Acts 15-16; Psalms 126 - Prayer Tents

The Council at Jerusalem

15While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers

: "Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved."G2532G5100G2718G575G2449G1321G80G3754G3362G4059G1485G3475G3756G1410G4982

2Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.G3767G3972G2532G921G1096G3756G3641G4714G2532G4803G4314G846G5021G3972G2532G921G2532G5100G243G1537G846G305G1519G2419G4314G652G2532G4245G4012G5127G2213

3The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them—much to everyone's joy—that the Gentiles, too, were being converted.G3303G3767G4311G5259G1577G1330G5403G2532G4540G1555G1995G1484G2532G4160G3173G5479G3956G80

4When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them.G1161G3854G1519G2419G588G5259G1577G2532G652G2532G4245G5037G312G3745G2316G4160G3326G846

5But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, "The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses."G1161G1817G5100G575G139G5330G4100G3004G3754G1163G4059G846G5037G3853G5083G3551G3475

6So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue.G1161G652G2532G4245G4863G1492G4012G5127G3056

7At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.G1161G1096G4183G4803G4074G450G2036G4314G846G435G80G5210G1987G3754G744G2250G575G2316G1586G1722G2254G1484G1223G3450G4750G191G3056G2098G2532G4100

8God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.G2532G2316G2589G846G3140G1325G846G40G4151G2532G2531G2254

9He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.G2532G1252G3762G1252G3342G5037G2257G2532G846G2511G846G2588G4102

10So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers

with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?G3568G3767G5101G3985G2316G2007G2218G1909G5137G3101G3739G3777G2257G3962G3777G2249G2480G941

11We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus."G235G4100G1223G5485G2962G2424G5547G4982G2596G3739G5158G2548

12Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.G1161G3956G4128G4601G2532G191G921G2532G3972G1834G3745G4592G2532G5059G2316G4160G1722G1484G1223G846

13When they had finished, James stood and said, "Brothers, listen to me.G1161G3326G4601G846G4601G2385G611G3004G435G80G191G3450

14Peter

has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself.G4826G1834G2531G2316G4412G1980G1484G2983G1537G2992G1909G846G3686

15And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written.G2532G5129G4856G3056G4396G2531G1125

16'Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house

of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,G3326G5023G390G2532G456G4633G1138G3588G4098G2532G456G2679G846G2532G461G846G461

17so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—G3704G302G2645G444G1567G2962G2532G3956G1484G1909G3739G3450G3686G1941G1909G846G3004G2962G3588G4160G3956G5023

18he who made these things known so long ago.'

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19"And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.G1352G1473G2919G3926G3361G3588G575G1484G1994G1909G2316

20Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.G235G1989G846G567G575G234G1497G2532G4202G2532G4156G2532G129

21For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations."G1063G3475G1537G744G1074G2192G2596G4172G2784G846G314G1722G4864G2596G3956G4521

The Letter for Gentile Believers

22Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders

—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas.G5119G1380G652G2532G4245G4862G3650G1577G3992G1586G435G1537G846G1519G490G4862G3972G2532G921G2455G1941G923G2532G4609G2233G435G1722G80

23This is the letter they took with them: "This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!G1125G1223G5495G846G3592G652G2532G4245G2532G80G5463G80G3588G1537G1484G2596G490G2532G4947G2532G2791

24"We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them!G1894G191G3754G5100G1831G1537G2257G5015G5209G3056G384G5216G5590G3004G4059G2532G5083G3551G3739G1291G3756G1291

25So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,G1380G2254G1096G3661G3992G1586G435G4314G5209G4862G2257G27G921G2532G3972

26who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.G444G3860G846G5590G5228G3686G2257G2962G2424G5547

27We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question.G649G3767G2455G2532G4609G846G518G2532G518G846G1223G3056

28"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements.G1063G1380G40G4151G2532G2254G2007G5213G3367G4119G922G4133G5130G1876

29You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell."G567G1494G2532G129G2532G4156G2532G4202G1537G3739G1301G1438G4238G2095G4517

