12:1-23
Now at that time Herod the King had hands laid on some of those from the church to ill-treat them. He killed James the brother of John with a sword. Seeing that this was pleasing to the Jews he went on to arrest Peter also. This was in the days of unleavened bread. He seized him and put him in prison delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him. He intended after the Passover to bring him up to the people. Therefore Peter was kept in the prison. But prayer was earnestly being made by the church to God concerning him. During the night before Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He had been bound with two chains and guards were before the door keeping watch at the prison. And behold an angel of the Lord came upon them. A light shone in the building. (The angel), striking the side of Peter raised him up saying "Get up quickly." The chains fell off his hands. The angel said to him. "Dress yourself and put on your sandals." He did so. He told him "Wrap your mantle around you and follow me." And so going forth he (Peter) followed. He was not sure if what was happening through the angel was real. He thought he was seeing a vision. And going through the first prison and (then) the second they came to the iron gate which led to the city. This opened to them of its own accord. And going out they went forward into a street. Immediately the angel departed from him. Peter said to himself "Now I truly know that the Lord sent forth his angel and has delivered me from the hand of Herod and the expectation of the people (leaders?) of the Jews." On realizing this he came upon the house of Mary, the mother
of John who was surnamed Mark. There were many who had assembled there and who were praying. As he knocked on the door of the porch a maidservant approached. to listen. Her name was Rhoda. On recognizing the voice of Peter she was so happy she did not open the porch but ran to announce to those inside that Peter was standing outside the porch door. They said to her "You are raving." But she emphatically insisted it was so. They said "It is his angel" But Peter continued knocking. On opening it they saw him and were amazed. Beckoning to them with his hand to be quiet he told them how the Lord led him out of the prison and said "Tell James and the brothers about these things." And so going out he went on to someone else.
When it was day there was not a little disturbance amongst the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. Herod searched for him and on not finding him he examined the guards and commanded that they be led away (to execution). Then he (Herod) went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.
Now he was furious with the people of Tyre and Sidon. With one mind they came to him. They persuaded Blastus who was in charge of the King's bedchanmber (to get them an audience). They asked for peace because their country relied on the king for food. On an appointed day Herod, having been arrayed with regal clothing and sitting on the tribunal made a public speech to them. The mob cried out. "He has the voice of a god and not of a man." At once an angel of the Lord smote him because he did not give glory to God. He was eaten by worms and died.
12:24-13:12 But the word of the Lord grew and increased. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem having completed their mission, taking with them John who was surnamed Mark. 13:1. Now in Antioch amongst existing church prophets and teachers there were both Barnabas and Simeon who was called Niger. There were Lucius the Cyrenian and Manaen who was a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit spoke to them. Separate off for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. Then having fasted and having prayed and laid hands on them they (leaders of the church in Antioch) dismissed them.
They (Barnabas and Saul) therefore were sent out by the Holy Spirit and went down to Seleucia and from there sailed away to Cyprus. Being in Salamis they announced the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also
had John (Mark) as an attendant. Passing through all the island until Paphos they found a certain man who was a magician and a false prophet. He was Jewish and was named Barjesus. He was with the proconsul Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called Barnabas and Saul to him in order to hear the word of God. But Elymas (which was the translated name of the sorcerer) was opposed to them. He sought to divert the proconsul from the faith. But Saul (also called Paul) was filled with the Holy Spirit and gazed at him and said "You are full of deceit and fraud and a son of the devil the enemy of all righteousness. Will you not stop perverting the righteous ways of the Lord Now behold the hand of the Lord is on you. You will be blind, not seeing the sun until a certain time." And at once a mist and darkness fell on him (the sorcerer) and he sought out people to lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul on seeing what had occurred believed. He was astounded at the teaching of the Lord.
