Acts 24:1

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

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Good News—not in wisdom of words, so that the cross of Christ wouldn’t be made void.

Then they said, “Come! Let’s devise plans against Jeremiah; for the law won’t perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let’s strike him with the tongue, and let’s not give heed to any of his words.”

in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of God’s Spirit; so that from Jerusalem, and around as far as to Illyricum, I have fully preached the Good News of Christ;

They have gaped on me with their mouth. They have struck me on the cheek reproachfully. They gather themselves together against me.

When he had said this, one of the officers standing by slapped Jesus with his hand, saying, “Do you answer the high priest like that?”

The high priest, Ananias, commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

When it was day, some of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

“Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.

When the governor had beckoned to him to speak, Paul answered, “Because I know that you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I cheerfully make my defense,

amid which certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, not with a mob, nor with turmoil.

As he stayed there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying, “There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix;

I answered them that it is not the custom of the Romans to give up any man to destruction before the accused has met the accusers face to face and has had opportunity to make his defense concerning the matter laid against him.

We also speak these things, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things.

For God’s Kingdom is not in word, but in power.

My soul is among lions. I lie among those who are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

The words of a gossip are like dainty morsels: they go down into a person’s innermost parts.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue; those who love it will eat its fruit.

Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered the whole garrison together against him.

seeing that you can verify that it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship at Jerusalem.

Then the high priest and the principal men of the Jews informed him against Paul, and they begged him,

For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

For I am not ashamed of the Good News of Christ, because it is the power of God for salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first, and also for the Greek.

Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth, but only what is good for building others up as the need may be, that it may give grace to those who hear.

and that our Good News came to you not in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit, and with much assurance. You know what kind of men we showed ourselves to be among you for your sake.

For the time will come when they will not listen to the sound doctrine, but having itching ears, will heap up for themselves teachers after their own lusts,

For we didn’t follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”

Now the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah were sitting each on his throne, arrayed in their robes, in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets were prophesying before them.

Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and struck Micaiah on the cheek, and said, “Which way did Yahweh’s Spirit go from me to speak to you?”

Then I sent to him, saying, “There are no such things done as you say, but you imagine them out of your own heart.”

For there is no faithfulness in their mouth. Their heart is destruction. Their throat is an open tomb. They flatter with their tongue.

My shield is with God, who saves the upright in heart.

For you will make them turn their back, when you aim drawn bows at their face.

The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and needy, to kill those who are upright on the path.

Behold, they spew with their mouth. Swords are in their lips, “For”, they say, “who hears us?”

who sharpen their tongue like a sword, and aim their arrows, deadly words,

There is one who speaks rashly like the piercing of a sword, but the tongue of the wise heals.

“They bend their tongue, as their bow, for falsehood. They have grown strong in the land, but not for truth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they don’t know me,” says Yahweh.

So they drew up Jeremiah with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.

He said to me, “Son of man, these are the men who devise iniquity, and who give wicked counsel in this city;

But as for me, I am full of power by Yahweh’s Spirit, and of judgment, and of might, to declare to Jacob his disobedience, and to Israel his sin.

Now you shall gather yourself in troops, daughter of troops. He has laid siege against us. They will strike the judge of Israel with a rod on the cheek.

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,

When King Herod heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceedingly angry, and sent out, and killed all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all the surrounding countryside, from two years old and under, according to the exact time which he had learned from the wise men.

Some began to spit on him, and to cover his face, and to beat him with fists, and to tell him, “Prophesy!” The officers struck him with the palms of their hands.

To him who strikes you on the cheek, offer also the other; and from him who takes away your cloak, don’t withhold your coat also.

They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium. It was early, and they themselves didn’t enter into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.

But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.

But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.

The day following, Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present.

When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the multitude and laid hands on him,

He said, “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as though intending to inquire somewhat more accurately concerning him.

He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.”

“I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.

They ought to have been here before you, and to make accusation, if they had anything against me.

But Felix, having more exact knowledge concerning the Way, deferred them, saying, “When Lysias, the commanding officer, comes down, I will decide your case.”

“Their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues they have used deceit.” “The poison of vipers is under their lips.”

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

in pureness, in knowledge, in perseverance, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in sincere love,

So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and respected men, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, captains of hundreds, captains of fifties, captains of tens, and officers, according to your tribes.

He has also prepared for himself the instruments of death. He makes ready his flaming arrows.

For, behold, the wicked bend their bows. They set their arrows on the strings, that they may shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.

Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

the captain of fifty, the honorable man, the counselor, the skilled craftsman, and the clever enchanter.

They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him.

They weren’t able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

On an appointed day, Herod dressed himself in royal clothing, sat on the throne, and gave a speech to them.

about whom, when I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, asking for a sentence against him.

When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

Finally, brothers, rejoice! Be perfected. Be comforted. Be of the same mind. Live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.