Acts 15:22–32

The Letter to the Gentile Believers

²²Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, ^pboth leading men among the brothers. ²³They wrote this letter to be delivered by them: ^q

From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,

To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: ^r

Greetings.

²⁴Because we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us ^sand troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts, ^tu25we have unanimously ^vdecided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶who have risked their lives ^wfor the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth. ^x28For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—to put no greater burden on you than these necessary things: ^y29that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. ^zYou will do well if you keep yourselves from these things.

Farewell.

The Outcome of the Jerusalem Letter

³⁰Then, being sent off, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. ³¹When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. ³²Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and strengthened them with a long message. ^a