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sailed to Antioch, from which place they had been delivered up to the grace of God, for the work which they had now accomplished.

And on their arrival they assembled the congregation and told them all that God had done with them; and that he had opened the door of faith for the Gentiles.

Now when they had continued there a considerable time XV. with the disciples, there came down from Judea some persons who taught the brethren, "Unless you be circumcised 2 after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved." Whereupon, as there arose a dissention, and Paul and Barnabas had no small debate with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and some from among themselves, should go up to the apostles and elders at Jerusalem, about this question. 3 They therefore, being forwarded on their journey by the congregation, passed through Phoenicia and Samaria; and by declaring fully the conversion of the Gentiles, they gave great 4 joy to all the brethren. And when they arrived at Jerusalem they were well received by the congregation, particularly by the apostles and elders, and they gave an account of all that 5 God had done by them. Thereupon some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, rose up and said, that it was necessary to circumcise those, and order them to keep the law of 6 Moses. And the apostles and elders were convened to deli7 berate on this matter. And after much debate, Peter arose,

and said to them, Men, brethren, you know that a good while ago, God made choice among us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of these glad tidings and believe. 8 And God who knoweth the heart, bare witness for them, giv9 ing them the holy spirit in the same manner as he did to us;

and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their 10 hearts by belief. Now therefore why do ye try God, to put upon the neck of the disciples, a yoke which neither our fa11 thers nor we are able to bear; but we trust that we shall be

saved by the favour of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the same 12 manner as they do. Upon this the multitude were silent and

heard Barnabas and Paul, relating all the signs and wonders 13 which God hath done among the Gentiles by them. And when 14 they had done speaking, James answered and said, Men, bre

thren, hearken to me, Simeon hath related how God first looked down on the Gentiles, to take from among them a 15 people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets 16 agree, as it is written. "After this I will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David which hath fallen-I will rebuild those parts of it which have fallen to decay, and those parts of 17 it which have been demolished, and raise it up again, that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord-even all the nations who are called by my name, saith the Lord who doth all these 18 things.*" To God all his works are known from eternity; 19 therefore it is my judgment not to disquiet those of the Gen20 tiles who turn to God; but to enjoin them to abstain from 21 the pollutions of idols, and fornication, and what is strangled,

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and blood, because from generations of old Moses hath in every city them who preach him, being read in the synagogue every sabbath.

It was then determined by the apostles and elders, when they with the whole congregation had chosen chief men from among them, to send with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch, Judas, who is surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among 23 the brethren, by whom they wrote the following letter. "The apostles and the elders and the brethren, to the brethren from 24 among the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria and Cilicia, greeting. As we have heard that some who went out from among us have troubled you with discourses, unsettling your minds, saying, You must be circumcised and keep the law, though we gave 25 them no such injunction, we being all of one mind determined that after making a choice, we would send men to you with 26 our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have hazarded their 27 lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: we have there

fore sent Judas and Silas, who by word of mouth will tell you 28 the same things. For it hath seemed good to the holy spirit and to us to lay upon you, over and above the things abso29 lutely necessary, no more burden than these. To abstain from things offered to idols, and blood, and what is strangled, and fornication, from which you will do well to keep yourselves. Farewell."

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30 So they being despatched came to Antioch and assem31 bling the multitude, delivered the letter, and when they had 32 read it, they rejoiced for the consolation. And as Judas and

Silas were themselves also teachers, they with many dis33 courses exhorted the brethren, and established them. And

having tarried some time they had leave to depart with peace 34 from the brethren to the apostles. But Silas thought proper 35 to continue there. Paul also, and Barnabas, continued at Antioch, teaching and publishing with many others the glad tidings of the word of the Lord.

36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us, I pray thee, return and visit our brethren in every city where we have published the word of the Lord, to see how they do. 37 And Barnabas advised to take along with them, John sur38 named Mark. But Paul did not think it proper to take along with them one who had quitted them in Pamphylia, and had 39 not gone with them to the work. There was therefore a sharp dispute, so that they separated one from the other. And Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.

