Acts 15:22–32

The Letter from the Council

²²Then it seemed best to the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas who was called Barsabbas and Silas, men who were leaders among the brothers—²³writing this letter^* to be delivered by them:^g

The apostles and the elders, brothers.

To the brothers who are from among the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.

Greetings!

²⁴Because we have heard that some have gone out from among us—to whom we gave no orders—and^* have thrown you into confusion by words upsetting your minds,^{h 25}it seemed best to us, having reached a unanimous decision,ⁱ and^* having chosen men, to send them^* to you together with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶men who have risked their lives on behalf of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they will report the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to place on you no greater burden except these necessary things: ²⁹that you abstain from food sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you^* keep yourselves from these things^j you will do well.

Farewell.

The Letter Is Delivered to Antioch

³⁰So when^* they were sent off, they came down to Antioch, and after^* calling together the community, they delivered the letter. ³¹And when they^* read it^* aloud, they rejoiced at the encouragement. ³²Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers by a long message.