Barnabas and Saul Sent Off

13 Now there were in the church at Antioch ^(A)prophets and ^(B)teachers, ^(C)Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger,^[a] Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of ^(D)Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, ^(E)the Holy Spirit said, ^(F)“Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul ^(G)for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then after fasting and ^(H)praying they laid their hands on them and ^(I)sent them off.

Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus

⁴ So, being sent out ^(J)by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then it seemed good to ^(A)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called ^(B)Barsabbas, and ^(C)Silas, leading men among ^(D)the brothers, ²³ with the following letter: ^(E)“The brothers, both ^(F)the apostles and the elders, to the brothers^[a] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, ^(G)greetings. ²⁴ Since we have heard that ^(H)some persons have gone out from us and ^(I)troubled you^[b] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, ²⁵ it has seemed good to us, having come ^(J)to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our ^(K)beloved Barnabas and Paul, ^26 (L)men who have ^(M)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ We have therefore sent ^(N)Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸ For it has seemed good ^(O)to the Holy Spirit and ^(P)to us ^(Q)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: ^29 (R)that you abstain from ^(S)what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

³⁰ So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

^28 (A)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(B)the flock, in which ^(C)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(D)overseers, ^(E)to care for ^(F)the church of God,^[a] which he ^(G)obtained ^(H)with his own blood.^[b]

Personal Greetings

16 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant^[a] of the church at ^(A)Cenchreae,

⁵ What then is Apollos? What is Paul? ^(A)Servants through whom you believed, ^(B)as the Lord assigned to each. ^6 (C)I planted, ^(D)Apollos watered, ^(E)but God gave the growth. ⁷ So ^(F)neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. ⁸ He who plants and he who waters are one, and each ^(G)will receive his wages according to his labor. ⁹ For we are ^(H)God's fellow workers. You are God's field, ^(I)God's building.

^10 (J)According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled^[a] master builder I laid a ^(K)foundation, and ^(L)someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. ¹¹ For no one can lay a ^(M)foundation other ^(N)than that which is laid, ^(O)which is Jesus Christ.

⁴ When you are assembled ^(A)in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,

Shepherd the Flock of God

5 So I exhort the elders among you, ^(A)as a fellow elder and ^(B)a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ^2 (C)shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight,^{[a] (D)}not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;^{[b] (E)}not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not ^(F)domineering over those in your charge, but ^(G)being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when ^(H)the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the ^(I)unfading ^(J)crown of glory.