Acts 15
1 And certain having come down from Judea, were teaching the brothers, “If you are not circumcised after the custom of Moses, you are not able to be saved”;
Now certain men came down from Judaea, teaching the brothers and saying that without circumcision, after the rule of Moses, there is no salvation.
2 there having been, therefore, not a little dissension and debate to Paul and Barnabas with them, they arranged for Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of them, to go up to the apostles and elders to Jerusalem about this question;
And after Paul and Barnabas had had no little argument and discussion with them, the brothers made a decision to send Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them to the Apostles and the rulers of the church at Jerusalem about this question.
3 they indeed, then, having been sent forward by the assembly, were passing through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the nations, and they were causing great joy to all the brothers.
So they, being sent on their way by the church, went through Phoenicia and Samaria, giving news of the salvation of the Gentiles, to the great joy of all the brothers.
4 And having come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly, and the apostles, and the elders; they also declared as many things as God did with them;
And when they came to Jerusalem, they had a meeting with the church and the Apostles and the rulers, and they gave an account of all the things which God had done through them.
5 and there rose up certain of those of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, “It is required to circumcise them, to command them also to keep the Law of Moses.”
But some of the Pharisees, who were of the faith, got up and said, It is necessary for these to have circumcision and to keep the law of Moses.
6 And there were gathered together the apostles and the elders, to see about this matter,
And the Apostles and the rulers of the church came together and gave thought to the question.
7 and there having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said to them, “Men, brothers, you know that from former days God made choice among us, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of the good news, and to believe;
And when there had been much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, My brothers, you have knowledge that some time back it was God's pleasure that by my mouth the good news might be given to the Gentiles so that they might have faith.
8 and the heart-knowing God bore them testimony, having given to them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us,
And God, the searcher of hearts, was a witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit even as he did to us;
9 and also put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith;
Making no division between them and us, but making clean their hearts by faith.
10 now, therefore, why do you tempt God, to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Why then are you testing God, by putting on the neck of the disciples a yoke so hard that not even our fathers or we were strong enough for it?
11 But through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to be saved, even as also they.”
But we have faith that we will get salvation through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way as they.
12 And all the multitude kept silence and were listening to Barnabas and Paul expounding as many signs and wonders as God did among the nations through them;
And all the people were quiet while Barnabas and Paul gave an account of the signs and wonders which God had done among the Gentiles by them.
13 and after they were silent, James answered, saying, “Men, brothers, listen to me:
And when they had come to an end, James, answering, said, My brothers, give ear to me:
14 Simeon expounded how at first God looked on [us] to take a people out of [the] nations for His Name,
Symeon has given an account of how God was first pleased to take from among the Gentiles a people for himself.
15 and to this the words of the Prophets agree, as it has been written:
And this is in agreement with the words of the prophets, as it is said,
16 After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the dwelling place of David that has fallen down, And I will rebuild its ruins, And will set it upright—
After these things I will come back, and will put up the tent of David which has been broken down, building up again its broken parts and making it complete:
17 That the remnant of men may seek after the LORD, And all the nations on whom My Name has been called, Says the LORD, who is doing all these things.
So that the rest of men may make search for the Lord, and all the Gentiles on whom my name is named,
Says the Lord, who has made these things clear from the earliest times. (aiōn g165)
19 For this reason I judge: not to trouble those who turn back to God from the nations,
For this reason my decision is, that we do not put trouble in the way of those who from among the Gentiles are turned to God;
20 but to write to them to abstain from the defilements of the idols, and the whoredom, and the strangled thing, and the blood;
But that we give them orders to keep themselves from things offered to false gods, and from the evil desires of the body, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from blood.
21 for Moses has those preaching him from former generations in every city—being read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
For Moses, from times long past, has his preachers in every town, reading his law in the Synagogues every Sabbath.
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas chosen men out of themselves—Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers—
Then it seemed good to the Apostles and the rulers and all the church, to send men from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; Judas, named Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers:
23 having written through their hand thus: “The apostles, and the elders, and the brothers, to those in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, brothers, who [are] of the nations, greeting;
And they sent a letter by them, saying, The Apostles and the older brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, may joy be with you:
24 seeing we have heard that some having gone forth from us troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying to be circumcised and to keep the Law, to whom we gave no charge,
Because we have knowledge that some who went from us have been troubling you with their words, putting your souls in doubt; to whom we gave no such order;
25 it seemed good to us, having come together with one accord, to send to you chosen men, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul—
It seemed good to us, having come to an agreement together, to send these men to you, with our well loved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have given up their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ—
Men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 we have sent, therefore, Judas and Silas, and they are telling the same things by word.
And so we have sent Judas and Silas, who will say the same things to you themselves, by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no more burden on you, except these necessary things:
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to put on you nothing more than these necessary things;
29 to abstain from things offered to idols, and blood, and a strangled thing, and whoredom; keeping yourselves from which, you will do well; be strong!”
To keep from things offered to false gods, and from blood, and from things put to death in ways which are against the law, and from the evil desires of the body; if you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. May you be happy.
30 They then, indeed, having been let go, went to Antioch, and having brought the multitude together, delivered the letter,
So they, being sent away, came down to Antioch, and having got the people together, they gave them the letter.
31 and having read [it] they rejoiced for the consolation;
And after reading it, they were glad of its comfort.
32 Judas also and Silas, also being prophets themselves, through much discourse exhorted the brothers, and confirmed,
And Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, gave teaching to the brothers and made them strong in the faith.
33 and having passed some time, they were let go with peace from the brothers to the apostles;
And when they had been there for some time, they were sent back in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.
34 [[and it seemed good to Silas to remain there still.]]
35 And Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming good news—with many others also—the word of the LORD;
But Paul and Barnabas kept on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of God, with a number of others.
36 and after certain days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Having turned back again, we may look after our brothers, in every city in which we have preached the word of the LORD—how they are.”
And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go back and see the brothers in every town where we have given the word of God, and see how they are.
37 And Barnabas resolved to take with [them] John called Mark,
And Barnabas had a desire to take with them John, named Mark.
38 and Paul was not thinking it good to take him with them who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and did not go with them to the work;
But Paul was of the opinion that it was not right to take with them one who had gone away from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone on with the work.
39 there came, therefore, a sharp contention, so that they were parted from one another, and Barnabas having taken Mark, sailed to Cyprus,
And there was a sharp argument between them, so that they were parted from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and went by ship to Cyprus;
40 and Paul having chosen Silas, went forth, having been given up to the grace of God by the brothers;
But Paul took Silas and went away with the blessing of the brothers.
41 and he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, making the churches stronger in the faith.
