Acts 15
1 [Then] some [Jewish] believers went down from Judea [province] to Antioch. They started teaching the [non-Jewish] believers [there, and said], “[You] ([must] be circumcised/must have God’s mark put on you) [to indicate you belong to God], as Moses [commanded] in the laws that [he received from God]. If you do not do that, you will not be saved {[God] will not save you}.”
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 Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with those Jews and started arguing [with them. So the believers at Antioch] appointed Paul and Barnabas and some of the other believers to go to Jerusalem, in order that they would/could discuss this matter with the apostles and [other spiritual] leaders.
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 After Paul, Barnabas, and the others were given things for their trip by the congregation [at Antioch] {After the congregation [at Antioch] gave Paul, Barnabas, and the others things for their trip}, they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria [provinces. When they stopped at different places in those provinces], they reported [to the believers] that [many] non-Jews [in Antioch] had become believers. As a result, all the believers [in those places] rejoiced greatly.
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 And when Paul, Barnabas, and the others arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the apostles, the [other] elders, and the [other members of the] congregation [there] {the apostles, the [other] elders, and the [other members of the] congregation [there] welcomed them}. Then Paul and Barnabas reported the things that God had enabled them to do [among non-Jewish people].
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 of the [Jewish] believers who belonged to the Pharisee sect stood up [among the other believers and] said to them, “The non-Jews [who have believed in Jesus] must be circumcised, and they must be told to obey the laws [that God gave to] 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 Then the apostles and [the other] elders met together in order to talk about this matter.
So the apostles and the elders came together to consider this matter.
7 After they had discussed it for a long time, Peter stood up and spoke to them. He said, “Fellow believers, you [all] know that a long time ago God chose me from among you [other apostles, in order that] the non-Jewish people might [also] hear me [SYN] tell [them] the good message [about the Lord Jesus], so that they could hear [it] and believe [in him. So Paul and Barnabas are not the first ones to tell non-Jews about Jesus].
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 God knows [and judges] people according to what they think, [not according to who their ancestors were]. By sending the Holy Spirit to [the non-Jews], just like [he had] also done for us [(inc)] Jews, he showed [me and others] that he had accepted them [also to be his people].
And the heart-knowing God acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us;
9 [God] saved us [Jews] and those [non-Jews] similarly, making them clean spiritually simply as a result of their believing [in the Lord Jesus. That was exactly how he has forgiven us].
and He made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 [You are wanting to force the non-Jewish believers to obey our Jewish rituals and laws]—laws that God has shown that he does not require them to obey [MET]. [Your doing that is like] putting a heavy burden on them! So then, (stop making God angry by doing that!/why are you making God angry by doing that?) [RHQ] Our ancestors and we [(inc) Jews] have never been able to bear [the burden of obeying those laws]!
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 But we [(inc) know that it is not because] we [(inc) try to obey those laws that God saves us(inc) Jews. On the contrary], we [(inc)] know that it is because of what the Lord Jesus did for us [(inc)] that we did not deserve that we [(inc)] are saved {that [God] saves us} [from the guilt of our sins. God saves non-Jews who believe in the Lord Jesus] exactly like [he saves] us Jews.”
Rather, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same manner as they.”
12 All the people [there] became silent [after Peter had spoken]. Then they [all] listened to Barnabas and Paul, [as the two of] them told about the many great miracles that God had enabled them to do among the non-Jewish people, [miracles that showed that God had accepted the non-Jews].
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 Barnabas and Paul had finished speaking, James, [the leader of the group of believers there in Jerusalem], spoke to all of them. [He said], “Fellow believers, listen to me.
Now when they finished, James reacted saying: “Men, brothers, listen to me.
14 Simon [Peter] has told you how God previously blessed the non-Jews. God did that by choosing from among them a people who would belong to him [MTY].
Simeon has described how God first intervened to extract from the Gentiles a people for His name.
15 [These] words that [God spoke], words that were written by [one of] the prophets {that one of the prophets wrote} [long ago], agree with that:
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16 Later on I will return and I will re-establish the kingdom [MET] that David [ruled] and that has been {that [people] have} destroyed. My [doing that will be like] rebuilding [a house] that has been {that [people] have} torn down.
‘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 I will do that in order that all other people might seek [me], the Lord [God. I will do that in order that] all the non-Jews whom I have called [to belong] to me [MTY] might seek me. [You can be certain that this will happen because I] the Lord [God], who will do those things, have spoken [these words].
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 [James continued by saying], “Therefore I have decided [that we(inc)] should stop bothering the non-Jewish people who are turning [away from their sins and turning] to God. [That is, we should stop demanding that they obey] all [our laws] and rituals.
