The New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Part 30

XI.

AND the apostles, and the brethren throughout Judaea, heard that the Gentiles also received the word of G.o.d. (2)And when Peter went up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circ.u.mcision contended with him, (3)saying: Thou wentest in to men uncirc.u.mcised, and didst eat with them.

(4)But Peter rehea.r.s.ed the matter to them in order, from the beginning, saying: (5)I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending, as a great sheet, let down out of heaven by four corners; and it came even to me. (6)On which fixing my eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and birds of the air.

(7)And I heard a voice saying to me: Arise, Peter; slay and eat.

(8)But I said: Not so, Lord; for nothing common or unclean ever entered into my mouth. (9)But a voice answered me a second time out of heaven: What G.o.d cleansed, regard not thou as common. (10)And this was done three times; and all were drawn up again into heaven.

(11)And, behold, immediately there stood three men at the house where I was, having been sent to me from Caesarea. (12)And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no scruple. And these six brethren also went with me, and we entered into the man's house. (13)And he told us how he saw the angel in his house, standing and saying to him: Send to Joppa, and call for Simon who is surnamed Peter; (14)who will speak to thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, and all thy house.

(15)And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, as also on us at the beginning; (16)and I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said: John indeed immersed in water, but ye shall be immersed in the Holy Spirit. (17)If therefore G.o.d gave the like gift to them as to us, having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who then was I, that I could withstand G.o.d?

(18)When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified G.o.d, saying: So then, to the Gentiles also G.o.d gave repentance unto life.

(19)Now they who were scattered abroad by the persecution that arose on account of Stephen, went as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none but Jews. (20)But some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, having come to Antioch, spoke to the Greeks, publis.h.i.+ng the good news of the Lord Jesus. (21)And the hand of the Lord was with them; and a great number believed, and turned to the Lord.

(22)But the report concerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem; and they sent forth Barnabas, to go as far as Antioch. (23)Who having come, and seen the grace of G.o.d, rejoiced; and he exhorted all, that with purpose of heart they should cleave to the Lord. (24)For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great mult.i.tude was added to the Lord.

(25)And Barnabas departed to Tarsus, to seek for Saul; (26)and having found him, he brought him to Antioch. And it came to pa.s.s, that a whole year they came together in the church, and taught a great mult.i.tude; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

(27)And in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

(28)And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great dearth over all the world; which came to pa.s.s in the days of Claudius Caesar. (29)And the disciples, according as any one was prospered, determined each of them to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judaea; (30)which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

XII.

AND about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands to oppress[12:1] certain of the church. (2)And he slew James the brother of John with the sword. (3)And seeing that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also; (then were the days of unleavened bread;) (4)whom he also seized and put in prison, delivering him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after the pa.s.sover to bring him forth to the people.

(5)Peter therefore was kept guarded in the prison; but earnest prayer was made by the church to G.o.d on his behalf.

(6)And when Herod was about to bring him forth, in that night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and keepers before the door were guarding the prison. (7)And, behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light s.h.i.+ned in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him, saying: Rise up quickly. And his chains fell from off his hands. (8)And the angel said to him: Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals; and he did so. And he said to him: Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. (9)And he went out, and followed him; and knew not that what was done by the angel was true, but thought he saw a vision.

(10)And having pa.s.sed the first and the second watch, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them of its own accord; and they went out, and pa.s.sed on through one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

(11)And Peter, having come to himself, said: Now I know truly, that the Lord sent forth his angel, and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. (12)And becoming fully conscious of it, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together, and praying.

(13)And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a maidservant came to hearken, named Rhoda.

(14)And recognizing Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told that Peter was standing before the gate. (15)And they said to her: Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they said: It is his angel.

(16)But Peter continued knocking; and opening the door they saw him, and were amazed. (17)And beckoning to them with the hand to be silent, he related to them how the Lord brought him out of the prison. And he said: Go tell these things to James, and to the brethren. And he departed, and went to another place.

(18)And when it was day, there was no small commotion among the soldiers, as to what was become of Peter. (19)And Herod, when he had sought for him, and found him not, after examining the keepers, commanded that they should be led away to death. And he went down from Judaea to Caesarea, and there abode.

(20)And Herod was highly displeased with the Tyrians and Sidonians.

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 that of the king.

(21)And on a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made a speech to them. (22)And thereupon the people shouted: The voice of a G.o.d, and not of a man! (23)And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not glory to G.o.d; and he was eaten by worms, and expired.

