Acts 21:20

But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost.”

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who disbelieves will be condemned.

But the word of God grew and multiplied.

So the word of the Lord was growing and becoming mighty.

I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.

Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”

Ask of me, and I will give the nations for your inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession.

Call on me in the day of trouble. I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”

The leaves of it were beautiful, and it had much fruit, and in it was food for all. The animals of the field had shade under it, and the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

The kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole sky, will be given to the people of the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions will serve and obey him.’

For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Yahweh’s glory, as the waters cover the sea.

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ Then they began to celebrate.

I am the vine. You are the branches. He who remains in me and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.

But one stood up in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, honored by all the people, and commanded to put the apostles out for a little while.

The Lord said to him, “Arise, and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,

You foolish one, that which you yourself sow is not made alive unless it dies.

For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name.”

All nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord. They shall glorify your name.

He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

I will plant it in the mountain of the height of Israel; and it will produce boughs, and bear fruit, and be a good cedar. Birds of every kind will dwell in the shade of its branches.

All the birds of the sky made their nests in its boughs. Under its branches, all the animals of the field gave birth to their young. All great nations lived under its shadow.

But in the latter days, it will happen that the mountain of Yahweh’s temple will be established on the top of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills; and peoples will stream to it.

All things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine, and I am glorified in them.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them.

Then the captain went with the officers, and brought them without violence, for they were afraid that the people might stone them.

But Paul said, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

having known me from the first, if they are willing to testify, that after the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee.

For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

I advanced in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my own age among my countrymen, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my fathers.

This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage,

I have confidence toward you in the Lord that you will think no other way. But he who troubles you will bear his judgment, whoever he is.

I wish that those who disturb you would cut themselves off.

which has come to you, even as it is in all the world and is bearing fruit and growing, as it does in you also, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth,

In the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

By awesome deeds of righteousness, you answer us, God of our salvation. You who are the hope of all the ends of the earth, of those who are far away on the sea.

God will bless us. All the ends of the earth shall fear him.

Ascribe to Yahweh, you families of nations, ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength.

It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious.

He said to me, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”

For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.

I will sow her to me in the earth; and I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; and I will tell those who were not my people, ‘You are my people;’ and they will say, ‘My God!’ ”

For then I will purify the lips of the peoples, that they may all call on Yahweh’s name, to serve him shoulder to shoulder.

“Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!”

From that time, Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent! For the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

which indeed is smaller than all seeds. But when it is grown, it is greater than the herbs, and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in its branches.”

She had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.

and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

praising God, and having favor with all the people. The Lord added to the assembly day by day those who were being saved.

God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.

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

So the assemblies were strengthened in the faith, and increased in number daily.

The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment,

But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

Yes, all kings shall fall down before him. All nations shall serve him.

“Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.

Indeed, he says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give you as a light to the nations, that you may be my salvation to the end of the earth.”

Who has heard of such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she gave birth to her children.

The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.

The chief priests and the scribes sought how they might put him to death, for they feared the people.

But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.

For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and will change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”

But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.

through whom we received grace and apostleship for obedience of faith among all the nations for his name’s sake;

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the offspring of Abraham? So am I.

but there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the Good News of Christ.

Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.

They went out from us, but they didn’t belong to us; for if they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they left, that they might be revealed that none of them belong to us.

Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; let that which you have be yours.”

You who fear Yahweh, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, glorify him! Stand in awe of him, all you descendants of Israel!

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to Yahweh. All the relatives of the nations shall worship before you.

Yes, Yahweh will give that which is good. Our land will yield its increase.

Your people offer themselves willingly in the day of your power, in holy array. Out of the womb of the morning, you have the dew of your youth.

It will happen, that every living creature which swarms, in every place where the rivers come, will live. Then there will be a very great multitude of fish; for these waters have come there, and the waters of the sea will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river comes.

But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men.

It’s like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

Meanwhile, when a multitude of many thousands had gathered together, so much so that they trampled on each other, he began to tell his disciples first of all, “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

It is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and put in his own garden. It grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the sky live in its branches.”

But it was appropriate to celebrate and be glad, for this, your brother, was dead, and is alive again. He was lost, and is found.’ ”

Most certainly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone. But if it dies, it bears much fruit.

In these days, Peter stood up in the middle of the disciples (and the number of names was about one hundred twenty), and said,

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.

But many of those who heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

When they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, because of the people; for everyone glorified God for that which was done.

The word of God increased and the number of the disciples greatly multiplied in Jerusalem. A great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment;

So they glorified God in me.

concerning zeal, persecuting the assembly; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, found blameless.

when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.

I always thank my God concerning you, for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus;