom will you be able, judging yourself, to
know about all these things about which we accuse him. And the Jews also added, saying
these things And Paul answered (nodding to the governor to say to him): Knowing that you
have been the judge of this nation for many years, with a good heart for m For you can know
that there are no more days for me than twelve, since I went up to worship in Jerusalem:
and they did not find me in the temple disputing with anyone, or making a gathering of the
crowd, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city: neither can they prove But I confess this to
you, that according to the sect which they say I am a heretic, so I serve my Father and my
God, believing all that is written in the Law and the Prophets: having hope in God, which
they themselves expect. the future resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous. In this
I also strive to have a conscience toward God and toward men always without stumbling. ,
not with a crowd or with a tumult. But certain Jews from Asia, whom it was necessary to be
present with you, and to accuse if they had anything against me; except for this one only
voice, which I cried out standing among them: For I judge of the resurrection of the dead
this day from you. And Felix, knowing most certainly of this way, said: When the tribune
Lysias comes down, I will hear you. And he ordered the centurion to guard him, and to have
rest, and not to prevent any of his own from ministering to him. But after some days Felix,
coming with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jewess, called Paul, and heard from him the faith
which is in Christ Jesus. And when he was disputing with him about justice, chastity, and the
future judgment, the trembling Felix answered: As for now, go; for which reason, and
frequently accusing him, he talked with him. But at the end of two years, Felix Portius
Festus took his successor. Caesarea. And the chief priests and the first of the Jews came to
him against Paulus: and they begged him, asking for favor against him, that he would order
him to be brought to Jerusalem, laying a plot to kill him on the way. But Festus answered
that Paulus should be kept in Caesarea: but himself He said, "Who among you, then, are
powerful, and coming down together, if there is any crime against a man, they accuse him."
He ordered Paul to be brought. When he was brought, the Jews who had come down from
Jerusalem stood around him, alleging many and serious reasons, which they could not
prove, giving an account to Paul : For I have sinned neither against the law of the Jews, nor
against the temple, nor against Caesar. But Festus, wishing to show favor to the Jews,
answered Paul, and said: Do you want to go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these
things with me? And Paul said: I stand at Caesar's tribunal. I must be judged there: I have
not harmed the Jews, as you know better. but if there is none of the things of which they
accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. Festus. And when they had tarried there
several days, Festus told the king about Paul, saying: There is a certain man abandoned by
Felix, about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews
came to me, demanding condemnation against him. To whom I answered: Because It is not
the custom of the Romans to condemn any man, before he who is accused has the accusers
present, and takes the place of the defense to wash away the charges. So when they had
arrived here without any delay, sitting before the tribunal the next day, I ordered a man to
be brought. Of whom, when the accusers were standing, no They brought a case, of which I
suspected evil. But they had some questions about their own superstition against him, and
about something about the death of Jesus, who in whom Paul affirmed that he was living.
But I, hesitating about a question of this kind, said if he wished to go to Jerusalem and there
be judged of these. But Paul appealing, that he might be kept for the knowledge of Augustus,
I ordered him to be kept until I should send him to Caesar. And Agrippa said to Festus: I
wanted to hear the man myself. To-morrow, he said, you will hear him. But the next day,
when Agrippa and Bernice had come with much ambition, and had entered the audience
with the tribunes and the leading men of the city, Paulus was brought in at the command of
Festus. And Festus says : King Agrippa, and all the men who are present together with us,
see this man, about whom all the multitude of the Jews interrupted me in Jerusalem, asking
and shouting that it was not necessary for him to live any longer. But I found that he
admitted nothing worthy of death. I have decided to send him. I have nothing definite to
write to my lord about him. Because I brought him to you, and especially to you, King
Agrippa, as a question, I have nothing to write. [Chap. 26.] But Agrippa said to Paul: You are
permitted to speak for yourself. Then Paul, extending his hand, began to give an account. I
count myself blessed, when I am with you today to defend myself, especially since you know
everything, and what are the customs and questions among the Jews, for which reason I beg
you to hear me patiently. , all the Jews know: foreknowing me from the beginning (if they
wish to bear witness) that I lived as a Pharisee according to the most certain sect of our
religion. and those who serve in the day, hope to come. About which hope I accuse the Jews,
king. What is considered incredible among you, if God raises the dead? Which I did in
Jerusalem, and I shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received the authority of the
chief priests: and when they were put to death, I delivered the verdict. cities. In which, while
I was going to Damascus with the authority and permission of the chief priests, in the
middle of the day on the way, I saw, O king, that a light from heaven above the brightness of
the sun shone around me and those who were with me. And when we had all fallen to the
ground, I heard a voice speaking to me Hebrew language: Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting me? It is hard for you to kick against the spur. And I said: Who are you, Lord?
And the Lord said: I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But arise and stand on your feet:
for this is what I have appeared to you to make you a minister and a witness of the things
you have seen, and of those to whom I will appear to you, rescuing you from the people and
the nations into which I am now sending you, to open their eyes so that they may be
converted from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive
the remission of sins, and a lot among the saints, through the faith that is in me. Wherefore,
King Agrippa, I was not incredulous of the heavenly vision: but to those who are of
Damascus first, and I preached to Jerusalem, and to all the region of Judea, and to the
Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of penance. For this
reason, when I was in the temple, the Jews arrested me and tried to kill me. But with the
help of God, even to this day I stand, testifying to the lesser and the greater, saying nothing
more than what the prophets and Moses had spoken would be the future: if the suffering
Christ, if the first from the resurrection of the dead, is about to announce the light to the
people and the nations. He said with a loud voice: You are mad, Paul, many letters turn you
to madness. I speak: for I do not think that any of these things should be hidden from him.