13:13-52 Those who were with Paul set sail from Paphos and came to Perga of Pamphylia. Then John (Mark) departed from them and returned to Jerusalem. The others continued, going from Perga and arriving in Antioch of Persidia. They then went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. After the reading of the law and of the prophets the synagogue rulers said to them "Brethren. If there is any word of exhortation amongst you for the people say it." So rising up Paul motioned with his hand and said "Fellow Israelites and those who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and exalted their people during their sojourn in the land of Egypt. Then with a raised arm
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he led them out of it. They endured in
the desert for about forty years. Then having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan the land was given to them for about four hundred and fifty years. After this God gave (them) judges until the time of Samuel a prophet. Then they asked for a king and God gave them
Saul the son of Cis of the tribe of Benjamin for forty years. Then removing him he (God) raised David up for them as a king. He also gave witness to (David) saying "I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man according to my heart who will do all that I want." According to his promise God raised from the descendants of this man a Saviour called Jesus and brought him to Israel. Before His public entrance John proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. As this (preparation) was completed John said "Who do you suppose me to be? I am not the promised one. He is coming after me and I am not worthy to loosen the sandal on his foot."
(Paul continued) "Brethren, sons of the race of Abraham and those amongst you who fear God, the word of this salvation was sent forth to us. But those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, did not recognise him. So they fulfilled the judgement of the voices of the prophets being read through on every Sabbath. On finding no reason to condemn him to death they asked Pilate to destroy him. Then when they finished doing all the things which had been written concerning him they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. But God raised him out of the dead and he appeared over many
days to those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now witnesses about him to the people. What we preach to you, is that the promise made to the fathers has come about. God has fulfilled that promise to our children by raising up Jesus. This has been as it is written in the second psalm. "You are my son. To-day I have begotten you." And (also) "He raised him up out of the dead so that he would no longer return to corruption." Thus he has said "I will give to you the holy things of David the faithful one. Wherefore also in another psalm he says "You will not give your holy one to see corruption." As far as David himself was concerned having served his own generation with the counsel of God he fell asleep and was added to his fathers and he did see corruption. But the one (Jesus) whom God raised (from the dead) did not see it." Know therefore and let it be understood brethren that it is through this man (Jesus) that forgiveness of sins is announced. (Through him) you are (saved) justified from all the things that you could not be saved from by the law of Moses. Indeed everyone is justified by believing in this man. Watch out therefore in case what has been said in the prophets (re warnings) comes upon you. i.e. "You scoffers, marvel and perish because I work something in your time, yet it is something you refuse to believe in when you are told about it."
And as they (Paul and Barnabas) went out the people asked them to tell them more about this during the week. When the assembly (in the synagogue) was broken up many of the Jews and the worshipping proselytes (converts to Judaism) who were speaking to Paul and Barnabas urged them to continue. And so on the next Sabbath almost all the city was assembled to hear the word of God. But on seeing the crowds the Jews were filled with jealousy and contradicted the things spoken by Paul and so they blasphemed. Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said. "It was necessary for the word of God to be spoken to yourselves first of all. However since you put it away and were not worthy (of it) judge yourselves regarding eternal life. Behold we are going to turn to the Gentiles (non-Jews). For the
Lord has commanded us to do this. (God said) "I have set you as a light for the nations (meaning non-Jews) to be for the salvation (of all) to the ends of the earth."
On hearing about this the non-Jews rejoiced and glorified the word of the Lord. As many as were disposed towards eternal life believed. Thus the word of the Lord was carried throughout all the country. But the Jews pressured the more influential women and chief men of the city and so brought persecution against Paul and Barnabas. Thus they expelled them from their borders. But they (Barnabas and Paul) shook off the dust from their feet (i.e. they moved on ) and came to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.
14:1-6 Now it happened that as they entered into the Jewish synagogue together to speak, a great company of both Jews and Greeks believed. But the Jews who did not agree excited and embittered the minds of the non-Jews against the brothers. The latter continued for a considerable time to speak boldly about the Lord. They witnessed to the life of God (grace) within the
word, working signs and wonders through their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided. Some were with the Jews but others were with the apostles. When there was a plan of both Jews and non-Jews and their rulers to rush at the (apostles) to insult and stone them they perceived this. They escaped to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and the neighbourhood of Derbe and evangelized there.
