Book of Common Prayer

¹⁸ Then, after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. ¹⁹ I did not see any of the other apostles except James, the Lord’s brother. ²⁰ The things that I write, lo, God knows I do not speak untruly.

²¹ After that, I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. ²² I was not personally known to the congregations of Judea that were in Christ, ²³ but they only heard that he who persecuted them in time past, now preaches the faith that before he destroyed. ²⁴ And they glorified God in my behalf.

He withstands Peter to his face, and asserts that the law and circumcision are not necessary to salvation.

2 Then fourteen years after that, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took with me Titus also. ² Yea, and I went up by revelation, and discussed with them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles (but between ourselves, with those who were counted chief), lest it be thought that I should run or had run in vain.

³ Also Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was not compelled to be circumcised. ⁴ The issue arose because of incomers, being false brethren, who came in among others to spy out the liberty that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into bondage. ⁵ To whom we gave no ground, no, not for the space of an hour, as concerning to be brought into subjection – and that in order that the truth of the gospel may continue with you.

⁶ Of those who seemed to be great (what they were in time past does not matter to me; God looks on no man’s person) – nevertheless, those who seemed great contributed nothing to me. ⁷ But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel over the uncircumcision was committed to me, as the gospel over the circumcision was to Peter ⁸ (for he who was mighty in Peter in the apostleship over the circumcision was mighty in me among the Gentiles), ⁹ and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, then James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hands, and agreed with us that we should preach among the heathen, and they among the Jews – ¹⁰ warning only that we should remember the poor, which thing also I was diligent to do.

⁵³ And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these similitudes, that he departed from there, ⁵⁴ and went into his own country. And he taught the people in their synagogues, insomuch that they were astonished and said, Whence comes all this wisdom and power to him? ⁵⁵ Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is his mother not called Mary? and his brethren James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶ Are his sisters not all here with us? Where does he have all these things from? ⁵⁷ And they were offended by him.

Then Jesus said to them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country and among his own kin.

⁵⁸ And he did not do many miracles there, because of their unbelief.