Acts 14-15

New American Standard Bible

Acceptance and Opposition

14 In ^(A)Iconium ^(B)they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a way ^(C)that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of ^(D)Greeks. ² But ^(E)the ^[a](F)unbelieving Jews stirred up the ^[b]minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against ^(G)the brothers. ³ Therefore they spent a long time there ^(H)speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that ^[c](I)signs and wonders be performed by their hands. ^4 (J)But the ^[d]people of the city were divided; and some ^[e]sided with ^(K)the Jews, while others, with ^(L)the apostles. ⁵ And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and ^(M)the Jews with their rulers, to treat them abusively and to ^(N)stone them, ⁶ they became aware of it and fled to the cities of ^(O)Lycaonia, ^(P)Lystra and ^(Q)Derbe, and the surrounding region; ⁷ and there they continued to ^(R)preach the gospel.

⁸ In ^(S)Lystra ^(T)a man was sitting whose feet were incapacitated. He had been disabled from his mother’s womb, and had never walked. ⁹ This man was listening to Paul as he spoke. Paul ^(U)looked at him intently and saw that he had ^(V)faith to be ^[f]made well, ¹⁰ and he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet!” ^(W)And the man leaped up and began to walk. ¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the ^(X)Lycaonian language, “^(Y)The gods have become like men and have come down to us!” ¹² And they began calling Barnabas, ^[g]Zeus, and Paul, ^[h]Hermes, since he was ^[i]the chief speaker. ¹³ Moreover, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was ^[j]just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and ^(Z)wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. ¹⁴ But when ^(AA)the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they ^(AB)tore their ^[k]robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also ^(AC)men, of the same nature as you, ^(AD)preaching the gospel to you, to turn from these ^[l](AE)useless things to a ^(AF)living God, who ^(AG)made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything that is in them. ^16 [m]In past generations He ^(AH)permitted all the ^[n]nations to ^(AI)go their own ways; ¹⁷ yet ^(AJ)He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and ^(AK)gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, ^[o]satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” ¹⁸ And even by saying these things, only with difficulty did they restrain the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

¹⁹ But ^(AL)Jews came from ^(AM)Antioch and ^(AN)Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they ^(AO)stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead. ²⁰ But while ^(AP)the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for ^(AQ)Derbe. ²¹ And after they had ^(AR)preached the gospel to that city and had ^(AS)made a good number of disciples, they returned to ^(AT)Lystra, to ^(AU)Iconium, and to ^(AV)Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of ^(AW)the disciples, encouraging them to continue in ^(AX)the faith, and saying, “^(AY)It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.” ²³ When ^(AZ)they had appointed ^(BA)elders for them in every church, having ^(BB)prayed with fasting, they ^(BC)entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁴ They passed through ^(BD)Pisidia and came into ^(BE)Pamphylia. ²⁵ When they had spoken the word in ^(BF)Perga, they went down to Attalia. ²⁶ From there they sailed to ^(BG)Antioch, ^(BH)where they had been ^(BI)entrusted to the grace of God for the work that they had ^[p]accomplished. ²⁷ When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to ^(BJ)report all the things that God had done with them and ^[q]how He had opened a ^(BK)door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸ And they spent ^[r]a long time with ^(BL)the disciples.

The Council in Jerusalem

15 ^(BM)Some men came down from Judea and began teaching ^(BN)the brothers, “Unless you are ^(BO)circumcised according to ^(BP)the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had ^[s]a heated argument and ^(BQ)debate with them, ^(BR)the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the ^(BS)apostles and elders concerning this issue. ³ Therefore, after being ^(BT)sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both ^(BU)Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(BV)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they were bringing great joy to all ^(BW)the brothers and sisters. ⁴ When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church, ^(BX)the apostles, and the elders, and they ^(BY)reported all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some of ^(BZ)the sect of the ^(CA)Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to ^(CB)circumcise ^[t]them and to direct them to keep the Law of Moses.”

^6 (CC)The apostles and the elders came together to ^[u]look into this ^[v]matter. ⁷ After there had been much ^(CD)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “^[w]Brothers, you know that ^[x]in the early days ^(CE)God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of ^(CF)the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, ^(CG)who knows the heart, testified to them ^(CH)giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; ⁹ and ^(CI)He made no distinction between us and them, ^(CJ)cleansing their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Since this is the case, why are you ^(CK)putting God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which ^(CL)neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we are saved through ^(CM)the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

¹² All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were ^(CN)relating all the ^(CO)signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.

James’ Judgment

¹³ After they stopped speaking, ^[y](CP)James responded, saying, “^[z]Brothers, listen to me. ^14 (CQ)Simeon has described how God first concerned Himself about taking a people for His name from among the Gentiles. ¹⁵ The words of ^(CR)the Prophets agree with this, just as it is written:

¹⁹ Therefore, it is ^(CY)my judgment that we do not cause trouble for those from the Gentiles who are turning to God, ²⁰ but that we write to them that they abstain from ^[ad](CZ)things contaminated by idols, from ^(DA)acts of sexual immorality, from ^(DB)what has been ^[ae]strangled, and from blood. ²¹ For ^(DC)from ancient generations Moses has those who preach him in every city, since ^[af]he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

²² Then it seemed good to ^(DD)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to ^(DE)Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas who was called Barsabbas, and ^(DF)Silas, leading men among ^(DG)the brothers, ²³ and they ^[ag]sent this letter with them:

³⁰ So when they were sent away, ^(EA)they went down to Antioch; and after gathering the ^[am]congregation together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its ^[an]encouragement. ^32 (EB)Judas and ^(EC)Silas, also being ^(ED)prophets themselves, ^[ao]encouraged and strengthened ^(EE)the brothers and sisters with a lengthy message. ³³ After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers and sisters ^(EF)in peace to those who had ^(EG)sent them out.^{[ap] 35} But ^(EH)Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and ^(EI)preaching ^(EJ)the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Second Missionary Journey

³⁶ After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return and visit the brothers and sisters in ^(EK)every city in which we proclaimed ^(EL)the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take ^(EM)John, called Mark, along with them also. ³⁸ But Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along with them this man who had ^(EN)deserted them ^[aq]in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took ^(EO)Mark with him and sailed away to ^(EP)Cyprus. ⁴⁰ But Paul chose ^(EQ)Silas, and left after being ^(ER)entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ And he was traveling through ^(ES)Syria and ^(ET)Cilicia, strengthening the churches.