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Acts 14-15
English Standard Version
Acts 14-15
English Standard Version
Paul and Barnabas at Iconium
14 Now at Iconium (A)they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. 2 (B)But the (C)unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against (D)the brothers.[a] 3 So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for (E)the Lord, who bore witness to (F)the word of his grace, (G)granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the people of the city (H)were divided; (I)some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles. 5 When an attempt was made by both Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, (J)to mistreat them and (K)to stone them, 6 they learned of it and (L)fled to (M)Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding country, 7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.
Paul and Barnabas at Lystra
8 Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was (N)crippled from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and (O)seeing that he had faith to be made well,[b] 10 said in a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he (P)sprang up and began walking. 11 And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, (Q)“The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” 12 Barnabas they called (R)Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 And the priest of (S)Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and (T)wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. 14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they (U)tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 15 “Men, (V)why are you doing these things? We also are men, (W)of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that (X)you should turn from these (Y)vain things to (Z)a living God, (AA)who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. 16 In past generations he (AB)allowed all the nations (AC)to walk in their own ways. 17 Yet (AD)he did not leave himself without witness, for he (AE)did good by (AF)giving you rains from heaven and (AG)fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with (AH)food and (AI)gladness.” 18 Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.
Paul Stoned at Lystra
19 (AJ)But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, (AK)they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had (AL)made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 (AM)strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them (AN)to continue in (AO)the faith, and saying that (AP)through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had (AQ)appointed (AR)elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting (AS)they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria
24 Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, 26 and from there they sailed to Antioch, (AT)where they had been (AU)commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. 27 And when they arrived and gathered the church together, (AV)they declared all that God had done with them, and (AW)how he had (AX)opened (AY)a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they remained no little time with the disciples.
The Jerusalem Council
15 (AZ)But some men came down from Judea and were teaching (BA)the brothers, “Unless you are (BB)circumcised (BC)according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and (BD)debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and (BE)some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to (BF)the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, (BG)being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, (BH)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and (BI)brought great joy to all (BJ)the brothers.[c] 4 (BK)When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and (BL)the apostles and the elders, and (BM)they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to (BN)the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, (BO)“It is necessary (BP)to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 (BQ)The (BR)apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much (BS)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, (BT)that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear (BU)the word of (BV)the gospel and believe. 8 And God, (BW)who knows the heart, (BX)bore witness to them, (BY)by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and (BZ)he made no distinction between us and them, (CA)having cleansed their hearts (CB)by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why (CC)are you putting God to the test (CD)by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples (CE)that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we (CF)believe that we will be (CG)saved through (CH)the grace of the Lord Jesus, (CI)just as they will.”
12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul (CJ)as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, (CK)James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 (CL)Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them (CM)a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16 (CN)“‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant[d] of mankind (CO)may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles (CP)who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 (CQ)known from of old.’
19 Therefore (CR)my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who (CS)turn to God, 20 but should write to them (CT)to abstain from (CU)the things polluted by idols, and from (CV)sexual immorality, and from (CW)what has been strangled, and from (CX)blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, (CY)for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then it seemed good to (CZ)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 (DA)Barsabbas, and (DB)Silas, leading men among (DC)the brothers, 23 with the following letter: (DD)“The brothers, both (DE)the apostles and the elders, to the brothers[e] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, (DF)greetings. 24 Since we have heard that (DG)some persons have gone out from us and (DH)troubled you[f] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come (DI)to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our (DJ)beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 (DK)men who have (DL)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent (DM)Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good (DN)to the Holy Spirit and (DO)to us (DP)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 (DQ)that you abstain from (DR)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. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves (DS)prophets, encouraged and (DT)strengthened (DU)the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off (DV)in peace by (DW)the brothers to those who had sent them.[g] 35 But (DX)Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit (DY)the brothers (DZ)in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them (EA)John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one (EB)who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose (EC)a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. (ED)Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, (EE)having been commended by (EF)the brothers to (EG)the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, (EH)strengthening the churches.
