The Church conference in Jerusalem
15
📚✭And certain men who came down from Judea taught the brethren, and said, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved”. 2 📚✭Therefore, after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they decided that Paul and Barnabas and some others among them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3 📚And so, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and thus they produced great joy in all the brethren. 4 📚And when they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and by the apostles and elders, and they reported everything that God had done with them.5 📚✭But some belonging to the sect of the Pharisees✭ who believed got up and said this: “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses”.
The decision of the Church
6 📚And the apostles and elders met together to consider this matter. 7 📚And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Men, brethren, you know that some time ago God made a choice among us that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 📚✭And God, who knows the heart, gave testimony to them by giving to them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us, 9 📚✭and made no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith✭. 10 📚✭Now then, why do you test God by trying to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 📚✭But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved, just as they”.
12 📚✭Then the whole assembly kept silent, and gave their attention to Barnabas and Paul, who told what miracles and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 📚✭And after they became silent, James responded by saying, “Men, brethren, listen to me. 14 📚Simon✭ has declared how God for the first time visited the Gentiles to take out from among them a people for his name✭. 15 📚✭And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written,
16 📚After this I will return,
and rebuild the tabernacle of David,
which has fallen down.
And I will rebuild its ruins
and I will set it up,
17 📚So that the remainder of men
may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles,
who are called by my name,
says the Lord,
who does all these things.
18 📚“From the beginning of the world all of God’s works are known to him.
19 📚✭“Therefore, in my judgment, we should not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 📚✭but that we write to them that they should abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21 📚For Moses for a long time has had those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day”.
22 📚✭Then it pleased the apostles and elders, along with the whole church, to send men chosen from among themselves to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas, called Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren. 23 📚✭And they wrote these things by them:
“The apostles and elders and brethren send greetings to the Gentile brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
The letter sent to Gentile believers
24 📚✭Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with their words, disturbing your souls, saying, ‘Be circumcised and keep the Law’ (we gave no such instruction to them), 25 📚it seemed good to us meeting together with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our dear brothers Barnabas and Paul, 26 📚men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 📚Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will also tell you the same things by mouth. 28 📚✭For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: 29 📚✭That you abstain from foods offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. You will do well if you keep yourselves away from these things. Farewell”.
30 📚So when they were sent away, they came to Antioch. And when they had gathered the large number of believers together, they handed over the letter. 31 📚✭When they read it, they rejoiced for the encouragement in it. 32 📚✭And Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with many words. 33 📚And after they had stayed there a while, they were sent back by the brethren in peace to the apostles. 34 However, it pleased Silas to remain there. 35 📚✭Paul and Barnabas also stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Paul and Barnabas separate
36 📚✭And some days afterwards Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing”. 37 📚✭And Barnabas was determined to take John, who was called Mark, with them. 38 📚But Paul did not think it was good to take him with them, the one who left them at Pamphylia, and did not go with them to the work. 39 📚✭And the dispute was so sharp between them, that they parted from one another. So Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus, 40 📚✭and Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God. 41 📚✭And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.