Acts:11-13

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* And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God . * And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem , they that were of the circumcision contended with him , * Saying , Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised , and didst eat with them . * But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning , and expounded it by order unto them , saying , * I was in the city of Joppa praying : and in a trance I saw a vision , A certain vessel descend , as it had been a great sheet , let down from heaven by four corners ; and it came even to me : * Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes , I considered , and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth , and wild beasts , and creeping things , and fowls of the air . * And I heard a voice saying unto me , Arise , Peter ; slay and eat . * But I said , Not so , Lord : for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth . * But the voice answered me again from heaven , What God hath cleansed , that call not thou common . * And this was done three times : and all were drawn up again into heaven . * And , behold , immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was , sent from Caesarea unto me . * And the Spirit bade me go with them , nothing doubting . Moreover these six brethren accompanied me , and we entered into the man 's house : * And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house , which stood and said unto him , Send men to Joppa , and call for Simon , whose surname is Peter ; * Who shall tell thee words , whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved . * And as I began to speak , the Holy Ghost fell on them , as on us at the beginning . * Then remembered I the word of the Lord , how that he said , John indeed baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost . * Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us , who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ ; what was I , that I could withstand God ? * When they heard these things , they held their peace , and glorified God , saying , Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life . * Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice , and Cyprus , and Antioch , preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only . * And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene , which , when they were come to Antioch , spake unto the Grecians , preaching the Lord Jesus . * And the hand of the Lord was with them : and a great number believed , and turned unto the Lord . * Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem : and they sent forth Barnabas , that he should go as far as Antioch . * Who , when he came , and had seen the grace of God , was glad , and exhorted them all , that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord . * For he was a good man , and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith : and much people was added unto the Lord . * Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus , for to seek Saul : * And when he had found him , he brought him unto Antioch . And it came to pass , that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church , and taught much people . And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch . * And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch . * And there stood up one of them named Agabus , and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world : which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar . * Then the disciples , every man according to his ability , determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea : * Which also they did , and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul . * Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church . * And he killed James the brother of John with the sword . * And because he saw it pleased the Jews , he proceeded further to take Peter also . (Then were the days of unleavened bread .) * And when he had apprehended him , he put him in prison , and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him ; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people . * Peter therefore was kept in prison : but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him . * And when Herod would have brought him forth , the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers , bound with two chains : and the keepers before the door kept the prison . * And , behold , the angel of the Lord came upon him , and a light shined in the prison : and he smote Peter on the side , and raised him up , saying , Arise up quickly . And his chains fell off from his hands . * And the angel said unto him , Gird thyself , and bind on thy sandals . And so he did . And he saith unto him , Cast thy garment about thee , and follow me . * And he went out , and followed him ; and wist not that it was true which was done by the angel ; but thought he saw a vision . * When they were past the first and the second ward , they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city ; which opened to them of his own accord : and they went out , and passed on through one street ; and forthwith the angel departed from him . * And when Peter was come to himself , he said , Now I know of a surety , that the Lord hath sent his angel , and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod , and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews . * And when he had considered the thing , he came to the house of Mary the mother of John , whose surname was Mark ; where many were gathered together praying . * And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate , a damsel came to hearken , named Rhoda . * And when she knew Peter 's voice , she opened not the gate for gladness , but ran in , and told how Peter stood before the gate . * And they said unto her , Thou art mad . But she constantly affirmed that it was even so . Then said they , It is his angel . * But Peter continued knocking : and when they had opened the door , and saw him , they were astonished . * But he , beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace , declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison . And he said , Go shew these things unto James , and to the brethren . And he departed , and went into another place . * Now as soon as it was day , there was no small stir among the soldiers , what was become of Peter . * And when Herod had sought for him , and found him not , he examined the keepers , and commanded that they should be put to death . And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea , and there abode . * And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon : but they came with one accord to him , and , having made Blastus the king 's chamberlain their friend , desired peace ; because their country was nourished by the king 's country . * And upon a set day Herod , arrayed in royal apparel , sat upon his throne , and made an oration unto them . * And the people gave a shout , saying , It is the voice of a god , and not of a man . * And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him , because he gave not God the glory : and he was eaten of worms , and gave up the ghost . * But the word of God grew and multiplied . * And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem , when they