John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah,^[a] the Son of God,^[b](B)

¹² When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark,^(A) where many people had gathered and were praying.^{(B) 13} Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door.^{(C) 14} When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed^(D) she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”

¹⁵ “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”^(E)

¹⁶ But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷ Peter motioned with his hand^(F) for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James^(G) and the other brothers and sisters^(H) about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

In Pisidian Antioch

¹³ From Paphos,^(A) Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia,^(B) where John^(C) left them to return to Jerusalem.

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns^(A) where we preached the word of the Lord^(B) and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,^(C) with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them^(D) in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas^(E) and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.^{(F) 41} He went through Syria^(G) and Cilicia,^(H) strengthening the churches.^(I)

¹³ She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you her greetings, and so does my son Mark.^(A)