Monday, April 4, 2016
ACTS 15:36 - 18:22 Paul's second missionary journey
36 After 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.”
37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along
John Mark.
38 But Paul disagreed strongly, since John
Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their
work.
39 Their disagreement was so sharp that
they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.
40 Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the
believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care.
41 Then he traveled throughout Syria and
Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.
Acts 16 NLT
1 Paul 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.
2 Timothy was well thought of by the
believers in Lystra and Iconium,
3 so 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.
4 Then they went from town to town,
instructing the believers to follow the decisions made by the apostles and
elders in Jerusalem.
5 So the churches were strengthened in
their faith and grew larger every day.
6 Next 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.
7 Then 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.
8 So instead, they went on through Mysia
to the seaport of Troas.
9 That 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!”
10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at
once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News
there.
11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed
straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at
Neapolis.
12 From there we reached Philippi, a major
city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there
several days.
13 On 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.
14 One 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.
15 She and her household were baptized, 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.
16 One day as we were going down to the
place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell
the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling
fortunes.
17 She 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.”
18 This 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.
19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now
shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the
authorities at the marketplace.
20 “The whole city is in an uproar because
of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials.
21“They are teaching customs that are illegal
for us Romans to practice.”
22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and
Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden
rods.
23 They were severely beaten, and then they
were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t
escape.
24 So the jailer put them into the inner
dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were
praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening.
26 Suddenly, 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!
27 The jailer woke up to see the prison
doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to
kill himself.
28But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill
yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to
the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 Then he brought them out and asked,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.”
32 And they shared the word of the Lord
with him and with all who lived in his household.
33 Even 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.
34 He brought them into his house and set a
meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all
believed in God.
35 The next morning the city officials sent
the police to tell the jailer, “Let those men go!”
36 So the jailer told Paul, “The city
officials have said you and Silas are free to leave. Go in peace.”
37 But 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!”
38When the police reported this, the city
officials were alarmed to learn that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens.
39 So they came to the jail and apologized
to them. Then they brought them out and begged them to leave the city.
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.
ACTS 17 NLT
1 Paul and Silas then traveled through the
towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a
Jewish synagogue.
2 As was Paul’s custom, he went to the
synagogue service, and for three Sabbaths in a row he used the Scriptures to
reason with the people.
3 He explained the prophecies and proved
that the Messiah must suffer and rise from the dead. He said, “This Jesus I’m
telling you about is the Messiah.”
4 Some of the Jews who listened were
persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with many God-fearing Greek men and
quite a few prominent women.
5 But some of the Jews were jealous, so
they gathered some troublemakers from the marketplace to form a mob and start a
riot. They attacked the home of Jason, searching for Paul and Silas so they
could drag them out to the crowd.
6 Not finding them there, they dragged out
Jason and some of the other believers instead and took them before the city
council. “Paul and Silas have caused trouble all over the world,” they shouted,
“and now they are here disturbing our city, too.
7 And Jason has welcomed them into his
home. They are all guilty of treason against Caesar, for they profess
allegiance to another king, named Jesus.”
8 The people of the city, as well as the
city council, were thrown into turmoil by these reports.
9 So the officials forced Jason and the
other believers to post bond, and then they released them.
10 That very night the believers sent Paul
and Silas to Berea. When they arrived there, they went to the Jewish synagogue.
11 And the people of Berea were more
open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s
message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas
were teaching the truth.
12 As a result, many Jews believed, as did
many of the prominent Greek women and men.
13 But when some Jews in Thessalonica
learned that Paul was preaching the word of God in Berea, they went there and
stirred up trouble.
14 The believers acted at once, sending
Paul on to the coast, while Silas and Timothy remained behind.
15 Those escorting Paul went with him all
the way to Athens; then they returned to Berea with instructions for Silas and
Timothy to hurry and join him.
16 While Paul was waiting for them in
Athens, he was deeply troubled by all the idols he saw everywhere in the
city.
17 He went to the synagogue to reason with
the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and he spoke daily in the public square
to all who happened to be there.
