You didn’t choose me, I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit that would endure, so that you would receive from the Father anything you ask for in my name.
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as one of its own. But you don’t belong to the world. I’ve chosen you out of the world. That’s why the world hates you.
“Then he said, ‘The God of our people has chosen you, and he wants you to know the plans he has for you, to see the Blameless One, and to hear his voice.
“I’m not talking about all of you. I know the ones I’ve chosen. But something is going to happen to make the passage of Scripture come true that says, ‘The one who shared my bread has turned against me.’
But make sure that you honor Christ as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope you have. But do this gently and with respect.
Everything written in the past was written to teach us, so that we would have hope both through the endurance the Scriptures teach and through the encouragement they provide.
But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! I’ve chosen this man to do a special work for me. He will announce my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel.
By faith Abel brought a better offering to God than Cain did. Because of his faith, Abel was praised as a godly man when God said good things about his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he has died.
I left you on the island of Crete because I wanted you to take care of some unfinished business. I wanted you to appoint elders in every town, and I told you how to do that.
that has come to you. In the same way, the good news is bearing fruit and growing all over the world, as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.
Through him we received grace to become apostles to the Gentiles and through that grace to bring them to obedience to God by trusting in Jesus. We do this to bring glory to him.
I was appointed to be a messenger and an apostle to preach the good news. (I’m telling the truth; I’m not lying.) God appointed me to be a true and faithful teacher of the Gentiles.
But you must keep your faith steady and firm and not move away from the hope that the good news is offering you. This is the good news that you heard. It has been preached to every creature under heaven and I, Paul, am its servant.
Brothers and sisters, I want you to know that I’ve planned many times to visit you. But until now, I’ve been kept from coming. My work has produced results among the other Gentiles, and in the same way, I want to see results among you.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest point on earth.”