...................................................................LET US LEARN TOGETHER WHAT IS GOOD. Job 34:4b(NIV)................................................................Some people see the Bible as a long and boring book filled with incidents and events from the lives of ancient people who probably never existed. The biblical stories are seen as fables. Romans 15:4 (KJV) reveals: For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. In this blog, many of the situations and conversations found in the divinely inspired Scriptures of the Holy Bible have been placed in categories that correspond to expressive sayings and phrases. Reference information, background information and links connecting the people and places are given to help you find a place to begin reading the Bible for yourself.

Thursday, October 02, 2025

The Second Time Around

The apostle Paul and Barnabas the Levite

And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia: And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And there they abode long time with the disciples
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-Acts 14:19-28***Abraham (Abram the Hebrew) was over 75 years old, childless and in a deep sleep when the Lord God made a covenant with him. Ishmael was born to 86-year-old Abraham and Hagar, the maidservant of Abraham's wife Sarah (Sarai). Isaac was born to 100-year-old Abraham and 90-year old Sarah. When Isaac was 40 years old, he was married to Rebekah,  Abraham and Sarah's grandniece. Fraternal twin sons Esau (Edom) and Jacob (Israel) were born to 60-year-old Isaac and Rebekah. In Padan Aram, Haran, Jacob was married to Leah and Rachel, the daughters of Rebekah's brother Laban the Syrian (Aramean). Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and daughter Dinah were born to Jacob and Leah. Dan and Naphtali were born to Jacob and Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant. Gad and Asher were born to Jacob and Zilpah, Leah's maidservant. Joseph was the 1st son born to Jacob and Rachel. During Jacob's 20th year in Haran, he began journeying home to Canaan with his family, servants, animals, and possessions. Near Bethlehem, Benjamin was born to Jacob and Rachel, and Rachel died. Joseph was 17 years old when his brothers sold him to merchants traveling to Egypt and led Jacob to believe that Joseph was killed by a wild beast, and Joseph was 30 years old when Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, proclaimed him second-in-command. Jacob was 130 years old when he moved with his family from Canaan to Egypt. In Egypt, Jacob proclaimed Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons born to Joseph and his wife Asenath, to be his own sons, and the tribe of Joseph became the tribe of Manasseh and the tribe of Ephraim. Over 1,800 years after 147-year-old Jacob died in Egypt, and Jacob's family buried his body in Canaan,
 John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, were born. John the Baptist was born into the tribe of Levi to Zechariah (Zacharias) the priest and his wife Elizabeth (Elisabeth). Jesus the Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Elizabeth's relative Mary, a virgin, and Jesus was born in Bethlehem into the tribe of Judah to Mary and her husband Joseph when Mary was a virgin. On the 8th day after John the Baptist was born, he was circumcised, and on the 8th day after Jesus the Christ was born, Jesus was circumcised, according to the covenant of circumcision that the Lord God gave Abraham. Approximately 30 years after John the Baptist and Jesus the Christ were born, Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River by John the Baptist. Jesus having prayed, the heavens tearing open, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove and lit upon Jesus. The Lord God in heaven audibly acknowledged his Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the desert wilderness. Jesus fasted 40 days and nights and was tempted. Afterwards, Jesus was tended to by angels, and Jesus went to the area near John the Baptist, and John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus to be the Lamb of God taking away the sin of the world, and testified that Jesus is the Son of God. In Galilee, Jesus told specific Israelite men, including Simon Peter, to follow him, and Jesus began to preach, teach and perform miracles among the Israelites, the treasured and chosen people of the Lord God. Jesus chose 12 of his disciples and named them apostles and sent them on a mission only among the Israelites. Less than 3 1/2 years after Jesus was baptized, Jesus was betrayed by the disciple and apostle Judas Iscariot, and Jesus was arrested, crucified, buried in a tomb, resurrected, seen by over 500 people, including the 11 disciples and apostles, and told the 11 men to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to all the creation. On the 40th day, Jesus was returned to heaven. Judas Iscariot had killed himself. Paul (Saul) was an Israelite and a Pharisee from the tribe of Benjamin and did not believe Jesus to be the Christ. Throughout Jerusalem, Paul persecuted and imprisoned  Israelites who believed Jesus to be the Christ of God. When Paul was journeying to the synagogues in Damascus, Syria, to find, bind and take to Jerusalem any Israelite believers he found, Paul and those with him saw a light from heaven flash around them. Paul heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him, and Paul spoke to Jesus and obeyed Jesus. In Damascus Paul was baptized. Barnabas (Joses/Joseph) was a Levite, an Israelite from the tribe of Levi, and believed Jesus to be the Christ, and declared to the apostles in Jerusalem the truth about Paul the apostle and Paul's new life. In Caesarea, Cornelius the centurion, a Gentile, a person not born into the Israelite tribes, saw an angel of God in a vision and obeyed the words spoken by the angel. In Joppa, a trance fell upon Simon Peter and he saw a divine vision and heard the voice of Jesus speaking to him, and Simon Peter spoke to Jesus. In Cornelius' house, amid Cornelius, his family and friends, Simon Peter proclaimed the good news of Jesus the Christ and the forgiveness of sins through the name of Jesus for everyone who believes in Jesus. The Israelites with Simon Peter saw that the Holy Spirit fell upon all the listeners, and Simon Peter asked a question and commanded the new believers to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. When Simon Peter went to Jerusalem, the apostles and other Israelites spoke to him about the Gentiles, and Simon Peter explained everything, and the Israelites glorified the Lord God and understood that the Lord God has also given the Gentiles repentance unto life. Barnabas was in Antioch of Syria until he went to Tarsus and found Paul and brought Paul to Antioch, the 1st place the disciples were identified as Christians. Paul and Barnabas were sent by the disciples in Antioch on a special ministry mission to Jerusalem. After Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, with John Mark, they were sent from Antioch, according to the command spoken by the Holy Spirit, and went to Seleucia and Cyprus. In Salamis, Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel in the synagogues, and in Paphos, Sergius Paulus, the Roman proconsul of Cyprus, became a believer after seeing the result of words spoken by Paul to Bar-jesus (Elymas) the sorcerer-magician, a false Israelite prophet. After Paul, Barnabas and John Mark went to Perga of Pamphylia, John Mark went to Jerusalem and Paul and Barnabas went to Antioch of Pisidia. In the synagogue in Antioch, Paul spoke of the Lord God, and the Israelite ancestors, and Jesus the Christ. A group of Gentiles wanted Paul and Barnabas to speak to them the next Sabbath day, and on the Sabbath, almost the entire city came to hear the word of the Lord. The Israelites saw the crowd and started contradicting Paul's message, and Paul and Barnabas said that they were turning to the Gentiles, according to the command of the Lord. A group of prominent Israelites in Antioch kicked Paul and Barnabas out of their region. In Iconium, Israelites who did not believe the good news of Jesus the Christ poisoned the minds of the Gentiles and plans were made to stone Paul and Barnabas. When Paul and Barnabas learned of the intentions, they went to Lystra, and some Israelites from Antioch and Iconium arrived. Paul was pelted with stones, and dragged out of Lystra. Paul went back to Lystra, and Paul and Barnabas went to Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia.-Genesis, Exodus, Numbers 13:1-14:45, 20:1-29, 26:1-27:23, Deuteronomy 31:1-34:12, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra 1:11, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter, 2 Peter

Reference Information
confirming = episterizontes/episterizo = strengthening, making stronger

rehearsed = anengellon/anaggello = declare, report, announce 

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