Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Foreign Nations Come to Worship in Jerusalem

Of the sons of Korah. A psalm. A song.^[a]

The Healing of Naaman the Syrian

5 Now Naaman was the commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man before his master and highly regarded,^[a] for by him Yahweh had given victory to Aram. Now the man was a mighty warrior, but he was afflicted with a skin disease. ² When the Arameans went on a raid, they brought back a young girl from the land of Israel, and she came into the service of^[b] the wife of Naaman. ³ She said to her mistress, “If only my lord would come before the prophet who is in Samaria; then he would cure his skin disease.”^{[c] 4} He came and told his master, saying, “Thus and so the girl who is from the land of Israel said.” ⁵ So the king of Aram said, “Go, I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” He went and took with him^[d] ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of clothing.

⁶ So he brought the letter of the king to Israel, saying, “Now, when this letter comes to you, I have just sent Naaman my servant to you that you may cure him from his skin disease.” ⁷ It happened that when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God to cause death or to give life? This man is sending a man to me to cure his disease. Indeed! But know and see that he seeks an opportunity against me.”

⁸ It happened that as soon as Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why did you tear your clothes? Please may he come to me, that he might know that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ Then Naaman came with his horses and his chariots, and he stopped at the doorway of the house of Elisha. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, you must wash seven times in the Jordan, then your flesh shall return to you, and you shall be clean.” ¹¹ But Naaman became angry and he went and said, “Look, I said to myself, ‘Surely he will come out, stand, call upon the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hands over the spot; then he would take away the skin disease.’ ¹² Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all of the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them that I may be clean?” Then he turned and left in anger. ¹³ But his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had spoken a difficult thing to you to do, would you not have done it? Why not even when he says to you, ‘Wash and you shall be clean’?” ¹⁴ So he went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh returned as the flesh of a small boy, and he was clean.

The Jerusalem Council

15 And some men came down from Judea and^[a] began teaching^[b] the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after^[c] there was no little strife and debate by Paul and Barnabas against them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this issue. ³ So they were sent on their way by the church, and^[d] passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ And when they^[e] arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and reported all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some of those who had believed from the party of the Pharisees stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them^[f] to observe the law of Moses!”

⁶ Both the apostles and the elders assembled to deliberate concerning this matter. ⁷ And after^[g] there was much debate, Peter stood up and^[h] said to them, “Men and brothers, you know that in the early days^[i] God chose among you through my mouth that the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by^[j] giving them^[k] the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us. ⁹ And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ So now why are you putting God to the test by^[l] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same^[m] way those also are.” ¹² And the whole group became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³ And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Men and brothers, listen to me! ¹⁴ Simeon has described how God first concerned himself to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name. ¹⁵ And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

¹⁹ Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, ²⁰ but we should write a letter to them to abstain from the pollution of idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood. ²¹ For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, because he^[r] is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”