14:7-18 They were evangelizing there (Lycaonia etc) and a certain man who had no power in his feet was sitting by. He had never walked and had been lame from birth. This man listened to Paul speaking. Paul gazed at him and saw that he had the faith to be healed. He said with a loud voice "Stand up on your feet erect." (The man) leaped up and walked. The crowds on seeing what Paul did lifted up their voice around Lycaonia saying "These men are like gods who have come down to us." So they called Barnabas Zeus and (they called) Paul Hermes since it was he who was the leader of the discourse. The priest of Zeus brought bulls and garlands to the gates of the city and with the crowds wanted to
make a sacrifice. But on hearing about it Barnabas
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and Paul tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd crying
out and saying "Men why are you doing these things? We are only men like yourselves. We are preaching to you about turning away from these vanities towards the Living God who made heaven and earth and the sea and everything in them. In generations past he has allowed all the nations (non-Jews) to go on in their ways. Yet even so, he has witnessed to himself in doing good from heaven like giving rain and at times the bearing of fruit. He has filled our bodies with food and our hearts with gladness." But in saying these things they scarcely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.
14:19 -28 There were Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium. They swayed the crowds (at Lycaonia etc) and so Paul was stoned and dragged outside the city. It was supposed that he had died. But as the disciples surrounded him he got up and went (back) into the city. The next day he went out (from there) with Barnabas and on to Derbe. Having evangelized that city and having made many disciples they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They confirmed the minds of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, (and telling them) that it is through many afflictions that it behoves us to enter into the
kingdom of God. Then, having appointed elders for them in every church and after praying with fasting, they committed them (Paul and Barnabas) to the Lord in whom they had believed. They (then) passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. They were speaking the word in Perga and (then) they came down to Attalia and from there sailed away to Antioch. It was there they were commended to the grace (life) of God for the work which they had accomplished. So having arrived and having assembled the church they reported what things God had done with them - that he had opened a door of faith to the nations (non-Jews). They stayed quite some time with the disciples there (at Antioch).
15:1-29 Some people went down (to Antioch) and taught the brothers "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses you cannot be saved." This caused considerable discord and questioning by Paul and Barnabas with them. So they agreed to go up to Jerusalem with Paul and Barnabas and some of the others amongst them in order to meet with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem and deal with this question. In the process of being sent forward by the church they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria. They related there about the conversion of the nations (non-Jews/ gentiles) and caused great joy amongst all the brothers. Then having arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders. They reported on what things God had done with them. But some of those from the sect of the Pharisees who had been converted stood up. They said "It is fitting to circumcise them and tell them to keep the law of Moses."
The apostles and the elders assembled to see about this matter. After much questioning had taken place, Peter rose up and said to them. "Brethren, you realise that from the beginning (of our ministry) God chose that the nations would hear the word of the gospel through my mouth and believe it. And God the Heart-knower accepted them and gave them the Holy Spirit to them in the same way as to us. There was no distinction made between themselves and us. It was by faith that their hearts were cleansed. Now therefore why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples. (a yoke) which neither our fathers nor ourselves were able to bear. It is through the grace (life) of the Lord Jesus that we believe that we are saved just as they also believe. All the multitude were silent. They (then) heard Barnabas and Paul relating what signs and wonders God had done amongst the nations through themselves. After that they kept
silence. James answered them saying "Brethren hear me. Simon (Peter) told how God first visited him so that he would take his name out to the nations. This agrees with the words of the prophets for it has been written. "After these things I will return and rebuild the tent of David which has fallen. And I will rebuild everything that has been overturned. I will rear it again so that the rest of men may seek the Lord - even all the nations on whom my name has been conferred says the Lord. Doing these things has been known from the beginning."
Because of this I (James) do not want to trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God. Rather write word to them telling them to abstain from the pollution of idols and fornication and anything strangled and also blood. For Moses from ancient generations in every city has had (all sorts of) people reading him (and his law) in the synagogues on every Sabbath.
So it then seemed good to the apostles and to the elders and all the church to send men chosen from amongst them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. Thus Judas called Barsabbas and Silas who were leading men amongst the brothers (went with them) with the following letter. "The apostles and the elders send greeting to the gentile brothers throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. We heard that some of us have troubled you with what was said and have unsettled you minds. We had not commissioned this. Therefore it has seemed good to us with one mind to send some men chosen from amongst us to yourselves with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. These men have given up their previous lives on behalf of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent Judas and Silas so that they through speech can announce the same things. It has appeared good to the Holy Spirit and to us to put no more burden on yourselves than these necessary things. Abstain from idol sacrifices and blood and strangled things and fornication. In doing this you will do well. Farewell.
(Note: Text is mainly a paraphrase of the Literal translation in the RSV Interlinear Greek-English New Testament, 1988)
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