Acts 21:20 Cross References - Williams

²⁰ They gave the glory to God, when they heard it, and said to him, "You see, brother, how many thousand believers there are among the Jews, all of them zealous champions of the law.

³¹ He told them this story, as follows: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field. ³² It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it is grown it is the largest of plants; yea, it grows into a tree, so that the wild birds come and roost in its branches." ³³ He told another story: "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to yeast which a woman took and worked into a bushel of flour until it all had risen."

¹ Meanwhile as the people had gathered in tens of thousands, so that they were trampling upon one another, He began to say, first of all, to His disciples: "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees, that is, hypocrisy.

³ So He told them the following story: ⁴ "What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep, and if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the desert and continue to look for the lost one until he finds it? ⁵ And when he finds it, with joy he puts it on his shoulders, ⁶ and when he reaches home he calls in his friends and neighbors, and says to them, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep!' ⁷ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinful person who repents than over ninety-nine upright people who do not need any repentance. ⁸ "Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp and sweep the house, and look carefully until she finds it? ⁹ And when she finds it, she calls in her friends and neighbors, and says, 'Rejoice with me, because I have found the coin which I lost!' ¹⁰ Just so, I tell you, there is joy among the angels of God over one sinful person who repents!"

³² But we just had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life, was lost and has been found.'"

²⁴ I most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single grain. But if it does die, it yields a great harvest.

⁴¹ So they accepted his message and were baptized, and about three thousand persons united with them on that day.

⁴ But many of those who heard their message believed, and the number of the men grew to about five thousand.

²¹ So, after further threatening them, they turned them loose, because they could not find any way to punish them, on account of the people, because they all continued to praise God for what had taken place,

⁷ So God's message continued to spread, and the number of the disciples in Jerusalem continued to grow rapidly; a large number, even of priests, continued to surrender to the faith.

¹⁸ When they heard this, they had no answer to make, but gave God the glory, saying, "So God has given even the heathen the repentance that leads to life."

¹ Some people came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the custom that Moses handed down, you cannot be saved."

⁵ But some members of the Pharisaic party, who had become believers, arose and said that such converts must be circumcised and told to keep the law of Moses.

²⁴ As we have heard that some of our number have disturbed you by their teaching, by continuing to unsettle your minds,

³ "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in this city, and carefully educated under the teaching of Gamaliel in the law of our forefathers. I was zealous for God, as all of you are today.

² For I can testify that they are zealous for God, but they are not intelligently so.

⁶ that with united hearts and lips you may praise the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷ Therefore, practice receiving one another into full Christian fellowship, just as Christ has so received you to Himself.

⁹ and for the heathen peoples to praise God for His mercy, as the Scripture says: "For this I will give thanks to you among the heathen, and will sing praises to your name." ¹⁰ And again: "Rejoice, you heathen peoples, with His people!" ¹¹ And again: "All you heathen peoples, praise the Lord, yea, let all peoples sing His praise." ¹² And again Isaiah says: "The noted Son of Jesse will come, even He who rises to rule the heathen; on Him the heathen will set their hope." ¹³ May the hope-inspiring God so fill you with perfect joy and peace through your continuing faith, that you may bubble over with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

¹⁴ and how I outstripped many of my own age among my people in my devotion to the Jewish religion, because I surpassed all others in my zeal for the traditions handed down by my forefathers.

²⁴ and they kept on praising God for me.

¹⁰ when on that day He comes to be glorified in His consecrated ones and to be admired by all who believe in Him because our testimony has been confidently accepted among you.

⁶ Then I heard something like the shout of a great multitude and the roar of many waters and the peal of mighty thunders, saying: "Praise the Lord! For the Lord, our Almighty God, has now begun to reign! ⁷ Let us be glad and shout for joy and give Him glory, because the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His bride has made herself ready.