Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ Three years later, I went to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.

¹⁹ James, the brother of the Lord, was the only other apostle I saw. I did not see any of the other apostles.

²⁰ God knows that what I am writing to you is not a lie.

²¹ After I had been at Jerusalem, I went to the countries of Syria and Cilicia.

²² At that time the churches of Christ in Judea did not know me. They had never seen me.

²³ They only heard people say, `This is the man who used to trouble us and he is now telling others to believe what he once tried to stop.'

²⁴ And they praised God for what had happened to me.

2 Fourteen years later I went to Jerusalem again. This time I went with Barnabas and I took Titus with me.

² God showed me that I should go. And I told them about the good news which I tell to people who are not Jews. I told those who seemed to be church leaders when I was alone with them. I did not want my work to come to nothing - the work I had done or the work I was doing.

³ Titus was with me. He was not a Jew, but they did not force him to be circumcised [have the mark of a Jew made on his body].

⁴ But some men got in who were not true brothers. They came in secretly to spy on us to find out things about us. They did not want us to be free the way Christ Jesus has made us free. But they wanted to make us obey the old laws again [which were given to Moses by God].

⁵ But we did not let them tell us what to do, no, not even for one minute. In that way the real good news will be yours always.

⁶ Those men who seemed to be leaders did not teach me anything new. It does not matter to me who they were. God does not love some people more than others.

⁷ No, the leaders saw that God called me to take the good news to those who are not circumcised [not Jews], just as he called Peter to take the good news to those who are circumcised [Jews].

⁸ The same God who made Peter an apostle to the Jews made me an apostle to those who are not Jews.

⁹ The leaders saw that God had blessed me. James, Peter, and John seemed to be leaders in the church. They saw that God had blessed me. So they accepted Barnabas and me as fellow workers. They agreed that we should go to the people who were not Jews and they themselves would go to the Jews.

¹⁰ One thing they asked us to do was to help the poor Christians. I was very glad to do this.

6 Jesus left that place and went back to his home town. His disciples went with him.

² On the Sabbath day he began to teach in the meeting house again. Many people who heard him were very much surprised and said, `Where did he learn all this? Where did he get the power to do these big works?

³ Is he not the carpenter? Is not Mary his mother? Are not James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon his brothers? Are not his sisters here with us?' The people did not understand Jesus.

⁴ Jesus said to them, `Other people honour a man who is a prophet of God. But the people in his own country, his own home, and his family, do not honour him.'

⁵ Jesus could not do any big works in that place. But he put his hands on a few sick people and healed them.

⁶ He was surprised that the people did not believe him. He went out to the villages, teaching the people.

⁷ He called the twelve disciples to him and sent them out two by two. He gave them power to drive bad spirits out of people.

⁸ He said, `Take only a walking stick with you when you go. Do not take anything else. Do not take any food, or a bag, or money.

⁹ Wear shoes, but do not take extra clothing with you.

¹⁰ When you go into a certain house, live there until you leave the town.

¹¹ In some places the people will not take you in. They will not listen to what you say. When you leave such a town, shake the dust off your feet. That will be a warning to them. I tell you the truth. On the day when people are judged, the people in that town will be punished harder than the people in the country of Sodom and Gomorrah.'

¹² The disciples went out and told the people that they should stop doing wrong things.

¹³ They drove bad spirits out of many people. They also put oil on many sick people and healed them.