30The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter.G3303G3767G630G2064G1519G490G2532G4863G4128G4863G1929G1992

31And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.G1161G314G5463G1909G3874

32Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith.G2455G2532G4609G5607G4396G2532G846G3870G80G1223G4183G3056G2532G1991

33They stayed for a while, and then the believers sent them back to the church in Jerusalem with a blessing of peace.G1161G4160G5550G630G3326G1515G575G80G4314G652

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35Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there.G3972G1161G2532G921G1304G1722G490G1321G2532G2097G3056G2962G3326G4183G2087G2532

Paul and Barnabas Separate

36After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing."G1161G5100G2250G3326G3972G2036G4314G921G1211G1994G1980G2257G80G2596G3956G4172G1722G3739G2605G3056G2962G4459G2192

37Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.G1161G921G1011G4838G2491G2564G3138

38But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.G1161G3972G515G3361G515G4838G5126G4838G3588G868G575G846G575G3828G2532G4905G3361G846G1519G2041

39Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.G3767G3948G1096G3948G846G5620G673G575G240G5037G921G3880G3138G1602G1519G2954

40Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord's gracious care.G1161G3972G1951G4609G1831G3860G5259G80G5485G2316

41Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.G1161G1330G4947G2532G2791G1991G1577

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey

16Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish believer, but his father was a Greek.G1161G2658G1519G1191G2532G3082G2532G2400G5100G3101G2258G1563G3686G5095G5207G5100G1135G2453G4103G1161G3962G1672

2Timothy was well thought of by the believers

in Lystra and Iconium,G3739G3140G5259G80G1722G3082G2532G2430

3so Paul wanted him to join them on their journey. In deference to the Jews of the area, he arranged for Timothy to be circumcised before they left, for everyone knew that his father was a Greek.G5126G2309G3972G1831G4862G846G2532G2983G4059G846G1223G2453G3588G5607G1722G1565G5117G1063G1492G537G3754G846G3962G5225G1672

4Then they went from town to town, instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.G1161G5613G1279G4172G3860G846G1378G5442G2919G5259G652G2532G4245G3588G1722G2419

5So the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day.G3303G3767G4732G1577G4732G4102G2532G4052G706G2250G2596

A Call from Macedonia

6Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time.G1161G1330G5435G2532G5561G1054G2967G5259G40G4151G2980G3056G1722G773

7Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia

, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there.G2064G2596G3465G3985G4198G2596G978G2532G4151G1439G846G3756

8So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas.G1161G3928G3465G2597G1519G5174

9That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"G2532G3705G3700G3972G1223G3571G2258G2476G5100G435G3110G3870G846G2532G3004G1224G1519G3109G997G2254

10So we

decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.G1161G5613G1492G3705G2112G2212G1831G1519G3109G4822G3754G2962G4341G2248G2097G846

Lydia of Philippi Believes in Jesus

11We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis.G3767G321G575G5174G2113G1519G4543G5037G1966G1519G3496

12From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days.G5037G1564G1519G5375G3748G2076G4413G4172G3310G3109G2862G1161G2258G1722G5026G4172G1304G5100G2250

13On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there.G5037G4521G2250G1831G1854G4172G3844G4215G3757G4335G3543G1511G2532G2523G2980G1135G4905

14One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying.G2532G5100G1135G3686G3070G4211G4172G2363G4576G2316G191G3739G2588G2962G1272G4337G2980G5259G3972

15She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. "If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord," she said, "come and stay at my home." And she urged us until we agreed.G1161G5613G907G2532G846G3624G3870G3004G1487G2919G3165G1511G4103G2962G1525G1519G3450G3624G3306G2532G3849G2248

Paul and Silas in Prison

16One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters.G1161G1096G2257G4198G1519G4335G5100G3814G2192G4151G4436G528G2254G3748G3930G846G2962G4183G2039G3132

17She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved."G3778G2628G3972G2532G2254G2896G3004G3778G444G1526G1401G5310G2316G3748G2605G2254G3598G4991

