Acts 14:12

“How can I pardon you? Your children have forsaken me, and sworn by what are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they committed adultery, and assembled themselves in troops at the prostitutes’ houses.

For seeing that in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom didn’t know God, it was God’s good pleasure through the foolishness of the preaching to save those who believe.

not in the passion of lust, even as the Gentiles who don’t know God,

Joses, who by the apostles was also called Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a man of Cyprus by race,

Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.

punishing those who don’t know God, and to those who don’t obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus,

Haven’t you driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves according to the ways of the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams may be a priest of those who are no gods.

and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.

Should a man make to himself gods which yet are no gods?”

and because he practiced the same trade, he lived with them and worked, for by trade they were tent makers.

When the town clerk had quieted the multitude, he said, “You men of Ephesus, what man is there who doesn’t know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great goddess Artemis, and of the image which fell down from Zeus?

I had no relief for my spirit, because I didn’t find Titus, my brother, but taking my leave of them, I went out into Macedonia.

For what is there in which you were made inferior to the rest of the assemblies, unless it is that I myself was not a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong.

But not even Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised.

And the rest of the Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

For you remember, brothers, our labor and travail; for working night and day, that we might not burden any of you, we preached to you the Good News of God.

to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

Then Jacob said to his household, and to all who were with him, “Put away the foreign gods that are among you, purify yourselves, change your garments.

Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”

Joshua said to all the people, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘Your fathers lived of old time beyond the River, even Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nahor. They served other gods.

If it seems evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose today whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.”

When midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the evening offering; but there was no voice, no answer, and nobody paid attention.

Please let us go to the Jordan, and each man take a beam from there, and let’s make us a place there, where we may live.” He answered, “Go!”

Who doesn’t know that in all these, Yahweh’s hand has done this,

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

Has a nation changed its gods, which really are no gods? But my people have changed their glory for that which doesn’t profit.

Pour out your wrath on the nations that don’t know you, and on the families that don’t call on your name; for they have devoured Jacob. Yes, they have devoured him, consumed him, and have laid waste his habitation.

Yahweh, you have persuaded me, and I was persuaded. You are stronger than I, and have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day. Everyone mocks me.

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him.

Simon Peter said to them, “I’m going fishing.” They told him, “We are also coming with you.” They immediately went out, and entered into the boat. That night, they caught nothing.

But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

The report concerning them came to the ears of the assembly which was in Jerusalem. They sent out Barnabas to go as far as Antioch,

Barnabas went out to Tarsus to look for Saul.

which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their service, also taking with them John who was called Mark.

Now in the assembly that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, and stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out of their borders.

Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Paul stood in the middle of the Areopagus, and said, “You men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious in all things.

For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription: ‘TO AN UNKNOWN GOD.’ What therefore you worship in ignorance, I announce to you.

He came to Ephesus, and he left them there; but he himself entered into the synagogue, and reasoned with the Jews.

Now after these things had ended, Paul determined in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

You see and hear that not at Ephesus alone, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul has persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are no gods that are made with hands.

and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, four-footed animals, and creeping things.

Even as they refused to have God in their knowledge, God gave them up to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not fitting;

We toil, working with our own hands. When people curse us, we bless. Being persecuted, we endure.

For though there are things that are called “gods”, whether in the heavens or on earth; as there are many “gods” and many “lords”;

Or have only Barnabas and I no right to not work?

You know that when you were heathen, you were led away to those mute idols, however you might be led.

But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you into the heart of Titus.

As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for you. As for our brothers, they are the apostles of the assemblies, the glory of Christ.

Or did I commit a sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached to you God’s Good News free of charge?

to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I didn’t immediately confer with flesh and blood,

Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Peter, and stayed with him fifteen days.

Then after a period of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.

However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods.

in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the children of disobedience.

that you were at that time separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardening of their hearts.

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, greets you, and Mark, the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you received commandments, “if he comes to you, receive him”),

through the hypocrisy of men who speak lies, branded in their own conscience as with a hot iron,

For we have spent enough of our past time doing the desire of the Gentiles, and having walked in lewdness, lusts, drunken binges, orgies, carousings, and abominable idolatries.

See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him.