Isaiah 1-3

Judah, a Sinful Nation

Isa 1:1 LSB - [1] The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz concerning Judah and Jerusalem, which he beheld in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

Isa 1:2-4 LSB - [2] Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; 

For Yahweh speaks, 

"Sons I have reared and raised up, 

But they have transgressed against Me. 

[3] "An ox knows its owner, 

And a donkey its master's manger, 

[But] Israel does not know; 

My people do not perceive." 

[4] Alas, sinful nation, 

People heavy with iniquity, 

Seed of evildoers, 

Sons who act corruptly! 

They have forsaken Yahweh; 

They have spurned the Holy One of Israel; 

They have become estranged from Him.

Isa 1:18 LSB - 

[18] "Come now, and let us reason together," 

Says Yahweh, 

"Though your sins are as scarlet, 

They will be as white as snow; 

Though they are red like crimson, 

They will be like wool.

Zion Will Be Redeemed with Justice

Isa 1:27-28 LSB - [27] Zion will be redeemed with justice 

And her repentant ones with righteousness. 

[28] But transgressors and sinners will be broken together, 

And those who forsake Yahweh will come to an end.

Yahweh Will Judge the Nations

Isa 2:2-4 LSB - 

[2] Now it will be that 

In the last days 

The mountain of the house of Yahweh 

Will be established as the head of the mountains, 

And will be lifted up above the hills; 

And all the nations will stream to it. 

[3] And many peoples will come and say, 

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, 

To the house of the God of Jacob, 

That He may instruct us from His ways 

And that we may walk in His paths." 

For from Zion the law will go forth 

And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem. 

[4] And He will judge between the nations, 

And will render decisions for many peoples; 

And they will hammer their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. 

Nation will not lift up sword against nation, 

And never again will they learn war.

Yahweh Will Have a Day of Reckoning

Isa 2:5 LSB - [5] Come, house of Jacob, and let us walk in the light of Yahweh.

Isa 2:22 LSB - [22] Stop regarding man, whose breath [of life] is in his nostrils; 

For why should he be esteemed?

Yahweh Will Judge Judah’s Leaders

Isa 3:14 LSB - [14] Yahweh enters into judgment with the elders of His people and His princes, "It is you who have consumed the vineyard; The [plunder] robbed of the afflicted is in your houses.

Yahweh Will Judge Zion’s Daughters

Isa 4:1 LSB - [1] And seven women will take hold of one man in that day, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own clothes, only let us be called by your name; take away our reproach!"

Acts 25-28 - Paul’s Ministry in Rome

Paul Before Festus

Act 25:11 LSB - [11] "If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is [true] of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."

Festus and Agrippa Discuss Paul’s Trial

Paul Before Agrippa and Bernice

Agrippa the king was Agrippa II, son of Herod Agrippa I (see notes on 12:1; 24:24), and great-grandson of Herod the Great (see note on Matt. 2:1). He ruled over several minor, primarily Gentile territories. The emperor Claudius had given Agrippa II rule over the temple in Jerusalem. He also gave him the right to appoint the high priest. Bernice was his sister and constant companion.

Paul Tells of His Conversion

Act 26:16-18 LSB - 

[16] 'But rise up and stand on your feet; for this purpose I have appeared to you, to appoint you a servant and a witness not only to the things which you have seen, but also to the things in which I will appear to you; 

[17] rescuing you from the [Jewish] people and from the Gentiles, to whom I am sending you, 

[18] to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the authority of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.'

Act 26:29 LSB - [29] And Paul [said], "I would pray to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains."

Act 26:32 LSB - [32] And Agrippa said to Festus, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar."

Paul Is Sent to Rome

The Storm at Sea

Act 27:23-25 LSB - [23] "For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, [24] saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.' [25] "Therefore, be cheerful, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told.

The Shipwreck

On the Island of Malta

Paul Arrives in Rome

Act 28:14-15 LSB - [14] There we found [some] brothers, and were invited to stay with them for seven days; and thus we came to Rome. [15] And the brothers, when they heard about us, came from there as far as the Market of Appius and Three Inns to meet us. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

Paul’s Ministry in Rome

Act 28:26-28 ESV - 

[26] "'Go to this people, and say, "You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive." 

[27] For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.' 

[28] Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen."

