nkjv Acts:14-15 SEEK
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Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews ,
and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed .
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But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren .
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Therefore they stayed there a long time ,
speaking boldly in the Lord ,
who was bearing witness to the word of His grace ,
granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands .
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But the multitude of the city was divided :
part sided with the Jews ,
and part with the apostles .
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And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews ,
with their rulers ,
to abuse and stone them ,
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they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe ,
cities of Lycaonia ,
and to the surrounding region .
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And they were preaching the gospel there .
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And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting ,
a cripple from his mother '
s womb ,
who had never walked .
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This man heard Paul speaking .
Paul ,
observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed ,
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said with a loud voice , "
Stand up straight on your feet !"
And he leaped and walked .
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Now when the people saw what Paul had done ,
they raised their voices ,
saying in the Lycaonian language , "
The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men !"
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And Barnabas they called Zeus ,
and Paul ,
Hermes ,
because he was the chief speaker .
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Then the priest of Zeus ,
whose temple was in front of their city ,
brought oxen and garlands to the gates ,
intending to sacrifice with the multitudes .
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But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this ,
they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude ,
crying out
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and saying , "
Men ,
why are you doing these things ?
We also are men with the same nature as you ,
and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God ,
who made the heaven ,
the earth ,
the sea ,
and all things that are in them ,
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who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways .
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Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness ,
in that He did good ,
gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons ,
filling our hearts with food and gladness ."
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And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them .
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Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there ;
and having persuaded the multitudes ,
they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city ,
supposing him to be dead .
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However ,
when the disciples gathered around him ,
he rose up and went into the city .
And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe .
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And when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples ,
they returned to Lystra ,
Iconium ,
and Antioch ,
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strengthening the souls of the disciples ,
exhorting them to continue in the faith ,
and saying , "
We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God ."
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So when they had appointed elders in every church ,
and prayed with fasting ,
they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed .
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And after they had passed through Pisidia ,
they came to Pamphylia .
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Now when they had preached the word in Perga ,
they went down to Attalia .
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From there they sailed to Antioch ,
where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed .
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Now when they had come and gathered the church together ,
they reported all that God had done with them ,
and that He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles .
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So they stayed there a long time with the disciples .
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And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren , "
Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses ,
you cannot be saved ."
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Therefore ,
when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them ,
they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem ,
to the apostles and elders ,
about this question .
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So ,
being sent on their way by the church ,
they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria ,
describing the conversion of the Gentiles ;
and they caused great joy to all the brethren .
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And when they had come to Jerusalem ,
they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders ;
and they reported all things that God had done with them .
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But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up ,
saying , "
It is necessary to circumcise them ,
and to command them to keep the law of Moses ."
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Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter .
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And when there had been much dispute ,
Peter rose up and said to them : "
Men and brethren ,
you know that a good while ago God chose among us ,
that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe .
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So God ,
who knows the heart ,
acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit ,
just as He did to us ,
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and made no distinction between us and them ,
purifying their hearts by faith .
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Now therefore ,
why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear ?
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But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they ."
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Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles .
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And after they had become silent ,
James answered ,
saying , "
Men and brethren ,
listen to me :
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Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name .
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And with this the words of the prophets agree ,
just as it is written :
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After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David ,
which has fallen down ;
I will rebuild its ruins ,
And I will set it up ;
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So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD .
Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name ,
Says the LORD who does all these things .'
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Known to God from eternity are all His works .
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Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God ,
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but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols ,
from sexual immorality ,
from things strangled ,
and from blood .
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For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city ,
being read in the synagogues every Sabbath ."
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Then it pleased the apostles and elders ,
with the whole church ,
to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas ,
namely ,
Judas who was also named Barsabas ,
and Silas ,
leading men among the brethren .
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They wrote this ,
letter by them :
The apostles ,
the elders ,
and the brethren ,
To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch ,
Syria ,
and Cilicia :
Greetings .
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Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words ,
unsettling your souls ,
saying , "
You must be circumcised and keep the law " --
to whom we gave no such commandment --
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it seemed good to us ,
being assembled with one accord ,
to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul ,
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men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ .
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We have therefore sent Judas and Silas ,
who will also report the same things by word of mouth .
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For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit ,
and to us ,
to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things :
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that you abstain from things offered to idols ,
from blood ,
from things strangled ,
and from sexual immorality .
If you keep yourselves from these ,
you will do well .
Farewell .
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So when they were sent off ,
they came to Antioch ;
and when they had gathered the multitude together ,
they delivered the letter .
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When they had read it ,
they rejoiced over its encouragement .
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Now Judas and Silas ,
themselves being prophets also ,
exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words .
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And after they had stayed there for a time ,
they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to the apostles .
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However ,
it seemed good to Silas to remain there .
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Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch ,
teaching and preaching the word of the Lord ,
with many others also .
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Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas , "
Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord ,
and see how they are doing ."
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Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark .
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But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia ,
and had not gone with them to the work .
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Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another .
And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus ;
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but Paul chose Silas and departed ,
being commended by the brethren to the grace of God .
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And he went through Syria and Cilicia ,
strengthening the churches .
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Then he came to Derbe and Lystra .
And behold ,
a certain disciple was there ,
named Timothy ,
the son of a certain Jewish woman who believed ,
but his father was Greek .