Acts 15

The Council at Jerusalem

11SomeG5100 menG5100 cameG2718 downG2718 from JudeaG2453 and began teachingG1321 2the brethrenG80, “UnlessG1437G3361 you are 3circumcisedG4059 according to 4the customG1485 of MosesG3475, you cannotG1410G3756 be savedG4982.” 2And when PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921 hadG1096 5greatG3756G3641 dissensionG4714 and 6debateG2214 with them, 7the brethren determinedG5021 that PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921 and someG5100 othersG243 of them should goG305 up to JerusalemG2419 to the 8apostlesG652 and eldersG4245 concerningG4012 thisG3778 issueG2213. 3ThereforeG3767, being 9sentG4311 on their wayG4311 by the churchG1577, they were passingG1330 throughG1330 bothG5037 10PhoeniciaG5403 and SamariaG4540, 11describingG1555 in detailG1555 the conversionG1995 of the GentilesG1484, and were bringingG4160 greatG3173 joyG5479 to allG3956 12the brethrenG80. 4When they arrivedG3854 at JerusalemG2414, they were receivedG3858 by the churchG1577 and 13the apostlesG652 and the eldersG4245, and they 14reportedG312 allG3745 that GodG2316 had doneG4160 with them. 5But someG5100 of 15the sectG139 of the 16PhariseesG5330 who had believedG4100 stoodG1817 up, sayingG3004, “It is necessaryG1163 to 17circumciseG4059 them and to directG3853 them to observeG5083 the LawG3551 of MosesG3475.”

618The apostlesG652 and the eldersG4245 cameG4863 togetherG4863 to 19lookG3708 into thisG3778 20matterG3056. 7After there had beenG1096 muchG4183 21debateG2214, PeterG4074 stoodG450 up and saidG3004 to them, “BrethrenG435G80, you knowG1987 that 22in the earlyG744 daysG2250 23GodG2316 madeG1586 a choiceG1586 amongG1722 you, that by my mouthG4750 the GentilesG1484 would hearG191 the wordG3056 of 24the gospelG2098 and believeG4100. 8And GodG2316, 25whoG2589 knowsG2589 the heartG2589, testifiedG3140 to them 26givingG1325 them the HolyG40 SpiritG4151, justG2531 as He alsoG2532 did to us; 9and 27He madeG1252 noG3762 distinctionG1252 betweenG3342 us and them, 28cleansingG2511 their heartsG2588 by faithG4102. 10NowG3568 thereforeG3767 whyG5101 do you 29putG3985 GodG2316 to the testG3985 by placingG2007 upon the neckG5137 of the disciplesG3101 a yokeG2218 whichG3739 30neitherG3777 our fathersG3962 norG3777 we have beenG2480 ableG2480 to bearG941? 11But we believeG4100 that we are savedG4982 throughG1223 31the graceG5485 of the LordG2962 JesusG2424, in the sameG3739 wayG5158 as they alsoG2548 are.”

12AllG3956 the peopleG4128 keptG4601 silentG4601, and they were listeningG191 to BarnabasG921 and PaulG3972 as they were 32relatingG1834 whatG3745 33signsG4592 and wondersG5059 GodG2316 had doneG4160 throughG1223 them amongG1722 the GentilesG1484.

James’s Judgment

13AfterG3326 they had stoppedG4601 speakingG4601, 3435JamesG2385 answeredG611, sayingG3004, “BrethrenG435G80, listenG191 to me. 1436SimeonG4826 has relatedG1834 howG2531 GodG2316 firstG4413 concernedG1980 Himself aboutG1980 takingG2983 from amongG1537 the GentilesG1484 a peopleG2992 for His nameG3686. 15With thisG3778 the wordsG3056 of 37the ProphetsG4396 agreeG4856, justG2531 as it is writtenG1125,16‘38AfterG3326 theseG3778 thingsG3778 39I will returnG390, And I will rebuildG456 the 40tabernacleG4633 of DavidG1160 which has fallenG4098, And I will rebuildG456 its ruinsG2690, And I will restoreG461 it,1741SoG3704 that the restG2645 of 42mankindG444 may seekG1567 the LordG2962, And allG3956 the GentilesG1484 4344whoG3739 are calledG1941 by My nameG3686,’1845SaysG3004 the LordG2962, who 4647makesG4160 theseG3778 thingsG3778 knownG1110 from longG165 agoG165. 19ThereforeG1352 it is 48my judgmentG2919 that we do not troubleG3926 thoseG3588 who are turningG1994 to GodG2316 from amongG575 the GentilesG1484, 20but that we writeG1989 to them that they abstainG568 from 4950thingsG234 contaminatedG234 by idolsG1497 and from 51fornicationG4202 and from 52what is strangledG4156 and from bloodG129. 21For 53MosesG3475 from ancientG744 generationsG1074 hasG2192 in everyG2596 cityG4172 thoseG3588 who preachG2784 him, since 54he is readG314 in the synagoguesG4864 everyG3956 SabbathG4521.”

