The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

¹² Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had ^(A)worked through them among the Gentiles. ¹³ And after they had ^[a]become silent, ^(B)James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: ^14 (C)Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. ¹⁵ And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

^18 [c]“Known to God from eternity are all His works. ¹⁹ Therefore ^(E)I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who ^(F)are turning to God, ²⁰ but that we ^(G)write to them to abstain ^(H)from things polluted by idols, ^(I)from ^[d]sexual immorality, ^(J)from things strangled, and from blood. ²¹ For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, ^(K)being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

The Jerusalem Decree

²² Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named ^(L)Barsabas,^[e] and Silas, leading men among the brethren.

The Risen Christ, Faith’s Reality^(A)

15 Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel ^(B)which I preached to you, which also you received and ^(C)in which you stand, ^2 (D)by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you—unless ^(E)you believed in vain.

³ For ^(F)I delivered to you first of all that ^(G)which I also received: that Christ died for our sins ^(H)according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day ^(I)according to the Scriptures, ^5 (J)and that He was seen by ^[a]Cephas, then ^(K)by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have ^[b]fallen asleep. ⁷ After that He was seen by James, then ^(L)by all the apostles. ^8 (M)Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.

⁹ For I am ^(N)the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because ^(O)I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰ But ^(P)by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, ^(Q)yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. ¹¹ Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry^(A)

^14 (B)Then Jesus returned ^(C)in the power of the Spirit to ^(D)Galilee, and ^(E)news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. ¹⁵ And He ^(F)taught in their synagogues, ^(G)being glorified by all.

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth^(H)

¹⁶ So He came to ^(I)Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, ^(J)He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

²⁰ Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is ^(M)fulfilled in your hearing.”