So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ¹  decided ²  to send relief ³  to the brothers living in Judea.

Brothers, ¹  descendants ²  of Abraham’s family, ³  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ⁴  the message ⁵  of this salvation has been sent to us.

They sent this letter with them: ¹  From the apostles ²  and elders, your brothers, ³  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ⁴  in Antioch, ⁵  Syria, ⁶  and Cilicia, greetings!

When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then ¹  departed.

We continued the voyage from Tyre ¹  and arrived at Ptolemais, ²  and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day.

For I could wish ¹  that I myself were accursed – cut off from Christ – for the sake of my people, ²  my fellow countrymen, ³ 

Therefore we must not pass judgment on one another, but rather determine never to place an obstacle or a trap before a brother or sister. ¹ 

It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything that causes your brother to stumble. ¹ 

So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister, ¹  for whom Christ died, is destroyed. ² 

If you sin against your brothers or sisters ¹  in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.

So then, ¹  whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith. ² 

With every prayer and petition, pray ¹  at all times in the Spirit, and to this end ²  be alert, with all perseverance and requests for all the saints.

Now on the topic of brotherly love ¹  you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another.

You have purified ¹  your souls by obeying the truth ²  in order to show sincere mutual love. ³  So ⁴  love one another earnestly from a pure heart. ⁵ 

Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and exiles to keep away from fleshly desires that do battle against the soul,

But the one who hates his fellow Christian ¹  is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes. ² 

We have come to know love by this: ¹  that Jesus ²  laid down ³  his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.

From ¹  the elder, ²  to an elect lady ³  and her children, whom I love in truth ⁴  (and not I alone, but also all those ⁵  who know the truth),

But now ¹  I ask you, lady (not as if I were ²  writing a new commandment ³  to you, but the one ⁴  we have had from the beginning), ⁵  that ⁶  we love one another.

When God made me wander ¹  from my father’s house, I told her, ‘This is what you can do to show your loyalty to me: ²  Every place we go, say about me, “He is my brother.”’”