And I myself will show him all that he must suffer for my sake."

They strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. "We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God," they taught.

There we found some believers and stayed with them a week. By the power of the Spirit they told Paul not to go to Jerusalem.

He came to us, took Paul's belt, tied up his own feet and hands with it, and said, "This is what the Holy Spirit says: The owner of this belt will be tied up in this way by the Jews in Jerusalem, and they will hand him over to the Gentiles."

I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!"

so that none of you should turn back because of these persecutions. You yourselves know that such persecutions are part of God's will for us.

If we continue to endure, we shall also rule with him. If we deny him, he also will deny us.