So Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’

If we allow him to go on in this way, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away our sanctuary and our nation.”

You do not realize that it is more to your advantage to have one man die for the people than for the whole nation to perish.”

(Now he did not say this on his own, but because he was high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was going to die for the Jewish nation,

Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I? Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me. What have you done?”

who said by the Holy Spirit through your servant David our forefather, ‘Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot foolish things?

But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there and worship me in this place.’

Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles,

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.

When they heard this, they ceased their objections and praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance that leads to life even to the Gentiles.”

For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed you to be a light for the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice and praise the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life believed.

When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported all the things God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.

They sent this letter with them: From the apostles and elders, your brothers, to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, greetings!

From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live,

When Paul had greeted them, he began to explain in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided that they should avoid meat that has been sacrificed to idols and blood and what has been strangled and sexual immorality.”

Now all the Jews know the way I lived from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.

that the Christ was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.”