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Acts 17:22-31
Then Paul stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus. He said,“ People of Athens! I see that you are very religious in every way.As I walked around, I looked carefully at the things you worship. I even found an altar with to an unknown god written on it. So you don’t know what you are worshiping. Now I am going to tell you about this‘ unknown god.’“ He is the God who made the world. He also made everything in it. He is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn’t live in temples built by human hands.He is not served by human hands. He doesn’t need anything. Instead, he himself gives life and breath to all people. He also gives them everything else they have.From one man he made all the people of the world. Now they live all over the earth. He decided exactly when they should live. And he decided exactly where they should live.God did this so that people would seek him. And perhaps they would reach out for him and find him. They would find him even though he is not far from any of us.‘ In him we live and move and exist.’ As some of your own poets have also said,‘ We are his children.’“ Yes, we are God’s children. So we shouldn’t think that God is made out of gold or silver or stone. He isn’t a statue planned and made by clever people.In the past, God didn’t judge people for what they didn’t know. But now he commands all people everywhere to turn away from their sins.He has set a day when he will judge the world fairly. He has appointed a man to be its judge. God has proved this to everyone by raising that man from the dead.”
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2 Samuel 21 17
But Abishai, the son of Zeruiah, came to save David. He struck down the Philistine and killed him. Then David’s men made a promise. They said to David,“ We never want you to go out with us to battle again. You are the lamp of Israel’s kingdom. We want that lamp to keep on burning brightly.”
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Acts 21:39
Paul answered,“ I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia. I am a citizen of an important city. Please let me speak to the people.”
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2 Samuel 18 2-2 Samuel 18 3
Then David sent out his troops in military groups. One group was under the command of Joab. Another was under Joab’s brother Abishai, the son of Zeruiah. The last was under Ittai, the Gittite. The king told the troops,“ You can be sure that I myself will march out with you.”But the men said,“ You must not march out. If we are forced to run away, our enemies won’t care about us. Even if half of us die, they won’t care. But you are worth 10,000 of us. So it would be better for you to stay here in the city. Then you can send us help if we need it.”
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Acts 14:14-18
But the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about this. So they tore their clothes. They rushed out into the crowd. They shouted,“ Friends, why are you doing this? We are only human, just like you. We are bringing you good news. Turn away from these worthless things. Turn to the living God. He is the one who made the heavens and the earth and the sea. He made everything in them.In the past, he let all nations go their own way.But he has given proof of what he is like. He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven. He gives you crops in their seasons. He provides you with plenty of food. He fills your hearts with joy.”Paul and Barnabas told them all these things. But they had trouble keeping the crowd from offering sacrifices to them.
