New Testament in a Year
26 “My brothers, descendants of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, it is to us[a] that the message of this salvation has been sent. 27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders, not knowing who Jesus[b] was, condemned him and so fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Although they found no reason to sentence him to death, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had finished doing everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and placed him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he appeared to those who had come with him to Jerusalem from Galilee. These are now his witnesses to the people. 32 We’re telling you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their descendants, by raising Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father.’[c] 34 God[d] raised him from the dead, never to experience decay, as he said, ‘I’ll give you the holy promises made to David.’[e] 35 In another Psalm[f] he says, ‘You will not let your Holy One experience decay.’[g] 36 Now David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, died[h] and was buried with his ancestors, and so he experienced decay. 37 However, the man whom God raised did not experience decay.
38 “Therefore, brothers, you must understand that through him the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 39 and that everyone who believes in him is justified and freed from everything that kept you from being justified by the Law of Moses. 40 So be careful that what the prophets said doesn’t happen to you:
41 ‘Look, you mockers!
Be amazed and die!
Since I am performing an action in your days,
one that you would not believe
even if someone told you!’”[i]
42 As Paul and Barnabas[j] were leaving, the people kept urging them to tell them the same things the next Sabbath. 43 When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who kept talking to them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.
44 The next Sabbath almost the whole town gathered to hear the word of the Lord.[k] 45 But when the Jewish leaders[l] saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to object to the statements made by Paul and even to abuse him.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas boldly declared, “We had to speak God’s word to you first, but since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are now going to turn to the gentiles. 47 For that is what the Lord ordered us to do: ‘I have made you a light to the gentiles to be the means of salvation to the very ends of the earth.’”[m]
48 When the gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. Meanwhile, all who had been destined to eternal life believed, 49 and the word of the Lord began to spread throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jewish leaders[n] stirred up devout women of high social standing and the officials in the city, started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their territory. 51 So Paul and Barnabas[o] shook the dust off their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 Meanwhile, the disciples continued to be full of joy and the Holy Spirit.
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