For it was the Holy Spirit's decision-- and ours-- to put no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

Yes, Father, because this was Your good pleasure.

It also seemed good to me, since I have carefully investigated everything from the very first, to write to you in orderly sequence, most honorable Theophilus,

Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter.

All these were continually united in prayer, along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers.

When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place.

And every day they devoted themselves [to meeting] together in the temple complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,

Now I urge you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all say the same thing, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.

Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers.

Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.

Greet Tryphaena and Tryphosa, who have worked hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, who has worked very hard in the Lord.

Tychicus, our dearly loved brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything so that you also may know how I am and what I'm doing.

Tychicus, a loved brother, a faithful servant, and a fellow slave in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me.

He is with Onesimus, a faithful and loved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you about everything here.

no longer as a slave, but more than a slave-- as a dearly loved brother. This is especially so to me, but even more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

Also, regard the patience of our Lord as [an opportunity for] salvation, just as our dear brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you.

But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, they arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy.

But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the message of the Lord.

When James, Cephas, and John, recognized as pillars, acknowledged the grace that had been given to me, they gave the right hand of fellowship to me and Barnabas, [agreeing] that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised.