Acts 15:2-30

2And after PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921 hadG1096 1a heatedG3756G3641 argumentG4714 and 2debateG2214 with them, 3the brothers determinedG5021 that PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921 and someG5100 othersG243 of them should goG305 upG305 to JerusalemG2419 to the 4apostlesG652 and eldersG4245 concerningG4012 thisG3778 issueG2213. 3ThereforeG3767, after being 5sentG4311 onG4311 their wayG4311 by the churchG1577, they were passingG1330 throughG1330 bothG5037 6PhoeniciaG5403 and SamariaG4540, 7describingG1555 inG1555 detailG1555 the conversionG1995 of the GentilesG1484, and they were bringingG4160 greatG3173 joyG5479 to allG3956 8the brothersG80 and sisters. 4When they arrivedG3854 in JerusalemG2414, they were receivedG3858 by the churchG1577, 9the apostlesG652, and the eldersG4245, and they 10reportedG312 allG3745 thatG3745 GodG2316 had doneG4160 with them. 5But someG5100 of 11the sectG139 of the 12PhariseesG5330 who had believedG4100 stoodG1817 upG1817, sayingG3004, “It is necessaryG1163 to 13circumciseG4059 14them and to directG3853 them to keepG5083 the LawG3551 of MosesG3475.”

615The apostlesG652 and the eldersG4245 cameG4863 togetherG4863 to 16lookG3708 into thisG3778 17matterG3056. 7After there had beenG1096 muchG4183 18debateG2214, PeterG4074 stoodG450 upG450 and saidG3004 to them, “19BrothersG435G80, you knowG1987 that 20in the earlyG744 daysG2250 21GodG2316 madeG1586 aG1586 choiceG1586 amongG1722 you, that by my mouthG4750 the GentilesG1484 would hearG191 the wordG3056 of 22the gospelG2098 and believeG4100. 8And GodG2316, 23whoG2589 knowsG2589 theG2589 heartG2589, testifiedG3140 to them 24givingG1325 them the HolyG40 SpiritG4151, justG2531 asG2531 He alsoG2532 did to us; 9and 25He madeG1252 noG3762 distinctionG1252 betweenG3342 us and them, 26cleansingG2511 their heartsG2588 by faithG4102. 10SinceG3767 thisG3568 is the caseG3568, whyG5101 are you 27puttingG3985 GodG2316 toG3985 theG3985 testG3985 by placingG2007 upon the neckG5137 of the disciplesG3101 a yokeG2218 whichG3739 28neitherG3777 our forefathersG3962 norG3777 we have beenG2480 ableG2480 to bearG941? 11But we believeG4100 that we are savedG4982 throughG1223 29the 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 30relatingG1834 allG3745 the 31signsG4592 and wondersG5059 thatG3745 GodG2316 had doneG4160 throughG1223 them amongG1722 the GentilesG1484. 13AfterG3326 they stoppedG4601 speakingG4601, 3233JamesG2385 respondedG611, sayingG3004, “34BrothersG435G80, listenG191 to me. 1435SimeonG4826 has describedG1834 howG2531 GodG2316 firstG4413 concernedG1980 Himself aboutG1980 takingG2983 a peopleG2992 for His nameG3686 from amongG1537 the GentilesG1484. 15The wordsG3056 of 36the ProphetsG4396 agreeG4856 with thisG3778, justG2531 asG2531 it is writtenG1125:16‘37AfterG3326 theseG3778 thingsG3778 38I will returnG390, And I will rebuildG456 the fallenG4098 39tabernacleG4633 of DavidG1160, And I will rebuildG456 its ruinsG2690, And I will restoreG461 it,1740SoG3704 thatG3704 the restG2645 of mankindG444 may seekG1567 the LordG2962, And allG3956 the GentilesG1484 4142whoG3739 are calledG1941 by My nameG3686,’1843SaysG3004 the LordG2962, who 4445makesG4160 theseG3778 thingsG3778 knownG1110 from longG165 agoG165. 19ThereforeG1352, it is 46my judgmentG2919 that we do not causeG3926 troubleG3926 for thoseG3588 from the GentilesG1484 who are turningG1994 to GodG2316, 20but that we writeG1989 to them that they abstainG568 from 4748thingsG234 contaminatedG234 by idolsG1497, from 49acts of sexualG4202 immoralityG4202, from 50what has been 51strangledG4156, and from bloodG129. 21For 52from ancientG744 generationsG1074 MosesG3475 hasG2192 thoseG3588 who preachG2784 him in everyG2596 cityG4172, since 53he is readG314 in the synagoguesG4864 everyG3956 SabbathG4521.”

22ThenG5119 it seemedG1380 goodG1380 to 54the apostlesG652 and the eldersG4245, with the wholeG3650 churchG1577, to chooseG1586 menG435 from amongG1537 them to sendG3992 to 55AntiochG490 with PaulG3972 and BarnabasG921: JudasG2455 who was calledG2564 BarsabbasG923, and 56SilasG4609, leadingG2233 menG435 amongG1722 57the brothersG80, 23and they 58sentG1125 this letterG1125 with them: “59The apostlesG652 and the brothersG80 who are eldersG4245, to 60the brothersG80 and sisters in 61AntiochG490, 62SyriaG4947, and 63CiliciaG2791 whoG3588 are from the GentilesG1484: 64GreetingsG5463. 24SinceG1894 we have heardG191 that 65someG5100 66of our numberG1473 to whomG3739 we gaveG1291 noG3756 instructionG1291 have 67confusedG5015 you by their 68teachingG3056, upsettingG384 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 uponG2007 you noG3367 greaterG4183 burdenG922 thanG4133 theseG3778 essentialsG1876: 29that you abstainG568 from 78thingsG1494 sacrificedG1494 toG1494 idolsG1494, from 79bloodG129, from 80thingsG4156 strangledG4156, and from 81acts of sexualG4202 immoralityG4202; 82if you keepG1301 yourselvesG1438 freeG1301 from suchG3739 thingsG3739, you will doG4238 wellG2095. FarewellG4517.”

30SoG3767 when they were sentG630 awayG630, 83they wentG2718 downG2718 to AntiochG490; and after gatheringG4863 the 84congregationG4128 togetherG4863, they deliveredG1929 the letterG1992.