Acts 15:1

Acts 15:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And certain men which came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
• New International Version (NIV)Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
• New Living Translation (NLT)While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

Context of Acts 15:1

And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question. 3So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.

Acts 15:1 word by word

Καί τινες κατελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐδίδασκον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ περιτμηθῆτε τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως, οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Andκαίkai · andG2532
• certain menτιςtis · oneG5100
• which came downκατέρχομαιkaterchomai · to descendG2718
• fromἀπόapo · away fromG575
• Judeaὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• JudeaἸουδαίαIoudaia · JudeaG2449
• taughtδιδάσκωdidaskō · to teachG1321
• the brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• ·ὅτιhoti · that/since: thatG3754
• Exceptἐάνean · ifG1437
• ·μήmē · notG3361
• ye be circumcisedπεριτέμνωperitemnō · to circumciseG4059
• after the mannerἔθοςethos · customG1485
• of MosesΜωϋσῆς, ΜωσῆςMōseus Mōsēs Mōusēs · MosesG3475
• yeδύναμαιdunamai · be ableG1410
• cannotοὐou · noG3756
• savedσῴζωsōzō · to saveG4982

Cross-references for Acts 15:1

• Acts 21:20And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;
• Galatians 2:4And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage),
• Acts 15:23They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
• Acts 15:5But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
• Romans 4:8Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.”
• Galatians 5:1Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.
• Philippians 3:2Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the mutilation!
• Colossians 2:8Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.
• Genesis 17:10This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised;
• Leviticus 12:3And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
• John 7:22Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.
• Acts 15:24Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law” —to whom we gave no such commandment—
• 1 Corinthians 7:18Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? Let him not be circumcised.
• Galatians 2:1Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and also took Titus with me.
• Galatians 5:6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
• Galatians 6:13For not even those who are circumcised keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh.

Commentaries on Acts 15:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Except ye be circumcised, etc. - The persons who taught this doctrine appear to have been converts to Christianity; but, supposing that the Christian religion was intended to perfect the Mosaic, and not to supersede it, they insisted on the necessity of circumcision, because, by that, a man was made debtor to the whole law, to observe all its rites and ceremonies. This question produced great disturbance in the apostolic Church; and, notwithstanding the…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1And certain men - These were undoubtedly men who had been Jews, but who were now converted to Christianity. The fact that they were willing to refer the matter in dispute to the apostles and elders Acts 15:2 shows that they had professedly embraced the Christian religion. The account which follows is a record of the first internal dissension which occurred in the Christian church. Hitherto the church had been struggling against external foes. Violent…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The dispute raised by Judaizing teachers. (1-6) The council at Jerusalem. (7-21) The letter from the council. (22-35) Paul and Barnabas separate. (36-41) Verses 1-6 Some from Judea taught the Gentile converts at Antioch, that they could not be saved, unless they observed the whole ceremonial law as given by Moses; and thus they sought to destroy Christian liberty. There is a strange proneness in us to think that all do wrong who do not just as we do…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1These men from Judea were Jewish Christians who taught that circumcision and conversion to Judaism were necessary for salvation. The main issue was how to welcome non-Jews into the Christian community. Paul wrote his letter to the Galatians around this time to oppose the same teaching in Galatia (see Galatians Book Introduction, “Date of Writing”).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-351-2. certain men--See the description of them in Ga 2:4.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 15:1

• Antioch
• Bigotry
• Catholicity
• Church
• Circumcision
• Council
• Elder
• Judaism
• Law
• Minister, Christian
• Paul
• Titus

In the dictionaries

• Judea
• Moses
• Abstain
• Cause
• Choice
• Circumcision
• Consider
• Conversion
• Council
• Declare

Commentaries on Acts 15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• The Fourfold Gospel and Commentary on Acts
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings