Acts 15:3

Acts 15:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
• New International Version (NIV)The 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 believers very glad.
• English Standard Version (ESV)So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.
• New King James Version (NKJV)So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.

Context of Acts 15:3

1Some men arrived in Antioch from Judea. They began to teach the believers there who were not Jews. They said to them, ‘God cannot save you unless someone circumcises you. This is in the Law that God gave to Moses.’ 2Paul and Barnabas did not agree with these men. They argued strongly against them. As a result, the believers in Antioch decided what to do. They chose Paul, Barnabas and some of the other believers to go to Jerusalem. They should go to meet with the apostles and the other leaders of the believers. The leaders should decide who was right in this quarrel. The group of believers at Antioch sent Paul, Barnabas and the other men on their way. They travelled through Phoenicia and Samaria. They spoke to the believers in those places. They told them, ‘Gentiles are also turning to God and they are believing in Jesus.’ The believers were all very happy to hear this news. 4When Paul, Barnabas and the other men arrived in Jerusalem, they met with the believers there. The apostles, the other leaders and the whole group of believers were happy to see them. Paul and Barnabas told them about everything that God had helped them to do. 5Some Jewish believers were there who also belonged to the Pharisees' group. They stood up and they said, ‘We must circumcise Gentiles when they become believers. We must tell them to obey all the Law that God gave to Moses.’

Acts 15:3 word by word

Οἱ μὲν οὖν προπεμφθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διήρχοντο τήν τε Φοινίκην καὶ Σαμάρειαν ἐκδιηγούμενοι τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ ἐποίουν χαρὰν μεγάλην πᾶσιν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andοὖνoun · therefore/thenG3767
• ·μένmen · on the other handG3303
• being brought on their wayπροπέμπωpropempō · to help on the wayG4311
• byὑπόhupo · by/under: byG5259
• the churchἐκκλησίαekklēsia · assemblyG1577
• they passed throughδιέρχομαιdierchomai · to pass throughG1330
• PheniceΦοινίκηPhoinikē · PhoeniciaG5403
• andκαίkai · andG2532
• SamariaΣαμάρειαSamareia · SamariaG4540
• declaringἐκδιηγέομαιekdiēgeomai · to tell in detailG1555
• the conversionἐπιστροφήepistrophē · conversionG1995
• of the Gentilesἔθνοςethnos · GentilesG1484
• they causedποιέωpoieō · to do/make: doG4160
• greatμέγαςmegas · greatG3173
• joyχαράchara · joyG5479
• unto allπᾶςpas · allG3956
• the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80

Cross-references for Acts 15:3

• Acts 21:5After a week with the believers in Tyre, it was time for us to leave them. All the believers, together with their wives and their children, went with us out of the city. At the beach, we all went down on our knees and we prayed together.
• Acts 28:15The believers in Rome had heard about us. So they came out of the city to meet us at ‘The Market of Appius’ and ‘The Three Hotels’. When Paul saw the believers, he thanked God for them. He was very happy that they had come to meet him.
• Romans 15:24So I hope to visit you while I am travelling to Spain. I will stay with you in Rome for a short time. I will really enjoy having some time together with you there. Then you can help me to continue my journey.
• 1 Corinthians 16:6I will probably remain with you for some time. I may even stay for the whole winter. Then you can help me to continue my journey to the next place. I am not sure yet where that may be.
• 3 John 1:6These men have spoken to the group of believers here about your love. Please continue to help them when they visit you. Give them the things that they need to continue on their journey. That will make God happy.
• Acts 8:14The apostles who were in Jerusalem heard about all this. They heard that many people in Samaria had believed God's word. So they sent Peter and John to Samaria.
• Acts 11:19After the Jewish leaders had killed Stephen, the believers had a lot of trouble. The believers left Jerusalem and they went to many different places. Some of them went away as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch. They told God's message to people in these places. But they only told the message to Jews.
• Acts 15:12After Peter said this everybody in the group was quiet. Then Barnabas and Paul spoke to them. They said, ‘God helped us to do great miracles among the Gentiles. These showed that God was with us.’
• Acts 14:27When they arrived, they sent a message to the group of believers in Antioch. When all the believers had come together, Paul and Barnabas told them about their journey. They told the believers about everything that God had helped them to do. They said, ‘God has made it possible now for Gentiles to believe in Jesus.’
• Acts 21:19Paul said, ‘hello’ to them and then he told them everything about his work. God had helped him to do many good things for the Gentiles.
• Acts 11:18The Jewish believers heard what Peter said. They could not say anything more against him. Instead, they praised God and they said, ‘We now see that God has also let Gentiles have life with him. He will accept them if they stop doing bad things and turn to him.’
• Acts 13:48When the Gentiles there heard this, they were very happy. They thanked God for the message about the Lord Jesus. Many people believed in Jesus. They were the people that God had chosen to have true life with him.
• Isaiah 60:4Look all round you! All your people are coming together to return to you. Your sons are coming from far away, and they carry your daughters in their arms.
• Isaiah 66:12The Lord says, ‘Look! I will give peace to Jerusalem, like a great river. Riches from other nations will pour into the city, like a stream that is full of water. Jerusalem will take care of you like a mother that feeds her baby. She will carry you in her arms, and she will hold you on her knees.
• Luke 15:5When he finds the sheep, he is very happy. He lifts it up and he puts it across his shoulders.

Commentaries on Acts 15:3

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 3Being brought on their way by the Church - That is; the members of the Church provided them with all necessaries for their journey; for it does not appear that they had any property of their own. Declaring the conversion of the Gentiles - Much stress is laid on this: it was a miracle of God's mercy that the Gentiles should be received into the Church of God; and they had now the fullest proof that the thing was likely to become general, by the conversion…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3And being brought on their way by the church - Being attended and conducted by the Christian brethren. See the notes on Romans 15:24. It was customary for the Christians to attend the apostles in their travels. Compare 1 Corinthians 16:6, 1 Corinthians 16:11; 3 John 1:6. Through Phenice - See the note at Acts 11:19. And Samaria - These places were directly on their route to Jerusalem. Declaring the conversion … - Of the Gentiles in Antioch, and in the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3The church in Antioch decided to send some delegates (representatives) to Jerusalem. They went to discuss this issue with the apostles and elders there. On the way, they visited believers in Phoenicia and Samaria. In these places, the Christian faith had already spread widely (chapter 8).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3-63-6. being brought on their way by the church--a kind of official escort. they passed through Phenice--(See on Ac 11:19). and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles, and they caused great joy to the brethren--As the converts in those parts were Jewish (Ac 11:19), their spirit contrasts favorably with that of others of their nation.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 15:3

• Antioch
• Bigotry
• Catholicity
• Church
• Council
• Elder
• Law
• Phenicia
• Samaria
• Titus

In the dictionaries

• Samaria
• Samaria, Samaritan
• Abstain
• Cause
• Choice
• Consider
• Conversion
• Council
• Declare
• Dissension

Commentaries on Acts 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings