23 after my heart, who shall do all my 'will. Of this 1 Gr. wills. man's seed hath God according to promise brought 24 unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus; when John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repent- of his entering in. 2 Gr. before the face 25 ance to all the people of Israel. And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, What suppose ye that I am? I am not he. But behold, there cometh one after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy 26 to unloose. Brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and those among you that fear God, to us 27 is the word of this salvation sent forth. For they that dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath, fulfilled them by con28 demning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet asked they of Pilate that he should 29 be slain. And when they had fulfilled all things that were written of him, they took him down from 30 the tree, and laid him in a tomb. But God raised 31 him from the dead: and he was seen for many days of them that came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people. 32 And we bring you good tidings of the promise 33 made unto the fathers, how that God hath fulfilled the same unto our children, in that he raised_up Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he hath spoken on this wise, I will give you the holy and 35 sure blessings of David. Because he saith also in 3 another psalm, Thou wilt not give thy Holy One to 36 see corruption. For David, after he had in his own generation served the counsel of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw cor37 ruption: but he whom God raised up saw no cor38 ruption. Be it known unto you therefore, brethren, that through this man is proclaimed unto you re39 mission of sins: and by him every one that believeth is justified from all things, from which ye 40 could not be justified by the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken in the prophets; 41 42 Or, served his own Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; 4 or, vanish away A work which ye shall in no wise believe, if one declare it unto you. And as they went out, they besought that these 1 Many ancient au Lord. 2 Or, railed. words might be spoken to them the next sabbath. And the next sabbath almost the whole city was 44 thorities read the gathered together to hear the word of 'God. But 45 when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with jealousy, and contradicted the things which were spoken by Paul, and 2blasphemed. And Paul 46 and Barnabas spake out boldly, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you. Seeing ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord com- 47 manded us, saying, I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, That thou shouldest be for salvation unto the uttermost part of the earth. And as the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and 48 glorified the word of 'God: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. And the word of 49 the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region. But the Jews urged on the devout women of 50 honourable estate, and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and cast them out of their borders. But 51 they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. And the disciples were 52 filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost. And it came to pass in Iconium, that they en-14 tered together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude both of Jews and of Greeks believed. But the Jews that were diso- 2 bedient stirred up the souls of the Gentiles, and made them evil affected against the brethren. Long 3 time therefore they tarried there speaking boldly in the Lord, which bare witness unto the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was di- 4 vided; and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And when there was made an onset 5 both of the Gentiles and of the Jews with their rulers, to entreat them shamefully, and to stone them, they became aware of it, and fled unto the 6 cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the region round about: and there they preached the 7 gospel. 8 And at Lystra there sat a certain man, impotent in his feet, a cripple from his mother's womb, who 9 never had walked. The same heard Paul speaking: who, fastening his eyes upon him, and seeing 10 that he had faith to be 'made whole*, said with a 1 Or, saved loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he 11 leaped up and walked. And when the multitudes 2 Gr. Zeus. 3 Gr. Hermes. saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voice, saying in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are 12 come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercury, be13 cause he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Jupiter whose temple was before the city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have 14 done sacrifice with the multitudes. But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they rent their garments, and sprang forth among the multi15 tude, crying out and saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like 'passions with 4 Or, nature you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and 16 all that in them is: who in the generations gone by suffered all the nations to walk in their own ways. 17 And yet he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave you from heaven rains and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and 18 gladness. And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from doing sacrifice unto them. 19 But there came Jews thither from Antioch and Iconium: and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul, and dragged him out of the city, sup20 posing that he was dead. But as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and entered into the city: and on the morrow he went forth with Barnabas 21 to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God. 23 And when they had appointed for them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had 24 believed. And they passed through Pisidia, and 25 came to Pamphylia. And when they had spoken *"made whole" omit marg. 1-Am. Com. 1 Gr. from early days. the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia; and 26 thence they sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been committed to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled. And when they 27 were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all things that God had done with them, and how that he had opened a door of faith unto the Gentiles. And they tarried no little time 28 with the disciples. And certain men came down from Judæa and 15 taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved. And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissen- 2 sion and questioning with them, the brethren appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. They therefore, being 3 brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Je- 4 rusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them. But there rose up 5 certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and the elders were gathered to- 6 gether to consider of this matter. And when there 7 had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know how that 'a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the heart, bare 8 them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and he made no distinction between 9 us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now 10 therefore why tempt ye God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we be-11 lieve that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they. And all the multitude kept silence; and they 12 hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, 13 James answered, saying, 14 Brethren, hearken unto me: Symeon hath rehearsed how first God did visit the Gentiles, to take 15 out of them a people for his name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 17 18 After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of David, And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up: That the residue of men may seek after the And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is 1 Or, who doeth these known Saith the Lord, 'who maketh these things known things which were from the beginning of the world*. 19 Wherefore my judgement is, that we trouble not them which from among the Gentiles turn to God; 20 but that we write unto them, that they abstain from 2 Or, enjoin them the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and 21 from what is strangled, and from blood. For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath. 22 3 Some ancient au which went out. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas called Barsabbas, and 23 Silas, chief men among the brethren: and they wrote thus by them, The apostles and the elder brethrent unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in An24 tioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting: Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from thorities omit us have troubled you with words, subverting your 25 souls; to whom we gave no commandment; it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them unto you with 26 our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus 27 Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things 28 by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden 29 than these necessary things; that ye abstain from *For "from the beginning of the world" read "from of old "— Am. Com. † For "The apostles and the elder brethren" read "The apostles and the elders, brethren," and put the present text into the marg. -Am. Com. |