Acts 15

The Dispute over Circumcision

1ThenG2532 some menG5100 came downG2718 fromG575 JudeaG2449 and were teachingG1321 theG3588 brothersG80, “UnlessG1437G3361 you are circumcisedG4059 according to theG3588 customG1485 of MosesG3475, you cannotG3756G1410 be savedG4982.” 2And afterG1096G1161 engagingG4714 these men in sharpG3756G3641 debateG2214, PaulG3972 andG2532 BarnabasG921 were appointedG5021, along withG2532 someG5100 otherG243 believers, to go upG305 toG1519 JerusalemG2419 toG4314 see theG3588 apostlesG652 andG2532 eldersG4245 aboutG4012 thisG3778 questionG2213.

3Sent on their wayG4311 byG5259 theG3588 churchG1577, theyG3588 passed throughG1330 PhoeniciaG5403 andG2532 SamariaG4540, recountingG1555 theG3588 conversionG1995 of theG3588 GentilesG1484 andG2532 bringingG4160 greatG3173 joyG5479 to allG3956 theG3588 brothersG80. 4On their arrivalG3854 inG1519 JerusalemG2414, they were welcomedG3858 byG575 theG3588 churchG1577 andG2532 apostlesG652 andG2532 eldersG4245, to whom they reportedG312 all thatG3745 GodG2316 had doneG4160 throughG3326 themG846.

The Council at Jerusalem

(Amos 9:11–15; Galatians 2:1–10)

5ButG1161 someG5100 believersG4100 fromG575 theG3588 partyG139 of theG3588 PhariseesG5330 stood upG1817 and declaredG3004, “The Gentiles mustG1163 be circumcisedG4059 andG5037 requiredG3853 to obeyG5083 theG3588 lawG3551 of MosesG3475.” 6So theG3588 apostlesG652 andG2532 eldersG4245 metG4863 to look intoG3708G4012 thisG3778 matterG3056.

7

AfterG1096 muchG4183 discussionG2214, PeterG4074 got upG450 and saidG2036 toG4314 themG846, “BrothersG435G80, youG4771 knowG1987 thatG3754 inG575 the earlyG744 daysG2250 GodG2316 made a choiceG1586 amongG1722 youG4771 that theG3588 GentilesG1484 would hearG191 fromG1223 myG1473 lipsG4750 theG3588 messageG3056 of theG3588 gospelG2098 andG2532 believeG4100. 8AndG2532 GodG2316, whoG3588 knows the heartG2589, showed His approvalG3140 by givingG1325 theG3588 HolyG40 SpiritG4151 to themG846, justG2532 asG2531 He did to usG1473. 9He made no distinctionG3762G1252 betweenG3342 usG1473 andG2532 themG846, for He cleansedG2511 theirG846 heartsG2588 byG3588 faithG4102.

10NowG3568 thenG3767, whyG5101 do you testG3985 GodG2316 by placingG2007 onG1909 theG3588 necksG5137 of theG3588 disciplesG3101 a yokeG2218 thatG3739 neitherG3777 weG1473 norG3777 ourG1473 fathersG3962 have been ableG2480 to bearG941? 11On the contraryG235, we believeG4100 it is throughG1223 theG3588 graceG5485 ofG3588 the LordG2962 JesusG2424 that we are savedG4982, just asG2596G3739G5158 theyG2548 are.”

12

TheG3588 wholeG3956 assemblyG4128 fell silentG4601 as they listened toG191 BarnabasG921 andG2532 PaulG3972 describingG1834 the signsG4592 andG2532 wondersG5059 GodG2316 had doneG4160 amongG1722 theG3588 GentilesG1484 throughG1223 themG846. 13WhenG3326 theyG846 had finished speakingG4601, JamesG2385 declaredG611, “BrothersG435G80, listen toG191 meG1473! 14SimonG48261 has told usG1834 howG2531 GodG2316 firstG4412 visitedG1980 the Gentiles to takeG2983 fromG1537 them a peopleG2992 to be HisG846 own. 15TheG3588 wordsG3056 of theG3588 prophetsG4396 agreeG4856 with thisG3778, asG2531 it is writtenG1125:

19It is myG1473 judgmentG2919, thereforeG1352, that we should not cause trouble forG3361G3926 theG3588 GentilesG1484 who are turningG1994 toG1909 GodG2316. 20InsteadG235, we should writeG1989 and tell themG846 to abstain fromG568 food pollutedG234 by idolsG1497, from sexual immoralityG4202, from theG3588 meat of strangled animalsG4156, andG2532 fromG3588 bloodG129. 21ForG1063 MosesG3475 hasG2192 been proclaimedG2784 in everyG2596 cityG4172 fromG1537 ancientG744 timesG1074 and is readG314 inG1722 theG3588 synagoguesG4864 onG2596 everyG3956 SabbathG4521.”

