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And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
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Dealing With Sin in the Church
“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over.
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If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
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Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
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And Saul approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
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But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
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Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
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The Church in Antioch
Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews.
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News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
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and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
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Peter’s Miraculous Escape From Prison
It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them.
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So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
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Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
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Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
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On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
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The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad.
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When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
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The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers
Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers.
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So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.
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He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
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So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
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When he landed at Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
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From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
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Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
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Personal Greetings
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Cenchreae.
