Acts 15:4-29

4When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and 1the apostles and the elders, and they 2reported all that God had done with them. 5But some of 3the sect of the 4Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to 5circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

66The apostles and the elders came together to 7look into this 8matter. 7After there had been much 9debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that 10in the early days 11God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of 12the gospel and believe. 8And God, 13who knows the heart, testified to them 14giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9and 15He made no distinction between us and them, 16cleansing their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore why do you 17put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which 18neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11But we believe that we are saved through 19the 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 20relating what 21signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13After they had stopped speaking, 2223James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 1424Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15With this the words of 25the Prophets agree, just as it is written,16‘26After these things 27I will return, And I will rebuild the 28tabernacle of David which has fallen, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it,1729So that the rest of 30mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles 3132who are called by My name,’1833Says the Lord, who 3435makes these things known from long ago. 19Therefore it is 36my 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 3738things contaminated by idols and from 39fornication and from 40what is strangled and from blood. 21For 41Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since 42he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22Then it seemed good to 43the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to 44Antioch with Paul and Barnabas--Judas called Barsabbas, and 45Silas, leading men among 46the brethren, 23and they 47sent this letter by them, “48The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to 49the brethren in 50Antioch and 51Syria and 52Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, 53greetings. 24Since we have heard that 54some 55of our number to whom we gave no instruction have 56disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, 2557it seemed good to us, having 58become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26men who have 5960risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we have sent 61Judas and 62Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28For 63it seemed good to 64the Holy Spirit and to 65us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29that you abstain from 66things sacrificed to idols and from 67blood and from 68things strangled and from 69fornication; 70if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”