Acts 14; Acts 15; Acts 16

Acts 14

1 The same thing happened in Iconium; they entered the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers.

3 So they stayed there for some time and spoke boldly, in reliance on the Lord, who testified to the message of His grace by granting that signs and wonders be performed through them.

4 But the people of the city were divided, some siding with the Jews and some with the apostles.

5 When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to assault and stone them,

6 they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns called Lystra and Derbe, and to the surrounding countryside.

7 And there they kept evangelizing.

8 In Lystra a man without strength in his feet, lame from birth, and who had never walked, sat

9 and heard Paul speaking. After observing him closely and seeing that he had faith to be healed,

10 [Paul] said in a loud voice, "Stand up straight on your feet!" And he jumped up and started to walk around.

11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in the form of men!"

12 And they started to call Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the main speaker.

13 Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought oxen and garlands to the gates. He, with the crowds, intended to offer sacrifice.

14 The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting:

15 "Men! Why are you doing these things? We are men also, with the same nature as you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them .

16 In past generations He allowed all the nations to go their own way,

17 although He did not leave Himself without a witness, since He did good: giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, and satisfying your hearts with food and happiness."

18 Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.

19 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they had won over the crowds and stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.

20 After the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

21 After they had evangelized that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch,

22 strengthening the hearts of the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith, and by telling them, "It is necessary to pass through many troubles on our way into the kingdom of God."

23 When they had appointed elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia.

25 After they spoke the message in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had completed.

27 After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them, and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

28 And they spent a considerable time with the disciples.

Acts 15

1 Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved!"

2 But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, they arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy.

3 When they had been sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, explaining in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they created great joy among all the brothers.

4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

5 But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!"

6 Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter.

7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: "Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe.

8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us.

9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

10 Why, then, are you now testing God by putting on the disciples' necks a yoke that neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?

11 On the contrary, we believe we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way they are."

12 Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

13 After they stopped speaking, James responded: "Brothers, listen to me!

14 Simeon has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name.

15 And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

16 After these things I will return and will rebuild David's tent, which has fallen down. I will rebuild its ruins and will set it up again,

17 so that those who are left of mankind may seek the Lord- even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things,

18 which have been known from long ago.

19 Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those who turn to God from among the Gentiles,

20 but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood.

21 For since ancient times, Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, and he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath day."

22 Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers.

23 They wrote this letter to be delivered by them: From the apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers from among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

24 Because we have heard that some to whom we gave no authorization went out from us and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,

25 we have unanimously decided to select men and send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.

28 For it was the Holy Spirit's decision-and ours-to put no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

29 that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these things, you will do well. Farewell.

30 Then, being sent off, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter.

31 When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

32 Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and strengthened them with a long message.

33 After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.

35 But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the message of the Lord.

36 After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit the brothers in every town where we have preached the message of the Lord, and see how they're doing."

37 Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark.

38 But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.

39 There was such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.

40 Then Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers.

41 He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Acts 16

1 Then he went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek.

2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.

3 Paul wanted Timothy to go with him, so he took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek.

4 As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for them to observe.

5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and were increased in number daily.

6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia.

7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

8 So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9 During the night a vision appeared to Paul: a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, "Cross over to Macedonia and help us!"

10 After he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.

11 Then, setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis,

12 and from there to Philippi, a Roman colony, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for a number of days.

13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there.

14 A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul.

15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, "If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house." And she persuaded us.

16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction and made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling.

17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, "These men are the slaves of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

18 And she did this for many days. But Paul was greatly aggravated, and turning to the spirit, said, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out right away.

19 When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.

20 And bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews,

21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice."

22 Then the mob joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.

23 After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them securely guarded.

24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.

25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains came loose.

27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, "Don't harm yourself, because all of us are here!"

29 Then the jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.

30 Then he escorted them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household."

32 Then they spoke the message of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house.

33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized.

34 He brought them up into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had believed God with his entire household.

35 When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, "Release those men!"

36 The jailer reported these words to Paul: "The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace."

37 But Paul said to them, "They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to smuggle us out secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out!"

38 Then the police reported these words to the magistrates. And they were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.

39 So they came and apologized to them, and escorting them out, they urged them to leave town.

40 After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia's house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and departed.