The Letter to the Gentile Believers

22ThenG5119 theG3588 apostlesG652 andG2532 eldersG4245, withG4862 theG3588 wholeG3650 churchG1577, decidedG1380 to selectG1586 menG435 from amongG1537 themG846 to sendG3992 toG1519 AntiochG490 withG4862 PaulG3972 andG2532 BarnabasG921. They chose JudasG2455 calledG2564 BarsabbasG923 andG2532 SilasG4609, two leadersG2233G435 amongG1722 theG3588 brothersG80, 23and sent them with this letterG1223G846G5495:

TheG3588 apostlesG652 andG2532 theG3588 eldersG4245, your brothersG80,

To theG3588 brothersG80 amongG1537 the GentilesG1484 inG2596 AntiochG490, SyriaG4947, andG2532 CiliciaG2791:

GreetingsG5463.

24It has come to our attentionG1894G191 thatG3754 someG5100 went outG1831 fromG1537 usG1473 without our authorizationG3739G3756G1291 and unsettledG5015 youG4771, troublingG384 yourG4771 mindsG5590 by what they saidG3056.3 25So we all agreedG1380G1096G3661G1473 to chooseG1586 menG435 to sendG3992 toG4314 youG4771 along withG4862 ourG1473 belovedG27 BarnabasG921 andG2532 PaulG3972, 26menG444 who have riskedG3860 theirG846 livesG5590 forG5228 theG3588 nameG3686 of ourG1473 LordG2962 JesusG2424 ChristG5547. 27ThereforeG3767 we are sendingG649 JudasG2455 andG2532 SilasG4609 to tell youG518 in person theG3588 same thingsG846 we are writing.

28

It seemed goodG1380 to theG3588 HolyG40 SpiritG4151 andG2532 to usG1473 notG3367 to burdenG2007G922 youG4771 with anything beyondG4119G4133 theseG3778 essential requirementsG1876: 29You must abstainG568 from food sacrificed to idolsG1494, from bloodG129, from the meat of strangled animalsG4156, andG2532 from sexual immoralityG4202. You will doG4238 wellG2095 to avoidG1301G1438G1537 these thingsG3739.

FarewellG4517.

The Believers at Antioch Rejoice

30SoG3767 the men were sent offG630 and went downG2718 toG1519 AntiochG490, where they assembledG4863 theG3588 congregationG4128 and deliveredG1929 theG3588 letterG1992. 31When the people readG314 it, they rejoicedG5463 atG1909 its encouraging messageG3874.

32

JudasG2455 andG2532 SilasG4609, who themselvesG846 wereG1510 prophetsG4396, said muchG1223G4183G3056 to encourageG3870 andG2532 strengthenG1991 theG3588 brothersG80. 33After spendingG4160 some timeG5550 there, they were sent offG630 byG575 theG3588 brothersG80 inG3326 peaceG1515 toG4314 return to those whoG3588 had sentG649 themG846.4 35ButG1161 PaulG3972 andG2532 BarnabasG921 remainedG1304 atG1722 AntiochG490, along withG3326G2532 manyG4183 othersG2087, teachingG1321 andG2532 preachingG2097 theG3588 wordG3056 of theG3588 LordG2962.

36

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey Begins

(Acts 13:1–3; Acts 18:23–28)

SomeG5100 timeG2250 laterG3326 PaulG3972 saidG2036 toG4314 BarnabasG921, “Let us go backG1994 and visitG1980 theG3588 brothersG80 inG2596 everyG3956 townG4172 whereG1722G3739 we proclaimedG2605 theG3588 wordG3056 of theG3588 LordG2962, to see howG4459 they are doingG2192.” 37BarnabasG921 wantedG1014 to takeG4838 JohnG2491, also calledG2564 MarkG3138. 38ButG1161 PaulG3972 thought it bestG515 notG3361 to takeG4838 himG3778, because heG3588 had desertedG868G575 themG846 inG575 PamphyliaG3828 andG2532 had not accompaniedG3361G4905 themG846 inG1519 theG3588 workG2041.

39Their disagreement was so sharpG1161G3948G1096 thatG5620 theyG846 partedG673 companyG575G240. BarnabasG921 tookG3880 MarkG3138 and sailedG1602 forG1519 CyprusG2954, 40butG1161 PaulG3972 choseG1951 SilasG4609 and leftG1831, commendedG3860 byG5259 theG3588 brothersG80 to theG3588 graceG5485 of theG3588 LordG2962. 41AndG1161 he traveled throughG1330 SyriaG4947 andG2532 CiliciaG2791, strengtheningG1991 theG3588 churchesG1577.