Tuesday, October 29, 2024 You are watching a gospel sermon from the Free Apostolic Church of Pentecost (EAEP) in Athens (52 Sophokleous Street). For more information on the site: www.christianity.gr / @radiochristianity Bible passage: 17 And when we came to Jerusalem, the brothers received us with joy. 18 And on the following day Paul went down with us to James, and all the elders came. 19 And seizing them, he recounted to each one what God had done among the nations through his ministry. 20 And those, hearing, glorified the Lord, and said to him: You see, brother, how many myriads there are of the Jews who have believed, and all are zealous of the law. 21 They learned about you that you teach all the Jews among the nations to turn away from Moses, saying that their children should not be circumcised nor should they walk according to the customs. 22 So what is it? surely a crowd will be gathered; for they will want to hear that you have come. 23 So do what we tell you: There are four men with us who have a wish for themselves; 24 take these and cleanse yourself with them and spend for them so that the head may be shaved, and everyone will know that there is no none of what they have learned about you, but you follow and keep the law. 25 And concerning the Gentiles, which believed, we wrote, deciding that none of this should be observed, except that they should abstain from idolatry and blood and strangulation and fornication. 26 Then Paul received the men, the next day he was cleansed and entered the sanctuary with them, announcing when the days of purification were fulfilled, when an offering would be made in favor of each one of them. 27 And when the seven days were about to be completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the sanctuary, all stirred up the crowd and laid hands on him, 28 crying: Men of Israel, help: this is the man who teaches everywhere everywhere against the people and the law and this place; and for this reason he also brought a Greek into the sanctuary and profaned this holy place; the sacred. 30 And the whole city stirred and there was a rush of people, and seizing Paul they dragged him out of the sanctuary, and immediately the doors were closed. 31 While they were not seeking to kill him, the rumor went up to the centurion of the battalion, that all Jerusalem was in confusion; 32 having received straight soldiers and centurions, we marched down towards them. And when they saw the centurion and the soldiers, they ceased to trouble Paul. 33 Then the centurion approached, seized him and ordered him to be bound with two chains, and he was a hero and what he had done. 34 And among the crowd some shouted one thing and others another; and not being able to learn the truth because of the noise, he ordered him to be brought to the fortress. 35 When he had not reached the ranks, it happened that he was being persecuted by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob; 36 because the multitude of the people followed, crying out: Lift him up. 37 While Paul was about to be brought into the fortress, he says to the centurion: I am permitted to tell you what? He didn't say: Do you know Greek? 38 art thou not the Egyptian, who before these days incited to apostasy, and sent forth into the wilderness four thousand men to kill? 39 And Paul said: I am a Jewish man from Tarsus, a citizen of an official city of Cilicia and please, give me permission to speak to the people. 40 And after giving him permission, Paul, standing on the steps, stretched out his hand to the people; and there being a great silence, he spoke in the Hebrew dialect, saying: 1 Men, brothers and fathers, listen to me now apologizing to you. 2 When they heard that he was speaking to them in the Hebrew dialect, they showed more quietness. And he said: 3 I, however, am a Jewish man, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, and broken in that city at the feet of Gamaliel, trained according to the exactness of the law handed down to our fathers, zealous for God, as all of you are today; 4 whom I ran down until death this way, binding and delivering to prison both man and woman, 5 as the high priest testifies to me and all the presbytery; instead of whom I also took letters to the brothers, I set sail for Damascus to bring them bound to Jerusalem and the being there, to be punished. 6 And while I was on my way, approaching Damascus, about noon suddenly a great light shone about me from heaven, 7 and I fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me: Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? 8 I did not answer: Are you them, Lord? And he said to me: I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.