Dispute in Antioch

15 Some men^(A) came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised^(B) according to the custom prescribed by Moses,^(C) you cannot be saved.” ² After Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, Paul and Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this issue.^{(D) 3} When they had been sent on their way by the church,^(E) they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.

⁴ When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.^{(F) 5} But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

The Jerusalem Council

⁶ The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. ⁷ After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you,^[a] that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.^{(G) 9} He made no distinction between us and them,^(H) cleansing their hearts by faith.^{(I) 10} Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks^(J) that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace^(K) of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”

¹² The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.^{(L) 13} After they stopped speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simeon^[b] has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.^{(M) 15} And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

¹⁹ Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, ²⁰ but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,^(O) from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. ²¹ For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”^(P)

The Letter to the Gentile Believers

²² Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas,^(Q) both leading men among the brothers. ²³ They wrote:

“From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,

To the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:^(R)

Greetings.

²⁴ Since we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us^(S) and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,^{[e](T) 25} we have unanimously^(U) decided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶ who have risked their lives^(V) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸ For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements:^{(W) 29} that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.^(X) You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things.

Farewell.”

The Outcome of the Jerusalem Letter

³⁰ So they were sent off and went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. ³¹ When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. ³² Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters and strengthened them with a long message.^{(Y) 33} After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace^(Z) by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them.^{[f][g] 35} But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.^(AA)

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

³⁶ After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town^(AB) where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. ³⁸ But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark^(AC) with him and sailed off to Cyprus. ⁴⁰ But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord.^{(AD) 41} He traveled through Syria^(AE) and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Paul Selects Timothy

16 Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy,^(AF) the son of a believing Jewish woman,^(AG) but his father was a Greek. ² The brothers and sisters at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.^{(AH) 3} Paul wanted Timothy to go with him; so he took him and circumcised^(AI) him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for the people to observe.^{(AJ) 5} So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.^(AK)

Evangelization of Europe

⁶ They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.^{(AL) 7} When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus^(AM) did not allow them. ⁸ Passing by Mysia they went down to Troas.^{(AN) 9} During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” ^{(AO) 10} After^(AP) he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Lydia’s Conversion

¹¹ From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to Philippi,^(AQ) a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days. ¹³ On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. ¹⁴ A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.^{(AR) 15} After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”^(AS) And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.^(AT) She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you^[h] a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” ¹⁸ She did this for many days.

Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.^(AU)

¹⁹ When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(AV) and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. ²⁰ Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews ²¹ and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”^{(AW) 22} The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.^{(AX) 23} After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. ²⁴ Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.^(AY)

A Midnight Deliverance

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(AZ) 27} When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸ But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” ^(BA)

³¹ They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”^{(BB) 32} And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. ³³ He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.^(BC)

An Official Apology

³⁵ When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men.”

³⁶ The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace.”^(BD)

³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”^(BE)

³⁸ The police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. ³⁹ So they came to appease them, and escorting them from prison, they urged them to leave town. ⁴⁰ After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house, where they saw and encouraged the brothers and sisters, and departed.^(BF)