N S B - Acts 12 thru 14
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Acts Chapter 12
1 At that time Herod the king mistreated those of the congregation.
2 He killed James the brother of John with a sword.
3 He saw that it pleased the Jews so he captured Peter also. This happened during the feast of unleavened bread.
4 When he apprehended him, he put him in prison. He turned him over to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. After Passover he would be presented to the people.
5 Peter was kept in prison. Prayer was made without ceasing by the congregation to God for him.
6 It was the night before Herod was to bring him to trial. Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was bound with two chains. Sentries stood guard at the prison door.
7 Suddenly God’s angel came to him. A light shined in the prison. He struck Peter on the side, and woke him up saying: “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off of his hands.
8 The angel said: “Dress yourself and put on sandals. Put on your coat and follow me.” So Peter did as he was told.
9 Peter followed him out of the prison. He did not know what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he saw a vision.
10 They went past the first and second guard to the Iron Gate that leads to the city. The gate opened and went out on the street. The angel then departed from him.
11 Peter came to himself and he said: “Now I know for sure that God sent his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectation of the Jews.”
12 After he thought about what happened he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, surnamed Mark. Many were gathered there to pray.
13 Peter knocked on the door and a young woman named Rhoda answered.
14 When she recognized Peter’s voice she was so overjoyed she ran back into the house to tell others he was there. She forgot to open the door for him.
15 They said to her: “You are mad.” But she kept insisting that it was so. Then they said: “It must be his angel.”
16 But Peter continued knocking. When they opened the door, and saw him, they were astonished.
17 Peter motioned for them to be quiet. Then he told them how God brought him out of the prison. He said: “Tell James and the brothers.” Then he went away to another place.
18 When day came the soldiers were disturbed by what happened to Peter.
19 Herod had a thorough search made for him and could not find him. He cross examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Herod went from Judea to Caesarea to stay for a while.
20 Herod highly disagreed with them at Tyre and Sidon. But they finally came to an agreement. They secured the support of Blastus a trusted personal servant of the king. They desired peace because their country was supported by the king’s country.
21 Dressed in royal apparel, Herod delivered a public address to the people on a special day.
22 The people shouted: “It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.”
23 Immediately the angel of God killed him, because he did not give God the glory. He was eaten by worms and died.
24 The word of God increased and spread.
25 Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their mission. They took with them John, surnamed Mark.
Acts Chapter 13
1 There were prophets and teachers in the congregation at Antioch. This included: Barnabas, and Simeon called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
2 As they ministered to God, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said: “Set Barnabas and Saul apart for the work I have called them.”
3 After they fasted and prayed, they laid their hands on them and sent them away.
4 Being sent by Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
5 They preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews at Salamis. John was also there as an attendant.
6 They traveled the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they found Barjesus. He was a sorcerer, a false prophet and a Jew.
7 He 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.
8 But Elymas the sorcerer opposed them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.
9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him,
10 And said: “You child of the devil, full of all subtlety and mischief, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of God?
11 “Look God’s hand is on you. You will be blind and not see the sun for a season.” Immediately there fell on him a mist and darkness. He went about seeking some to lead him by the hand.
12 When he saw what was done the deputy believed. He was astonished at the teaching of God.
13 Paul and his company put out to sea from Paphos. They went to Perga in Pamphylia. John left them to return to Jerusalem.
14 When they left Perga, they went to Antioch in Pisidia. They went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and sat down.
15 After the public reading of the law and the prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying: “You men and brothers if you have a message of encouragement for the people speak.”
16 Then Paul stood up gestured with his hand and said: “Men of Israel, and you who reverence God, listen.”
17 “The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. He brought them out of Egypt with his great strength.
18 “He cared for them and endured their bad conduct in the wilderness for forty years.
19 “He destroyed seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance.
20 “Then he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet. This took about four hundred and fifty years.
21 “Afterward they desired a king. God gave Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, to them for forty years.
22 “When he removed him, he made David their king. He testified about him when he said: I found David the son of Jesse is a man after my own heart. He will do my will.
23 “God brought the Savior Jesus to Israel from this man’s descendants.
24 “Before Jesus came John preached the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.
25 “As John accomplished his purpose he asked: Who do you think I am? I am not that one. One comes after me whose shoes I am not worthy to untie.
26 “Men and brothers, children of Abraham, and you of the nations who respect God, the message of salvation is sent to you.
