"My fellow Jews, listen to me as I make my defense before you!"

When they heard Paul speak about a raising from death, some of them made fun of him, but others said, "We want to hear you speak about this again."

But as Paul went on discussing about goodness, self-control, and the coming Day of Judgment, Felix was afraid and said, "You may leave now. I will call you again when I get the chance."

All they had were some arguments with him about their own religion and about a man named Jesus, who has died; but Paul claims that he is alive.

I was undecided about how I could get information on these matters, so I asked Paul if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried there on these charges.

Many times I had them punished in the synagogues and tried to make them deny their faith. I was so furious with them that I even went to foreign cities to persecute them.

Jehu went back to his fellow officers, who asked him, "Is everything all right? What did that crazy fellow want with you?" "You know what he wanted," Jehu answered.

"The LORD made you a priest in place of Jehoiada, and you are now the chief officer in the Temple. It is your duty to see that every crazy person who pretends to be a prophet is placed in chains with an iron collar around the neck.

The time for punishment has come, the time when people will get what they deserve. When that happens, Israel will know it! "This prophet," you say, "is a fool. This inspired man is insane." You people hate me so much because your sin is so great.

When his family heard about it, they set out to take charge of him, because people were saying, "He's gone mad!"

They asked Jesus, "Were we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon in you?"

They said to him, "Now we know for sure that you have a demon! Abraham died, and the prophets died, yet you say that whoever obeys your teaching will never die.

Many of them were saying, "He has a demon! He is crazy! Why do you listen to him?"

But others were saying, "A man with a demon could not talk like this! How could a demon give sight to blind people?"

As for us, we proclaim the crucified Christ, a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles;

So then, we do not speak in words taught by human wisdom, but in words taught by the Spirit, as we explain spiritual truths to those who have the Spirit.

Whoever does not have the Spirit cannot receive the gifts that come from God's Spirit. Such a person really does not understand them, and they seem to be nonsense, because their value can be judged only on a spiritual basis.

For Christ's sake we are fools; but you are wise in union with Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! We are despised, but you are honored!

Are we really insane? It is for God's sake. Or are we sane? Then it is for your sake.