Actuum Apostolorum 15
1 et quidam descendentes de Iudaea docebant fratres quia nisi circumcidamini secundum morem Mosi non potestis salvi fieri
[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}.”
2 facta ergo seditione non minima Paulo et Barnabae adversum illos statuerunt ut ascenderent Paulus et Barnabas et quidam alii ex illis ad apostolos et presbyteros in Hierusalem super hac quaestione
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.
3 illi igitur deducti ab ecclesia pertransiebant Foenicen et Samariam narrantes conversionem gentium et faciebant gaudium magnum omnibus fratribus
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.
4 cum autem venissent Hierosolymam suscepti sunt ab ecclesia et ab apostolis et senioribus adnuntiantes quanta Deus fecisset cum illis
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].
5 surrexerunt autem quidam de heresi Pharisaeorum qui crediderant dicentes quia oportet circumcidi eos praecipere quoque servare legem Mosi
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.”
6 conveneruntque apostoli et seniores videre de verbo hoc
Then the apostles and [the other] elders met together in order to talk about this matter.
7 cum autem magna conquisitio fieret surgens Petrus dixit ad eos viri fratres vos scitis quoniam ab antiquis diebus in nobis elegit Deus per os meum audire gentes verbum evangelii et credere
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].
8 et qui novit corda Deus testimonium perhibuit dans illis Spiritum Sanctum sicut et nobis
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].
9 et nihil discrevit inter nos et illos fide purificans corda eorum
[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].
10 nunc ergo quid temptatis Deum inponere iugum super cervicem discipulorum quod neque patres nostri neque nos portare potuimus
[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]!
11 sed per gratiam Domini Iesu credimus salvari quemadmodum et illi
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.”
12 tacuit autem omnis multitudo et audiebant Barnaban et Paulum narrantes quanta fecisset Deus signa et prodigia in gentibus per eos
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].
13 et postquam tacuerunt respondit Iacobus dicens viri fratres audite me
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.
14 Simeon narravit quemadmodum primum Deus visitavit sumere ex gentibus populum nomini suo
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].
15 et huic concordant verba prophetarum sicut scriptum est
[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:
16 post haec revertar et aedificabo tabernaculum David quod decidit et diruta eius reaedificabo et erigam illud
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.
17 ut requirant ceteri hominum Dominum et omnes gentes super quas invocatum est nomen meum dicit Dominus faciens haec
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].
I [caused my people to know about them] long ago.” (aiōn g165)
19 propter quod ego iudico non inquietari eos qui ex gentibus convertuntur ad Deum
[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.
20 sed scribere ad eos ut abstineant se a contaminationibus simulacrorum et fornicatione et suffocatis et sanguine
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].
21 Moses enim a temporibus antiquis habet in singulis civitatibus qui eum praedicent in synagogis ubi per omne sabbatum legitur
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].”
22 tunc placuit apostolis et senioribus cum omni ecclesia eligere viros ex eis et mittere Antiochiam cum Paulo et Barnaba Iudam qui cognominatur Barsabban et Silam viros primos in fratribus
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].
23 scribentes per manus eorum apostoli et seniores fratres his qui sunt Antiochiae et Syriae et Ciliciae fratribus ex gentibus salutem
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].
24 quoniam audivimus quia quidam ex nobis exeuntes turbaverunt vos verbis evertentes animas vestras quibus non mandavimus
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.
25 placuit nobis collectis in unum eligere viros et mittere ad vos cum carissimis nostris Barnaba et Paulo
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.
26 hominibus qui tradiderunt animas suas pro nomine Domini nostri Iesu Christi
Those two have put their lives in danger because of their [serving] our Lord [MTY] Jesus Christ.
27 misimus ergo Iudam et Silam qui et ipsi vobis verbis referent eadem
We [(exc) have also chosen] Judas and Silas to go to you. They will tell you the same things [that we are writing].
28 visum est enim Spiritui Sancto et nobis nihil ultra inponere vobis oneris quam haec necessario
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,
29 ut abstineatis vos ab immolatis simulacrorum et sanguine suffocato et fornicatione a quibus custodientes vos bene agetis valete
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.”
30 illi igitur dimissi descenderunt Antiochiam et congregata multitudine tradiderunt epistulam
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.
31 quam cum legissent gavisi sunt super consolatione
When the believers there read the letter, they rejoiced, [because its message] encouraged them.
32 Iudas autem et Silas et ipsi cum essent prophetae verbo plurimo consolati sunt fratres et confirmaverunt
[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].
33 facto autem ibi tempore dimissi sunt cum pace a fratribus ad eos qui miserant illos
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].
35 Paulus autem et Barnabas demorabantur Antiochiae docentes et evangelizantes cum aliis pluribus verbum Domini
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].
36 post aliquot autem dies dixit ad Barnaban Paulus revertentes visitemus fratres per universas civitates in quibus praedicavimus verbum Domini quomodo se habeant
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].”
37 Barnabas autem volebat secum adsumere et Iohannem qui cognominatur Marcus
Barnabas [agreed with Paul, and said that he] wanted to take John, whose other name was Mark, along with them [again].
38 Paulus autem rogabat eum qui discessisset ab eis a Pamphilia et non isset cum eis in opus non debere recipi eum
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.
39 facta est autem dissensio ita ut discederent ab invicem et Barnabas adsumpto Marco navigaret Cyprum
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.
40 Paulus vero electo Sila profectus est traditus gratiae Domini a fratribus
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].
41 perambulabat autem Syriam et Ciliciam confirmans ecclesias
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].
