Study Desk

In ^(C1)Iconium ^(C2)they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a way ^(C3)that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of ^(C4)Greeks.

But ^(C1)the ^(F1)(C2)unbelieving Jews stirred up the ^(F2)minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against ^(C3)the brothers.

Therefore they spent a long time there ^(C1)speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that ^(F1)(C2)signs and wonders be performed by their hands.

^(C1)But the ^(F1)people of the city were divided; and some ^(F2)sided with ^(C2)the Jews, while others, with ^(C3)the apostles.

And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and ^(C1)the Jews with their rulers, to treat them abusively and to ^(C2)stone them,

they became aware of it and fled to the cities of ^(C1)Lycaonia, ^(C2)Lystra and ^(C3)Derbe, and the surrounding region;

and there they continued to ^(C1)preach the gospel.

In ^(C1)Lystra ^(C2)a man was sitting whose feet were incapacitated. He had been disabled from his mother's womb, and had never walked.

This man was listening to Paul as he spoke. Paul ^(C1)looked at him intently and saw that he had ^(C2)faith to be ^(F1)made well,

and he said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet!" ^(C1)And the man leaped up and began to walk.

When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the ^(C1)Lycaonian language, "^(C2)The gods have become like men and have come down to us!"

And they began calling Barnabas, ^(F1)Zeus, and Paul, ^(F2)Hermes, since he was ^(F3)the chief speaker.

Moreover, the priest of Zeus, whose temple was ^(F1)just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and ^(C1)wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

But when ^(C1)the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard about it, they ^(C2)tore their ^(F1)robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out

and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also ^(C1)men, of the same nature as you, ^(C2)preaching the gospel to you, to turn from these ^(F1)(C3)useless things to a ^(C4)living God, who ^(C5)MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA, AND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THEM.

"^(F1)In past generations He ^(C1)permitted all the ^(F2)nations to ^(C2)go their own ways;

yet ^(C1)He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and ^(C2)gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, ^(F1)satisfying your hearts with food and gladness."

And even by saying these things, only with difficulty did they restrain the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

But ^(C1)Jews came from ^(C2)Antioch and ^(C3)Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they ^(C4)stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking that he was dead.

But while ^(C1)the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he left with Barnabas for ^(C2)Derbe.

And after they had ^(C1)preached the gospel to that city and had ^(C2)made a good number of disciples, they returned to ^(C3)Lystra, to ^(C4)Iconium, and to ^(C5)Antioch,

strengthening the souls of ^(C1)the disciples, encouraging them to continue in ^(C2)the faith, and saying, "^(C3)It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God."

When ^(C1)they had appointed ^(C2)elders for them in every church, having ^(C3)prayed with fasting, they ^(C4)entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

They passed through ^(C1)Pisidia and came into ^(C2)Pamphylia.

When they had spoken the word in ^(C1)Perga, they went down to Attalia.

From there they sailed to ^(C1)Antioch, ^(C2)where they had been ^(C3)entrusted to the grace of God for the work that they had ^(F1)accomplished.

When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to ^(C1)report all the things that God had done with them and ^(F1)how He had opened a ^(C2)door of faith to the Gentiles.

And they spent ^(F1)a long time with ^(C1)the disciples.

^(C1)Some men came down from Judea and began teaching ^(C2)the brothers, "Unless you are ^(C3)circumcised according to ^(C4)the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

And after Paul and Barnabas had ^(F1)a heated argument and ^(C1)debate with them, ^(C2)the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the ^(C3)apostles and elders concerning this issue.

Therefore, after being ^(C1)sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both ^(C2)Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(C3)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they were bringing great joy to all ^(C4)the brothers and sisters.

When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church, ^(C1)the apostles, and the elders, and they ^(C2)reported all that God had done with them.

But some of ^(C1)the sect of the ^(C2)Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to ^(C3)circumcise ^(F1)them and to direct them to keep the Law of Moses."

^(C1)The apostles and the elders came together to ^(F1)look into this ^(F2)matter.

After there had been much ^(C1)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "^(F1)Brothers, you know that ^(F2)in the early days ^(C2)God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of ^(C3)the gospel and believe.

"And God, ^(C1)who knows the heart, testified to them ^(C2)giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

and ^(C1)He made no distinction between us and them, ^(C2)cleansing their hearts by faith.

"Since this is the case, why are you ^(C1)putting God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which ^(C2)neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear?

