God

However, Sha’ul and Bar-Nabba answered boldly: “It was necessary that God’s word be spoken first to you. But since you are rejecting it and are judging yourselves unworthy of eternal life — why, we’re turning to the Goyim!

“Men! Why are you doing this? We’re just men, human like you! We are announcing Good News to you — turn from these worthless things to the living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them!

strengthening the talmidim, encouraging them to remain true to the faith, and reminding them that it is through many hardships that we must enter the Kingdom of God.

the place where they had been handed over to the care of God for the work which they had now completed.

When they arrived, they gathered the Messianic community together and reported what God had done through them, that he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

On arrival in Yerushalayim, they were welcomed by the Messianic community, including the emissaries and the elders; and they reported what God had done through them.

After lengthy debate, Kefa got up and said to them, “Brothers, you yourselves know that a good while back, God chose me from among you to be the one by whose mouth the Goyim should hear the message of the Good News and come to trust.

And God, who knows the heart, bore them witness by giving the Ruach HaKodesh to them, just as he did to us;

So why are you putting God to the test now by placing a yoke on the neck of the talmidim which neither our fathers nor we have had the strength to bear?

Then the whole assembly kept still as they listened to Bar-Nabba and Sha’ul tell what signs and miracles God had done through them among the Gentiles.

Shim‘on has told in detail what God did when he first began to show his concern for taking from among the Goyim a people to bear his name.

‘“After this, I will return; and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David. I will rebuild its ruins, I will restore it,

so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, that is, all the Goyim who have been called by my name,”

says Adonai, who is doing these things.’ All this has been known for ages.

“Therefore, my opinion is that we should not put obstacles in the way of the Goyim who are turning to God.

However, Sha’ul chose Sila and left, after the brothers had committed him to the love and kindness of the Lord.

One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in fine purple cloth. She was already a “God-fearer,” and the Lord opened up her heart to respond to what Sha’ul was saying.

This girl followed behind Sha’ul and the rest of us and kept screaming, “These men are servants of God Ha‘Elyon! They’re telling you how to be saved!”

Around midnight, Sha’ul and Sila were praying and singing hymns to God, while the other prisoners listened attentively.

After that, he brought them up to his house and set food in front of them; and he and his entire household celebrated their having come to trust in God.

But when the unbelieving Jews of Thessalonica learned that the word of God had been proclaimed by Sha’ul in Berea as well, they went there too to make trouble and agitate the crowds.

For as I was walking around, looking at your shrines, I even found an altar which had been inscribed, ‘To An Unknown God.’ So, the one whom you are already worshipping in ignorance — this is the one I proclaim to you.

“The God who made the universe and everything in it, and who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in man-made temples;

So, since we are children of God, we shouldn’t suppose that God’s essence resembles gold, silver or stone shaped by human technique and imagination.

“In the past, God overlooked such ignorance; but now he is commanding all people everywhere to turn to him from their sins.