Beginning
11 ¶ And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God.
2 When Peter was come up to Jerusalem, those that were of the circumcision contended with him,
3 saying, Why didst thou go in to men uncircumcised and eat with them?
4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning and expounded it by order unto them, saying,
5 I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a rapture of understanding I saw a vision: A certain vessel descended like a great sheet let down from heaven by the four corners, and it came unto me,
6 upon which when I had fastened my eyes, I considered and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth and wild beasts and reptiles and fowls of the air.
7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter, slay and eat.
8 But I said, Not so, Lord, for nothing common or unclean has at any time entered into my mouth.
9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God has cleansed, do not call common.
10 And this was done three times, and it was all drawn up again into heaven.
11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.
12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:
13 And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, who stood and said unto him, Send to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter,
14 who shall tell thee words, by which thou and all thy house shall be saved.
15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
16 Then I remembered the word of the Lord, when he said, John indeed baptized in water, but ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
17 So then, if God gave them the same gift as he did unto us, who have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I, that I should withstand God?
18 When they heard these things, they were silent and glorified God, saying, Then God has also granted repentance unto life to the Gentiles.
19 ¶ Now those who were scattered abroad by the tribulation that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word to no one except only unto the Jews.
20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they came into Antioch, spoke unto the Greeks, preaching the gospel of the Lord Jesus.
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.
22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas that he should go unto Antioch.
23 Who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted them all to remain in their purpose of heart in the Lord.
24 For he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and many people were added unto the Lord.
25 Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus to seek Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch.
26 And it came to pass that for a whole year they gathered themselves together with the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} and taught many people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
27 ¶ And in those days prophets came down from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and signified by the Spirit that there should be great famine throughout all the world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
29 Then the disciples, each one according to what he had, determined to send relief unto the brethren who dwelt in Judea,
30 which they likewise did and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
12 ¶ Now at that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to mistreat certain of the congregation. {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones}
2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
3 And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him, intending after the Passover to bring him forth to the people.
5 ¶ Peter therefore was kept in the prison, and the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} made prayer without unto God for him.
6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and the guards before the door that kept the prison.
7 And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shone in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, Arise quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.
8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself and bind on thy sandals. And so he did. And he said unto him, Cast thy garment about thee and follow me.
9 And he went out and followed him and knew not that it was true which was done by the angel, but thought he saw a vision.
10 When they were past the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leads unto the city, which opened to them of its own accord, and they went out and passed on through one street, and then the angel departed from him.
11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety that the Lord has sent his angel and has delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the people of the Jews who waited for me.
12 And considering this, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.
13 And as Peter knocked at the door of the patio, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.
14 And when she recognized Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood at the gate.
15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then they said, It is his angel.
16 But Peter continued knocking, and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
17 But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to be silent, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, Go make these things known unto James and to the brethren. And he departed and went to another place.
18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers concerning what was become of Peter.
19 And when Herod had sought for him and found him not, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be taken away. Then he went down from Judaea to Caesarea and abode there.
20 ¶ And Herod was highly displeased with those of Tyre and Sidon, but they came with one accord to him, and, having bribed Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for peace because their lands were supplied through those of the king’s.
21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne and made an oration unto them.
22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of god, and not of man.
23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him because he did not give God the glory, and he expired eaten of worms.
24 But the word of the Lord grew and multiplied.
25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
13 ¶ Now there were in the congregation {Gr. ekklesia – called out ones} that was at Antioch prophets and teachers: Barnabas and Simeon that was called Niger and Lucius of Cyrene and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work unto which I have called them.
3 And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they released them.
4 ¶ So they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, departed unto Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 And when they arrived at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews, and they also had John as an attendant.
6 And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain wise man, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus,
7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man, who called for Barnabas and Saul and desired to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas the wise man (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.
9 Then Saul (who also is Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him
10 and said, O full of all deception and all licentiousness, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?
11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is against thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
12 Then the proconsul, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
13 Now when Paul and his company sailed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; then John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.
14 ¶ But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day and sat down.
15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets the princes of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.
16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel and ye that fear God hearken.
17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm he brought them out of it.
18 And for the time of about forty years, he suffered their manners in the wilderness.
19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot.
20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.
21 And afterward they asked for a king, and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.
22 And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king, to whom also he gave testimony, saying, I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who shall fulfil all my will.
23 Of this man’s seed has God according to his promise raised up Jesus as Saviour unto Israel:
24 John, having first proclaimed before his coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there comes one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose.
26 Men and brethren, sons of the lineage of Abraham, and whosoever among you fears God, unto you is this word of saving health sent.
27 For those that dwell at Jerusalem and their princes, because they knew him not nor yet the voices of the prophets who are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him.
28 And without finding cause of death in him, yet they asked Pilate that he should be slain.
29 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a sepulchre.
30 But God raised him from the dead,
31 and he was seen many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who until now are his witnesses unto the people.
32 And we declare unto you the gospel of the promise which was made unto the fathers,
33 which God has fulfilled unto us their children, in that he has raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said this, I will give you the sure mercies promised to David.
35 Therefore he also says in another place, Thou shalt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
36 For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep and was gathered unto his fathers and saw corruption;
37 but he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption.
38 Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, that through this one is preached unto you the remission of sins;
39 and in him all that believe are justified from all the things from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses.
40 Beware, therefore, lest what is spoken of in the prophets come upon you:
41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish, for I do a work in your days, a work which ye would in no wise believe, if one should declare it unto you.
42 ¶ And when they were gone out of the synagogue of the Jews, the Gentiles besought that these words might be spoken to them the next sabbath.
43 Now when the synagogue was dismissed, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to remain in the grace of God.
44 And the next sabbath day almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God.
45 But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spoke against that which Paul said, contradicting and blaspheming.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas speaking with freedom, said, It was necessary indeed that the word of God should first have been spoken to you; but seeing ye put it from you and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles.
47 For so has the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles that thou should be for saving health unto the ends of the earth.
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord, and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
49 And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women and the principals of the city and raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their borders.
51 But they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came unto Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
Copyright © 2013, 2020 by Ransom Press International