But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
Acts
The Book of Acts records the birth, growth, and expansion of the early church following the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Written by Luke, Acts serves as the historical continuation of the Gospel of Luke, tracing how the message of Christ moved from Jerusalem to the ends of the known world.
Acts opens with the risen Christ commissioning His followers and promising power through the Holy Spirit. This promise is fulfilled at Pentecost, where the Spirit empowers the apostles to preach boldly and cross cultural and linguistic boundaries. The church is not formed through strategy or organization alone, but through divine empowerment and shared devotion.
The early chapters focus on the leadership and witness of Peter and the Jerusalem church. Miracles, teaching, prayer, and community life demonstrate the transforming power of the gospel. At the same time, opposition quickly arises. Arrests, persecution, and martyrdom reveal that faithfulness carries cost, yet the church continues to grow rather than retreat.
A major turning point in Acts is the conversion of Paul. Once a persecutor of Christians, Paul becomes the primary messenger to the Gentile world. His missionary journeys form the backbone of the book’s second half, carrying the gospel throughout Asia Minor and into Europe. Acts shows the gospel breaking ethnic, cultural, and social barriers as Jews and Gentiles are united in Christ.
Acts also addresses internal challenges. Disagreements over leadership, doctrine, and inclusion test the unity of the church. The Jerusalem Council stands as a key moment, affirming that salvation comes by grace through faith, not by adherence to the Mosaic Law. The church is guided not by tradition alone, but by discernment and the work of the Spirit.
Throughout Acts, God’s sovereignty is unmistakable. Imprisonments lead to witness, opposition opens new regions, and hardship advances the mission rather than halting it. The message spreads not through ease, but through faithful obedience under pressure.
The book ends without a traditional conclusion. Paul reaches Rome and continues preaching under guard, symbolizing that the story of the gospel is ongoing. Acts closes with movement rather than resolution, reminding readers that the mission of the church did not end with the apostles—it continues through every generation.
The Book of Acts reveals a living faith empowered by God, carried by ordinary people, and unstoppable in purpose. It calls believers to witness boldly, live faithfully, and trust God as His work advances through history.
Acts 15:39
And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
Acts 15:4
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
Acts 15:40
And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
Acts 15:41
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
Acts 15:5
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Acts 15:6
And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
Acts 15:7
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Acts 15:8
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Acts 15:9
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Acts 16:1
Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:
Acts 16:10
And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them.
Acts 16:11
Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis;
Acts 16:12
And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days.
Acts 16:13
And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither.
Acts 16:14
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Acts 16:15
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
Acts 16:16
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying:
Acts 16:17
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.
Acts 16:18
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour.
Acts 16:19
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers,
Acts 16:2
Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Acts 16:20
And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
Acts 16:21
And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans.
Acts 16:22
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them.
Acts 16:23
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Acts 16:24
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
Acts 16:25
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
Acts 16:26
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed.
Acts 16:27
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled.