Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

By David.

²⁷ As they were going toward the city limits, Samuel told Saul, “Have the servant go ahead of you.” (He went ahead.) “But you stay here, and I will tell you God’s word.”

Saul Anointed by Samuel

10 Samuel took a flask of olive oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “The Lord has anointed you to be ruler of his people Israel. You will rule his people and save them from all their enemies. This will be the sign that the Lord has anointed you ^[a] to be ruler of his people. ² When you leave me today, two men will be at Rachel’s grave on the border of Benjamin at Zelzah. They’ll tell you, ‘We’ve found the donkeys you went looking for. Your father no longer cares about them. Instead, he’s worried about you. He keeps asking, “What can I do ⌞to find⌟ my son?” ’ ³ Keep going until you come to the oak tree at Tabor. There you will find three men on their way to worship God at Bethel: One will be carrying three young goats, one will be carrying three loaves of bread, and one will be carrying a ⌞full⌟ wineskin. ⁴ They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you should accept from them. ⁵ After that, you will come to the hill of God, where the Philistines have a military post. When you arrive at the city, you will meet a group of prophets prophesying as they come from the worship site. They will be led by men playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre. ⁶ Then the Lord’s Spirit will come over you. You will be a different person while you prophesy with them. ⁷ When these signs happen to you, do what you must, because God is with you. ⁸ Go ahead of me to Gilgal. Then I will come to sacrifice burnt offerings and make fellowship offerings. Wait seven days until I come to tell you what to do.”

Paul Was Accepted as an Apostle by the Leaders in Jerusalem

2 Then 14 years later I went to Jerusalem again with Barnabas. I also took Titus along. ² I went in response to a revelation ⌞from God⌟. I showed them the way I spread the Good News among people who are not Jewish. I did this in a private meeting with those recognized as important people to see whether all my efforts had been wasted.

³ Titus was with me, and although he is Greek, no one forced him to be circumcised.

⁴ False Christians were brought in. They slipped in as spies to learn about the freedom Christ Jesus gives us. They hoped to find a way to control us. ⁵ But we did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the Good News would always be yours.

⁶ Those who were recognized as important people didn’t add a single thing to my message. (What sort of people they were makes no difference to me, since God doesn’t play favorites.) ⁷ In fact, they saw that I had been entrusted with telling the Good News to people who are not circumcised as Peter had been entrusted to tell it to those who are circumcised. ⁸ The one who made Peter an apostle to Jewish people also made me an apostle to people who are not Jewish. ⁹ James, Cephas, and John (who were recognized as the most important people) acknowledged that God had given me this special gift.^[a] So they shook hands with Barnabas and me, agreeing to be our partners. It was understood that we would work among the people who are not Jewish and they would work among Jewish people. ¹⁰ The only thing they asked us to do was to remember the poor, the very thing which I was eager to do.