Acts 15:1-21

11Some men came down from Judea and began teaching 2the brethren, “Unless you are 3circumcised according to 4the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2And when Paul and Barnabas had 5great dissension and 6debate with them, 7the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the 8apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3Therefore, being 9sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both 10Phoenicia and Samaria, 11describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all 12the brethren. 4When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and 13the apostles and the elders, and they 14reported all that God had done with them. 5But some of 15the sect of the 16Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to 17circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

618The apostles and the elders came together to 19look into this 20matter. 7After there had been much 21debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that 22in the early days 23God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of 24the gospel and believe. 8And God, 25who knows the heart, testified to them 26giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9and 27He made no distinction between us and them, 28cleansing their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore why do you 29put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which 30neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11But we believe that we are saved through 31the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

12All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were 32relating what 33signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13After they had stopped speaking, 3435James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 1436Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15With this the words of 37the Prophets agree, just as it is written,16‘38After these things 39I will return, And I will rebuild the 40tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it,1741So that the rest of 42mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles 4344who are called by My name,’1845Says the Lord, who 4647makes these things known from long ago. 19Therefore it is 48my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20but that we write to them that they abstain from 4950things contaminated by idols and from 51fornication and from 52what is strangled and from blood. 21For 53Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since 54he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”