Act 28:30-31 LSB - [30] And he stayed two full years in his own rented quarters and was welcoming all who came to him, [31] preaching the kingdom of God and teaching concerning the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, unhindered.

Acts 22-24 - You Must Bear Witness at Rome Also

Paul’s Defense Before the Jews

Act 22:14-15 LSB - [14] "And he said, 'The God of our fathers has appointed you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from His mouth. [15] 'For you will be a witness for Him to all men of what you have seen and heard.

Act 22:21 LSB - [21] "And He said to me, 'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'"

Paul, a Citizen of Rome

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

Act 23:11 LSB - [11] But on that very night, the Lord stood at his side and said, "Take courage; for as you have solemnly borne witness to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must bear witness at Rome also."

A Plot to Kill Paul

Paul Is Brought to Caesarea

Paul’s Trial Before Felix the Governor

Act 24:25 LSB - [25] But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened and answered, "Go away for the present, and when I find time I will call for you."

Act 24:27 LSB - [27] But after two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, and wishing to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul imprisoned.

Acts 19-21- Knelt Down and Prayed

Paul in Ephesus

Act 19:4-5 LSB - [4] Then Paul said, "John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in Him who was coming after him, that is, in Jesus." [5] And when they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Miracles in Ephesus

Act 19:15-16 LSB - [15] And the evil spirit answered and said to them, "I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" [16] And the man, in whom was the evil spirit, leaped on them, subdued all of them, and utterly prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

Act 19:20 LSB - [20] So the word of the Lord was growing mightily and prevailing.

Riots in Ephesus

Act 19:29 LSB - [29] And the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed with one accord into the theater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul's traveling companions from Macedonia.

Through Macedonia and Greece

Act 20:4-5 LSB - [4] And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, [the son] of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus of Asia. [5] But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.

Eutychus Raised from the Dead in Troas

Act 20:7, 11 LSB - 

[7] And on the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul [began] speaking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight. ... 

[11] And when he had gone [back] up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left.

Act 20:9-10 LSB - [9] And there was a young man named Eutychus sitting on the windowsill, sinking into a deep sleep. And as Paul kept on talking, he sunk into that sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead. [10] But Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, "Do not be troubled, for his life is in him."

Paul’s Farewell to the Ephesian Elders

Act 20:18-21 LSB - 

[18] And when they had come to him, he said to them, "You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, 

[19] serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; 

[20] how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, 

[21] solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Act 20:24 LSB - [24] "But I do not make my life of any account nor dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.

Act 20:36-38 LSB - [36] And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. [37] And they [began] to weep aloud and falling on Paul's neck, they were kissing him, [38] being in agony especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they were accompanying him to the ship.

Paul Sets Out for Jerusalem

Act 21:5 LSB - [5] And when our days there were ended, we left and started on our journey, while they all, with wives and children, escorted us until [we were] out of the city. After kneeling down on the beach and praying, we said farewell to one another.

Act 21:13 LSB - [13] Then Paul answered, "What are you doing, crying and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

In Jerusalem

Paul Is Arrested

Paul’s Defense Before the Jews

Acts 16-18 - Come Over to Macedonia and Help Us

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

The Macedonian Vision

Act 16:6-10 LSB - 

[6] And they passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; 

[7] and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them; 

[8] and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. 

[9] And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 

[10] And when he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to proclaim the gospel to them.

Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

Act 16:14-15 ESV - 

[14] One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 

[15] And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

The Philippian Jailer Converted

Act 16:30 LSB - [30] and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

Act 16:31 LSB - [31] And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your house."

Act 16:32-34 LSB - 

[32] And they spoke the word of the Lord to him together with all who were in his household. 

[33] And he took them that [very] hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his [household]. 

[34] And he brought them into his house and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly with his whole household, because he had believed in God.

Paul and Silas in Thessalonica

Act 17:5-7 LSB - 

[5] But the Jews, becoming jealous, taking along some wicked men from the marketplace, and forming a mob, set the city in an uproar. And attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the assembly. 

[6] And when they did not find them, they [began] dragging Jason and some brothers before the city authorities, shouting, "These men who have upset the world have come here also; 

[7] and Jason has welcomed them, and they all act contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus."

In Berea

Act 17:11-12 LSB - [11] Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily [to see] whether these things were so. [12] Therefore many of them believed, along with not a few prominent Greek women and men.

In Athens

Act 17:16-17 LSB - [16] Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. [17] So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing [Gentiles], and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be present.

Act 17:28 LSB - [28] for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His offspring.'

Aratus: Phaenomena

From Zeus let us begin; him do we mortals never leave unnamed; full of Zeus are all the streets and all the market-places of men; full is the sea and the havens thereof; always we all have need of Zeus. For we are also his offspring; and he in his kindness unto men giveth favourable signs and wakeneth the people to work, reminding them of livelihood. 

Act 17:29 LSB - [29] "Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to suppose that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the craft and thought of man.

In Corinth

Act 18:6 LSB - [6] But when they resisted and blasphemed, he shook out his garments and said to them, "Your blood [be] on your own heads! I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."

Act 18:9-10 LSB - [9] And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid, but go on speaking and do not be silent; [10] for I am with you, and no man will lay [a hand] on you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos

Act 18:24-26 LSB - [24] Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, arrived at Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. [25] This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; [26] and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Acts 13-15 - Paul and Barnabas Separate

Barnabas and Saul Sent from Antioch by the Holy Spirit

Act 13:1 LSB - [1] Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was [there], prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

Act 13:2-3 LSB - [2] And while they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." [3] Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

On Cyprus

Act 13:9-10 LSB - [9] But Saul, who was also [known as] Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him, [10] and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

In Pisidian Antioch

Act 13:15 LSB - [15] And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it."

Act 13:42-43 LSB - [42] And as Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people kept pleading that these words might be spoken to them the next Sabbath. [43] Now when [the meeting of] the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.

Many Gentiles Believe

Act 13:48 LSB - [48] And when the Gentiles heard this, they [began] rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

Act 13:52 LSB - [52] And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

In Iconium

In Lystra and Derbe

Act 14:19-20 LSB - [19] But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning over the crowds and stoning Paul, they were dragging him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. [20] But while the disciples stood around him, he rose up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

Act 14:21-22 LSB - [21] And after they had proclaimed the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, [22] strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and [saying], "Through many afflictions we must enter the kingdom of God."

Act 14:23 LSB - [23] And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

The Return to Antioch

Act 14:27 LSB - [27] And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they [began to] report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

The Jerusalem Council

Act 15:8-9 LSB - [8] "And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; [9] and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Act 15:11 LSB - [11] "But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."

James Issues a Judgment

Act 15:19-20 LSB - [19] "Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, [20] but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood.

Paul and Barnabas Separate

Act 15:40-41 LSB - [40] But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. [41] And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Acts 10-12 - Chains Fell Off

Cornelius’ and Peter’s Visions

Act 10:15 LSB - [15] Again a voice [came] to him a second time, "What God has cleansed, no [longer] consider defiled."

Act 10:28 LSB - [28] And he said to them, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; and [yet] God has shown me that I should not call any man defiled or unclean.

The Holy Spirit Poured Out on the Gentiles

Act 10:34-35 LSB - [34] And opening his mouth, Peter said: "I most truly comprehend [now] that God is not one to show partiality, [35] but in every nation the one who fears Him and does righteousness is welcome to Him.

Act 10:42-43 LSB - [42] "And He commanded us to preach to the people, and solemnly to bear witness that this is the One who has been designated by God as Judge of the living and the dead. [43] "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins."

Act 10:44-46 LSB - [44] While Peter was still speaking these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the word. [45] And all the circumcised believers who came with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. [46] For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and magnifying God. Then Peter answered,

Peter’s Report in Jerusalem

Act 11:16-18 LSB - [16] "And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' [17] "Therefore if God gave to them the same gift as [He gave] to us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could prevent God's way?" [18] And when they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, "Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance [that leads] to life."

The Church in Antioch

Act 11:25-26 LSB - [25] And he left for Tarsus to search for Saul; [26] and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it happened that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a considerable crowd. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

An Angel Frees Peter from Prison

Act 12:5 LSB - [5] So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

Act 12:7 LSB - [7] And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Rise up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands.

And Can It Be, That I Should Gain?

4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay

Fast bound in sin and nature's night;

Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray,

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;

My chains fell off, my heart was free;

I rose, went forth and followed Thee. [Refrain]

 

The Death of Herod

Act 12:23 LSB - [23] And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.