Certain Epicurean and Stoic teachers also debated with him. Some of them asked, "What is this ignorant show-off trying to say?" Others answered, "He seems to be talking about foreign gods." They said this because Paul was preaching about Jesus and the resurrection.

As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the fort, he spoke to the commander: "May I say something to you?" "You speak Greek, do you?" the commander asked.

"Then you are not that Egyptian fellow who some time ago started a revolution and led four thousand armed terrorists out into the desert?"

After they had been there several days, Festus explained Paul's situation to the king: "There is a man here who was left a prisoner by Felix;

and when I went to Jerusalem, the Jewish chief priests and elders brought charges against him and asked me to condemn him.

All they had were some arguments with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus, who has died; but Paul claims that he is alive.

But I have nothing definite about him to write to the Emperor. So I have brought him here before you---and especially before you, King Agrippa!---so that, after investigating his case, I may have something to write.

For it seems to me that God has given the very last place to us apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of human beings.

We put aside all secret and shameful deeds; we do not act with deceit, nor do we falsify the word of God. In the full light of truth we live in God's sight and try to commend ourselves to everyone's good conscience.

We know what it means to fear the Lord, and so we try to persuade others. God knows us completely, and I hope that in your hearts you know me as well.

Perhaps I am an amateur in speaking, but certainly not in knowledge; we have made this clear to you at all times and in all conditions.

Now, you can see and hear for yourselves what this fellow Paul is doing. He says that hand-made gods are not gods at all, and he has succeeded in convincing many people, both here in Ephesus and in nearly the whole province of Asia.

by the power of miracles and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. And so, in traveling all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum, I have proclaimed fully the Good News about Christ.

At that time the members of the churches in Judea did not know me personally.

And so they praised God because of me.

We want to remind you, friends, of the trouble we had in the province of Asia. The burdens laid upon us were so great and so heavy that we gave up all hope of staying alive.

From such terrible dangers of death he saved us, and will save us; and we have placed our hope in him that he will save us again,

At all times we carry in our mortal bodies the death of Jesus, so that his life also may be seen in our bodies.

Throughout our lives we are always in danger of death for Jesus' sake, in order that his life may be seen in this mortal body of ours.

As the scripture says, "For your sake we are in danger of death at all times; we are treated like sheep that are going to be slaughtered."

For it seems to me that God has given the very last place to us apostles, like people condemned to die in public as a spectacle for the whole world of angels and of human beings.

My friends, I face death every day! The pride I have in you, in our life in union with Christ Jesus our Lord, makes me declare this.

I will not die; instead, I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.

He has punished me severely, but he has not let me die.

But we are judged and punished by the Lord, so that we shall not be condemned together with the world.