And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch),

Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, proclaiming the message to no one except Jews alone.

Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, proclaiming the message to no one except Jews alone.

And [when he] found [him], he brought [him] to Antioch. And it happened to them also [that they] met together [for] a whole year with the church and taught a large number [of people]. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians. Now in those days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. read more. And one of them {named} Agabus stood up [and] indicated by the Spirit [that] a great famine was about to come over the whole inhabited earth (which took place in the time of Claudius). So from the disciples, {according to their ability to give}, each one of them determined to send [financial aid] for support to the brothers who lived in Judea, which they also did, sending [the aid] to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.

Now there were prophets and teachers in Antioch in the church that was there: Barnabas, and Simeon (who was called Niger), and Lucius the Cyrenian, and Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch), and Saul. And [while] they were serving the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart now for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." read more. Then, [after they] had fasted and prayed and placed [their] hands on them, they sent [them] away. Therefore, sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed away to Cyprus.

Therefore, sent out by the Holy Spirit, they came down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed away to Cyprus.

And they went on from Perga [and] arrived at Pisidian Antioch. And they entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath [and] sat down.

And they went on from Perga [and] arrived at Pisidian Antioch. And they entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath [and] sat down.

And [after they] had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

And [after they] had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

and from there they sailed away to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had completed.

And some men came down from Judea [and] began teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom [prescribed] by Moses, you cannot be saved." And [after] 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. read more. So they were sent on their way by the church, [and] passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers. And [when they] arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and reported all that God had done with them. 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] to observe the law of Moses!" Both the apostles and the elders assembled to deliberate concerning this matter. And [after] there was much debate, Peter stood up [and] said to them, "Men [and] brothers, you know that in the early days God chose among you through my mouth [that] the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them [by] giving [them] the Holy Spirit, just as he also [did] to us. And he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. So now why are you putting God to the test [by] placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe [we] will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in {the same} way those also [are]." 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. And after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Men [and] brothers, listen to me! Simeon has described how God first concerned himself to take from among the Gentiles a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 'After these [things] I will return and build up again the tent of David that has fallen, and the [parts] of it that had been torn down I will build up again and will restore it, so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles {who are called by my name}, says the Lord, who makes these [things] known from of old.' Therefore I conclude we should not cause difficulty for those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 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. For Moses has those who proclaim him in every city from ancient generations, [because he] is read aloud in the synagogues on every Sabbath." Then it seemed best to the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas--Judas who was called Barsabbas and Silas, men [who were] leaders among the brothers--

But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord with many others also. And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, "Come then,[let us] return [and] visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [to see] how they are [doing]." read more. Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also, but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work. And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark [and] sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas [and] departed, [after] being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

And they traveled through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia.

And [when he] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, [and] went down to Antioch.

And [when he] arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, [and] went down to Antioch. And [after] spending some time [there], he departed, traveling through one [place] after another [in] the Galatian region and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed [him] to his face, because he was condemned. For before certain people came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles, but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, [because he] was afraid of those [who were] of the circumcision, read more. and the rest of the Jews also joined in [this] hypocrisy with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with them in [their] hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not being straightforward with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of [them] all, "If you, [although you] are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?" We [are] Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles, but knowing that a person is not justified by the works of the law, if not by faith in Jesus Christ, and we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law {no human being will be justified}. But if [while] seeking to be justified by Christ, [we] ourselves also have been found [to be] sinners, then [is] Christ an agent of sin? May it never be! For if I build up again these [things] which I destroyed, I show myself [to be] a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, in order that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me, and that [life] I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not declare invalid the grace of God, for if righteousness [is] through the law, then Christ died to no purpose.

For I testify to him that {he is working hard} on behalf of you and those in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis. Luke the physician, our dear friend, greets you, [as does] Demas. read more. Greet the brothers in Laodicea, and Nympha and the church in her house. And whenever this letter is read among you, {see to it} that it is read also among the Laodicean church, and that you also read the [letter] from Laodicea.

knowing that such a person is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned.

saying, "What you see, write in a book and send [it] to the seven churches: to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea."

"And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: "This is what the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the originator of God's creation, says: