Acts 15
1 Some men came
down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you
are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be
saved."
2 This brought
Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and
Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem
to see the
apostles and elders about this question.
3 The church
sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria,
they
told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers
very glad.
4 When they
came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and
elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5 Then some
of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and
said,
"The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
6 The apostles
and elders met to consider this question.
7 After much
discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some
time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from
my lips the
message of the gospel and believe.
8 God, who knows
the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them,
just as he did to us.
9 He made no
distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.
10 Now then, why do you
try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that
neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
11 No! We believe it is
through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
12 The whole assembly became
silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the
miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
13 When they finished, James
spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me.
14 Simon [1] has described
to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the
Gentiles a people for himself.
15 The words of the prophets
are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16 "`After this I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore
it,
17 that the remnant of men
may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the
Lord, who does these things' [2]
18 that have been known
for ages. [3]
19 "It is my judgment, therefore,
that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are
turning to God.
20 Instead we should write
to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from
sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
21 For Moses has been preached
in every city from the earliest times and is read in the
synagogues on every Sabbath."
22 Then the apostles and
elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own
men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called
Barsabbas)
and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.
23 With them they sent the
following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the
Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.
24 We have heard that some
went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you,
troubling your minds by what they said.
25 So we all agreed to choose
some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas
and Paul--
26 men who have risked their
lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 Therefore we are sending
Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.
28 It seemed good to the
Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the
following requirements:
29 You are to abstain from
food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled
animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 The men were sent off
and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together
and delivered the letter.
31 The people read it and
were glad for its encouraging message.
32 Judas and Silas, who
themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the
brothers.
33 After spending some time
there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace
to return to those who had sent them. [4]
35 But Paul and Barnabas
remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and
preached the word of the Lord.
36 Some time later Paul
said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns
where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."
37 Barnabas wanted to take
John, also called Mark, with them,
38 but Paul did not think
it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and
had not continued with them in the work.
39 They had such a sharp
disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and
sailed for Cyprus,
40 but Paul chose Silas
and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41 He went through Syria
and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
1.14 Greek Simeon, a variant of Simon; that is, Peter
2.17 Amos 9:11,12
3.[17,18] Some manuscripts things'-- [18] known to the Lord for ages is
his work
4.33 Some manuscripts them, [34] but Silas decided to remain there
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