SMALL MAN SPEAKS AT MARS HILL
They said this because he was telling them the good story about Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and his rising from the dead. 19So they took him to the council at Mars Hill (Areopagus).
“Explain this new teaching to us,” they asked him, 20“for your message is strange to us, and we want to know its meaning.”
21The people who lived in Wondering Place (Athens) would spend all their time telling or hearing about some new thing.
22So Small Man (Paul) stood up in the center of Mars Hill (Areopagus) and said, “People of Wondering Place (Athens), I can see that in all things you are a very spiritual people. 23As I walked around, I saw some of your sacred objects. One altar had this message carved into it:
DEDICATED TO AN UNKNOWN POWERFUL SPIRIT
“So then, the one you sacredly honor without knowing is the one I will make known to you. 24The Great Spirit is the one who created the universe and all things in it. Since he is the rightful ruler of the spirit-world above and the earth below, he does not live in lodges built by human hands. 25Creator does not really need human beings to do things for him, since he is the one who gives all people life and breath and everything we need.
26“Beginning with the first human being, he made all tribes and nations. He wanted people to live all over the face of the earth. He decided ahead of time when and where each tribe would live. 27He did this so that all people could look for him and find the trail that leads to him. Creator is not far away from any one of us. 28It is through him that we live, walk, and have our being.
“As some of your song makers have said, ‘We are children of the Great Spirit.’ 29Since we are his children, we should not think that he is made of gold or silver or wood or stones. He is not like the carvings that people have thought up in their minds and made with their hands.
30“In times past Creator overlooked this empty way of thinking. But now he wants all people everywhere to return to the right way of thinking, 31because he has chosen a day when he will decide, for all people, who has done right and who has done wrong. He has chosen a man who will do this and has shown all people who he is by bringing him back to life again from the dead.”
32When they heard about the rising from the dead, some mocked him, but others said, “We will hear you again about this.”
33So Small Man (Paul) went on his way. 34Some of the people believed and joined with him, including one of the council members of Mars Hill (Areopagus) named Shining Tree (Dionysius) and a woman named Good Wife (Damaris), along with a few others.
SMALL MAN AT VILLAGE OF PLEASURE
1Small Man (Paul) left from Wondering Place (Athens) and went to Village of Pleasure (Corinth). 2There he found a Tribal Member named Strong Eagle (Aquila) who lived in Land of Black Waters (Pontus). He and his wife, Lives Long (Priscilla), had recently moved from Land of Young Bulls (Italy) because Walks with a Limp (Claudius), the Ruler of the People of Iron (Caesar), had ordered the removal of all Tribal Members from that territory.
3Small Man (Paul) found out they were both tentmakers, as he was, so he lodged with them and joined them in their work. 4Then on every Day of Resting in the gathering houses he debated with his local Tribal Members and the Wisdom Seekers (Greeks), trying to convince them about Creator Sets Free (Jesus).
5After Woods Man (Silas) and He Gives Honor (Timothy) came from Land of Tall People (Macedonia), Small Man (Paul) became like a man on fire—trying to convince his Tribal Members that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was the Chosen One. 6But when they stood against him and spoke evil of him, he shook the dust from his clothes.
“You have decided your own fate!” he told them. “I have done all I can do. From now on I will go to the Outside Nations.”
THE HEADMAN BELIEVES
7So he left them and went to the house of Stands Upright with Fire (Titius Justus), a man with deep respect for Creator and whose house was next door to the tribal gathering house. 8A man named Curly Hair (Crispus), who was headman of the gathering house, put his trust in our Honored Chief, and both he and his family participated in the purification ceremony.53 When others who lived in Village of Pleasure (Corinth) heard about this, they also believed and participated in the purification ceremony.a
9During the night Creator spoke to Small Man (Paul) in a sacred vision.
“Do not fear!” he said to him. “Keep speaking and do not be silent, 10for I am standing with you. No one will harm you, for I have many people in this village.”
