Book of Common Prayer

15 Some men came from Judea and taught the Christian brothers. They said, `You must be circumcised with the mark made on your body in the way Moses taught us. If you are not circumcised you cannot be saved.'

² Paul and Barnabas did not agree with them. There was much talking about it. Then they decided that Paul and Barnabas and some of the other men should go to Jerusalem. They would ask the apostles and church leaders there about it.

³ So the church people sent them on their way. They passed through the districts of Phoenicia and Samaria. They told them that some who were not Jews were believing in God. This news made all the Christian brothers very happy.

⁴ When they reached Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church people, the apostles, and the church leaders. They told all that God had done as he worked with them.

⁵ But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisee group stood up and said, `They must be circumcised [like the Jews]. We must tell them to keep all the laws of Moses.'

⁶ The apostles and the church leaders met together to talk the matter over.

⁷ After much talking about it, Peter stood up. He said, `Men and brothers, you know what happened in the first days. God chose me to tell the good news to those who are not Jews. They believed.

⁸ God knows what is in a person's heart. He proved that they believed. He gave them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us.

⁹ God made no difference between them and us. He made their hearts clean when they believed.

¹⁰ So now why are you doing what God did not do? You give the disciples a hard thing to do. Our fathers could not do it. And we cannot do it.

¹¹ We believe that the Lord Jesus saves us because he is kind. And that is why he saves them.'

¹⁷ When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had been buried four days.

¹⁸ Bethany was only about two miles from Jerusalem.

¹⁹ Many Jews had come out to see Martha and Mary. They came to comfort them because their brother had died.

²⁰ As soon as Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary just stayed in the house.

²¹ Martha said to Jesus, `Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

²² But even yet, I know that God will give you anything that you ask for.'

²³ Jesus said, `Your brother will rise again.'

²⁴ Martha said, `I know that he will rise when the dead people are raised up on the last day.'

²⁵ Jesus said, `I am the one who will raise people up and give them life. The person who believes in me will live, even though he has died.

²⁶ Anyone who is living and who believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?'

²⁷ She said, `Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ. I believe that you are the Son of God who was to come into the world.'

²⁸ When she had said this, she went back to call her sister. She said quietly, `Mary, the Master has come. He is calling you.'

²⁹ When Mary heard that, she got up quickly and came to him.