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}.”
But certain persons who had come down from Judaea tried to convince the brethren, saying, "Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the Mosaic custom, 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.
Between these new comers and Paul and Barnabas there was no little disagreement and controversy, until at last it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and some other brethren should go up to consult the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem on this matter.
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 they set out, being accompanied for a short distance by some other members of the Church; and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told the whole story of the conversion of the Gentiles and inspired all the brethren with great joy.
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 their arrival in Jerusalem they were cordially received by the Church, the Apostles, and the Elders; and they reported in detail all that God, working with them, had done.
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 certain men who had belonged to the sect of the Pharisees but were now believers, stood up in the assembly, and said, "Yes, Gentile believers ought to be circumcised and be ordered to keep the Law of Moses."
6 Then the apostles and [the other] elders met together in order to talk about this matter.
Then the Apostles and Elders met to consider the 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].
and after there had been a long discussion Peter rose to his feet. "It is within your own knowledge," he said, "that God originally made choice among you that from my lips the Gentiles were to hear the Message of the Good News, 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 God, who knows all hearts, gave His testimony in their favour by bestowing the Holy Spirit on them just as He did on 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 difference between us and them, in that He cleansed their hearts by their 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 try an experiment upon God, by laying on the necks of these disciples a yoke which neither our forefathers 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.”
On the contrary, we believe that it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we, as well as they, shall be saved."
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 remained silent while they listened to the statement made by Paul and Barnabas as to all the signs and marvels that God had done among the Gentiles through their instrumentality.
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.
When they had finished speaking, James said, "Brethren, 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].
Symeon has related how God first looked graciously on the Gentiles to take from among them a People to be called by 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 this is in harmony with the language of the Prophets, which says:
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.
"'"Afterwards I will return, and will rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will set it up again;
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].
In order that the rest of mankind may earnestly seek the Lord--even all the nations which are called by My name,"
Says the Lord, who has been making these things known from ages long past.' (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.
"My judgement, therefore, is against inflicting unexpected annoyance on those of the Gentiles who are turning to God.
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].
Yet let us send them written instructions to abstain from things polluted by connexion with idolatry, from fornication, from meat killed by strangling, 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 Moses from the earliest times has had his preachers in every town, being read, as he is, Sabbath after Sabbath, in the various synagogues."
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].
Thereupon it was decided by the Apostles and Elders, with the approval of the whole Church, to choose suitable persons from among themselves and send them to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas. Judas, called Bar-sabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, were selected,
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].
and they took with them the following letter: "The Apostles and the elder brethren send greeting to the Gentile brethren throughout Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.
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.
As we have been informed that certain persons who have gone out from among us have disturbed you by their teaching and have unsettled your minds, without having received any such instructions from us;
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.
we have unanimously decided to select certain men and send them to you in company with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul,
26 Those two have put their lives in danger because of their [serving] our Lord [MTY] Jesus Christ.
who have endangered their very lives for the sake 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].
We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who are themselves bringing you the same message 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,
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no burden heavier than these necessary requirements--
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.”
You must abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication. Keep yourselves clear of these things, and it will be well with you. 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.
They, therefore, having been solemnly sent, came down to Antioch, where they called together the whole assembly and delivered the letter.
31 When the believers there read the letter, they rejoiced, [because its message] encouraged them.
The people read it, and were delighted with the comfort it brought them.
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].
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also Prophets, gave them a long and encouraging talk, and strengthened them in the faith.
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 spending some time there they received an affectionate farewell from the brethren to return to those who had sent them.
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, in company with many others, telling the Good News of the Lord's Message.
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].”
After a while Paul said to Barnabas, "Suppose we now revisit the brethren in the various towns in which we have made known the Lord's Message--to see whether they are prospering!"
37 Barnabas [agreed with Paul, and said that he] wanted to take John, whose other name was Mark, along with them [again].
Barnabas, however, was bent on taking with them John, whose other name was Mark,
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.
while Paul deemed it undesirable to have as their companion one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on 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.
So there arose a serious disagreement between them, which resulted in their parting from one another, Barnabas taking Mark and setting sail for 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].
But Paul chose Silas as his travelling companion; and set out, after being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord;
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].
and he passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the Churches.
