¹⁵ He said to them, “But who do ^(A)you say that I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered and said, ^(B)“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

¹⁷ Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, ^(C)for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but ^(D)My Father who is in heaven. ¹⁸ And I also say to you that ^(E)you are Peter, and ^(F)on this rock I will build My church, and ^(G)the gates of Hades shall not ^[a]prevail against it. ^19 (H)And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth ^[b]will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

¹⁵ “Moreover ^(A)if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, ^(B)you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ^(C)‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ ¹⁷ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a ^(D)heathen and a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(E)whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

^19 (F)“Again^[a] I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, ^(G)it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered ^(H)together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

⁴¹ Then those who ^[a]gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. ^42 (A)And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ ^[b]doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.

⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And ^(A)the Lord added ^[a]to the church daily those who were being saved.

^11 (A)So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

Continuing Power in the Church

¹² And ^(B)through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. ^(C)And they were all with one accord in Solomon’s Porch. ¹³ Yet ^(D)none of the rest dared join them, ^(E)but the people esteemed them highly. ¹⁴ And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,

³ Therefore, brethren, ^(A)seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this ^(B)business; ⁴ but we ^(C)will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

⁵ And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, ^(D)a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and ^(E)Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and ^(F)Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, ⁶ whom they set before the apostles; and ^(G)when they had prayed, ^(H)they laid hands on them.

Paul and Barnabas Are Sent to the Gentiles

13 Now ^(A)in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: ^(B)Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, ^(C)Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. ² As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, ^(D)“Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work ^(E)to which I have called them.” ³ Then, ^(F)having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

²³ So when they had ^(A)appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

²⁷ Now when they had come and gathered the church together, ^(A)they reported all that God had done with them, and that He had ^(B)opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.