22ThenG5119 it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to 55the apostlesG652 and the eldersG4245, with the wholeG3650 churchG1577, to chooseG1586 menG435 from amongG1537 them to sendG3992 to 56AntiochG490 with PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921--JudasG2455 calledG2564 BarsabbasG923, and 57SilasG4609, leadingG2233 menG435 amongG1722 58the brethrenG80, 23and they 59sentG1125 this letterG1125 by them, “60The apostlesG652 and the brethrenG80 who are eldersG4245, to 61the brethrenG80 in 62AntiochG490 and 63SyriaG4947 and 64CiliciaG2791 whoG3588 are from the GentilesG1484, 65greetingsG5463. 24SinceG1894 we have heardG191 that 66someG5100 67of our numberG1473 to whomG3739 we gaveG1291 noG3756 instructionG1291 have 68disturbedG5015 you with their wordsG3056, unsettlingG384 your soulsG5590, 2569it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to us, having 70becomeG1096 of oneG3661 mindG3661, to selectG1586 menG435 to sendG3992 to you with our belovedG27 BarnabasG921 and PaulG3972, 26menG444 who have 7172riskedG3860 their livesG5590 for the nameG3686 of our LordG2962 JesusG2424 ChristG5547. 27ThereforeG3767 we have sentG649 73JudasG2455 and 74SilasG4609, who themselvesG846 will alsoG2532 reportG518 the sameG846 thingsG846 by wordG3056 of mouth. 28For 75it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to 76the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 and to 77us to layG2007 upon you noG3367 greaterG4183 burdenG922 thanG4133 theseG3778 essentialsG1876: 29that you abstainG568 from 78thingsG1494 sacrificedG1494 to idolsG1494 and from 79bloodG129 and from 80thingsG4156 strangledG4156 and from 81fornicationG4202; 82if you keepG1301 yourselvesG1438 freeG1301 from suchG3779 thingsG3739, you will doG4238 wellG2095. FarewellG4517.”

30SoG3767 when they were sentG630 awayG630, 83they wentG2718 downG2718 to AntiochG490; and having gatheredG4863 the 84congregationG4128 togetherG4863, they deliveredG1929 the letterG1992. 31When they had readG314 it, they rejoicedG5463 becauseG1909 of its 85encouragementG3874. 3286JudasG2455 and 87SilasG4609, alsoG2532 beingG1510 88prophetsG4396 themselvesG846, 89encouragedG3870 and strengthenedG1991 90the brethrenG80 with a lengthyG4183 messageG3056. 33After they had spentG4160 timeG5550 there, they were sentG630 awayG630 from the brethrenG80 91in peaceG1515 to thoseG3588 who had 92sentG649 them out. 34[93But it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to SilasG4609 to remainG1961 thereG847.] 35But 94PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921 stayedG1304 in AntiochG490, teachingG1321 and 95preachingG2097 with manyG4183 othersG2087 alsoG2532, 96the wordG3056 of the LordG2962.

Second Missionary Journey

36AfterG3326 someG5100 daysG2250 PaulG3972 saidG3004 to BarnabasG921, “Let us returnG1994 and visitG1980 the brethrenG80 in 97everyG3956 cityG4172 in whichG3739 we proclaimedG2605 98the wordG3056 of the LordG2962, and see howG4459 they are.” 37BarnabasG921 wantedG1014 to takeG4838 99JohnG2491, calledG2564 MarkG3138, alongG4838 with them alsoG2532. 38But PaulG3972 kept insistingG515 that they should not takeG4838 him alongG4838 who had 100desertedG868 them 101in PamphyliaG3828 and had not goneG4905 with them to the workG2041. 39And there occurredG1096 such a sharpG3948 disagreementG3948 that they separatedG673 from oneG240 anotherG240, and BarnabasG921 tookG3880 102MarkG3138 with him and sailedG1602 awayG1602 to 103CyprusG2954. 40But PaulG3972 choseG1951 104SilasG4609 and leftG1831, being 105committedG3860 by the brethrenG80 to the graceG5485 of the LordG2962. 41And he was travelingG1330 throughG1330 106SyriaG4947 and 107CiliciaG2791, strengtheningG1991 the churchesG1577.