< Acts 15 >
1 Now some that came down from Judea, taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised according to the law of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 A dissension therefore arising, and Paul and Barnabas having no small dispute with them, it was resolved that Paul and Barnabas, and some others, should go up to the apostles and elders at Jerusalem about this question.
3 They therefore, being brought forward on their way by the church, passed through Phenicia and Samaria, relating the conversion of the Gentiles: and they gave great joy to all the brethren.
4 And when they came to Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and by the apostles and elders, and they told them all that God had done by them.
5 But there rose up, said they, some of the sect of the pharisees that believed, saying, that it was necessary to circumcise them, and enjoin them to keep the law of Moses.
6 So the apostles and elders were assembled together to consider about this matter.
7 And after much debate, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago, God, who was among us, chose that the Gentiles should hear by my mouth the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God who knoweth the heart, bare witness to them, giving them the holy Spirit, as He had done also to us:
9 and made no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why do ye tempt God, in imposing a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, in like manner as they.
12 And all the multitude kept silence, and gave attention to Barnabas and Paul, relating what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
13 And after they had done speaking, James rose up and said, Brethren, hearken unto me.
14 ---Simeon hath related, how God at first condescended to take out of the Gentiles a people to his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets,
16 as it is written, "After this will I return, and rebuild the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will repair its ruins, and set it up again.
17 That the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the nations, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord who doth all these things."
18 Now all his works are known unto God from the beginning of the world: (aiōn )
19 wherefore my advice is, not to trouble those who from among the Gentiles are converted to God; but to write to them,
20 that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses hath had from ancient times those that preach him in every city, and is still read in the synagogues every sabbath-day.
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles, and elders, and the whole church, to send men chose from among themselves to Antioch along with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas sirnamed Barsabas, and Silas; leading men among the brethren:
23 and they wrote by their hand, as follows, The apostles and elders and brethren here to the Gentile brethren which are in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia, send greeting.
24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that some who went out from us, have troubled you by their discourses, unsettling your minds, saying, ye must be circumcised, and keep the law; to whom we gave no such commission;
25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you, with our beloved brethren Barnabas and Paul,
26 who have exposed their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have therefore sent with them Judas and Silas, to tell you the same things also by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the holy Spirit, and so to us, to lay no more burthen upon you than these necessary things.
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from fornication: from which ye will do well to keep yourselves. Farewel.
30 Being thus dispatched they came to Antioch, and when they had assembled the brethren, they delivered the epistle.
31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced at the consolation it brought.
32 And Judas and Silas being prophets also themselves, exhorted and established: the brethren by many discourses.
33 And after some time, they were dismissed with peace from the brethren to the apostles.
34 But it seemed good to Silas to continue there: Paul also and Barnabas stayed at Antioch,
35 teaching and preaching, with many others likewise, the word of the Lord.
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return and visit our brethren in every city, where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are.
37 And Barnabas proposed to take with them John, who was surnamed Mark.
38 But Paul did not think proper to take him with them, who left them in Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And there was a sharp dispute, so that they separated from each other; and Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus: but Paul chose Silas and departed,
40 being recommended to the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches.