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 [a letter] to them [requiring only four things: They should] not eat [meat/food that people] have offered to idols, they should not have sex with someone to whom they are not married, they should not [eat meat from animals that have been killed by] being strangled {[people have strangled]}, and [they should not eat] the blood [of animals].
but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from fornication, from what is strangled, and from blood.
21 In many cities, for a very long time people have been proclaiming [the laws that] Moses [wrote] [MTY], [laws prohibiting those things]. And every (Sabbath/Jewish day of rest) [those laws] are read {someone reads [those laws]} in the Jewish meeting places. [So if the non-Jews want to know more about those laws, they can find out in our meeting houses].”
For from ancient generations Moses has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
22 The apostles and the [other] elders, along with all the [other] members of the congregation, accepted [what James had said]. Then they decided that they should choose men from among themselves and that they should send them, along with Paul and Barnabas, to Antioch, to [let the believers there know what the leaders] at Jerusalem had decided. So they chose Judas, who was also called Barsabbas, and Silas, who were leaders among the believers [at Jerusalem].
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 Then they wrote the following letter [that they asked Judas and Silas to take to the believers at Antioch]: “[We(exc)] apostles and [other] leaders who are your fellow believers [send our greetings to you as we write this to you] non-Jewish believers [who live] in Antioch and [other places in] Syria and Cilicia [provinces].
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 People have told us that some men from among us went [to you], although we had not told [them to do that]. They troubled/distressed you [SYN] [by telling you things] that confused your thinking.
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 [while we(exc) met together here], we decided to choose some men and ask them to go to you, along with Barnabas and Paul, whom we [(exc)] love very much.
it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Those two have put their lives in danger because of their [serving] our Lord [MTY] Jesus Christ.
men who have risked their lives for the sake of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We [(exc) have also chosen] Judas and Silas to go to you. They will tell you the same things [that we are writing].
So we have sent Judas and Silas, who will also confirm these things by word of mouth.
28 The Holy Spirit and [also] we decided that you should not be required {that we should not require you} to obey a lot of burdensome [Jewish] laws. Instead, [we] only [require you to obey] the following instructions,
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to place no greater burden upon you than these necessary things:
29 You should not eat food that people have sacrificed to idols. You should not eat blood from animals, and you should not eat meat from animals that people have killed by strangling them. Also, you should not have sex with someone to whom you are not married. Those things [especially offend Jewish believers. So if] you avoid doing them, you will be doing what is right. That is all.”
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 The [four] men whom [they] had chosen went [from Jerusalem] to Antioch [city. When] all the believers [there] had assembled together, [Judas and Silas] gave the letter to them.
So when they were sent off they came to Antioch, and gathering the crowd they delivered the letter.
31 When the believers there read the letter, they rejoiced, [because its message] encouraged them.
When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.
32 [Just like Paul and Barnabas were] ([prophets/men who spoke messages from God]), Judas and Silas were also prophets. They spoke for a long time and encouraged the believers [there], and helped them to trust more strongly [in the Lord Jesus].
Both Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.
33 After [Judas and Silas] had stayed in Antioch for some time [and were ready to return to Jerusalem], the believers [there] wished them well, and the believers [prayed that God] would protect [them as they traveled. So the two men] started to go back to the leaders [in Jerusalem] who had asked them to go [to Antioch].
After some time, they were released with peace from the brothers to the apostles.
35 However, Paul and Barnabas continued to stay in Antioch. [While they were there], they, along with many others, were teaching [people] and preaching to them the message about the Lord [Jesus].
But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord, with many others also.
36 After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the fellow believers in every city where we [previously] proclaimed the message about the Lord [Jesus. In that way, we will know] how [well] they are continuing [to believe in the Lord Jesus].”
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 [agreed with Paul, and said that he] wanted to take John, whose other name was Mark, along with them [again].
Now Barnabas resolved to take John (the one called Mark) along as well.
38 However, Paul [told Barnabas that he] thought that it would not be good to take Mark [with them, because] Mark had deserted them when they were previously in Pamphylia [region], and had not continued to work with them.
But Paul insisted on not taking someone who had deserted them in Pamphilia and not gone with them to the work.
39 Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed [with each other about that], so they separated. Barnabas took Mark [along with him and they got] on a ship and went to Cyprus.
Well the contention became so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus;
40 Paul chose Silas, [who had returned to Antioch, to work with him]. The believers [there] asked the Lord [God] to graciously help [Paul and Silas. Then] the two of them departed [from Antioch].
while Paul chose Silas and set out, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of God.
41 Paul continued traveling [with Silas] through Syria and Cilicia [provinces]. In those places he was helping the congregations to trust strongly [in the Lord Jesus].
He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the congregations.