Nor have any of these things been done in the corner. Do you believe, King Agrippa, in the
Prophets? in a small way, and in a great way, not only you, but also all who hear, to become
such as I am today, except for these bonds. one another, saying: Because what this man has
done is nothing worthy of death or bonds. But Agrippa said to Festus: This man could have
been released if he had not appealed to Caesar. with the rest of the guards of a centurion
named Julius of the Augustan cohort, embarking on board the Adrumentine ship, and
beginning to sail around the parts of Asia, we took off, Aristarchus the Macedonian of
Thessalonica continuing with us. The next day we arrived at Sidon. And when we had set
sail from there, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were contrary. And sailing
through the seas of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Lystra, which is Lycia: and there the
centurion finding an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, put us on board. And when we had
sailed slowly for many days, and had scarcely arrived at Gnidus: the wind preventing us, we
sailed to Crete, near Salmone: and having hardly sailed near, we came to a certain place
called Boniportus, near which was the city of Thalassa. Paul consoled them, saying to them:
Men, I see that the voyage begins with injury and much loss, not only of the cargo and the
ship, but also of our souls. He believed more than what was said by Paul. Phoenicus, in
winter, the port of Crete, looking towards Africa and Corum. But aspiring to the south,
considering their purpose to hold, when they had set sail from Asson, they read Crete. , and
it could not be attempted against the wind, given the ship's winds, we were carried. But
when we ran down to a certain island, which is called Cauda, we could scarcely get the boat.
When it was lifted up, they used the auxiliaries, and girding the ship, fearing lest they should
fall into Syria, they were thus borne in a vessel under pressure. but on the following day
they made a toss about us, having been tossed about by a storm, and on the third day they
threw out the ship's armor with their own hands. And neither the sun nor the stars being
visible for several days, and the storm not a little imminent, all hope of our safety had
already been removed. And when there had been much fasting, then standing Paul in the
midst of them, he said: It was indeed necessary, O men, after hearing me, not to remove
from Crete, and to make a profit of this injury and loss. nc. God, all those who sail with you.
Therefore, men, be of good cheer: for I believe in God, that it will be so, just as I was told.
Now we must arrive at a certain island. The sailors suspected that some country appeared
to them. And when they launched the boat, they found twenty paces: and a little separated
from it, they found fifteen paces. Fearing lest we should run into rough places, they cast four
anchors from the stern, and hoped that it would be day. When they had put the boat into the
sea, under cover, as if they were beginning to stretch out the anchors from the prow, Paulus
said to the centurion and the soldiers: Unless these remain in the ship, you cannot be saved.
and when the soldiers cut the ropes of the boat, and suffered it to fall. And when it began to
be light, Paulus begged all to take food, saying: Today on the fourteenth day, while waiting
for the tenth day, you continue fasting, taking nothing. and when he had said these things,
taking the bread, he gave thanks to God in the sight of all: and when he had broken it, he
began to eat. they eased the ship, throwing the wheat into the sea. But when it was day, they
did not recognize the land: but they considered a certain bay as having a shore, into which
they thought, if they could, to cast the ship. and when we had come to a place where the
wind was blowing, they straddled the ship, and the prow remained fixed but the stern was
loosed by the force of the sea. Now the plan of the soldiers was to kill the guards, lest any
one who had swam should escape. to leave the land: and the others were carried on boards:
some on those that were from the ship. And so it happened that all the souls escaped to the
land. they showed us no little kindness. For they were all reviving us with a lighted pyre, on
account of the rain that threatened, and the cold. when the viper came forward from the
heat, it attacked his hand. When the barbarians saw the beast hanging from his hand, they
said to one another: Surely this man is a murderer, who, when he escaped from the sea,
does not allow him to live in revenge. And indeed he shook the beast into the fire He
suffered no harm. But they thought that he would turn into a swelling, and that he would
suddenly fall and die. But after waiting for them for a long time, and seeing that nothing bad
happened in him, they turned and said that he was God. And in those places were the
estates of the prince of the island in the name of Publius, who received us, and showed us
kindly for three days. But it happened that the father of Publius was lying afflicted with
fever and dysentery. , and they were taken care of: who also honored us with many honors,
and laid upon the sailors what was necessary. from Castorum. And when we came to
Syracuse, we remained there three days. From there we returned to Rhegium; , they met us
as far as the forum of the Appius, and three taverns. When Paul saw them, giving thanks to
God, he took confidence. He said to them: I, men, brothers, having done nothing against the
people, or following my father's customs, was bound from Jerusalem and delivered into the
hands of the Romans. I am compelled to appeal to Caesar, not as if having my nation to
accuse anything. For this reason therefore I asked you to see and address. For because of
the hope of Israel, cat I was surrounded by these people. But they said to him: We did not
receive any letters about you from Judea, nor did any of the brothers come and tell, or say
anything bad about you. , because he is contradicted everywhere. But when they had
appointed a day, many people came to him in the hospitality, to whom he expounded the
testimony of the kingdom of God, and persuaded them about Jesus from the law of Moses
and the Prophets, from morning until evening. And some believed these things that were
said: some but they did not believe. And when they did not agree with each other, they
departed, saying one word to Paul: Because the Holy Spirit spoke well through the prophet
Isaiah to our fathers, saying: Go to this people, and say to them: You will hear with your
ears, and you will not understand. seeing, ye shall see, and shall not see. For the heart of this
people is hardened; and heal them. Let it be known to you, therefore, that this was sent to
the Gentiles for the salvation of God, and they themselves will hear. they came to him,
preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching the things of the Lord Jesus Christ, with all
confidence, without prohibition. The book of the Acts of the Apostles makes it clear.