27 “The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not know Jesus. They fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath when they condemned Jesus.
28 “They found no grounds for the death sentence for him. Yet they asked Pilate to put him to death.
29 “When they had fulfilled all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a tomb.
30 “But God raised him from the dead:
31 “Those who came with him from Galilee to Jerusalem saw him. They are his witnesses to the people.
32 “We tell you good news. It is God’s promise to the fathers.
33 “God has fulfilled this promise to their children by resurrecting Jesus. Just as it is written in the second psalm: You are my Son, today I have become your father. (Psalms 2:7)
34 “He raised him up from the dead, never to decay. It is stated in these words: I will give you the sure blessings promised David. (Isaiah 55:3)
35 “He said in another psalm: You will not allow your Holy One to see decay. (Ps 16:10)
36 “After David served his own generation by doing the will of God he died and was buried with his fathers. His body decayed.
37 “But he (Jesus), whom God raised again, saw no decay.
38 “You should know, men and brothers that it is through this man Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
39 “Through him all who believe are justified from all things. You could not be justified through the Law of Moses.
40 Beware that what the prophets said does not happen to you.
41 “Look among the nations, watch, and be amazed. Though you are told you will not believe the work I do today.” (Habakkuk 1:5)
42 When the Jews left the synagogue the people asked for this message to be preached to them the next Sabbath.
43 When the congregation dismissed, many followed Paul and Barnabas. They urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44 Nearly the entire city gathered the next Sabbath day to hear the word of God.
45 When the Jews saw the crowds they were filled with envy. They spoke against those things Paul spoke. They contradicted and blasphemed him.
46 Paul and Barnabas became very bold, and said: “It was necessary that the Word of God should first be spoken to you. But seeing you reject it you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life! Therefore we turn to the people of the nations.
47 “Jehovah commanded us with these words: I appoint you as a light to the nations. My salvation will come to the ends of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)
48 And when the people of the nations heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of God. As many as were receptive to eternal life believed.
49 The word of God was published throughout the entire region.
50 The Jews incited the devout and honorable women and the leading men of the city. They caused persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their coasts.
51 So they shook the dust from their feet against them, and went to Iconium.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and Holy Spirit.
Acts Chapter 14
1 Paul and Barnabas entered the synagogue of the Jews at Iconium and there they spoke to a great crowd of Jews and Greeks who became believers.
2 The unbelieving Jews stirred up the people of the nations poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3 The apostles stayed there for a long time. They spoke boldly by the authority of Jehovah who proved that their message about his grace was true by giving them the power to perform miracles and wonders.
4 The people of the city were divided. Some were for the Jews and others for the apostles.
5 Then some of the people of the nations and Jews, together with their leaders, decided to mistreat the apostles and stone them.
6 They knew about it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the country around them.
7 They preached the good news there, too.
8 A man with crippled feet sat in Lystra. He had never walked for he was lame from birth.
9 He heard Paul speaking. Paul looked intently at him, and seeing that he had faith to be healed,
10 said with a loud voice: “Stand up on your feet!” And he leaped up and walked.
11 Seeing what Paul did, the crowd lifted up their voice, saying in Lycaonian: “The gods have come down to us, becoming like men.”
12 They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.
13 Then the priest of Jupiter whose temple was there in the city, brought cattle and garlands to the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people.
14 When the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they ripped their clothes, and ran in among the people.
15 They said: “Sirs, why do you do these things? We are only men like you. We bring you good news. You should turn from these worthless things to the living God. He is the God who made heaven and earth, the sea and all things.
16 “In the past he let all nations to walk in their own ways.
17 “He has not left himself without witness. For he did good and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.”
18 Even with these words they found it hard to keep the crowd from sacrificing to them.
19 Jews from Antioch and Iconium took control of the crowd. They persuaded the people to stone Paul. Then they threw him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.
20 The disciples gathered around him and he stood up. They went into the city and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
21 After they preached the good news to that city and taught many, they returned again to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch.
22 They strengthened the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith. They said: “We must enter the kingdom of God through much tribulation.”
23 When they had ordained elders in every congregation, and had prayed with fasting. They commended them to Jehovah, on whom they believed.
24 After they passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.
25 After they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia.
26 They sailed to Antioch, where they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work they completed.
27 The congregation gathered and reported all God had done with them how he had opened the door of faith to the nations.
28 They stayed with the disciples for a long time.
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