Jewish believers

45-ACT.usfm

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 \v 17 God gave the Gentiles the same Holy Spirit that he had given to us after we had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. So I could not possibly tell God that he did wrong when he gave them the Holy Spirit!"
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-\v 18 After those Jewish believers heard what Peter said, they stopped criticizing him. Instead, they praised God, saying, "Then it is clear to us that God has also accepted the Gentiles so that they will have eternal life, so that they turned from their sinful behavior."
+\v 18 After they heard what Peter said, they stopped criticizing him. Instead, they praised God, saying, "Then it is clear to us that God has also accepted the Gentiles so that they will have eternal life, so that they turned from their sinful behavior."
 
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 \v 24 The believers continued telling God's message to people in many places, and the number of people who believed in Jesus was continually increasing.
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-\v 25 When Barnabas and Saul finished delivering the money to help the Jewish believers in the province of Judea, they left Jerusalem and returned to the city of Antioch, in the province of Syria. They took John, whose other name was Mark, with them.
+\v 25 When Barnabas and Saul finished delivering the money to help the believers in the province of Judea, they left Jerusalem and returned to the city of Antioch, in the province of Syria. They took John, whose other name was Mark, with them.
 
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 \v 10 Why do you want to force the disciples and force them to obey our Jewish rituals and laws? Doing that is like putting a heavy burden on them, because it forces them to obey laws that even our ancestors broke and that we have never been able to keep!
-\v 11 We know that God saves us Jews from our sins because of what the Lord Jesus did for us. God saves the Jewish believers exactly like he saves the Gentiles who believe in the Lord Jesus."
+\v 11 We know that God saves us from our sins because of what the Lord Jesus did for us. God saves the us exactly like he saves them."
 
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 \v 20 When they heard that, James and the other elders thanked God. Then one of them said to Paul, "Brother, you know that there are very many thousands of us Jewish people here who have believed in the Lord Jesus. Also, you know that we all continue very carefully to obey the laws that Moses gave us.
-\v 21 But our fellow Jewish believers have been told that when you are among Gentiles, you tell the Jewish believers who live there that they should stop obeying the laws of Moses. People say that you tell those Jewish believers not to circumcise their sons and not to practice our other customs. We do not believe that they are telling the truth about you.
+\v 21 They tell you tell that the Jews who live among the Gentiles that should stop obeying the laws of Moses. People say that you tell those Jewish believers not to circumcise their sons and not to practice our other customs. We do not believe that they are telling the truth about you.
 
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-\v 22 But our fellow Jewish believers will hear that you have come, and they will be angry with you. So you need to do something to show them that what they heard about you is not true.
+\v 22 What should we do? The Jews who live among the Gentiles will hear that you have come.
 \v 23 So please do what we suggest to you. There are four men among us who have made a vow to God.
 \v 24 Go with these men to the temple and do the ceremonies there necessary for you and them to be able to worship in the temple. Then, when it is time for them to offer the sacrifices, pay for what they offer. After that, they can shave their heads to show that they have done what they said they would do. When people see you in the courts of the temple with those men, they will know that what they have been told about you is not true. Instead, all of them will know that you obey all our Jewish laws.
 

46-ROM.usfm

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 \v 26 The believers in the provinces of Macedonia and Achaia decided to contribute money to help the believers in Jerusalem, God's own people, who are poor.
-\v 27 They themselves decided to do this, but truly they owe something to God's people in Jerusalem. The Gentile benefited spiritually from the Gentiles because they heard the message about Christ from them, so the Gentiles should also help the Jewish believers in Jerusalem by giving them material things.
+\v 27 They themselves decided to give this gift to you. For if the Gentiles had been able to share in the spiritual blessings that had been given to the Jews, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings. 
 
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 \v 28 When I finish this task of delivering all this money that the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have given, I will leave Jerusalem and visit you in Rome while I am on my way to Spain.

49-GAL.usfm

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 \v 11 But later while I was in the city of Antioch, after Peter came there, I looked into his eyes and told him that what he was doing was wrong.
-\v 12 This is what happened. Peter went to Antioch and started eating regularly with Gentile believers there. Later there were certain Jewish believers who came to Antioch who claimed that James, the leader of the believers in Jerusalem, had sent them. And when those men came, Peter stopped eating with the Gentile believers and would not associate with them. He was afraid that the Jewish believers from Jerusalem would criticize him for associating with Gentiles.
+\v 12 This is what happened. James sent some people to Antioch. These people were willing to eat meals with the Gentiles. But later, they changed their minds and they would not eat with them and they separated themselves from the Gentiles. They thought that circumcision must be practiced by all believers, Jews and Gentiles, and they refused to have fellowship with Gentiles who were not circumcised.  
 
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-\v 13 Also, the other Jewish believers in Antioch joined in Peter's hypocrisy by separating themselves from the Gentile believers. Even Barnabas thought he had to stop associating with the Gentiles!
+\v 13 Also, the rest of the Jews in Antioch joined in Peter's hypocrisy by separating themselves from the Gentile believers. Even Barnabas thought he had to stop associating with the Gentiles!
 \v 14 But when I realized that they were not following the truth of the good news about Christ, and when all the fellow believers had come together, I said to Peter in front of them all, "You are Jewish, but you have been living like a Gentile who does not follow the law. So how can you possibly persuade the Gentiles to live like Jews?"
 
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 \v 11 I am now writing this last part of this letter to you in my own handwriting. Notice the large letters with which I am now writing.
-\v 12 Some Jewish believers want to circumcise you so that the other Jews will think highly of them for making converts to Judaism. But they are doing this just so that the others will not persecute them for believing that Christ died on the cross to save us.
-\v 13 The reason that I say this is that not even those people keep the law of God; instead, they want to circumcise you so they can boast that they have made more converts to the Jewish faith.
+\v 12 Those Jewish believers who require that you must be circumcised before God would save you. But they are doing this just so that the others will not persecute them for believing that Christ died on the cross to save us.
+\v 13 Even those who are circumcised do not obey all of the Law. They want you to be circumcised so they can boast that you obeyed the Jewish requirement of circumcision. They want you to trust in your circumcision rather that to trust in Christ's salvation.
 
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 \v 14 I myself, however, desire very much never to boast about anything like that. The only thing I will be proud about is our Lord Jesus Christ and his dying on the cross. When he died on the cross, he made everything the unbelievers wish for to be nothing in my sight, and he made what I wish for to be nothing in their sight.

52-COL.usfm

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 \v 10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, and Mark, who is Barnabas' cousin, greet you. I have instructed you about Mark, so if he comes to you, welcome him.
-\v 11 Jesus, who is also named Justus, greets you, too. These three men are the only Jewish believers working with me to proclaim God as king through Christ Jesus. They have greatly helped and encouraged me.
+\v 11 Jesus, who is also named Justus, greets you, too. These three men are only Jews who follow Jesus Christ, and they are working with me to proclaim God as king through Christ Jesus. They have greatly helped and encouraged me.
 
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 \v 12 Epaphras, who is your fellow townsman and a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you. He prays earnestly for you very often, that you might be strong and believe everything that God teaches us and promises us.