Acts 14
14The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.G1161G1096G1722G2430G846G1525G2596G846G1519G4864G2453G2532G3779G2980G5620G4183G4128G5037G2453G2532G1672G41002Some of the Jews, however, spurned God's message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas.G1161G544G2453G1892G1484G2532G2559G5590G2559G2596G803But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.G2425G5550G3303G3767G1304G3955G1909G2962G3588G3140G3056G846G5485G2532G1325G4592G2532G5059G1096G1223G846G54954But the people of the town were divided in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.G1161G4128G4172G4977G2532G3303G2258G4862G2453G1161G4862G6525Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them.G1161G5613G1096G3730G1096G5037G1484G2532G2453G4862G846G758G5195G2532G3036G8466When the apostles learned of it, they fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the surrounding area.G4894G2703G1519G3082G2532G1191G4172G3071G2532G40667And there they preached the Good News.G2546G2258G20978While they were at Lystra, Paul and Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth, so he had never walked. He was sittingG2532G2521G5100G435G1722G3082G102G4228G5225G5560G1537G846G3384G2836G3739G3763G40439and listening as Paul preached. Looking straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed.G3778G191G3972G2980G3739G816G846G2532G1492G3754G2192G4102G498210So Paul called to him in a loud voice, "Stand up!" And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.G2036G3173G5456G450G3717G1909G4675G4228G2532G242G2532G404311When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in their local dialect, "These men are gods in human form!"G1161G3793G1492G3739G3972G4160G1869G846G5456G3004G3072G2316G2597G4314G2248G3666G44412They decided that Barnabas was the Greek god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker.G5037G2564G921G3303G2203G1161G3972G2060G1894G846G2258G2233G305613Now the temple of Zeus was located just outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to the apostles.G1161G2409G2203G3588G5607G4253G846G4172G5342G5022G2532G4725G1909G4440G2309G2380G4862G379314But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among the people, shouting,G1161G652G921G2532G3972G191G1284G846G2440G1530G1519G3793G289615"Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.G2532G3004G435G5101G4160G5130G2249G2532G2070G444G3663G5213G2097G5209G1994G575G5023G3152G1909G2198G2316G3739G4160G3772G2532G1093G2532G2281G2532G3956G1722G84616In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways,G3739G1722G1074G3944G1439G3956G1484G4198G846G359817but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts."G2544G2532G863G3756G1438G267G15G1325G2254G5205G3771G2532G2593G2540G1705G2257G2588G5160G2532G216718But even with these words, Paul and Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.G2532G5023G3004G3433G2664G3793G2380G3361G2380G84619Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead.G1161G1904G2453G575G490G2532G2430G2532G3982G3793G2532G3034G3972G4951G1854G4172G3543G846G234820But as the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.G1161G3101G2944G846G450G1525G1519G4172G2532G1887G1831G4862G921G1519G119121After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia,G5037G2097G1565G4172G2532G3100G2425G5290G1519G3082G2532G2430G2532G49022where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.G1991G5590G3101G3870G1696G4102G2532G3754G2248G1163G1223G4183G2347G1525G1519G932G231623Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.G1161G5500G846G4245G2596G1577G4336G3326G3521G3908G846G2962G1519G3739G410024Then they traveled back through Pisidia to Pamphylia.G2532G1330G4099G2064G1519G382825They preached the word in Perga, then went down to Attalia.G2532G2980G3056G1722G4011G2597G1519G82526Finally, they returned by ship to Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed.G2547G636G1519G490G3606G2258G3860G5485G2316G1519G2041G3739G413727Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.G1161G3854G2532G4863G1577G4863G312G3745G2316G4160G3326G846G2532G3754G455G2374G4102G148428And they stayed there with the believers for a long time.G1161G1563G1304G3756G3641G5550G4862G3101
Acts 15
15While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: "Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved."G2532G5100G2718G575G2449G1321G80G3754G3362G4059G1485G3475G3756G1410G49822Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.G3767G3972G2532G921G1096G3756G3641G4714G2532G4803G4314G846G5021G3972G2532G921G2532G5100G243G1537G846G305G1519G2419G4314G652G2532G4245G4012G5127G22133The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them—much to everyone's joy—that the Gentiles, too, were being