Acts 22:5

For this cause, I remind you that you should stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

while he said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar, have I sinned at all.”

All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”

In this I also practice always having a conscience void of offense toward God and men.

I thank God, whom I serve as my forefathers did, with a pure conscience. How unceasing is my memory of you in my petitions, night and day

For God didn’t give us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.

Now when morning had come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

Immediately in the morning the chief priests, with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, bound Jesus, carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate.

As soon as it was day, the assembly of the elders of the people were gathered together, both chief priests and scribes, and they led him away into their council, saying,

whom they set before the apostles. When they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

He said, “Brothers and fathers, listen. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.

a devout man, and one who feared God with all his house, who gave gifts for the needy generously to the people, and always prayed to God.

Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council.

having hope toward God, which these also themselves look for, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

unless it is for this one thing that I cried standing among them, ‘Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am being judged before you today!’ ”

For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and sincerity of God, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God we behaved ourselves in the world, and more abundantly toward you.

I commit this instruction to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare,

My enemies reproach me all day. Those who are mad at me use my name as a curse.

Rather, go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to councils, and in their synagogues they will scourge you.

Now very early in the morning, he came again into the temple, and all the people came to him. He sat down and taught them.

There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that is given among men, by which we must be saved!”

They stoned Stephen as he called out, saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.

But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and blasphemed.

Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, and said, “It was necessary that God’s word should be spoken to you first. Since indeed you thrust it from yourselves, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.

Then the commanding officer came near, arrested him, commanded him to be bound with two chains, and inquired who he was and what he had done.

I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in you.

Paul, looking steadfastly at the council, said, “Brothers, I have lived before God in all good conscience until today.”

“Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”

For I know nothing against myself. Yet I am not justified by this, but he who judges me is the Lord.

In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee;

Don’t quench the Spirit.

Pray for us, for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, Yahweh appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty. Walk before me and be blameless.

Whoever offers the sacrifice of thanksgiving glorifies me, and prepares his way so that I will show God’s salvation to him.”

you offspring of Abraham, his servant, you children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

“But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham my friend,

I bring my righteousness near. It is not far off, and my salvation will not wait. I will grant salvation to Zion, my glory to Israel.

“Hear this, house of Jacob, you who are called by the name of Israel, and have come out of the waters of Judah. You swear by Yahweh’s name, and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth, nor in righteousness—

Don’t think to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins,

The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate.

and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees.

You are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘All the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.’

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

When they heard this, they entered into the temple about daybreak and taught. But the high priest came, and those who were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

Now why do you wait? Arise, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’

For we have found this man to be a plague, an instigator of insurrections among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes.

In the temple they didn’t find me disputing with anyone or stirring up a crowd, either in the synagogues, or in the city.

Now I stand here to be judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers,

For this cause therefore I asked to see you and to speak with you. For because of the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain.”

to the assembly of God which is at Corinth—those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints, with all who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ in every place, both theirs and ours:

I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

if by any means I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

because of the hope which is laid up for you in the heavens, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the Good News

However God’s firm foundation stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let every one who names the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.”

Flee from youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,

Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

“I know your works, oppression, and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

In the morning, their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together in Jerusalem.

Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

Brothers, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, the word of this salvation is sent out to you.

“Brothers and fathers, listen to the defense which I now make to you.”

But on the next day, desiring to know the truth about why he was accused by the Jews, he freed him from the bonds, and commanded the chief priests and all the council to come together, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Men and brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!”

having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

I also did this in Jerusalem. I both shut up many of the saints in prisons, having received authority from the chief priests, and when they were put to death I gave my vote against them.

Punishing them often in all the synagogues, I tried to make them blaspheme. Being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities.

“Whereupon as I traveled to Damascus with the authority and commission from the chief priests,

After three days Paul called together those who were the leaders of the Jews. When they had come together, he said to them, “I, brothers, though I had done nothing against the people or the customs of our fathers, still was delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

They said to him, “We neither received letters from Judea concerning you, nor did any of the brothers come here and report or speak any evil of you.

Don’t neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the elders.