Brothers and sisters, here is what I want you to know. What has happened to me has actually helped to spread the good news.

弟兄们，我愿意你们知道，我所遭遇的事更是叫福音兴旺，

弟兄们，我要你们知道，我所遭遇的事反而使福音更兴旺，

弟兄们，我要你们知道，我所遭遇的事反而使福音更兴旺，

弟兄姊妹，我希望你们知道，我的遭遇反而会使福音传得更广，

弟兄们，我愿意你们知道，我所遭遇的反而使福音更加兴旺了，

弟兄们，我愿你们知道，我的遭遇反而促进了福音的进展，

弟兄們，我願意你們知道，我所遭遇的事更是叫福音興旺，

弟兄們，我要你們知道，我所遭遇的事反而使福音更興旺，

弟兄們，我要你們知道，我所遭遇的事反而使福音更興旺，

弟兄姊妹，我希望你們知道，我的遭遇反而會使福音傳得更廣，

弟兄們，我願意你們知道，我所遭遇的反而使福音更加興旺了，

弟兄們，我願你們明白我的景況反而促成了福音之進步，

弟兄們，我願你們知道，我的遭遇反而促進了福音的進展，

兄弟乎、我欲爾知、我所遭之事、適以廣福音之傳、

我欲兄弟知我遇難、福音益以廣布、

我欲兄弟知我所遇之事、更有益於福音、

茲欲告慰於兄弟者、即予所遭受之一切、適足促成福音之發揚光大也。

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel.

I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel,

And I want you to know, my dear brothers and sisters, that everything that has happened to me here has helped to spread the Good News.

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually advanced the gospel,

Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my circumstances have turned out for the greater progress of the gospel,

But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherance of the gospel,

Now I would have you know, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the progress of the gospel;

Now I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has actually resulted in the advance of the gospel,

But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things[ which happened] unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;

I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that my situation has actually turned out to advance the gospel:

Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News,

We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. He appointed them to be saved in keeping with his purpose.

I am suffering for it. I have even been put in chains like someone who has committed a crime. But God’s word is not held back by chains.

Some believers had been scattered by the suffering that unbelievers had caused them. They were scattered after Stephen was killed. Those believers traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. But they spread the word only among Jews.Some believers from Cyprus and Cyrene went to Antioch. There they began to speak to Greeks also. They told them the good news about the Lord Jesus.The Lord’s power was with them. Large numbers of people believed and turned to the Lord.

No! In all these things we are more than winners! We owe it all to Christ, who has loved us.

“ Brothers and fathers,” Paul began,“ listen to me now. I want to give you reasons for my actions.”When they heard that he was speaking to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said,“ I am a Jew. I was born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but I grew up here in Jerusalem. I studied with Gamaliel. I was well trained by him in the law given to our people long ago. I wanted to serve God as much as any of you do today.I hurt the followers of the Way of Jesus. I sent many of them to their death. I arrested men and women. I threw them into prison.The high priest and the whole Council can be witnesses of this themselves. I even had some official letters they had written to their friends in Damascus. So I went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.“ I had almost reached Damascus. About noon a bright light from heaven suddenly flashed around me.I fell to the ground and heard a voice speak to me.‘ Saul! Saul!’ it said.‘ Why are you opposing me?’“‘ Who are you, Lord?’ I asked.“‘ I am Jesus of Nazareth,’ he replied.‘ I am the one you are opposing.’The light was seen by my companions. But they didn’t understand the voice of the one speaking to me.“‘ What should I do, Lord?’ I asked.“‘ Get up,’ the Lord said.‘ Go into Damascus. There you will be told everything you have been given to do.’The brightness of the light had blinded me. So my companions led me by the hand into Damascus.“ A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a godly Jew who obeyed the law. All the Jews living there respected him very much.He stood beside me and said,‘ Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ At that very moment I was able to see him.“ Then he said,‘ The God of our people has chosen you. He wanted to tell you his plans for you. You have seen the Blameless One. You have heard words from his mouth.Now you will tell everyone about what you have seen and heard.So what are you waiting for? Get up and call on his name. Be baptized. Have your sins washed away.’“ I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple. Then it seemed to me that I was dreaming.I saw the Lord speaking to me.‘ Quick!’ he said.‘ Leave Jerusalem at once. The people here will not accept what you tell them about me.’“‘ Lord,’ I replied,‘ these people know what I used to do. I went from one synagogue to another and put believers in prison. I also beat them.Stephen was a man who told other people about you. I stood there when he was killed. I had agreed that he should die. I even guarded the coats of those who were killing him.’“ Then the Lord said to me,‘ Go. I will send you far away to people who are not Jews.’ ”The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they shouted,“ Kill him! He isn’t fit to live!”They shouted and threw off their coats. They threw dust into the air.So the commanding officer ordered that Paul be taken into the fort. He gave orders for Paul to be whipped and questioned. He wanted to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.A commander was standing there as they stretched Paul out to be whipped. Paul said to him,“ Does the law allow you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”When the commander heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it.“ What are you going to do?” the commander asked.“ This man is a Roman citizen.”So the commanding officer went to Paul.“ Tell me,” he asked.“ Are you a Roman citizen?”“ Yes, I am,” Paul answered.Then the officer said,“ I had to pay a lot of money to become a citizen.”“ But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.Right away those who were about to question him left. Even the officer was alarmed. He realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.The commanding officer wanted to find out exactly what the Jews had against Paul. So the next day he let Paul out of prison. He ordered a meeting of the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin. Then he brought Paul and had him stand in front of them.

