American Standard Version of 1901
Versliste
but in everything commending ourselves, as ministers of God, in much {Or, stedfastness}patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses,
in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in fastings;
in pureness, in knowledge, in longsuffering, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in love unfeigned,
in the word of truth, in the power of God; {Greek: though.}by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left,
And there arose also a contention among them, which of them was accounted to be {Greek: greater.}greatest.
And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles have lordship over them; and they that have authority over them are called Benefactors.
But ye shall not be so: but he that is the greater among you, let him become as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
For which is greater, he that {Greek: reclineth.}sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that {Greek: reclineth.}sitteth at meat? but I am in the midst of you as he that serveth.
Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all {Or, stedfastness}patience, by signs and wonders and {Greek: powers.}mighty works.
confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of God.
Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.
And he came also to Derbe and to Lystra: and behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewess that believed; but his father was a Greek.
The same was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts: for they all knew that his father was a Greek.
And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to keep which had been ordained of the apostles and elders that were at Jerusalem.
So the churches were strengthened {Or, in faith}in the faith, and increased in number daily.
And they went through {Or, Phrygia and the region of Galatia}the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia;
and when they were come over against Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia; and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not;
and passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There was a man of Macedonia standing, beseeching him, and saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us.
And when he had seen the vision, straightway we sought to go forth into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to {Greek: bring good tidings. See chapter 5:42.}preach the gospel to them.
Setting sail therefore from Troas, we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the day following to Neapolis;
and from thence to Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony: and we were in this city tarrying certain days.
And on the sabbath day we went forth without the gate by a river side, {Many ancient authorities read where was wont to be & c.}where we supposed there was a place of prayer; and we sat down, and spake unto the women that were come together.
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira, one that worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us.
And it came to pass, as we were going to the place of prayer, that a certain maid having a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.
The same following after Paul and us cried out, saying, These men are {Greek: bondservants.}servants of the Most High God, who proclaim unto you {Or, a way}the way of salvation.
And this she did for many days. But Paul, being sore troubled, turned and said to the spirit, I charge thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And it came out that very hour.
But when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was {Greek: come out.}gone, they laid hold on Paul and Silas, and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers,
and when they had brought them unto the {Greek: praetors: compare verses 22, 35, 36, 38.}magistrates, they said, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city,
and set forth customs which it is not lawful for us to receive, or to observe, being Romans.
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the {Greek: praetors: compare verses 22, 35, 36, 38.}magistrates rent their garments off them, and commanded to beat them with rods.
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
who, having received such a charge, cast them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns unto God, and the prisoners were listening to them;
and suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison-house were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened: and every one's bands were loosed.
And the jailor, being roused out of sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew his sword and was about to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here.
And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas,
and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.
And they spake the word of {Some ancient authorities read God.}the Lord unto him, with all that were in his house.
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, immediately.
And he brought them up into his house, and set {Greek: a table.}food before them, and rejoiced greatly, with all his house, {Greek: having believed God.}having believed in God.
But when it was day, the {Greek: praetors. See verse 20.}magistrates sent the {Greek: lictors.}serjeants, saying, Let those men go.
And the jailor reported the words to Paul, saying, The {Greek: praetors. See verse 20.}magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore come forth, and go in peace.
But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us publicly, uncondemned, men that are Romans, and have cast us into prison; and do they now cast us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and bring us out.
And the {Greek: lictors.}serjeants reported these words unto the {Greek: praetors. See verse 20.}magistrates: and they feared when they heard that they were Romans;
and they came and besought them; and when they had brought them out, they asked them to go away from the city.
And they went out of the prison, and entered into the house of Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they {Or, exhorted}comforted them, and departed.
Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself) I more; in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, in deaths oft.
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place;
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will set thy stones in {Or, antimony See 1 Chronicles 29:2}fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
Let a man so account of us, as of ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
Here, moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
But with me it is a very small thing that I should be {Or, examined}judged of you, or of man's {Greek: day. See chapter 3:13.}judgment: yea, I {Or, examine}judge not mine own self.
For I know nothing against myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that {Or, examineth}judgeth me is the Lord.
Wherefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts; and then shall each man have his praise from God.
Now these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and Apollos for your sakes; that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.
For who maketh thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? but if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it?
Already are ye filled, already ye are become rich, ye have come to reign without us: yea and I would that ye did reign, that we also might reign with you.
For, I think, God hath set forth us the apostles last of all, as men doomed to death: for we are made a spectacle unto the world, {Or, and to angels, and to men}both to angels and men.
We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye have glory, but we have dishonor.
Even unto this present hour we both hunger, and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling-place;
and we toil, working with our own hands: being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure;
being defamed, we entreat: we are made as the {Or, refuse}filth of the world, the offscouring of all things, even until now.
I write not these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.
For though ye have ten thousand tutors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I begat you through the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel.
I beseech you therefore, be ye imitators of me.
For this cause have I sent unto you Timothy, who is my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, who shall put you in remembrance of my ways which are in Christ, even as I teach everywhere in every church.
Now some are puffed up, as though I were not coming to you.
But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will; and I will know, not the word of them that are puffed up, but the power.
For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love and a spirit of gentleness?