11So Small Man (Paul) stayed there for one year and six moons, teaching Creator’s message to the people.
AN UPRISING AGAINST SMALL MAN
12During the days when Rooster (Gallio) was the governor of Land of Sorrow (Achaia), the Tribal Members joined together in an attack on Small Man (Paul) and took him before the governor to accuse him of wrongdoing.
13“This man is convincing people to serve the Great Spirit in ways that go against our tribal law,” they accused.
14But before Small Man (Paul) could open his mouth to defend himself, the governor spoke to the Tribal Members.
“If a wrong had been done or some kind of evil had been committed, then I would hear your accusations,” he said to them, 15“but if this is simply a question about words and names and how to interpret your own laws, then you must decide for yourselves. I want nothing to do with deciding these things.”
16So he sent them away from his council house. 17The Tribal Members then took Strong Protector (Sosthenes), the headman of the gathering house, and began to beat him right in front of the governor. But he turned his head the other way.
SMALL MAN’S JOURNEY
18After staying there for a number of days, Small Man (Paul) said farewell to the sacred family. Then he, along with Lives Long (Priscilla) and Strong Eagle (Aquila), set off by water to Bright Sun (Syria). At Small Seed Village (Cenchreae) Small Man (Paul) ceremonially shaved his head because he had made a solemn promise.
19From there they traveled to Village of Desire (Ephesus). Small Man (Paul) left his traveling friends in the village, but he went to the local tribal gathering house to speak with the Tribal Members there. 20They asked him to stay, but he turned them down and said his farewells.
21“If Creator permits it,” he told them, “I will return.”
He then set out from the village by water. 22He came to land at Chief Village (Caesarea), greeted the sacred family there, and then made his way to Stands Against (Antioch).
23He stayed there a number of days, then left and walked here and there, strengthening the hearts of the sacred family members throughout the territory of Land of Pale Skinned People (Galatia) and Dry Wood (Phrygia).
BACK IN THE VILLAGE OF DESIRE
24There was a Tribal Member named He Tears Down (Apollos) from Village of Defense (Alexandria) who came to Village of Desire (Ephesus). He was a powerful wisdom speaker who had a deep understanding of the Sacred Teachings. 25Even though he had only participated in the purification ceremony54 of Gift of Goodwill (John), he was well instructed in the Way of our Honored Chief, and a fire burned in his spirit as he spoke clearly about Creator Sets Free (Jesus).
26At the local tribal gathering house he began to speak openly. But when Lives Long (Priscilla) and Strong Eagle (Aquila) heard him speak, they took him with them and helped him see Creator’s Way more clearly. 27Then, when he desired to go to Land of Sorrow (Achaia), the sacred family sent along a message to instruct the followers there to welcome him. When he arrived, he was a great help to the ones who had trusted in the gift of Creator’s great kindness, 28for he spoke powerfully to his Tribal Members, proving to them from the Sacred Teachings that Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was the Chosen One.
VILLAGE OF DESIRE
1While He Tears Down (Apollos) was at Village of Pleasure (Corinth), Small Man (Paul) journeyed through the inland territories and arrived at Village of Desire (Ephesus), where he found some followers.
2“When you put your trust in Creator Sets Free (Jesus),”
Small Man (Paul) asked them, “did you receive the Holy Spirit?”
“What do you mean?” they replied. “We have not even heard about this ‘Holy Spirit.’”
3“What kind of purification ceremonya did you participate in?” he asked.
“It was the purification ceremonya performed by Gift of Goodwill (John),” they answered.
4“Gift of Goodwill (John) performed a purification ceremonya for the ones who turned to Creator’s right ways of thinking and doing,” Small Man (Paul) said to them. “In this way they would be ready to put their trust in Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the one he was preparing the way for.”
5When they heard this, they participated in the purification ceremonya done in the name of our Honored Chief Creator Sets Free (Jesus). 6-7Small Man (Paul) then laid his hands on the men, about twelve in all, and they spoke in languages they had not learned and prophesied when the Holy Spirit came down upon them.
