Foundations for Living

3 And I, brothers and sisters, could not speak to you as ^(A)spiritual people, but only as ^(B)fleshly, as to ^(C)infants in Christ. ² I gave you ^(D)milk to drink, not solid food; for you ^(E)were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able, ³ for you are still fleshly. For since there is ^(F)jealousy and strife among you, are you not fleshly, and are you not walking ^(G)like ordinary people? ⁴ For when ^(H)one person says, “I am ^[a]with Paul,” and another, “I am ^[b]with Apollos,” are you not ordinary ^(I)people?

⁵ What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? ^(J)Servants through whom you believed, even ^(K)as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. ^6 (L)I planted, ^(M)Apollos watered, but ^(N)God was causing the growth. ⁷ So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. ⁸ Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one; but each will ^(O)receive his own ^[c]reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God’s ^(P)fellow workers; you are God’s ^[d](Q)field, God’s ^(R)building.

Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? ^(A)Let him show by his ^(B)good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter ^(C)jealousy and ^[a]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against ^(D)the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down ^(E)from above, but is ^(F)earthly, ^[b](G)natural, ^(H)demonic. ¹⁶ For where ^(I)jealousy and ^[c]selfish ambition exist, ^[d]there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷ But the wisdom ^(J)from above is first ^(K)pure, then ^(L)peace-loving, ^(M)gentle, ^[e]reasonable, ^(N)full of mercy and good fruits, ^[f](O)impartial, free of ^(P)hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the ^(Q)fruit of righteousness is sown in peace ^[g]by those who make peace.

^12 [a]At the hands of the apostles many ^[b](A)signs and wonders were taking place among the people; and they were all ^[c]together in ^(B)Solomon’s ^[d]portico. ¹³ But none of the rest dared to associate with them; however, ^(C)the people held them in high esteem. ¹⁴ And increasingly ^(D)believers in the Lord, large numbers of men and women, were being ^(E)added to their number, ¹⁵ to such an extent that they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by ^(F)at least his shadow might fall on any of them. ¹⁶ The ^[e]people from the cities in the vicinity of Jerusalem were coming together as well, bringing people who were sick ^[f]or tormented with unclean spirits, and they were all being healed.

Imprisonment and Release

¹⁷ But the high priest stood up, along with all his associates (that is ^(G)the sect of ^(H)the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy. ¹⁸ They laid hands on the apostles and ^(I)put them in a public prison.

³⁷ but He whom God ^(A)raised did not ^[a]undergo decay. ³⁸ Therefore let it be known to you, ^[b]brothers, that ^(B)through ^[c]Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, ³⁹ and ^[d]through Him ^(C)everyone who believes is ^[e]freed ^[f]from all things, from which you could not be ^[g]freed ^[h]through the Law of Moses. ⁴⁰ Therefore, see that the thing spoken of ^(D)in the Prophets does not come upon you:

⁴² As ^[j]Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people repeatedly begged to have these ^[k]things spoken to them the next ^(F)Sabbath. ⁴³ Now when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and the ^(G)God-fearing ^[l](H)proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking to them and urging them to continue in ^(I)the grace of God.

Paul Turns to the Gentiles

⁴⁴ The next ^(J)Sabbath nearly all the city assembled to hear the word of ^[m]the Lord. ⁴⁵ But when ^(K)the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began contradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were ^[n]blaspheming. ⁴⁶ Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you ^(L)first. Since you repudiate it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, ^(M)we are turning to the Gentiles.

²⁰ For I am afraid that perhaps ^(A)when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; that perhaps there will be ^(B)strife, jealousy, ^(C)angry tempers, ^(D)selfishness, ^(E)slanders, ^(F)gossip, ^(G)arrogance, ^(H)disturbances;