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As for Paul, having chosen Silas and being commended by the brethren to the favour of God, he set out and passed through Syria and Cilicia, establishing the congregations and XVI. then went down to Derbe and Lystra. And behold

there was there a certain disciple, named Timothy, whose 2 mother was a believing Jewess, but his father was a Greek. He 3 was well spoken of by the brethren in Lystra and Iconium. This man Paul wished to go with him. So he took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those places, for 4 they all knew that his father was a Greek. And as they passed through the cities they delivered to their keeping the determinations of the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem. 5 So the congregations were established in the faith, and grew daily more and more numerous.

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Now when they had passed through Phrygia and Galatia, (having been restrained by the holy spirit from speaking the 7 word in Asia proper) coming towards Mysia, they attempted 8 to go to Bithynia, but the spirit did not permit them. So passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision ap9 peared to Paul in the night-it was a certain man, a Macedo

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nian, standing and intreating him, and saying, Cross over to 10 Macedonia and help us. Therefore as he saw this vision, we immediately endeavoured to go to Macedonia, concluding from it, that the Lord called us to publish the glad tidings to 11 them. So, embarking at Troas, we sailed directly to Samo

thracia, and the next day to Neapolis, and thence to Philippi, 12 which is a city of the first district of Macedonia, a Roman colo

ny. And in this city we continued several days, and on the 13 sabbath day we went out of the city to the river side, where

there was an established place of prayer,* and sat down and 14 spoke to the women who had assembled. And a certain woman, named Lydia, a dealer in purple, of the city of Thyatira, a worshipper of God, was listening. The Lord had opened her heart to attend to the things which were spoken by Paul. 15 And when she and her household were baptized, she intreated us saying, If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord 16 come and lodge at my house. So she prevailed upon us. And it came to pass, as we were going to the oratory, we were met by a certain female slave who had a spirit of Python, and 17 who brought her masters much gain by divining. This girl, following Paul and us, cried, saying, These men are the ser18 vants of the most high God. They are telling us the way of salvation. And this she did for many days. At length Paul, being troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee, in the name of Jesus Christ, to go out of her. And at that in19 stant it went out. When her masters saw that the hope of their

gain was gone, they laid hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them to the forum, before the magistrates. And having set 20 them before the generals of the army, they said, These men, 21 being Jews, trouble this city of ours exceedingly, and teach

customs which it is not lawful for us, who are Romans to re22 ceive or practise. Upon this the populace rose up together 23 against them; and the generals ordered them to be stript and beaten with rods. And having inflicted on them many stripes, they committed them to prison, charging the jailor to keep 24 them safely. He having received such a charge, thrust them

*Literally, a proseucha or oratory..

25 into the inner prison, and secured their feet in the stocks. And about midnight Paul and Silas, having prayed, sung a hymn 26 to God; and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken, and all the doors were instantly opened, and the 27 fetters of all dropped off. Upon which the jailor awaking, and seeing the doors of the prison open, drew his sword and was just going to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had es28 caped. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself 29 no harm, for we are all here. Thereupon, calling for lights, he

ran in, and being in a tremour, prostrated himself before Paul 30 and Silas, and having brought them out, said, O sirs, What 31 must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe in the Lord

Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy household. 32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, and to all that 33 were in his house. And he taking them that very hour of the

night, washed their stripes; and he and all his family were im34 mediately baptized. Then conducting them up to his house,

he spread a table and rejoiced with all his family for having 35 believed in God. And in the course of the day the generals sent 36 the lictors, saying, Dismiss those men, When the jailor made 37 this report to Paul, The generals have sent that you may be discharged; now, therefore, depart and go in peace; Paul said to them, Having scourged us publicly without a trial, men who are Roman citizens, they have cast us into prison, and now dis38 charge us privately! No. Let them come themselves and take us out. When the lictors reported these words to the generals, they were terrified, hearing that they are Romans. So 39 they came and comforted them, and having taken them out, intreated them to leave the city.

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XVII.

Now when they came out of prison, they went to Lydia's, where seeing the brethren, they comforted them and departed; and passing through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of 2 the Jews. And according to his custom, Paul went in among them; and for three sabbaths discoursed to them from the 3 scriptures, opening and stating that the Christ was to suffer

and rise from the dead, and that this Jesus whom I announce 4 to you is THE CHRIST. And some of them were convinced,

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