SMALL MAN TELLS THE GOOD STORY
8Then for three moons Small Man (Paul) went to their tribal gathering house and spoke out boldly to convince the people living there about Creator’s good road. 9But some, who were stubborn, with hearts like stone, refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way to all who gathered there.
So Small Man (Paul) left there, taking with him the new followers. He went to the teaching lodge of Harsh Ruler (Tyrannus) to teach there. 10He continued this for two winters, until all the Tribal Members and Wisdom Seekers (Greeks) who lived in Land of the Rising Sun (Asia) had heard the message about our Honored One.
POWERFUL SIGNS AND WONDERS
11Through the hands of Small Man (Paul), Creator was doing some unusually powerful signs. 12Face cloths and sashes that had touched his body were taken to heal the sick and force out evil spirits.
13Then some Tribal Members who traveled about forcing out evil spirits tried to use the name of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) over those with evil spirits, saying, “I force you out by the sacred power of Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the one whom Small Man (Paul) proclaims.”
14These men were the seven sons of Weak Hand (Sceva), a Tribal Member who was representing himself as a chief holy man.
15But the evil spirit spoke back to them, “I know of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and I have heard of Small Man (Paul), but who are you?”
16Then the man with the evil spirit jumped on them and so overpowered them that they ran from the house naked, bruised, and bleeding.
17Word spread to all the Tribal Members and the Wisdom Seekers (Greeks) who lived in Village of Desire (Ephesus). Great awe and respect came upon all, and the name of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was spoken of with respect.
18Many who had chosen to follow Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came forward and admitted to their evil practices. 19A number of them who had practiced bad medicine gathered their mystic writings and burned them in the sight of all. These books were found to be worth about fifty thousand silver coins.55 20In this way Creator’s message grew strong and spread like wildfire.
21After this, Small Man (Paul) decided in his spirit that he should travel through Land of Tall People (Macedonia) and Land of Sorrow (Achaia) and then on to Village of Peace (Jerusalem). “After that,” he said, “I must also go to Village of Iron (Rome).” 22So he sent his two helpers, He Gives Honor (Timothy) and Much Desired (Erastus), ahead of him to Land of Tall People (Macedonia), while he remained for a time in Land of the Rising Sun (Asia).
AN UPRISING IN THE VILLAGE
23Now during that time there was a great uprising at Village of Desire (Ephesus) about the Way. 24There was a man there named Corn Spirit (Demetrius), who worked with silver and made little silver lodges for the spirit-image of Hunting Woman (Artemis). His work helped support many of the artists who traded there. 25He gathered them together, along with the others who also worked with silver.
“Fellow workers,” he said to them, “you all know that this work we do provides for us. 26You have all seen and heard what this Small Man (Paul) has done, not only in our village but also in most of Land of the Rising Sun (Asia). He has convinced many people to turn away from our spirit-images, saying that spirit-images made by hands are not powerful spirits.”
The crowd began to grumble and grow restless as he continued to speak.
27“We are in danger that the work we do will be looked down on, and that the sacred lodge of the spirit-image of Hunting Woman (Artemis), the one whom all in Land of the Rising Sun (Asia) and the world bows down to, will be seen as worthless, and her great beauty and power will fall to the ground.”
28When the crowd heard this, a great anger filled their hearts, and they shouted, “Great is Hunting Woman (Artemis) of Village of Desire (Ephesus)!”
29The whole village was thrown into confusion. With one purpose they ran into the teaching lodge, dragging with them Glad Heart (Gaius) and Good Chief (Aristarchus) from Land of Tall People (Macedonia), who were traveling with Small Man (Paul).
30Small Man (Paul) wanted to go into the crowd, but the other followers would not let him. 31Also, some of the village leaders who were friendly toward him sent word for him not to come into the teaching lodge.
32The gathering became one of turmoil and confusion. Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most did not even know why they had gathered!
33Some of the Tribal Members in the crowd pushed Man Fighter (Alexander) to the front, instructing him what to say. He motioned with his hand that he wanted to speak, 34but when they saw that he was a man of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel), they cried out with one voice, “Great is Hunting Woman (Artemis) of Village of Desire (Ephesus)!”
Over and over again they kept shouting as the day wore on,56 35until the village scroll keeper finally quieted them down.
“People of Village of Desire (Ephesus),” he said to all, “who among us does not know that the people of Village of Desire (Ephesus) are the sacred lodge keepers of the great Hunting Woman (Artemis) and of her spirit-image that fell from the spirit-world above? 36Since these things cannot be denied, you should lower your voices and do nothing without thinking clearly first.
37“The men you have brought here did not come to steal from your sacred lodge and they do not speak against Hunting Woman (Artemis). 38If Corn Spirit (Demetrius) and the other artists with him want to accuse anyone, let them bring these accusations to the village council or the local officials. 39Anything else should also be brought to the village council meeting. 40For we are in danger today of being charged with causing an uprising, with no good reason for it.”
41After saying this, he sent the crowd away.
SMALL MAN CONTINUES HIS TRAVELS
1After the uprising had calmed down, Small Man (Paul) gathered the local sacred family members together to strengthen their hearts and say his farewell to them. He then left for Land of Tall People (Macedonia).
2As he traveled through that territory, with many words he lifted the hearts of the members of the sacred family who lived there. He then came to Land of Wisdom Seekers (Greece) 3and stayed there for three moons. Just as he was about to set out by water to Bright Sun (Syria), the Tribal Members there hatched a plot against him, so he decided to return through Land of Tall People (Macedonia).
SMALL MAN’S TRAVELING FRIENDS
4The men who went with him are Defends His Father (Sopater) the son of Red Fire (Pyrrhus) from Much Water (Berea), Good Chief (Aristarchus) and Second Blessing (Secundus) from False Victory (Thessalonica), also Glad Heart (Gaius) from Hide Tanner (Derbe), He Gives Honor (Timothy), and He Is at Ease (Tychicus) and He Eats Well (Trophimus) from Land of the Rising Sun (Asia).
5These men traveled ahead of us and were waiting for us at Cut Through (Troas). 6They had to wait five days because we stayed for the Festival of Bread Without Yeast. Then we set out by water from Village of Horses (Philippi) and joined with them at Cut Through (Troas) and stayed there for seven days.
POWER OVER DEATH
7It was the first day of the week, when we gather to eat our sacred mea
l together.57 Small Man (Paul) was doing the talking because he planned to leave the next day. He was long-winded and kept talking until the middle of the night. 8There were many torches burning in the upper room of the house where we had all gathered.
The number of people and the torches in this room, using up the air, may have made some people sleepy or lightheaded.
9As Small Man (Paul) spoke on and on, a young man named Greatly Blessed (Eutychus), who was sitting on the window ledge, began to sink into a deep sleep. When the sleep overcame him, he fell from the third-floor window and was found dead. 10Small Man (Paul) went down, bent over the young man, and put his arms around him.
“Do not fear!” he said to all. “His life has returned to him.”
11Small Man (Paul) went back to the upper room, ate the ceremonial meal with them, and continued speaking until sunrise. He then went on his way, 12and with glad hearts they took the young man home alive!
MORE TRAVELS
13We all climbed into our canoes and headed to Move Toward (Assos), where we would take Small Man (Paul) aboard, for he had decided to travel there on land. 14So he met us there and joined us as we went on to Bent Horn (Mitylene). 15We set off from there, and on the following day we came to shore across from Snow Island (Chios). The next day we touched shore at Sand Cliff (Samos), and the day after that we came to White Sheep Wool (Miletus).
16We did not stop at Village of Desire (Ephesus), because Small Man (Paul) was in a hurry to get to Village of Peace (Jerusalem), if possible, for the Festival of Weeks,58 and did not want to take the time to go to Land of the Rising Sun (Asia).
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