Acts 15:4-41

4When they arrivedG3854 at JerusalemG2414, they were receivedG3858 by the churchG1577 and 1the apostlesG652 and the eldersG4245, and they 2reportedG312 allG3745 that GodG2316 had doneG4160 with them. 5But someG5100 of 3the sectG139 of the 4PhariseesG5330 who had believedG4100 stoodG1817 up, sayingG3004, “It is necessaryG1163 to 5circumciseG4059 them and to directG3853 them to observeG5083 the LawG3551 of MosesG3475.”

66The apostlesG652 and the eldersG4245 cameG4863 togetherG4863 to 7lookG3708 into thisG3778 8matterG3056. 7After there had beenG1096 muchG4183 9debateG2214, PeterG4074 stoodG450 up and saidG3004 to them, “BrethrenG435G80, you knowG1987 that 10in the earlyG744 daysG2250 11GodG2316 madeG1586 a choiceG1586 amongG1722 you, that by my mouthG4750 the GentilesG1484 would hearG191 the wordG3056 of 12the gospelG2098 and believeG4100. 8And GodG2316, 13whoG2589 knowsG2589 the heartG2589, testifiedG3140 to them 14givingG1325 them the HolyG40 SpiritG4151, justG2531 as He alsoG2532 did to us; 9and 15He madeG1252 noG3762 distinctionG1252 betweenG3342 us and them, 16cleansingG2511 their heartsG2588 by faithG4102. 10NowG3568 thereforeG3767 whyG5101 do you 17putG3985 GodG2316 to the testG3985 by placingG2007 upon the neckG5137 of the disciplesG3101 a yokeG2218 whichG3739 18neitherG3777 our fathersG3962 norG3777 we have beenG2480 ableG2480 to bearG941? 11But we believeG4100 that we are savedG4982 throughG1223 19the 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 20relatingG1834 whatG3745 21signsG4592 and wondersG5059 GodG2316 had doneG4160 throughG1223 them amongG1722 the GentilesG1484. 13AfterG3326 they had stoppedG4601 speakingG4601, 2223JamesG2385 answeredG611, sayingG3004, “BrethrenG435G80, listenG191 to me. 1424SimeonG4826 has relatedG1834 howG2531 GodG2316 firstG4413 concernedG1980 Himself aboutG1980 takingG2983 from amongG1537 the GentilesG1484 a peopleG2992 for His nameG3686. 15With thisG3778 the wordsG3056 of 25the ProphetsG4396 agreeG4856, justG2531 as it is writtenG1125,16‘26AfterG3326 theseG3778 thingsG3778 27I will returnG390, And I will rebuildG456 the 28tabernacleG4633 of DavidG1160 which has fallenG4098, And I will rebuildG456 its ruinsG2690, And I will restoreG461 it,1729SoG3704 that the restG2645 of 30mankindG444 may seekG1567 the LordG2962, And allG3956 the GentilesG1484 3132whoG3739 are calledG1941 by My nameG3686,’1833SaysG3004 the LordG2962, who 3435makesG4160 theseG3778 thingsG3778 knownG1110 from longG165 agoG165. 19ThereforeG1352 it is 36my 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 3738thingsG234 contaminatedG234 by idolsG1497 and from 39fornicationG4202 and from 40what is strangledG4156 and from bloodG129. 21For 41MosesG3475 from ancientG744 generationsG1074 hasG2192 in everyG2596 cityG4172 thoseG3588 who preachG2784 him, since 42he is readG314 in the synagoguesG4864 everyG3956 SabbathG4521.”

22ThenG5119 it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to 43the apostlesG652 and the eldersG4245, with the wholeG3650 churchG1577, to chooseG1586 menG435 from amongG1537 them to sendG3992 to 44AntiochG490 with PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921--JudasG2455 calledG2564 BarsabbasG923, and 45SilasG4609, leadingG2233 menG435 amongG1722 46the brethrenG80, 23and they 47sentG1125 this letterG1125 by them, “48The apostlesG652 and the brethrenG80 who are eldersG4245, to 49the brethrenG80 in 50AntiochG490 and 51SyriaG4947 and 52CiliciaG2791 whoG3588 are from the GentilesG1484, 53greetingsG5463. 24SinceG1894 we have heardG191 that 54someG5100 55of our numberG1473 to whomG3739 we gaveG1291 noG3756 instructionG1291 have 56disturbedG5015 you with their wordsG3056, unsettlingG384 your soulsG5590, 2557it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to us, having 58becomeG1096 of oneG3661 mindG3661, to selectG1586 menG435 to sendG3992 to you with our belovedG27 BarnabasG921 and PaulG3972, 26menG444 who have 5960riskedG3860 their livesG5590 for the nameG3686 of our LordG2962 JesusG2424 ChristG5547. 27ThereforeG3767 we have sentG649 61JudasG2455 and 62SilasG4609, who themselvesG846 will alsoG2532 reportG518 the sameG846 thingsG846 by wordG3056 of mouth. 28For 63it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to 64the HolyG40 SpiritG4151 and to 65us to layG2007 upon you noG3367 greaterG4183 burdenG922 thanG4133 theseG3778 essentialsG1876: 29that you abstainG568 from 66thingsG1494 sacrificedG1494 to idolsG1494 and from 67bloodG129 and from 68thingsG4156 strangledG4156 and from 69fornicationG4202; 70if you keepG1301 yourselvesG1438 freeG1301 from suchG3779 thingsG3739, you will doG4238 wellG2095. FarewellG4517.”

30SoG3767 when they were sentG630 awayG630, 71they wentG2718 downG2718 to AntiochG490; and having gatheredG4863 the 72congregationG4128 togetherG4863, they deliveredG1929 the letterG1992. 31When they had readG314 it, they rejoicedG5463 becauseG1909 of its 73encouragementG3874. 3274JudasG2455 and 75SilasG4609, alsoG2532 beingG1510 76prophetsG4396 themselvesG846, 77encouragedG3870 and strengthenedG1991 78the brethrenG80 with a lengthyG4183 messageG3056. 33After they had spentG4160 timeG5550 there, they were sentG630 awayG630 from the brethrenG80 79in peaceG1515 to thoseG3588 who had 80sentG649 them out. 34[81But it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to SilasG4609 to remainG1961 thereG847.] 35But 82PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921 stayedG1304 in AntiochG490, teachingG1321 and 83preachingG2097 with manyG4183 othersG2087 alsoG2532, 84the wordG3056 of the LordG2962.

36AfterG3326 someG5100 daysG2250 PaulG3972 saidG3004 to BarnabasG921, “Let us returnG1994 and visitG1980 the brethrenG80 in 85everyG3956 cityG4172 in whichG3739 we proclaimedG2605 86the wordG3056 of the LordG2962, and see howG4459 they are.” 37BarnabasG921 wantedG1014 to takeG4838 87JohnG2491, calledG2564 MarkG3138, alongG4838 with them alsoG2532. 38But PaulG3972 kept insistingG515 that they should not takeG4838 him alongG4838 who had 88desertedG868 them 89in 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 90MarkG3138 with him and sailedG1602 awayG1602 to 91CyprusG2954. 40But PaulG3972 choseG1951 92SilasG4609 and leftG1831, being 93committedG3860 by the brethrenG80 to the graceG5485 of the LordG2962. 41And he was travelingG1330 throughG1330 94SyriaG4947 and 95CiliciaG2791, strengtheningG1991 the churchesG1577.