(24)But the word of G.o.d grew and multiplied. (25)And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, having performed the service, taking with them also John, who was surnamed Mark.

XIII.

AND there were at Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and teachers; Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius the Cyrenean, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

(2)And while they were ministering to the Lord, and fasting, the Holy Spirit said: Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul, unto the work to which I have called them. (3)Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

(4)They therefore, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, came down to Seleucia; and from thence they sailed away to Cyprus. (5)And having come to Salamis, they preached the word of G.o.d in the synagogues of the Jews; and they had also John as an a.s.sistant.

(6)And having gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain Magian, a Jewish false prophet, whose name was Bar-jesus; (7)who was with the proconsul of the country, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man.

He, having called for Barnabas and Saul, desired to hear the word of G.o.d. (8)But Elymas the Magian (for so his name is interpreted), withstood them, seeking to turn away the proconsul from the faith.

(9)Then Saul (who is also called Paul), filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his eyes on him, (10)and said: O full of all deceit and all wickedness, child of the Devil, enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? (11)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 darkness; and going about, he sought persons to lead him by the hand.

(12)Then the proconsul, seeing what was done, believed, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

(13)And Paul and his companions, having put to sea from Paphos, came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John departing from them returned to Jerusalem. (14)But they, going on from Perga, came to Antioch in Pisidia; and entering into the synagogue on the sabbath day, they sat down. (15)And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying: Men, brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, speak.

(16)And Paul arose, and beckoning with the hand, said: Men of Israel, and ye that fear G.o.d, hearken. (17)The G.o.d of this people of Israel chose our fathers; and he exalted the people in their sojourn in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm he brought them out of it. (18)And about the time of forty years he nourished them[13:18] in the wilderness. (19)And having destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as a possession, (20)about four hundred and fifty years. And after that, he gave judges, until Samuel the prophet. (21)And afterward they desired a king; and G.o.d gave them Saul the Son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.

(22)And having removed him, he raised up for them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, saying: I found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.

(23)Of the seed of this man, G.o.d, according to promise, raised up to Israel a Savior, Jesus; (24)John having first preached, before his entrance, the immersion of repentance to all the people of Israel.

(25)Now as John was finis.h.i.+ng his course, he said: Whom do ye suppose me to be? I am not he. But, behold, there comes one after me, the sandal of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.

(26)Men, brethren, children of the race of Abraham, and whoever among you fears G.o.d, to you the word of this salvation was sent forth.

(27)For they who dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, not knowing him, nor the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, fulfilled them in condemning him. (28)And though they found no cause of death, they demanded of Pilate that he should be slain. (29)And when they had fulfilled all the things written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb. (30)But G.o.d raised him from the dead. (31)And he was seen for many days by those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses unto the people. (32)And we declare to you glad tidings of the promise made to the fathers, (33)that G.o.d has fulfilled this to us their children, in raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm[13:33]:

Thou art my Son; I this day have begotten thee.

(34)And that he raised him up from the dead to return no more to corruption, he has thus spoken: I will give to you the holy, the sure promises of David. (35)Wherefore also in another psalm he says: Thou wilt not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. (36)For David, having served his own generation according to the purpose of G.o.d, fell asleep, and was added to his fathers, and saw corruption. (37)But he, whom G.o.d raised, saw not corruption.

(38)Be it known to you therefore, men, brethren, that remission of sins through this man is announced to you; (39)and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye were not able to be justified by the law of Moses.

(40)Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken in the prophets:

(41)Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish; Because I work a work in your days, A work which ye will not believe, Though one should fully declare it to you.

(42)And as they were going out, they besought that these words might be spoken to them on the next sabbath. (43)And when the congregation was broken up, many of the Jews and of the proselyte wors.h.i.+pers followed Paul and Barnabas; who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of G.o.d.

(44)And on the next sabbath day, almost the whole city came together to hear the word of G.o.d. (45)But the Jews, seeing the mult.i.tudes, were filled with indignation, and spoke against the things said by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

(46)Then Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly, and said: It was necessary that the word of G.o.d should first be spoken to you; but since ye thrust it from you, and judge yourselves not worthy of the eternal life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles. (47)For so has the Lord commanded us:

I have set thee for a light of the Gentiles, That thou shouldst be for salvation to the end of the earth.

(48)And the Gentiles hearing it rejoiced, and glorified the word of the Lord; and as many as were appointed unto eternal life believed.

(49)And the word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region.