| Acts 15:1 |
And certain men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. |
| Acts 15:2 |
And when no little dissension and discussion with them came about through Paul and Barnabas, [the brothers] directed Paul and Barnabas and certain others among them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this question. |
| Acts 15:3 |
They therefore, having been sent forward by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail about the turning of the Gentiles; and they brought great joy to all the brothers. |
| Acts 15:4 |
And when they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared the things that God had done with them. |
| Acts 15:5 |
But certain men from the sect of the Pharisees who had believed rose up from among [them,] saying, It is necessary to circumcise them and to charge [them] to keep the law of Moses. |
| Acts 15:6 |
And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. |
| Acts 15:7 |
And when much discussion had taken place, Peter rose up and said to them, Men, brothers, you know that from the early days God chose [from] among you that through my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. |
| Acts 15:8 |
And God, the Knower of hearts, bore witness to them, giving [them] the Holy Spirit even as also to us; |
| Acts 15:9 |
And He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. |
| Acts 15:10 |
Therefore why are you now testing God by placing a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? |
| Acts 15:11 |
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus we are saved in the same way also as they are. |
| Acts 15:12 |
And all the multitude became silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul relating all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. |
| Acts 15:13 |
And when they finished speaking, James answered, saying, Men, brothers, listen to me. |
| Acts 15:14 |
Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles to take out from [them] a people for His name. |
| Acts 15:15 |
And with this the words of the prophets agree, even as it is written, |
| Acts 15:16 |
"After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen; and I will rebuild its ruins and erect it again, |
| Acts 15:17 |
So that the remainder of men may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles upon whom My name has been called, |
| Acts 15:18 |
Says the Lord, who is making these things known from of old." |
| Acts 15:19 |
Therefore I judge that we do not harass those from the Gentiles who are turning to God, |
| Acts 15:20 |
But that we write to them to abstain from the contaminations of idols and fornication and what is strangled and blood. |
| Acts 15:21 |
For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who proclaim him in the synagogues, he being read every Sabbath. |
| Acts 15:22 |
It then seemed good to the apostles and the elders with the whole church to choose men from among them to send to Antioch together with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, who is called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, |
| Acts 15:23 |
Writing [to them and sending] by their hand [the following:] The apostles and the elder brothers, to the brothers throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are of the Gentiles, rejoice. |
| Acts 15:24 |
Since we have heard that certain ones who went out from among us have troubled you with [their] words, unsettling your souls, to whom we gave no instruction, |
| Acts 15:25 |
It seemed good to us, having become of one accord, to choose men to send to you together with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, |
| Acts 15:26 |
Men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| Acts 15:27 |
Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will report the same things by word [of mouth.] |
| Acts 15:28 |
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: |
| Acts 15:29 |
To abstain from things that have been sacrificed to idols and blood and things strangled and fornication, from which if you carefully keep yourselves, you will do well. May you be strong. |
| Acts 15:30 |
So when they had been sent away, they went down to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they handed [them] the letter. |
| Acts 15:31 |
And when they read [it,] they rejoiced at the encouragement. |
| Acts 15:32 |
And Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, exhorted the brothers through much speaking and confirmed [them.] |
| Acts 15:33 |
And when they had spent some time [there,] they were sent away with peace from the brothers to those who had sent them. |
| Acts 15:34 |
But it seemed good to Silas to remain there. |
| Acts 15:35 |
And Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and announcing the word of the Lord as the gospel with many others also. |
| Acts 15:36 |
Now after some days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brothers in every city in which we announced the word of the Lord, [and see] how they are doing. |
| Acts 15:37 |
And Barnabas intended to take John, who is called Mark, along with [them] also; |
| Acts 15:38 |
But Paul did not consider it suitable to take with [them] this one who withdrew from them in Pamphylia and did not go with them to the work. |
| Acts 15:39 |
And there was a sharp contention, so that they separated from each other; and Barnabas, taking Mark along, sailed away to Cyprus. |
| Acts 15:40 |
But Paul chose Silas and went out, having been commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. |
| Acts 15:41 |
And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. |