Acts 15

The Council at Jerusalem

15While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers

: "Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved."G2532G5100G2718G575G2449G1321G80G3754G3362G4059G1485G3475G3756G1410G49822Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.G3767G3972G2532G921G1096G3756G3641G4714G2532G4803G4314G846G5021G3972G2532G921G2532G5100G243G1537G846G305G1519G2419G4314G652G2532G4245G4012G5127G22133The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them—much to everyone's joy—that the Gentiles, too, were being converted.G3303G3767G4311G5259G1577G1330G5403G2532G4540G1555G1995G1484G2532G4160G3173G5479G3956G804When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them.G1161G3854G1519G2419G588G5259G1577G2532G652G2532G4245G5037G312G3745G2316G4160G3326G8465But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, "The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses."G1161G1817G5100G575G139G5330G4100G3004G3754G1163G4059G846G5037G3853G5083G3551G34756So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue.G1161G652G2532G4245G4863G1492G4012G5127G30567At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: "Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.G1161G1096G4183G4803G4074G450G2036G4314G846G435G80G5210G1987G3754G744G2250G575G2316G1586G1722G2254G1484G1223G3450G4750G191G3056G2098G2532G41008God knows people's hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.G2532G2316G2589G846G3140G1325G846G40G4151G2532G2531G22549He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.G2532G1252G3762G1252G3342G5037G2257G2532G846G2511G846G2588G410210So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers

with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?G3568G3767G5101G3985G2316G2007G2218G1909G5137G3101G3739G3777G2257G3962G3777G2249G2480G94111We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus."G235G4100G1223G5485G2962G2424G5547G4982G2596G3739G5158G254812Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.G1161G3956G4128G4601G2532G191G921G2532G3972G1834G3745G4592G2532G5059G2316G4160G1722G1484G1223G84613When they had finished, James stood and said, "Brothers, listen to me.G1161G3326G4601G846G4601G2385G611G3004G435G80G191G345014Peter

has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself.G4826G1834G2531G2316G4412G1980G1484G2983G1537G2992G1909G846G368615And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written.G2532G5129G4856G3056G4396G2531G112516'Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house

of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,G3326G5023G390G2532G456G4633G1138G3588G4098G2532G456G2679G846G2532G461G846G46117so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—G3704G302G2645G444G1567G2962G2532G3956G1484G1909G3739G3450G3686G1941G1909G846G3004G2962G3588G4160G3956G502318he who made these things known so long ago.'

G1110G2316G2076G3956G846G2041G575G16519"And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.G1352G1473G2919G3926G3361G3588G575G1484G1994G1909G231620Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.G235G1989G846G567G575G234G1497G2532G4202G2532G4156G2532G12921For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations."G1063G3475G1537G744G1074G2192G2596G4172G2784G846G314G1722G4864G2596G3956G4521

The Letter for Gentile Believers

22Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders

—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas.G5119G1380G652G2532G4245G4862G3650G1577G3992G1586G435G1537G846G1519G490G4862G3972G2532G921G2455G1941G923G2532G4609G2233G435G1722G8023This is the letter they took with them: "This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!G1125G1223G5495G846G3592G652G2532G4245G2532G80G5463G80G3588G1537G1484G2596G490G2532G4947G2532G279124"We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them!G1894G191G3754G5100G1831G1537G2257G5015G5209G3056G384G5216G5590G3004G4059G2532G5083G3551G3739G1291G3756G129125So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,G1380G2254G1096G3661G3992G1586G435G4314G5209G4862G2257G27G921G2532G397226who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.G444G3860G846G5590G5228G3686G2257G2962G2424G554727We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question.G649G3767G2455G2532G4609G846G518G2532G518G846G1223G305628"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements.G1063G1380G40G4151G2532G2254G2007G5213G3367G4119G922G4133G5130G187629You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell."G567G1494G2532G129G2532G4156G2532G4202G1537G3739G1301G1438G4238G2095G451730The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter.G3303G3767G630G2064G1519G490G2532G4863G4128G4863G1929G199231And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.G1161G314G5463G1909G387432Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith.G2455G2532G4609G5607G4396G2532G846G3870G80G1223G4183G3056G2532G199133They stayed for a while, and then the believers sent them back to the church in Jerusalem with a blessing of peace.G1161G4160G5550G630G3326G1515G575G80G4314G65234

G1161G1380G4609G1961G847G196135Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there.G3972G1161G2532G921G1304G1722G490G1321G2532G2097G3056G2962G3326G4183G2087G2532

Paul and Barnabas Separate

36After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing."G1161G5100G2250G3326G3972G2036G4314G921G1211G1994G1980G2257G80G2596G3956G4172G1722G3739G2605G3056G2962G4459G219237Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.G1161G921G1011G4838G2491G2564G313838But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.G1161G3972G515G3361G515G4838G5126G4838G3588G868G575G846G575G3828G2532G4905G3361G846G1519G204139Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.G3767G3948G1096G3948G846G5620G673G575G240G5037G921G3880G3138G1602G1519G295440Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord's gracious care.G1161G3972G1951G4609G1831G3860G5259G80G5485G231641Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.G1161G1330G4947G2532G2791G1991G1577