18 He also had a debate with some of the Epicurean
and Stoic philosophers. When he told them about Jesus and his resurrection,
they said, “What’s this babbler trying to say with these strange ideas he’s
picked up?” Others said, “He seems to be preaching about some foreign
gods.”
19 Then they took him to the high council
of the city. “Come and tell us about this new teaching,” they said.
20 “You are saying some rather strange
things, and we want to know what it’s all about.”
21 (It should be explained that all the
Athenians as well as the foreigners in Athens seemed to spend all their time
discussing the latest ideas.)
22 So Paul, standing before the council,
addressed them as follows: “Men of Athens, I notice that you are very religious
in every way,
23 for as I was walking along I saw your
many shrines. And one of your altars had this inscription on it: ‘To an Unknown
God.’ This God, whom you worship without knowing, is the one I’m telling you
about.
24 “He is the God who made the world and
everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, he doesn’t live in
man-made temples,
25 and human hands can’t serve his
needs—for he has no needs. He himself gives life and breath to everything, and
he satisfies every need.
26 From one man he created all the nations
throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and
fall, and he determined their boundaries.
27 “His purpose was for the nations to seek
after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not
far from any one of us.
28 For in him we live and move and exist.
As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’
29 And since this is true, we shouldn’t
think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or
stone.
30“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these
things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of
their sins and turn to him.
31 For he has set a day for judging the
world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who
this is by raising him from the dead.”
32 When they heard Paul speak about the
resurrection of the dead, some laughed in contempt, but others said, “We want
to hear more about this later.”
33 That ended Paul’s discussion with
them,
34 but some joined him and became
believers. Among them were Dionysius, a member of the council, a woman named
Damaris, and others with them.
ACTS 18 NLT
1 Then Paul left Athens and went to
Corinth.
2 There he became acquainted with a Jew
named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently arrived from Italy with his wife,
Priscilla. They had left Italy when Claudius Caesar deported all Jews from
Rome.
3 Paul lived and worked with them, for
they were tentmakers just as he was.
4 Each Sabbath found Paul at the
synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.
5 And after Silas and Timothy came down
from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the
Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.
6 But when they opposed and insulted him,
Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own
heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”
7 Then he left and went to the home of
Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the
synagogue.
8 Crispus, the leader of the synagogue,
and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also
heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.
9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision
and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!
10 For I am with you, and no one will
attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.”
11 So Paul stayed there for the next year
and a half, teaching the word of God.
12 But when Gallio became governor of
Achaia, some Jews rose up together against Paul and brought him before the
governor for judgment.
13 They accused Paul of “persuading people
to worship God in ways that are contrary to our law.”
14But just as Paul started to make his defense,
Gallio turned to Paul’s accusers and said, “Listen, you Jews, if this were a
case involving some wrongdoing or a serious crime, I would have a reason to
accept your case.
15 But since it is merely a question of
words and names and your Jewish law, take care of it yourselves. I refuse to
judge such matters.”
16 And he threw them out of the
courtroom.
17 The crowd then grabbed Sosthenes, the
leader of the synagogue, and beat him right there in the courtroom. But Gallio
paid no attention.
18 Paul stayed in Corinth for some time
after that, then said good-bye to the brothers and sisters and went to nearby
Cenchrea. There he shaved his head according to Jewish custom, marking the end
of a vow. Then he set sail for Syria, taking Priscilla and Aquila with
him.
19 They stopped first at the port of
Ephesus, where Paul left the others behind. While he was there, he went to the
synagogue to reason with the Jews.
20 They asked him to stay longer, but he
declined.
21 As he left, however, he said, “I will
come back later, God willing.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.
22 The next stop was at the port of
Caesarea. From there he went up and visited the church at Jerusalem and then
went back to Antioch.
Proverbs 9
Proverbs 9 (New International Version)
Proverbs 9
Invitations of Wisdom and of Folly
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.
4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
7 "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."
13 The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way.
16 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
17 "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!"
18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.
Proverbs 9
Invitations of Wisdom and of Folly
1 Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn out its seven pillars.
2 She has prepared her meat and mixed her wine; she has also set her table.
3 She has sent out her maids, and she calls from the highest point of the city.
4 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
5 "Come, eat my food and drink the wine I have mixed.
