ACTS 10 21-33

 Luke wrote “of the things fulfilled among us” paraphrased  [ ] ref  { } thots

Book of the Acts of the First Believers

21 - Peter went down from the roof, and greeted the men who had arrived, saying, “I’m who you’re looking for. Why have you come?”

     22 And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion (Roman soldier or general) an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you and have you come to his house in order to hear what you have to say.”

     23 So he invited them in to be his guests, and the next day he, and some brothers from Joppa, went with them. 24 And then on the following day they arrived at Caesarea.

     Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet so as to worship him. 26 But Peter lifting him back up, said, “Stand up, I am only a man like you!”

     27 And as they were talking, they went in and those Cornelius had gathered were there waiting. 28 And Peter said to them, “You know how it’s against our law, for a Jew (Hebrew) to associate with or visit anyone of another nation” (separated for the sake of birthing Messiah, the “savior of the world” from death and its cause). “But God has shown me I shouldn’t call any person common or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without objection. So tell me, why have you sent for me.”

     30 Cornelius answered, saying, “Four days ago, I was here  in my house praying at the ninth hour, when a man stood before me in bright clothing! 3 And he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayers have been heard, and your gifts and charity have been remembered before God. 32 Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who’s called Peter. He’s lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you at once, and you’ve been kind enough to come. Now therefore we’re all here in the presence of God to hear everything the LORD instructs.”

Next - 10:34-48

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ACTS 20 17-38

Luke wrote “of the things fulfilled among us” paraphrased  [ ] ref  { } thots

     Book of the Acts of the First Believers

17 - When they stopped at Miletus Paul went ashore and sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church, 18 and when they came, he said to them, “You know how I lived among you the whole time [for three years] from the first day I set foot in Asia. 19 By serving the Lord in humility, with sorrows and trials that happened to me through the plots of the {political, supposed to be spiritual} leaders. 20 But I didn’t shrink from proclaiming to you anything that was of benefit. Teaching you both in public, and from house to house. 21 I testified to both Hebrews and Greeks, the repentance [metanoia - a change of mind, change in the inner person, repentance] toward God, and of faith in our Lord Jesus.”

     22 “And now, I’m going to Jerusalem, bound by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23 except the Holy Spirit has testified to me in every city that imprisonment and affliction awaits me. 24 But! I don’t account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course, the mission I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify and proclaim the gospel of the grace of God.”

     25 “And now I know that none of you to whom I have gone about testifying of the kingdom, will see my face again. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all. 27 I didn’t shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God, 28 so pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Take care of the church of God, which he obtained with his own sufferings. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 And also, from among you yourselves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away disciples, into following them.

     31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years, with all my heart, I didn’t cease night and day to teach and warn each one of you. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance - among all those who are sanctified. 33 I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. 34 You yourselves know that these hands worked for my necessities and of those who were with me. 35 In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

     36 And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them. 37 And there was much weeping on the part of everyone. And they embraced Paul and kissed him, 38 being sorrowful most of all because he had said they wouldn’t see him again. And they accompanied him back to the ship.

Next - 21:1-25

ACTS 16 1-19

 Luke wrote “of the things fulfilled among us” paraphrased [ ] ref { } thots

     Book of the Acts of the First Believers

1 - When Paul returned to Derbe and Lystra, there was a disciple there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was Greek. 2 He was well spoken of by the brothers at Lystra and Iconium. 3 Paul wanted Timothy to accompany them, so he arranged to have him circumcised [a strong Hebrew custom and requirement] because of the Jews who were there, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

     4 As they went through the cities, they delivered to the believers the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem [Acts 15:1-20.] 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily. {Gentile converts were not required to be circumcised, etc, but believers (both Jew/Hebrew and Gentile/non Hebrew) follow the “new and living way” Heb.10:20.}

     6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been stopped by the Holy Spirit from going into Asia. 7 And when they came to Mysia, they wanted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus said not to. 8 So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. {This is where Paul and company met Luke, the Greek doctor who wrote this account called “the Book of Acts”.}

     9 And while there, a vision appeared to Paul in the night, a man of [Greek] Macedonia was in the dream, urging him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we planned to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel there.

     11 So, setting sail from Troas, we made straight for Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis. 12 Then from there to Philippi, a leading city of Macedonia, and a Roman colony, where we remained for some days.

     13 On the Sabbath, we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together there. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple cloths, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what Paul was saying. 15 And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you judge me to be genuine to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And so we did.

      16 On another day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a maiden who had a spirit of divination and brought her handlers much gain by fortune-telling. 17 She followed Paul and us everywhere, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God! Who proclaim to you the way of salvation!”18 And this she did for many days. Finally Paul, having become annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out that very hour. 19 But when those who made a profit from her saw that their hope of gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the public sqaure, accusing them before the rulers [archón - rulers, leaders, princes, magistrates].

Next - 16:20-40

ACTS 1 1-26

 Universalism in the New Testament

       BooK of Acts of the First Believers

                          (Paraphrased)

1 - In the first book, O Theophilus, I (Luke) have dealt with all that Jesus did and taught 2 until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit{/Presence of God} to the apostles he had chosen. [Luke is a Greek doctor who met Paul when Paul was traveling. Like the gospel account he wrote, some in this book must have been compiled by interviews. He traveled some with Paul, we can see by where he uses the word “we”.]

     3 Jesus - with proofs - presented himself alive after his suffering (after his execution) having appeared to them over forty days, speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while he was still here, he told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father. “The promise I have told you about” Jesus said [Jn.14:16, Lk.24:49]. 5 “For John baptized with water, but you’ll be baptized with the Holy Spirit (with God’s veRy Presence!) a few days from now.” 6 And they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”7 He answered, “It’s not for you to know the times and seasons that the Father has fixed. 8 But you’ll receive power when the Holy Spirit(/Presence of God with you) has come upon you, and then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in (neighboring) Samaria, and to the very ends of earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, they saw him lifted up, for a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven watching as he went, behold, two men stood nearby in white (aka, radiant?) robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you, will come in the same way, as you saw him, go up.”

     12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called “of Olives” which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 They were spending their time in prayer, with the women and Mary, mother of Jesus, along with his (birth) brothers.

     15 And during those days Peter stood up among the believers (the number of which was about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers and sisters, the Scripture was fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke in earlier times by (king) David concerning Judas, who is the one who became guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and allotted his part in this ministry.” 18 Now this man [Judas] acquired a field with the reward (coins) of his wickedness, and then fell upon a sword and 19 all Jerusalem heard of it, and so in their language they named the field Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood — {This is one way it was remembered and thought of by the time of this writing, which was some time later. Paul writes it as occurring differently.) 20 “For it’s written” Peter continued, “in the Book of Psalms, ‘May his place (seat, office) become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it’ and ‘Let another take his place.’ 21 So one of the men who have been with us during all the time when the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up - one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”

     23 And so they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, saying, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” [Topos - place, region, seat, part] (“all the world is a stage”.. Shakespeare.) 26 And then they cast lots, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven. {“Chosen” anybody chosen is by a lucky shake of the heavenly dice? For it’s not according to any sort of worth. He simply decided for his purposes to call/wake up some now, and the rest later - Lev.23:23-36.}

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