Acts 15:7-21

7After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message of the gospel and believe.

8And God, who knows the heart, has testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,

9and he made no distinction between them and us, cleansing their hearts by faith.

10So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?

11On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.”

12The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

13After they stopped speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.

14Simeon has explained how God first concerned himself to select from among the Gentiles a people for his name.

15The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written,

16‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,

17so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be my own,’ says the Lord, who makes these things

18known from long ago.

19“Therefore I conclude that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God,

20but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood.

21For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, because he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath.”