6 Leave your simple ways and you will live; walk in the way of understanding.
7 "Whoever corrects a mocker invites insult; whoever rebukes a wicked man incurs abuse.
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
10 "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For through me your days will be many, and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, your wisdom will reward you; if you are a mocker, you alone will suffer."
13 The woman Folly is loud; she is undisciplined and without knowledge.
14 She sits at the door of her house, on a seat at the highest point of the city,
15 calling out to those who pass by, who go straight on their way.
16 "Let all who are simple come in here!" she says to those who lack judgment.
17 "Stolen water is sweet; food eaten in secret is delicious!"
18 But little do they know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of the grave.
Revelation 22
Revelation 22 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 22
Eden Restored
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
John and the Angel
6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
7 "Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll."
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!"
10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy."
Epilogue: Invitation and Warning 12 "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
Revelation 22
Eden Restored
1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.
John and the Angel
6 The angel said to me, "These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place."
7 "Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll."
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. 9 But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!"
10 Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. 11 Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy."
Epilogue: Invitation and Warning 12 "Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you[a] this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."
17 The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.
18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen.
Sunday, April 3, 2016
Proverbs 8
Proverbs 8 (New International Version)
Proverbs 8
Wisdom's Call
1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.
15 By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just;
16 by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. [a]
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.
22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, [b] , [c] before his deeds of old;
23 I was appointed [d] from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.
24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.
32 "Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.
36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."
Proverbs 8
Wisdom's Call
1 Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
2 On the heights along the way, where the paths meet, she takes her stand;
3 beside the gates leading into the city, at the entrances, she cries aloud:
4 "To you, O men, I call out; I raise my voice to all mankind.
5 You who are simple, gain prudence; you who are foolish, gain understanding.
6 Listen, for I have worthy things to say; I open my lips to speak what is right.
7 My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness.
8 All the words of my mouth are just; none of them is crooked or perverse.
9 To the discerning all of them are right; they are faultless to those who have knowledge.
10 Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,
11 for wisdom is more precious than rubies, and nothing you desire can compare with her.
12 "I, wisdom, dwell together with prudence; I possess knowledge and discretion.
13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
14 Counsel and sound judgment are mine; I have understanding and power.
15 By me kings reign and rulers make laws that are just;
16 by me princes govern, and all nobles who rule on earth. [a]
17 I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me.
18 With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth and prosperity.
19 My fruit is better than fine gold; what I yield surpasses choice silver.
20 I walk in the way of righteousness, along the paths of justice,
21 bestowing wealth on those who love me and making their treasuries full.
22 "The LORD brought me forth as the first of his works, [b] , [c] before his deeds of old;
23 I was appointed [d] from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began.
24 When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water;
25 before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth,
26 before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world.
27 I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep,
28 when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep,
29 when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth.
30 Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence,
31 rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.
32 "Now then, my sons, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways.
33 Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it.
34 Blessed is the man who listens to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway.
35 For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the LORD.
36 But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."
Revelation 21
Revelation 21 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 21
A New Heaven and a New Earth
1 Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth,"[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death'[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[c] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits[d] thick.[e] 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[f] 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Revelation 21
A New Heaven and a New Earth
1 Then I saw "a new heaven and a new earth,"[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Look! God's dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death'[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5 He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6 He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. 11 It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. 12 It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. 14 The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.
15 The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[c] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. 17 The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits[d] thick.[e] 18 The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. 19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, 20 the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.[f] 21 The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.
22 I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. 26 The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Revelation 20
Revelation 20 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 20
The Thousand Years
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They[a] had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
The Judgment of Satan
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Judgment of the Dead
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Revelation 20
The Thousand Years
1 And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
4 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They[a] had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
The Judgment of Satan
7 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
The Judgment of the Dead
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.
Friday, April 1, 2016
Revelation 19
Revelation 19 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 19
Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon's Fall
1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:
"Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
3 And again they shouted: "Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever."
4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!"
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants,
you who fear him, both great and small!"
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)
9 Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus."
The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter."[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small."
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
Revelation 19
Threefold Hallelujah Over Babylon's Fall
1 After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:
"Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants."
