ActsChapter 15

Tap any verse to comment or suggest a better wording.

¹Then some men came down from Judea. They were teaching the brothers, "You must be circumcised, as Moses taught. If not, you cannot be saved." ²Paul and Barnabas argued hard with these men. So Paul and Barnabas and some other believers were chosen to go up to Jerusalem. They would see the apostles and elders about this question. ³The church sent them on their way. They went through Phoenicia and Samaria. They told how the Gentiles had turned to God. This news made all the brothers very happy. ⁴They came to Jerusalem. The church and the apostles and elders welcomed them. Then they told them all that God had done through them. ⁵But some believers who belonged to the Pharisees stood up. They said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised. They must be told to obey the law of Moses." ⁶So the apostles and elders met to look into this question. ⁷They talked about it for a long time. Then Peter stood up and spoke to them. "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you. He chose me to tell the Gentiles the message of the good news. He wanted them to hear it from me and believe. ⁸God knows the heart. He showed that he accepted them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did for us. ⁹He made no difference between us and them, for he made their hearts clean by faith. ¹⁰So why are you testing God now? Why put a heavy yoke on the necks of the disciples? Neither we nor our fathers have been able to carry it. ¹¹No! We believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are." ¹²The whole group became quiet. They listened to Barnabas and Paul. The two told about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. ¹³When they finished, James spoke up. "Brothers, listen to me! ¹⁴Simon has told us how God first came to the Gentiles. He took from them a people to be his own. ¹⁵The words of the prophets agree with this. It is written: ¹⁶'After this I will come back. I will rebuild David's fallen tent. I will rebuild its ruins, and I will make it new again. ¹⁷I will do this so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name. This is what the Lord says, who does these things. ¹⁸They have been known for ages.' ¹⁹So here is what I think. We should not make things hard for the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰Instead, we should write to them. We should tell them to stay away from food made unclean by idols. They should stay away from sexual sin. They should not eat the meat of animals that were strangled, or eat blood. ²¹For a long time, the law of Moses has been preached in every city. It is read in the synagogues every Sabbath." ²²Then the apostles and elders and the whole church made a choice. They decided to pick some of their own men to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas. These two were leaders among the brothers. ²³They sent them with this letter: From the apostles and the elders, your brothers. To the Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. ²⁴We have heard that some men went out from us without our permission. They upset you and troubled your minds by what they said. ²⁵So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you. They will come with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul. ²⁶Barnabas and Paul have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷So we are sending Judas and Silas. They will tell you in person the same things we are writing. ²⁸The Holy Spirit and we have decided not to put any heavy load on you. We ask only these needed things: ²⁹Stay away from food offered to idols. Do not eat blood or the meat of strangled animals. Stay away from sexual sin. You will do well to avoid these things. Goodbye. ³⁰So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch. There they gathered the church together and gave them the letter. ³¹The people read it. They were glad for its message, because it encouraged them. ³²Judas and Silas were prophets too. They said many things to encourage the brothers and make them strong. ³³They stayed there for a while. Then the brothers sent them off in peace. They went back to those who had sent them. ³⁴—a ³⁵But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. ³⁶Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit the brothers in every town where we preached the word of the Lord. Let's see how they are doing." ³⁷Barnabas wanted to take John along. John was also called Mark. ³⁸But Paul did not think it was wise to take him, because Mark had left them in Pamphylia. He had not kept going with them in the work. ³⁹They argued so hard about it that they went separate ways. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus. ⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas and left. The brothers placed him in the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹Paul went through Syria and Cilicia. He made the churches stronger.