Acts
15
- Some men came down from Judea to Antioch
and were teaching the brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according
to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
- This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp
dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with
some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders
about this question.
- The church sent them on their way, and as
they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had
been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.
- When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed
by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything
God had done through them.
- Then some of the believers who belonged
to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be
circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses."
- The apostles and elders met to consider
this question.
- After much discussion, Peter got up and
addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice
among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel
and believe.
- God, who knows the heart, showed that he
accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
- He made no distinction between us and them,
for he purified their hearts by faith.
- Now then, why do you try to test God by
putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers
have been able to bear ?
- No! We believe it is through the grace of
our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
- The whole assembly became silent as they
listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders
God had done among the Gentiles through them.
- When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers,
listen to me.
- Simon has described to us how God at first
showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.
- The words of the prophets are in agreement
with this, as it is written:
- "'After this I will return and rebuild
David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
- that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'
- that have been known for ages.
- "It is my judgment, therefore, that
we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
- Instead we should write to them, telling
them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from
the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
- For Moses has been preached in every city
from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
- Then the apostles and elders, with the whole
church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with
Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men
who were leaders among the brothers.
- With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch,
Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.
- We have heard that some went out from us
without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what
they said.
- So we all agreed to choose some men and
send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul
--
- men who have risked their lives for the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas
to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.
- It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to
us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:
- You are to abstain from food sacrificed
to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.
You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
- The men were sent off and went down to Antioch,
where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.
- The people read it and were glad for its
encouraging message.
- Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets,
said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
- After spending some time there, they were
sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who
had sent them.
- [but Silas decided to remain there.]
- But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch,
where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
- Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let
us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word
of the Lord and see how they are doing."
- Barnabas wanted to take John, also called
Mark, with them,
- but Paul did not think it wise to take him,
because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them
in the work.
- They had such a sharp disagreement that
they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
- but Paul chose Silas and left, commended
by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
- He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening
the churches.
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