"But we believe that we are saved through ^(C1)the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."

All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were ^(C1)relating all the ^(C2)signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles.

After they stopped speaking, ^(F1)(C1)James responded, saying, "^(F2)Brothers, listen to me.

"^(C1)Simeon has described how God first concerned Himself about taking a people for His name from among the Gentiles.

"The words of ^(C1)the Prophets agree with this, just as it is written:

'^(C1)AFTER THESE THINGS ^(C2)I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE FALLEN ^(F1)TABERNACLE OF DAVID, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT,

^(C1)SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES ^(F1)(C2)WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'

^(C1)SAYS THE LORD, WHO ^(F1)(C2)MAKES THESE THINGS known from long ago.

"Therefore, it is ^(C1)my judgment that we do not cause trouble for those from the Gentiles who are turning to God,

but that we write to them that they abstain from ^(F1)(C1)things contaminated by idols, from ^(C2)acts of sexual immorality, from ^(C3)what has been ^(F2)strangled, and from blood.

"For ^(C1)from ancient generations Moses has those who preach him in every city, since ^(F1)he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

Then it seemed good to ^(C1)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to ^(C2)Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas who was called Barsabbas, and ^(C3)Silas, leading men among ^(C4)the brothers,

and they ^(F1)sent this letter with them: "^(C1)The apostles and the brothers who are elders, to ^(C2)the brothers and sisters in ^(C3)Antioch, ^(C4)Syria, and ^(C5)Cilicia who are from the Gentiles: ^(C6)Greetings.

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Since we have heard that ^(C1)some ^(F1)of our number to whom we gave no instruction have ^(C2)confused you by their ^(F2)teaching, upsetting your souls,

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^(C1)it seemed good to us, having ^(F1)become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

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men who have ^(F1)(C1)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Therefore, we have sent ^(C1)Judas and ^(C2)Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.

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For ^(C1)it seemed good to ^(C2)the Holy Spirit and to ^(C3)us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

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that you abstain from ^(C1)things sacrificed to idols, from ^(C1)blood, from ^(C1)things strangled, and from ^(C1)acts of sexual immorality; ^(F1)if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell."

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So when they were sent away, ^(C1)they went down to Antioch; and after gathering the ^(F1)congregation together, they delivered the letter.

When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its ^(F1)encouragement.

^(C1)Judas and ^(C2)Silas, also being ^(C3)prophets themselves, ^(F1)encouraged and strengthened ^(C4)the brothers and sisters with a lengthy message.

After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers and sisters ^(C1)in peace to those who had ^(C2)sent them out.^(F1)

But ^(C1)Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and ^(C2)preaching ^(C3)the word of the Lord, with many others also.

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's return and visit the brothers and sisters in ^(C1)every city in which we proclaimed ^(C2)the word of the Lord, and see how they are."

Barnabas wanted to take ^(C1)John, called Mark, along with them also.

But Paul was of the opinion that they should not take along with them this man who had ^(C1)deserted them ^(F1)in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

Now it turned into such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took ^(C1)Mark with him and sailed away to ^(C2)Cyprus.

But Paul chose ^(C1)Silas, and left after being ^(C2)entrusted by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

And he was traveling through ^(C1)Syria and ^(C2)Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Now Paul also came to ^(C1)Derbe and to ^(C1)Lystra. And a disciple was there, named ^(C2)Timothy, the son of a ^(C3)Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek,

and he was well spoken of by ^(C1)the brothers and sisters who were in ^(C2)Lystra and ^(C3)Iconium.

Paul wanted this man to leave with him; and he ^(C1)took him and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those parts, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering ^(C1)the ordinances for them to follow which had been determined by ^(C2)the apostles and ^(C3)elders in Jerusalem.

So ^(C1)the churches were being strengthened ^(F1)in the faith, and were ^(C2)increasing in number daily.

They passed through the ^(F1)(C1)Phrygian and ^(C2)Galatian region, after being forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in ^(F2)(C3)Asia;

and after they came to ^(C1)Mysia, they were trying to go into ^(C2)Bithynia, and the ^(C3)Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;

and passing by ^(C1)Mysia, they went down to ^(C2)Troas.

^(C1)And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of ^(C2)Macedonia was standing and pleading with him, and saying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us."

When he had seen ^(C1)the vision, ^(C2)we immediately sought to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to ^(C3)preach the gospel to them.