The believers who had been scattered preached the word everywhere they went.

When we were safe on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.The people of the island were unusually kind. It was raining and cold. So they built a fire and welcomed all of us.Paul gathered some sticks and put them on the fire. A poisonous snake was driven out by the heat. It fastened itself on Paul’s hand.The people of the island saw the snake hanging from his hand. They said to one another,“ This man must be a murderer. He escaped from the sea. But the female god Justice won’t let him live.”Paul shook the snake off into the fire. He was not harmed.The people expected him to swell up. They thought he would suddenly fall dead. They waited for a long time. But they didn’t see anything unusual happen to him. So they changed their minds. They said he was a god.Publius owned property nearby. He was the chief official on the island. He welcomed us to his home. For three days he took care of us. He treated us with kindness.His father was sick in bed. The man suffered from fever and dysentery. So Paul went in to see him. Paul prayed for him. He placed his hands on him and healed him.Then the rest of the sick people on the island came. They too were healed.The people of the island honored us in many ways. When we were ready to sail, they gave us the supplies we needed.After three months we headed out to sea. We sailed in a ship from Alexandria that had stayed at the island during the winter. On the front of the ship the figures of twin gods were carved. Their names were Castor and Pollux.We landed at Syracuse and stayed there for three days.From there we sailed to Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up. The day after that, we reached Puteoli.There we found some believers. They invited us to spend a week with them. At last we came to Rome.The believers there had heard we were coming. They traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. When Paul saw these people, he thanked God for them and was encouraged by them.When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself. But a soldier guarded him.Three days later Paul called a meeting of the local Jewish leaders. When they came, Paul spoke to them. He said,“ My brothers, I have done nothing against our people. I have also done nothing against what our people of long ago practiced. But I was arrested in Jerusalem. I was handed over to the Romans.They questioned me. And they wanted to let me go. They saw I wasn’t guilty of any crime worthy of death.But the Jews objected, so I had to make an appeal to Caesar. I certainly did not mean to bring any charge against my own people.I share Israel’s hope. That is why I am held with this chain. So I have asked to see you and talk with you.”They replied,“ We have not received any letters from Judea about you. None of our people here from Judea has reported or said anything bad about you.But we want to hear what your ideas are. We know that people everywhere are talking against those who believe as you do.”They decided to meet Paul on a certain day. At that time even more people came to the place where he was staying. From morning until evening, he told them about God’s kingdom. Using the Law of Moses and the Prophets, he tried to get them to believe in Jesus.Some believed what he said, and others did not.They didn’t agree with one another. They began to leave after Paul had made a final statement. He said,“ The Holy Spirit was right when he spoke to your people long ago. Through Isaiah the prophet the Spirit said,“‘ Go to your people. Say to them,“ You will hear but never understand. You will see but never know what you are seeing.”These people’s hearts have become stubborn. They can barely hear with their ears. They have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes. They might hear with their ears. They might understand with their hearts. They might turn, and then I would heal them.’( Isaiah 6:9, 10)“ Here is what I want you to know. God has sent his salvation to the Gentiles. And they will listen!”

Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods. See what he did to those who looked down on Israel.”

The king’s order had to be carried out on the 13th day of the 12th month. That was the month of Adar. On that day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to win the battle over them. But now everything had changed. The Jews had gained the advantage over those who hated them.

“ Fellow Israelites, help us!” they shouted.“ This is the man who teaches everyone in all places against our people. He speaks against our law and against this holy place. Besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple. He has made this holy place‘ unclean.’ ”They said this because they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul. They thought Paul had brought him into the temple.The whole city was stirred up. People came running from all directions. They grabbed Paul and dragged him out of the temple. Right away the temple gates were shut.The people were trying to kill Paul. But news reached the commander of the Roman troops. He heard that people were making trouble in the whole city of Jerusalem.Right away he took some officers and soldiers with him. They ran down to the crowd. The people causing the trouble saw the commander and his soldiers. So they stopped beating Paul.The commander came up and arrested Paul. He ordered him to be held with two chains. Then he asked who Paul was and what he had done.Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another. But the commander couldn’t get the facts because of all the noise. So he ordered that Paul be taken into the fort.Paul reached the steps. But then the mob became so wild that he had to be carried by the soldiers.The crowd that followed kept shouting,“ Get rid of him!”

Your anger against sinners brings you praise. Those who live through your anger gather to worship you.