Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Lord Our God Is Holy

^18 (A)Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy ^(B)clothed with a linen ephod. ¹⁹ And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year ^(C)when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. ²⁰ Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman ^(D)for the petition she asked of the Lord.” So then they would return to their home.

^21 (E)Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. ^(F)And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.

The Jerusalem Council

15 ^(A)But some men came down from Judea and were teaching ^(B)the brothers, “Unless you are ^(C)circumcised ^(D)according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and ^(E)debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and ^(F)some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ^(G)the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, ^(H)being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(I)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and ^(J)brought great joy to all ^(K)the brothers.^{[a] 4 (L)}When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and ^(M)the apostles and the elders, and ^(N)they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to ^(O)the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ^(P)“It is necessary ^(Q)to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then it seemed good to ^(A)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called ^(B)Barsabbas, and ^(C)Silas, leading men among ^(D)the brothers, ²³ with the following letter: ^(E)“The brothers, both ^(F)the apostles and the elders, to the brothers^[a] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, ^(G)greetings. ²⁴ Since we have heard that ^(H)some persons have gone out from us and ^(I)troubled you^[b] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, ²⁵ it has seemed good to us, having come ^(J)to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our ^(K)beloved Barnabas and Paul, ^26 (L)men who have ^(M)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ We have therefore sent ^(N)Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸ For it has seemed good ^(O)to the Holy Spirit and ^(P)to us ^(Q)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: ^29 (R)that you abstain from ^(S)what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

³⁰ So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. ³² And Judas and Silas, who were themselves ^(T)prophets, encouraged and ^(U)strengthened ^(V)the brothers with many words. ³³ And after they had spent some time, they were sent off ^(W)in peace by ^(X)the brothers to those who had sent them.^{[c] 35} But ^(Y)Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.