Acts 15:2-23

2And when Paul and Barnabas had 1great dissension and 2debate with them, 3the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the 4apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3Therefore, being 5sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both 6Phoenicia and Samaria, 7describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all 8the brethren. 4When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and 9the apostles and the elders, and they 10reported all that God had done with them. 5But some of 11the sect of the 12Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to 13circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

614The apostles and the elders came together to 15look into this 16matter. 7After there had been much 17debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that 18in the early days 19God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of 20the gospel and believe. 8And God, 21who knows the heart, testified to them 22giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9and 23He made no distinction between us and them, 24cleansing their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore why do you 25put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which 26neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11But we believe that we are saved through 27the 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 28relating what 29signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13After they had stopped speaking, 3031James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 1432Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15With this the words of 33the Prophets agree, just as it is written,16‘34After these things 35I will return, And I will rebuild the 36tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it,1737So that the rest of 38mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles 3940who are called by My name,’1841Says the Lord, who 4243makes these things known from long ago. 19Therefore it is 44my 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 4546things contaminated by idols and from 47fornication and from 48what is strangled and from blood. 21For 49Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since 50he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22Then it seemed good to 51the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to 52Antioch with Paul and Barnabas--Judas called Barsabbas, and 53Silas, leading men among 54the brethren, 23and they 55sent this letter by them, “56The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to 57the brethren in 58Antioch and 59Syria and 60Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, 61greetings.