Book of Common Prayer

¹⁹ Some of the people had gone to other countries because of the big trouble when Stephen was killed. They went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch. They told God's word to the Jews only.

²⁰ Some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene. They went to Antioch. They also spoke to those who were not Jews, and they told them about the Lord Jesus.

²¹ The Lord was with them. Many believed and turned to the Lord.

²² The people in the Jerusalem church heard this news. They sent Barnabas to go to Antioch.

²³ When he reached there, he saw what had been done by the power of God. He was very glad. He talked to them. He begged them all to keep on following the Lord with all their heart.

²⁴ Barnabas was a good man. He believed in God and was filled with the Holy Spirit. Many people came to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to get Saul.

²⁶ When he found him, he took him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with all who believed in Jesus Christ. They taught many people. Antioch was the first place where the disciples were called Christians.

²⁷ At that time, prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch.

²⁸ One of them named Agabus stood up. He told them the Spirit had shown him that much trouble would come to all the world. There would not be much food for the people. (This trouble came when Claudius Caesar was ruler.)

²⁹ Then the disciples decided to help the Christian brothers who lived in Judea. They would each one send what he could.

³⁰ They did so. They sent Barnabas and Saul to carry it to the church leaders [in Jerusalem].

²¹ Jesus talked to them again. He said, `I am going away. You will try to find me and will die doing wrong things. You cannot come where I am going.'

²² Then the Jews said, `Will he kill himself? He says, "You cannot come where I am going." '

²³ Jesus said to them, `You are from below. I am from above. You belong to this world. I do not belong to this world.

²⁴ That is why I said, "You will die doing wrong things." If you do not believe that I am who I said I am, then you will die doing wrong things.'

²⁵ They said to him, `Who are you?' Jesus answered, `I am what I told you from the beginning.

²⁶ I have many things to say to you and to judge you in many things. But he who sent me is true. I tell the world what he has told me.'

²⁷ The people did not understand that Jesus was talking to them about his Father.

²⁸ So Jesus said, `When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he. You will know that I do nothing by my own power, but I talk the way my Father taught me.

²⁹ He who sent me is with me always. I always do what he wants me to do.'

³⁰ Many people believed in Jesus while he was talking this way.

³¹ Jesus said to the Jews who believed in him, `If you obey my word, you are truly my disciples.

³² And you will understand the truth and the truth will make you free.'