3 And again they shouted: "Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever."
4 The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried: "Amen, Hallelujah!"
5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying: "Praise our God, all you his servants,
you who fear him, both great and small!"
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: "Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear." (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God's holy people.)
9 Then the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!" And he added, "These are the true words of God."
10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Don't do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus."
The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter."[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, "Come, gather together for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small."
19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.
ACTS 13 and 14 ~ Paul's first missionary journey
ACTS 13 NLT
1 Among the prophets and teachers of the
church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man” ),
Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas ),
and Saul.
2 One day as these men were worshiping the
Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the
special work to which I have called them.”
3 So after more fasting and prayer, the
men laid their hands on them and sent them on their way.
4 So Barnabas and Saul were sent out by
the Holy Spirit. They went down to the seaport of Seleucia and then sailed for
the island of Cyprus.
5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went
to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them
as their assistant.
6 Afterward they traveled from town to
town across the entire island until finally they reached Paphos, where they met
a Jewish sorcerer, a false prophet named Bar-Jesus.
7 He had attached himself to the governor,
Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The governor invited Barnabas and
Saul to visit him, for he wanted to hear the word of God.
8 But Elymas, the sorcerer (as his name
means in Greek), interfered and urged the governor to pay no attention to what
Barnabas and Saul said. He was trying to keep the governor from
believing.
9 Saul, also known as Paul, was filled
with the Holy Spirit, and he looked the sorcerer in the eye.
10 Then he said, “You son of the devil,
full of every sort of deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is good! Will you
never stop perverting the true ways of the Lord?
11 Watch now, for the Lord has laid his
hand of punishment upon you, and you will be struck blind. You will not see the
sunlight for some time.” Instantly mist and darkness came over the man’s eyes,
and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead
him.
12 When the governor saw what had happened,
he became a believer, for he was astonished at the teaching about the
Lord.
13 Paul and his companions then left Paphos
by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left
them and returned to Jerusalem.
14 But Paul and Barnabas traveled inland to
Antioch of Pisidia. On the Sabbath they went to the synagogue for the
services.
15After the usual readings from the books of
Moses and the prophets, those in charge of the service sent them this message:
“Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, come and give
it.”
16 So Paul stood, lifted his hand to quiet
them, and started speaking. “Men of Israel,” he said, “and you God-fearing
Gentiles, listen to me.
17 “The God of this nation of Israel chose
our ancestors and made them multiply and grow strong during their stay in
Egypt. Then with a powerful arm he led them out of their slavery.
18He put up with them through forty years of
wandering in the wilderness.
19Then he destroyed seven nations in Canaan and
gave their land to Israel as an inheritance.
20 All this took about 450 years.
“After that, God gave them judges to rule until the time of Samuel the
prophet.
21 Then the people begged for a king, and
God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, who reigned for
forty years.
22 But God removed Saul and replaced him
with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man
after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’
23 “And it is one of King David’s
descendants, Jesus, who is God’s promised Savior of Israel!
24 Before he came, John the Baptist
preached that all the people of Israel needed to repent of their sins and turn
to God and be baptized.
25 As John was finishing his ministry he asked,
‘Do you think I am the Messiah? No, I am not! But he is coming soon—and I’m not
even worthy to be his slave and untie the sandals on his feet.’
26 “Brothers—you sons of Abraham, and also
you God-fearing Gentiles—this message of salvation has been sent to us!
27 The people in Jerusalem and their
leaders did not recognize Jesus as the one the prophets had spoken about.
Instead, they condemned him, and in doing this they fulfilled the prophets’
words that are read every Sabbath.
28 They found no legal reason to execute
him, but they asked Pilate to have him killed anyway.
29 “When they had done all that the
prophecies said about him, they took him down from the cross and placed him in
a tomb.
30 But God raised him from the dead!
31 And over a period of many days he
appeared to those who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now
his witnesses to the people of Israel.
32 “And now we are here to bring you this
Good News. The promise was made to our ancestors,
33 and God has now fulfilled it for us,
their descendants, by raising Jesus. This is what the second psalm says about
Jesus: ‘You are my Son. Today I have become your Father. ’
34 For God had promised to raise him from
the dead, not leaving him to rot in the grave. He said, ‘I will give you the
sacred blessings I promised to David.’
