1 My heart overflows with a pleasing theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.

2  You are the most handsome of the sons of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.

3  Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your splendor and majesty!

4  In your majesty ride out victoriously for the cause of truth and meekness and righteousness; let your right hand teach you awesome deeds!

5  Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you.

6  Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of uprightness;

7  you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

8  your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;

9  daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.

10  Hear, O daughter, and consider, and incline your ear: forget your people and your father’s house,

11  and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him.

12  The people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people.

13  All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.

14  In many-colored robes she is led to the king, with her virgin companions following behind her.

15  With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.

16  In place of your fathers shall be your sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.

17  I will cause your name to be remembered in all generations; therefore nations will praise you forever and ever.

22  Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

23  and they sent this letter by them, "The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

24  "Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,

25  it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

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

27  "Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.

28  "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

29  that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell."

30  So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

31  When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

32  Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.

33  After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out.

34  [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.]

35  But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.

Great Commission Priorities: Defining the Church by Scripture and Outlining Conditions for Community

12  All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

13  After they had stopped speaking, James 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 Prophets agree, just as it is written,

16  'AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT,

17  SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,'

18  SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.

19  "Therefore it is my 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 contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

21  "For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

1  Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

2  And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

3  Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.

4  When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

5  But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses."

6  The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.

7  After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.

8  "And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

9  and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

10  "Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

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

24  They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia.

25  When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26  From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished.

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

28  And they spent a long time with the disciples.

23  When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

1  In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.

2  But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren.

3  Therefore they spent a long time there speaking boldly with reliance upon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.

4  But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

5  And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them,

6  they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region;

7  and there they continued to preach the gospel.

8  At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother's womb, who had never walked.

9  This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well,

10  said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on your feet." And he leaped up and began to walk.

11  When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have become like men and have come down to us."

12  And they began calling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

13  The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

14  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out

15  and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, WHO MADE THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH AND THE SEA AND ALL THAT IS IN THEM.

16  "In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;

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

18  Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

19  But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

20  But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

21  After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

22  strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, "Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."

23  When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

24  They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia.

25  When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26  From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished.

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

28  And they spent a long time with the disciples.

13  Now Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia; but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

14  But going on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

15  After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, "Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it."

16  Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:

17  "The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it.

18  "For a period of about forty years He put up with them in the wilderness.

19  "When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance—all of which took about four hundred and fifty years.

20  "After these things He gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.

21  "Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

22  "After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, 'I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.'

23  "From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

24  after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25  "And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, 'What do you suppose that I am? I am not He. But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.'

26  "Brethren, sons of Abraham's family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.

27  "For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.

28  "And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed.

29  "When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.

30  "But God raised Him from the dead;

31  and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.

32  "And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers,

33  that God has fulfilled this promise to our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, 'YOU ARE MY SON; TODAY I HAVE BEGOTTEN YOU.'

34  "As for the fact that He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: 'I WILL GIVE YOU THE HOLY and SURE blessings OF DAVID.'

35  "Therefore He also says in another Psalm, 'YOU WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR HOLY ONE TO UNDERGO DECAY.'

36  "For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;

37  but He whom God raised did not undergo decay.

38  "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

39  and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

40  "Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you:

41  'BEHOLD, YOU SCOFFERS, AND MARVEL, AND PERISH; FOR I AM ACCOMPLISHING A WORK IN YOUR DAYS, A WORK WHICH YOU WILL NEVER BELIEVE, THOUGH SOMEONE SHOULD DESCRIBE IT TO YOU.'"

42  As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.

43  Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.

44  The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord.

45  But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.

46  Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

47  "For so the Lord has commanded us, 'I HAVE PLACED YOU AS A LIGHT FOR THE GENTILES, THAT YOU MAY BRING SALVATION TO THE END OF THE EARTH.'"

48  When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

49  And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

50  But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

51  But they shook off the dust of their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium.

52  And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

1  Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2  While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

3  Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4  So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

5  When they reached Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

6  When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus,

7  who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

8  But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9  But Saul, who was also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,

10  and said, "You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

11  "Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time." And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

12  Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

1  Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.

2  And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.

3  When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.

4  When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.

5  So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

6  On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

7  And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and woke him up, saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands.

8  And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he *said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me."

9  And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

10  When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

11  When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."

12  And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

13  When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.

14  When she recognized Peter's voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

15  They said to her, "You are out of your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, "It is his angel."

16  But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed.

17  But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, "Report these things to James and the brethren." Then he left and went to another place.

18  Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter.

19  When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.

20  Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king's chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king's country.

21  On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum and began delivering an address to them.

22  The people kept crying out, "The voice of a god and not of a man!"

23  And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

24  But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.

25  And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along with them John, who was also called Mark.