Acts 15
1 Then some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Then some men came down from Judea and started teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
2 And after engaging these men in sharp debate, Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
Well this provoked serious dissension and argument between Paul and Barnabas and them, so Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with certain others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
3 Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.
So being sent on their way by the congregation, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brothers.
4 On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported all that God had done through them.
Upon arriving in Jerusalem, they were received by the congregation and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
5 But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”
6 So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter.
So the apostles and the elders came together to consider this matter.
7 After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
When there had been plenty of discussion, Peter got up and said to them: “Men, brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the message of the Gospel and believe.
8 And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
And the heart-knowing God acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us;
9 He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
and He made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11 On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Rather, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same manner as they.”
12 The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
Then the whole assembly kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the ethnic nations through them.
13 When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!
Now when they finished, James reacted saying: “Men, brothers, listen to me.
14 Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.
Simeon has described how God first intervened to extract from the Gentiles a people for His name.
15 The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 ‘After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tent of David. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
‘After these things I will return, and I will rebuild David's tent, the fallen one; yes, I will rebuild its ruins and restore it;
17 so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things
so that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles—the ones, that is, upon whom my name has been called—says the Lord who does all these things.’
All His works are known to God from eternity. (aiōn g165)
19 It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
Therefore I judge that we should not create difficulty for those who are turning to God from among the ethnic nations,
20 Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
For from ancient generations Moses has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers,
Then it pleased the apostles and the elders, with the whole congregation, to send chosen men from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas (the one called Barsabas) and Silas, leading men among the brothers.
23 and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
They wrote by their hand the following: “The apostles and the elders and the brothers, to the Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.
24 It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.
Since we have heard that some who went out from among us have disturbed you with words, unsettling your souls, saying that you must be circumcised and keep the Law—to whom we gave no such authorization—
25 So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
men who have risked their lives for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing.
So we have sent Judas and Silas, who will also confirm these things by word of mouth.
28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to place no greater burden upon you than these necessary things:
29 You must 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.
to abstain from things offered to idols, from ‘blood’, from anything strangled and from fornication; it will be in your own best interest to keep away from these things. Farewell.”
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.
So when they were sent off they came to Antioch, and gathering the crowd they delivered the letter.
31 When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.
When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.
32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
Both Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them.
After some time, they were released with peace from the brothers to the apostles.
35 But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord, with many others also.
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return now and visit our brothers in each city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.
Now Barnabas resolved to take John (the one called Mark) along as well.
38 But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.
But Paul insisted on not taking someone who had deserted them in Pamphilia and not gone with them to the work.
39 Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
Well the contention became so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
while Paul chose Silas and set out, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of God.
41 And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the congregations.
