Acts 15:13

Acts 15:13 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
• New International Version (NIV)When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me:

Context of Acts 15:13

11We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” 12Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. 14Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. 15And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:

Acts 15:13 word by word

Μετὰ δὲ τὸ σιγῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπεκρίθη Ἰάκωβος λέγων· ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἀκούσατέ μου.Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• ·ὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• Andδέde · thenG1161
• afterμετάmeta · with/afterG3326
• they had heldσιγάωsigaō · be silentG4601
• theirαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• JamesἸάκωβοςIakōbos · JamesG2385
• answeredἀποκρίνωapokrinomai · to answerG611
• sayingλέγωlegō · to sayG3004
• Menἀνήρanēr · manG435
• brethrenἀδελφόςadelphos · brotherG80
• hearkenἀκούωakouō · to hearG191
• unto meἐγώegō · I/weG1473

Cross-references for Acts 15:13

• 1 Corinthians 14:30But if someone is prophesying and another person receives a revelation from the Lord, the one who is speaking must stop.
• James 1:19Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
• Acts 12:17He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.
• Acts 21:18The next day Paul went with us to meet with James, and all the elders of the Jerusalem church were present.
• Mark 15:40Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome.
• Galatians 1:19The only other apostle I met at that time was James, the Lord’s brother.
• Galatians 2:9In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews.
• James 1:1This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings!
• Acts 2:14Then Peter stepped forward with the eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you, fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this.
• Acts 7:2This was Stephen’s reply: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to our ancestor Abraham in Mesopotamia before he settled in Haran.
• Acts 22:1“Brothers and esteemed fathers,” Paul said, “listen to me as I offer my defense.”

Commentaries on Acts 15:13

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 13James answered - He was evidently president of the council, and is generally called bishop of Jerusalem. The rest either argued on the subject, or gave their opinion; James alone pronounced the definitive sentence. Had Peter been prince and head of the apostles, and of the Church, he would have appeared here in the character of judge, not of mere counsellor or disputant. Thy popish writers say that "James presided because the council was held in his own…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 13James answered - James the Less, son of Alpheus. See the notes on Acts 12:1. Hearken unto me - This whole transaction shows that Peter had no such authority in the church as the papists pretend, for otherwise his opinion would have been followed without debate. James had an authority not less than that of Peter. It is possible that he might have been next in age (compare 1 Corinthians 15:7); and it seems morally certain that he remained for a considerable…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 7-21Verses 7-21 We see from the words "purifying their hearts by faith," and the address of St. Peter, that justification by faith, and sanctification by the Holy Ghost, cannot be separated; and that both are the gift of God. We have great cause to bless God that we have heard the gospel. May we have that faith which the great Searcher of hearts approves, and attests by the seal of the Holy Spirit. Then our hearts and consciences will be purified from the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-19James, the brother of Jesus, said that the turning of the Gentiles (non-Jewish people) to God agreed with Scripture. He strongly argued that it was against God’s will to place extra rules on Gentiles who wanted to join God’s people.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1313. James answered, saying, &c.--Whoever this James was (see on Ga 1:19), he was the acknowledged head of the church at Jerusalem, and here, as president of the assembly, speaks last, winding up the debate. His decision, though given as his own judgment only, could not be of great weight with the opposing party, from his conservative reverence for all Jewish usages within the circle of Israelitish Christianity.Read the comment

Topics related to Acts 15:13

• Antioch
• Catholicity
• Church
• Circumcision
• Council
• Doctrines
• Elder
• Gentiles
• James
• Law
• Titus

In the dictionaries

• Abstain
• Apostle
• Cause
• Choice
• Consider
• Conversion
• Council
• Declare
• Dissension
• Galatians, Epistle to

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