18This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, "I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And instantly it left her.G1161G5124G4160G1909G4183G2250G1161G3972G1278G1994G2532G2036G4151G3853G4671G1722G3686G2424G5547G1831G575G846G2532G1831G846G5610

19Her masters' hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.G1161G846G2962G1492G3754G1680G846G2039G1831G1949G3972G2532G4609G1670G1519G58G1909G758

20"The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!" they shouted to the city officials.G2532G4317G846G4755G2036G3778G444G5225G2453G1613G2257G4172

21"They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice."G2532G2605G1485G3739G1832G3756G1832G2254G3858G3761G4160G5607G4514

22A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods.G2532G3793G4911G2596G846G2532G4755G4048G846G2440G2753G4463

23They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn't escape.G5037G2007G4183G4127G846G906G1519G5438G3853G1200G5083G846G806

24So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.G3739G2983G5108G3852G906G846G1519G2082G5438G2532G805G846G4228G805G1519G3586

25Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.G1161G2596G3317G3972G2532G4609G4336G5214G2316G1161G1198G1874G846

26Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off!G1161G869G1096G3173G4578G5620G2310G1201G4531G5037G3916G3956G2374G455G2532G3956G1199G447

27The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself.G1161G1200G1096G1853G2532G1492G5438G2374G455G4685G3162G3195G337G1438G3543G1198G1628

28But Paul shouted to him, "Stop! Don't kill yourself! We are all here!"G1161G3972G5455G3173G5456G3004G4238G4572G3367G2556G1063G2070G537G1759

29The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.G1161G154G5457G1530G2532G1096G1790G4363G3972G2532G4609

30Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"G2532G4254G846G1854G5346G2962G5101G1163G3165G4160G2443G4982

31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household."G1161G2036G4100G1909G2962G2424G5547G2532G4771G4982G2532G4675G3624

32And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household.G2532G2980G846G3056G2962G2532G3956G1722G846G3614

33Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized.G2532G3880G846G1722G1565G5610G3571G3068G575G4127G2532G907G846G2532G3956G846G3916

34He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.G5037G321G846G1519G3624G3908G5132G3908G2532G21G4100G2316G3832G846G3832

35The next morning the city officials sent the police to tell the jailer, "Let those men go!"G1161G1096G2250G4755G649G4465G3004G630G1565G444G630

36So the jailer told Paul, "The city officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace."G1161G1200G518G5128G3056G4314G3972G3754G4755G649G2443G630G3568G3767G1831G4198G1722G1515

37But Paul replied, "They have publicly beaten us without a trial and put us in prison—and we are Roman citizens. So now they want us to leave secretly? Certainly not! Let them come themselves to release us!"G1161G3972G5346G4314G846G1194G2248G1219G178G5225G4514G444G906G1519G5438G2532G3568G1544G2248G1544G2977G3756G1063G235G2064G846G1806G2248G1806

38When the police reported this, the city officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.G1161G4465G312G5023G4487G4755G2532G5399G191G3754G1526G4514

39So they came to the jail and apologized to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.G2532G2064G3870G846G2532G1806G2065G1831G4172

40When Paul and Silas left the prison, they returned to the home of Lydia. There they met with the believers and encouraged them once more. Then they left town.G1161G1831G1537G5438G1525G1519G3070G2532G1492G80G3870G846G2532G1831

126[A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.] When the Lord brought back his exiles to Jerusalem

, it was like a dream!H7892H4609H3068H7725H7870H6726H2492 2We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy. And the other nations said, “What amazing things the Lord has done for them.”H6310H4390H7814H3956H7440H559H1471H3068H6213H1431 3Yes, the Lord has done amazing things for us! What joy!H3068H6213H1431H8056 4Restore our fortunes, Lord, as streams renew the desert.H7725H7622H7622H3068H650H5045 5Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy.H2232H1832H7114H7440 6They weep as they go to plant their seed, but they sing as they return with the harvest.H3212H1980H1058H5375H4901H2233H935H935H7440H5375H485