35 Another psalm explains it more fully:
‘You will not allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.’
36 This is not a reference to David, for
after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died and was
buried with his ancestors, and his body decayed.
37 No, it was a reference to someone
else—someone whom God raised and whose body did not decay.
38 “Brothers, listen! We are here to
proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins.
39 Everyone who believes in him is declared
right with God—something the law of Moses could never do.
40 Be careful! Don’t let the prophets’
words apply to you. For they said,
41 ‘Look, you mockers, be amazed and die!
For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn’t believe even
if someone told you about it.’ ”
42 As Paul and Barnabas left the synagogue
that day, the people begged them to speak about these things again the next
week.
43 Many Jews and devout converts to Judaism
followed Paul and Barnabas, and the two men urged them to continue to rely on
the grace of God.
44 The following week almost the entire
city turned out to hear them preach the word of the Lord.
45 But when some of the Jews saw the
crowds, they were jealous; so they slandered Paul and argued against whatever
he said.
46 Then Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and
declared, “It was necessary that we first preach the word of God to you Jews.
But since you have rejected it and judged yourselves unworthy of eternal life,
we will offer it to the Gentiles.
47 For the Lord gave us this command when
he said, ‘I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the
farthest corners of the earth.’ ”
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they were
very glad and thanked the Lord for his message; and all who were chosen for
eternal life became believers.
49 So the Lord’s message spread throughout
that region.
50 Then the Jews stirred up the influential
religious women and the leaders of the city, and they incited a mob against
Paul and Barnabas and ran them out of town.
51 So they shook the dust from their feet
as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium.
52 And the believers were filled with joy
and with the Holy Spirit.
ACTS 14 NLT
1 The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul
and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a
great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers.
2 Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s
message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas.
3 But the apostles stayed there a long
time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their
message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders.
4 But the people of the town were divided
in their opinion about them. Some sided with the Jews, and some with the
apostles.
5 Then a mob of Gentiles and Jews, along
with their leaders, decided to attack and stone them.
6 When the apostles learned of it, they
fled to the region of Lycaonia—to the towns of Lystra and Derbe and the
surrounding area.
7 And there they preached the Good
News.
8 While they were at Lystra, Paul and
Barnabas came upon a man with crippled feet. He had been that way from birth,
so he had never walked. He was sitting
9 and listening as Paul preached. Looking
straight at him, Paul realized he had faith to be healed.
10 So Paul called to him in a loud voice,
“Stand up!” And the man jumped to his feet and started walking.
11 When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they
shouted in their local dialect, “These men are gods in human form!”
12 They decided that Barnabas was the Greek
god Zeus and that Paul was Hermes, since he was the chief speaker.
13 Now the temple of Zeus was located just
outside the town. So the priest of the temple and the crowd brought bulls and
wreaths of flowers to the town gates, and they prepared to offer sacrifices to
the apostles.
14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul
heard what was happening, they tore their clothing in dismay and ran out among
the people, shouting,
15 “Friends, why are you doing this? We are
merely human beings—just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that
you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the living God, who
made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.
16 In the past he permitted all the nations
to go their own ways,
17 but he never left them without evidence
of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and
gives you food and joyful hearts.”
18 But even with these words, Paul and
Barnabas could scarcely restrain the people from sacrificing to them.
19 Then some Jews arrived from Antioch and
Iconium and won the crowds to their side. They stoned Paul and dragged him out
of town, thinking he was dead.
20 But as the believers gathered around
him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas
for Derbe.
21 After preaching the Good News in Derbe
and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and
Antioch of Pisidia,
22 where they strengthened the believers.
They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer
many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.
23 Paul and Barnabas also appointed elders
in every church. With prayer and fasting, they turned the elders over to the
care of the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
24 Then they traveled back through Pisidia
to Pamphylia.
25 They preached the word in Perga, then
went down to Attalia.
26 Finally, they returned by ship to
Antioch of Syria, where their journey had begun. The believers there had
entrusted them to the grace of God to do the work they had now completed.
27 Upon arriving in Antioch, they called
the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how
he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.
28 And they stayed there with the believers
for a long time.
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