had fulfilled their ministry , and took with them John , whose surname was Mark . * Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers ; as Barnabas , and Simeon that was called Niger , and Lucius of Cyrene , and Manaen , which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch , and Saul . * As they ministered to the Lord , and fasted , the Holy Ghost said , Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them . * And when they had fasted and prayed , and laid their hands on them , they sent them away . * So they , being sent forth by the Holy Ghost , departed unto Seleucia ; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus . * And when they were at Salamis , they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews : and they had also John to their minister . * And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos , they found a certain sorcerer , a false prophet , a Jew , whose name was Barjesus : * Which was with the deputy of the country , Sergius Paulus , a prudent man ; who called for Barnabas and Saul , and desired to hear the word of God . * But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation ) withstood them , seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith . * Then Saul , (who also is called Paul ,) filled with the Holy Ghost , set his eyes on him , * And said , O full of all subtilty and all mischief , thou child of the devil , thou enemy of all righteousness , wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord ? * And now , behold , the hand of the Lord is upon thee , and thou shalt be blind , not seeing the sun for a season . And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness ; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand . * Then the deputy , when he saw what was done , believed , being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord . * Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos , they came to Perga in Pamphylia : and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem . * But when they departed from Perga , they came to Antioch in Pisidia , and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day , and sat down . * And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them , saying , Ye men and brethren , if ye have any word of exhortation for the people , say on . * Then Paul stood up , and beckoning with his hand said , Men of Israel , and ye that fear God , give audience . * The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers , and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt , and with an high arm brought he them out of it . * And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness . * And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan , he divided their land to them by lot . * And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years , until Samuel the prophet . * And afterward they desired a king : and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis , a man of the tribe of Benjamin , by the space of forty years . * And when he had removed him , he raised up unto them David to be their king ; to whom also he gave testimony , and said , I have found David the son of Jesse , a man after mine own heart , which shall fulfil all my will . * Of this man 's seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour , Jesus : * When John had first preached before his coming the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel . * And as John fulfilled his course , he said , Whom think ye that I am ? I am not he . But , behold , there cometh one after me , whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose . * Men and brethren , children of the stock of Abraham , and whosoever among you feareth God , to you is the word of this salvation sent . * For they that dwell at Jerusalem , and their rulers , because they knew him not , nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day , they have fulfilled them in condemning him . * And though they found no cause of death in him , yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain . * And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him , they took him down from the tree , and laid him in a sepulchre . * But God raised him from the dead : * And he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem , who are his witnesses unto the people . * And we declare unto you glad tidings , how that the promise which was made unto the fathers , * God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children , in that he hath raised up Jesus again ; as it is also written in the second psalm , Thou art my Son , this day have I begotten thee . * And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead , now no more to return to corruption , he said on this wise , I will give you the sure mercies of David . * Wherefore he saith also in another psalm , Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption . * For David , after he had served his own generation by the will of God , fell on sleep , and was laid unto his fathers , and saw corruption : * But he , whom God raised again , saw no corruption . * Be it known unto you therefore , men and brethren , that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins : * And by him all that believe are justified from all things , from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses . * Beware therefore , lest that come upon you , which is spoken of in the prophets ; * Behold , ye despisers , and wonder , and perish : for I work a work in your days , a work which ye shall in no wise believe , though a man declare it unto you . * And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue , the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next sabbath . * Now when the congregation was broken up , many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas : who , speaking to them , persuaded them to continue in the grace of God . * And the next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the word of God . * But when the Jews saw the multitudes , they were filled with envy , and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul , contradicting and blaspheming . * Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold , and said , It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you : but seeing ye put it from you , and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life , lo , we turn to the Gentiles . * For so hath the Lord commanded us , saying , I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles , that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth . * And when the Gentiles heard this , they were glad , and glorified the word of the Lord : and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed . * And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region . * But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women , and the chief men of the city , and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas , and expelled them out of their coasts . * But they shook off the dust of their feet against them , and came unto Iconium . * And the disciples were filled with joy , and with the Holy Ghost . * And it came to pass in Iconium , that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews , and so spake , that a great multitude both of the Jews and also of the Greeks believed .

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