Acts 15 - Prayer Tents

The Council at Jerusalem

15Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."G2532G5100G2718G575G2449G1321G80G3754G3362G4059G1485G3475G3756G1410G49822This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.G3767G3972G2532G921G1096G3756G3641G4714G2532G4803G4314G846G5021G3972G2532G921G2532G5100G243G1537G846G305G1519G2419G4314G652G2532G4245G4012G5127G22133The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.G3303G3767G4311G5259G1577G1330G5403G2532G4540G1555G1995G1484G2532G4160G3173G5479G3956G804When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.G1161G3854G1519G2419G588G5259G1577G2532G652G2532G4245G5037G312G3745G2316G4160G3326G8465Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."G1161G1817G5100G575G139G5330G4100G3004G3754G1163G4059G846G5037G3853G5083G3551G34756The apostles and elders met to consider this question.G1161G652G2532G4245G4863G1492G4012G5127G30567After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.G1161G1096G4183G4803G4074G450G2036G4314G846G435G80G5210G1987G3754G744G2250G575G2316G1586G1722G2254G1484G1223G3450G4750G191G3056G2098G2532G41008God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.G2532G2316G2589G846G3140G1325G846G40G4151G2532G2531G22549He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.G2532G1252G3762G1252G3342G5037G2257G2532G846G2511G846G2588G410210Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?G3568G3767G5101G3985G2316G2007G2218G1909G5137G3101G3739G3777G2257G3962G3777G2249G2480G94111No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."G235G4100G1223G5485G2962G2424G5547G4982G2596G3739G5158G254812The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.G1161G3956G4128G4601G2532G191G921G2532G3972G1834G3745G4592G2532G5059G2316G4160G1722G1484G1223G84613When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me.G1161G3326G4601G846G4601G2385G611G3004G435G80G191G345014Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.G4826G1834G2531G2316G4412G1980G1484G2983G1537G2992G1909G846G368615The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:G2532G5129G4856G3056G4396G2531G112516"'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,G3326G5023G390G2532G456G4633G1138G3588G4098G2532G456G2679G846G2532G461G846G46117that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'G3704G302G2645G444G1567G2962G2532G3956G1484G1909G3739G3450G3686G1941G1909G846G3004G2962G3588G4160G3956G502318that have been known for ages.G1110G2316G2076G3956G846G2041G575G16519"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.G1352G1473G2919G3926G3361G3588G575G1484G1994G1909G231620Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.G235G1989G846G567G575G234G1497G2532G4202G2532G4156G2532G12921For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."G1063G3475G1537G744G1074G2192G2596G4172G2784G846G314G1722G4864G2596G3956G4521

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.G5119G1380G652G2532G4245G4862G3650G1577G3992G1586G435G1537G846G1519G490G4862G3972G2532G921G2455G1941G923G2532G4609G2233G435G1722G8023With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.G1125G1223G5495G846G3592G652G2532G4245G2532G80G5463G80G3588G1537G1484G2596G490G2532G4947G2532G279124We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.G1894G191G3754G5100G1831G1537G2257G5015G5209G3056G384G5216G5590G3004G4059G2532G5083G3551G3739G1291G3756G129125So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—G1380G2254G1096G3661G3992G1586G435G4314G5209G4862G2257G27G921G2532G397226men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.G444G3860G846G5590G5228G3686G2257G2962G2424G554727Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.G649G3767G2455G2532G4609G846G518G2532G518G846G1223G305628It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:G1063G1380G40G4151G2532G2254G2007G5213G3367G4119G922G4133G5130G187629You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.G567G1494G2532G129G2532G4156G2532G4202G1537G3739G1301G1438G4238G2095G451730The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.G3303G3767G630G2064G1519G490G2532G4863G4128G4863G1929G199231The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.G1161G314G5463G1909G387432Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.G2455G2532G4609G5607G4396G2532G846G3870G80G1223G4183G3056G2532G199133After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them.G1161G4160G5550G630G3326G1515G575G80G4314G65234But Silas decided to remain there.G1161G1380G4609G1961G847G196135But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.G3972G1161G2532G921G1304G1722G490G1321G2532G2097G3056G2962G3326G4183G2087G2532

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

36Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."G1161G5100G2250G3326G3972G2036G4314G921G1211G1994G1980G2257G80G2596G3956G4172G1722G3739G2605G3056G2962G4459G219237Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them,G1161G921G1011G4838G2491G2564G313838but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.G1161G3972G515G3361G515G4838G5126G4838G3588G868G575G846G575G3828G2532G4905G3361G846G1519G204139They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,G3767G3948G1096G3948G846G5620G673G575G240G5037G921G3880G3138G1602G1519G295440but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.G1161G3972G1951G4609G1831G3860G5259G80G5485G231641He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.G1161G1330G4947G2532G2791G1991G1577