converted.G3303G3767G4311G5259G1577G1330G5403G2532G4540G1555G1995G1484G2532G4160G3173G5479G3956G804When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them.G1161G3854G1519G2419G588G5259G1577G2532G652G2532G4245G5037G312G3745G2316G4160G3326G8465But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, "The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses."G1161G1817G5100G575G139G5330G4100G3004G3754G1163G4059G846G5037G3853G5083G3551G34756So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue.G1161G652G2532G4245G4863G1492G4012G5127G30567At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.G1161G1096G4183G4803G4074G450G2036G4314G846G435G80G5210G1987G3754G744G2250G575G2316G1586G1722G2254G1484G1223G3450G4750G191G3056G2098G2532G41008God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.G2532G2316G2589G846G3140G1325G846G40G4151G2532G2531G22549He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.G2532G1252G3762G1252G3342G5037G2257G2532G846G2511G846G2588G410210So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?G3568G3767G5101G3985G2316G2007G2218G1909G5137G3101G3739G3777G2257G3962G3777G2249G2480G94111We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus."G235G4100G1223G5485G2962G2424G5547G4982G2596G3739G5158G254812Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.G1161G3956G4128G4601G2532G191G921G2532G3972G1834G3745G4592G2532G5059G2316G4160G1722G1484G1223G84613When they had finished, James stood and said, "Brothers, listen to me.G1161G3326G4601G846G4601G2385G611G3004G435G80G191G345014Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself.G4826G1834G2531G2316G4412G1980G1484G2983G1537G2992G1909G846G368615And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written.G2532G5129G4856G3056G4396G2531G112516'Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,G3326G5023G390G2532G456G4633G1138G3588G4098G2532G456G2679G846G2532G461G846G46117so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—G3704G302G2645G444G1567G2962G2532G3956G1484G1909G3739G3450G3686G1941G1909G846G3004G2962G3588G4160G3956G502318he who made these things known so long ago.'G1110G2316G2076G3956G846G2041G575G16519"And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.G1352G1473G2919G3926G3361G3588G575G1484G1994G1909G231620Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.G235G1989G846G567G575G234G1497G2532G4202G2532G4156G2532G12921For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations."G1063G3475G1537G744G1074G2192G2596G4172G2784G846G314G1722G4864G2596G3956G452122Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas.G5119G1380G652G2532G4245G4862G3650G1577G3992G1586G435G1537G846G1519G490G4862G3972G2532G921G2455G1941G923G2532G4609G2233G435G1722G8023This is the letter they took with them: "This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!G1125G1223G5495G846G3592G652G2532G4245G2532G80G5463G80G3588G1537G1484G2596G490G2532G4947G2532G279124"We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them!G1894G191G3754G5100G1831G1537G2257G5015G5209G3056G384G5216G5590G3004G4059G2532G5083G3551G3739G1291G3756G129125So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,G1380G2254G1096G3661G3992G1586G435G4314G5209G4862G2257G27G921G2532G397226who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.G444G3860G846G5590G5228G3686G2257G2962G2424G554727We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question.G649G3767G2455G2532G4609G846G518G2532G518G846G1223G305628"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements.G1063G1380G40G4151G2532G2254G2007G5213G3367G4119G922G4133G5130G187629You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell."G567G1494G2532G129G2532G4156G2532G4202G1537G3739G1301G1438G4238G2095G451730The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter.G3303G3767G630G2064G1519G490G2532G4863G4128G4863G1929G199231And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.G1161G314G5463G1909G387432Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith.G2455G2532G4609G5607G4396G2532G846G3870G80G1223G4183G3056G2532G199133They stayed for a while, and then the believers sent them back to the church in Jerusalem with a blessing of peace.G1161G4160G5550G630G3326G1515G575G80G4314G65234G1161G1380G4609G1961G847G196135Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there.G3972G1161G2532G921G1304G1722G490G1321G2532G2097G3056G2962G3326G4183G2087G253236After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing."G1161G5100G2250G3326G3972G2036G4314G921G1211G1994G1980G2257G80G2596G3956G4172G1722G3739G2605G3056G2962G4459G219237Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.G1161G921G1011G4838G2491G2564G313838But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.G1161G3972G515G3361G515G4838G5126G4838G3588G868G575G846G575G3828G2532G4905G3361G846G1519G204139Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.G3767G3948G1096G3948G846G5620G673G575G240G5037G921G3880G3138G1602G1519G295440Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord's gracious care.G1161G3972G1951G4609G1831G3860G5259G80G5485G231641Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.G1161G1330G4947G2532G2791G1991G1577
Dublin, OH
. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.G1161
