Chapter 14, verse 9 - Chapter 17, verse 6
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He was listening to Paul speaking, who, fastening eyes on him, and seeing that he had faith to be made whole,
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said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” He leaped up and walked.
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When the multitude saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the language of Lycaonia, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
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They called Barnabas “Jupiter,” and Paul “Mercury,” because he was the chief speaker.
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The priest of Jupiter, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and would have made a sacrifice along with the multitudes.
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But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they tore their clothes, and sprang into the multitude, crying out,
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“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them
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who in the generations gone by allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.
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Yet he didn’t leave himself without witness, in that he did good and gave you rains from the sky and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
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Even saying these things, they hardly stopped the multitudes from making a sacrifice to them.
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But some Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there, and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead.
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But as the disciples stood around him, he rose up, and entered into the city. On the next day he went out with Barnabas to Derbe.
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When they had preached the Good News to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
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confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many afflictions we must enter into the Kingdom of God.
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When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.
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They passed through Pisidia, and came to Pamphylia.
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When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
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From there they sailed to Antioch, from where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.
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When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.
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They stayed there with the disciples for a long time.
Chapter 15
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Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”
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Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
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They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.
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When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all things that God had done with them.
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But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
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The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.
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When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News, and believe.
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God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us.
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He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
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Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
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But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
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All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them.
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After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me.
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Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations, to take out of them a people for his name.
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This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,
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‘After these things I will return. I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen. I will again build its ruins. I will set it up,
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That the rest of men may seek after the Lord
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All his works are known to God from eternity.’
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“Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God,
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but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.
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For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
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Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.
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They wrote these things by their hand:“The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings.
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Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment
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it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
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men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth.
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For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things:
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that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”
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So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.
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When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.
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Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them.
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After they had spent some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brothers to the apostles.
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But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.
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But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
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After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
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Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also.
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But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work.
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Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus,
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but Paul chose Silas, and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God.
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He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.
Chapter 16
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He came to Derbe and Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess who believed
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The brothers who were at Lystra and Iconium gave a good testimony about him.
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Paul wanted to have him go out with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts
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As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered the decrees to them to keep which had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.
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So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.
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When they had gone through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.
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When they had come opposite Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit didn’t allow them.
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Passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
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A vision appeared to Paul in the night. There was a man of Macedonia standing, begging him, and saying, “Come over into Macedonia and help us.”
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When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go out to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Good News to them.
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Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis
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and from there to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the foremost of the district, a Roman colony. We were staying some days in this city.
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On the Sabbath day we went forth outside of the city by a riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down, and spoke to the women who had come together.
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A certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, one who worshiped God, heard us
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When she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and stay.” So she persuaded us.
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It happened, as we were going to prayer, that a certain girl having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by fortune telling.
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Following Paul and us, she cried out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us a way of salvation!”
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She was doing this for many days. But Paul, becoming greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” It came out that very hour.
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But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they seized Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.
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When they had brought them to the magistrates, they said, “These men, being Jews, are agitating our city,
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and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans.”
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The multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates tore their clothes off of them, and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
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When they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely,
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who, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks.
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But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
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Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken
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The jailer, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
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But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, “Don’t harm yourself, for we are all here!”
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He called for lights and sprang in, and, fell down trembling before Paul and Silas,
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and brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
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They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”
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They spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all who were in his house.
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He took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes, and was immediately baptized, he and all his household.
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He brought them up into his house, and set food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his household, having believed in God.
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But when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, “Let those men go.”
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The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates have sent to let you go
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But Paul said to them, “They have beaten us publicly, without a trial, men who are Romans, and have cast us into prison! Do they now release us secretly? No, most certainly, but let them come themselves and bring us out!”
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The sergeants reported these words to the magistrates, and they were afraid when they heard that they were Romans,
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and they came and begged them. When they had brought them out, they asked them to depart from the city.
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They went out of the prison, and entered into Lydia’s house. When they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them, and departed.
Chapter 17
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Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
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Paul, as was his custom, went in to them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
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explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.”
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Some of them were persuaded, and joined Paul and Silas, of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and not a few of the chief women.
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But the unpersuaded Jews took along some wicked men from the marketplace, and gathering a crowd, set the city in an uproar. Assaulting the house of Jason, they sought to bring them out to the people.
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When they didn’t find them, they dragged Jason and certain brothers before the rulers of the city, crying, “These who have turned the world upside down have come here also,
