The Early Church

Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them.

Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.

But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.

Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”

Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.

But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.

Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,

but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.

The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him.

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.

And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

During the night, Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

We sailed from Troas straight to Samothrace, and the following day on to Neapolis.

From there we went to the Roman colony of Philippi, the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.

On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate along the river, where it was customary to find a place of prayer. After sitting down, we spoke to the women who had gathered there.

Among those listening was a woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.

And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.