15:1-41 - Study Chapter - Click the Play Button for Chapter Audio
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1 Some R808 men came down from Judea and {began} teaching the R809 brethren, "Unless you are circumcised R810 according to the R811 custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great F347 dissension and debate R812 with them, {the R813 brethren} determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles R814 and elders concerning this issue. 3 Therefore, being sent R815 on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia R816 and Samaria, describing R817 in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the R818 brethren. 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the R819 apostles and the elders, and they reported R820 all that God had done with them. 5 But some of the R821 sect of the Pharisees R822 who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise R823 them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses."
6 The R824 apostles and the elders came together to look F348 into this matter. F3497 After there had been much debate, R825 Peter stood up and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in F350 the early days God R826 made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the R827 gospel and believe. 8 "And God, who R828 knows the heart, testified to them giving R829 them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He R830 made no distinction between us and them, cleansing R831 their hearts by faith. 10 "Now therefore why do you put R832 God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither R833 our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 "But we believe that we are saved through the R834 grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." 12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating R835 what signs R836 and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they had stopped speaking, James F351R837 answered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me. 14 "Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 "With this the words of the R838 Prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 'AFTER THESE THINGS I R839 will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE F352 OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, 17 SO R840 THAT THE REST OF MANKIND F353 MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO F354R841 ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,' 18 SAYS R842 THE LORD, WHO MAKES F355R843 THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO. 19 "Therefore it is my R844 judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things F356R845 contaminated by idols and from fornication R846 and from what R847 is strangled and from blood. 21 "For Moses R848 from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he F357 is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
22 Then it seemed good to the R849 apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch R850 with Paul and Barnabas--Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, R851 leading men among the R852 brethren, 23 and they sent F358 this letter by them, "The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the R853 brethren in Antioch R854 and Syria R855 and Cilicia R856 who are from the Gentiles, greetings. R85724 we have heard that some R858 of F359 our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed R859 you with {their} words, unsettling your souls, 25 seemed good to us, having become F360 of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked F361R860 their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 we have sent Judas R861 and Silas, R862 who themselves will also report the same things by word {of mouth.} 28 it R863 seemed good to the R864 Holy Spirit and to us R865 to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 you abstain from things R866 sacrificed to idols and from blood R867 and from things R868 strangled and from fornication; R869 if F362 you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." 30 So when they were sent away, they R870 went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation F363 together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. F36432 Judas R871 and Silas, R872 also being prophets R873 themselves, encouraged F365 and strengthened the R874 brethren with a lengthy message. 33 After they had spent time {there,} they were sent away from the brethren in R875 peace to those who had sent R876 them out. 34 [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] 35 But Paul R877 and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching R878 with many others also, the R879 word of the Lord.
36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us return and visit the brethren in every R880 city in which we proclaimed the R881 word of the Lord, {and see} how they are." 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, R882 called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted R883 them in F366 Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark R884 with him and sailed away to Cyprus. R88540 But Paul chose Silas R886 and left, being committed R887 by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he was traveling through Syria R888 and Cilicia, R889 strengthening the churches.
16:1-40 - Study Chapter - Click the Play Button for Chapter Audio
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1 Paul came also to Derbe R890 and to Lystra. R891 And a disciple was there, named Timothy, R892 the son of a Jewish R893 woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek, 2 and he was well spoken of by the R894 brethren who were in Lystra R895 and Iconium. R8963 Paul wanted this man to go F367 with him; and he took R897 him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the R898 decrees which had been decided upon by the R899 apostles and elders R900 who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe. 5 So the R901 churches were being strengthened in F368 the faith, and were increasing R902 in number daily.
6 They passed through the Phrygian F369R903 and Galatian R904 region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; F370R9057 and after they came to Mysia, R906 they were trying to go into Bithynia, R907 and the Spirit R908 of Jesus did not permit them; 8 and passing by Mysia, R909 they came down to Troas. R9109 A R911 vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia R912 was standing and appealing to him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us." 10 When he had seen the R913 vision, immediately we R914 sought to go F371 into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach R915 the gospel to them. 11 So putting out to sea from Troas, R916 we ran a R917 straight course to Samothrace, and on the day following to Neapolis; 12 and from there to Philippi, R918 which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia, R919 a R920 {Roman} colony; and we were staying in this city for some days. 13 And on the R921 Sabbath day we went outside the gate to a riverside, where we were supposing that there would be a place of prayer; and we sat down and began speaking to the women who had assembled. 14 A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, R922 a seller of purple fabrics, a R923 worshiper of God, was listening; and F372 the Lord opened R924 her heart to respond to the things spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her R925 household had been baptized, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.
16 It happened that as we were going to the R926 place of prayer, a slave-girl having a R927 spirit of divination met us, who was bringing her masters much profit by fortune-telling. 17 Following after Paul and us, she kept crying out, saying, "These men are bond-servants of the R928 Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the F373 way of salvation." 18 She continued doing this for many days. But Paul was greatly annoyed, and turned and said to the spirit, "I command you in R929 the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!" And it came out at that very moment. F37419 But when her masters saw that their hope of profit R930 was gone, F375 they seized Paul R931 and Silas and dragged R932 them into the market place before the authorities, 20 and when they had brought them to the chief magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion, being Jews, 21 and are R933 proclaiming customs which it is not lawful for us to accept or to observe, being Romans." R93422 The crowd rose up together against them, and the chief magistrates tore their robes F376 off them and proceeded to order {them} F377 to be beaten R935 with rods. 23 When they had struck them with many blows, they threw them into prison, commanding the R936 jailer to guard them securely; 24 and F378 he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the R937 stocks. F379
25 But about midnight Paul R938 and Silas were praying and singing R939 hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them; 26 and suddenly there R940 came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and immediately all R941 the doors were opened and everyone's chains R942 were unfastened. 27 When the R943 jailer awoke and saw the prison doors opened, he drew his sword and was about to R944 kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped. 28 But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!" 29 And he called for lights and rushed in, and trembling with fear he fell down before Paul R945 and Silas, 30 and after he brought them out, he said, "Sirs, what R946 must I do to be saved?" 31 They said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your R947 household." 32 And they spoke the word of the F380 Lord to him together with all who were in his house. 33 And he took them that R948 {very} hour of the night and washed their wounds, and immediately he was baptized, he and all his {household.} 34 And he brought them into his house and set food F381 before them, and rejoiced greatly, F382 having believed in God with his R949 whole household.
35 Now when day came, the chief magistrates sent their policemen, saying, "Release those men." 36 And the R950 jailer reported these words to Paul, {saying,} "The chief magistrates have sent to release you. Therefore come out now and go in R951 peace." 37 But Paul said to them, "They have beaten us in public without trial, men R952 who are Romans, and have thrown us into prison; and now are they sending us away secretly? No indeed! But let them come themselves and bring us out." 38 The policemen reported these words to the chief magistrates. They R953 were afraid when they heard that they were Romans, 39 and they came and appealed to them, and when they had brought them out, they kept begging them to R954 leave the city. 40 They went out of the prison and entered {the house of} Lydia, R955 and when they saw the R956 brethren, they encouraged F383 them and departed.
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