Footnotes
- Acts 14:2 Or brothers and sisters
- Acts 14:9 Or be saved
- Acts 15:3 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 22
- Acts 15:17 Or rest
- Acts 15:23 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 32, 33, 36
- Acts 15:24 Some manuscripts some persons from us have troubled you
- Acts 15:33 Some manuscripts insert verse 34: But it seemed good to Silas to remain there
Acts 14-15
New International Version
Acts 14-15
New International Version
In Iconium
14 At Iconium(A) Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue.(B) There they spoke so effectively that a great number(C) of Jews and Greeks believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the other Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.(D) 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly(E) for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to perform signs and wonders.(F) 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.(G) 5 There was a plot afoot among both Gentiles and Jews,(H) together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.(I) 6 But they found out about it and fled(J) to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach(K) the gospel.(L)
In Lystra and Derbe
8 In Lystra there sat a man who was lame. He had been that way from birth(M) and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed(N) 10 and called out, “Stand up on your feet!”(O) At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.(P)
11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!”(Q) 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker.(R) 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes(S) and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human,(T) like you. We are bringing you good news,(U) telling you to turn from these worthless things(V) to the living God,(W) who made the heavens and the earth(X) and the sea and everything in them.(Y) 16 In the past, he let(Z) all nations go their own way.(AA) 17 Yet he has not left himself without testimony:(AB) He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons;(AC) he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”(AD) 18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.
19 Then some Jews(AE) came from Antioch and Iconium(AF) and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul(AG) and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples(AH) had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.
The Return to Antioch in Syria
21 They preached the gospel(AI) in that city and won a large number(AJ) of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium(AK) and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.(AL) “We must go through many hardships(AM) to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders[a](AN) for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting,(AO) committed them to the Lord,(AP) in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia,(AQ) 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.
26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch,(AR) where they had been committed to the grace of God(AS) for the work they had now completed.(AT) 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them(AU) and how he had opened a door(AV) of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.(AW)
The Council at Jerusalem
15 Certain people(AX) came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:(AY) “Unless you are circumcised,(AZ) according to the custom taught by Moses,(BA) you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem(BB) to see the apostles and elders(BC) about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia(BD) and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.(BE) This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.(BF)
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party(BG) of the Pharisees(BH) stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”(BI)
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.(BJ) 8 God, who knows the heart,(BK) showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,(BL) just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them,(BM) for he purified their hearts by faith.(BN) 10 Now then, why do you try to test God(BO) by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke(BP) that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace(BQ) of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders(BR) God had done among the Gentiles through them.(BS) 13 When they finished, James(BT) spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon[b] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.(BU) 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 “‘After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’[c](BV)—
18 things known from long ago.[d](BW)
19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols,(BX) from sexual immorality,(BY) from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.(BZ) 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”(CA)
The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and elders,(CB) with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch(CC) with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,(CD) men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch,(CE) Syria(CF) and Cilicia:(CG)
Greetings.(CH)
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.(CI) 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives(CJ) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas(CK) to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit(CL) and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.(CM) You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas,(CN) who themselves were prophets,(CO) said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace(CP) to return to those who had sent them. [34] [e] 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached(CQ) the word of the Lord.(CR)
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(CS) where we preached the word of the Lord(CT) and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark,(CU) with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them(CV) 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(CW) and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.(CX) 41 He went through Syria(CY) and Cilicia,(CZ) strengthening the churches.(DA)
Footnotes
- Acts 14:23 Or Barnabas ordained elders; or Barnabas had elders elected
- Acts 15:14 Greek Simeon, a variant of Simon; that is, Peter
- Acts 15:17 Amos 9:11,12 (see Septuagint)
- Acts 15:18 Some manuscripts things’— / 18 the Lord’s work is known to him from long ago
- Acts 15:34 Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.