⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.^(A)

⁸ Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’^(A) For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

¹⁹ and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

Saul spent several days with the disciples^(A) in Damascus.^{(B) 20} At once he began to preach in the synagogues^(C) that Jesus is the Son of God.^(D)

²² Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.^(A)

²⁶ When he came to Jerusalem,^(A) he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas^(B) took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him,^(C) and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.^{(D) 28} So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews,^[a](E) but they tried to kill him.^(F)

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first.^(A) Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.^(B)

¹⁷ “When I returned to Jerusalem^(A) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance^{(B) 18} and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

¹⁹ “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison^(C) and beat^(D) those who believe in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of your martyr^[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’^(E)