Acts 15:2–30

²Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that ^cPaul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.

³So, ^dbeing sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, ^edescribing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. ⁴And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. ⁵But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

The Jerusalem Council

⁶Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. ⁷And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: ^f“Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸So God, ^gwho knows the heart, ¹acknowledged them by ^hgiving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, ⁹ⁱand made no distinction between us and them, ^jpurifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Now therefore, why do you test God ^kby putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹But ^lwe believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus ²Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

¹²Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had ^mworked through them among the Gentiles. ¹³And after they had ³become silent, ⁿJames answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: ^14oSimon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. ¹⁵And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

¹⁶‘After ^pthis I will return

And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;

I will rebuild its ruins,

And I will set it up;

¹⁷So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,

Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,

Says the ⁴Lord who does all these things.’

¹⁸⁵“Known to God from eternity are all His works. ¹⁹Therefore ^qI judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who ^rare turning to God, ²⁰but that we ^swrite to them to abstain ^tfrom things polluted by idols, ^ufrom ⁶sexual immorality, ^vfrom things strangled, and from blood. ²¹For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, ^wbeing read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

The Jerusalem Decree

²²Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named ^xBarsabas, ⁷and Silas, leading men among the brethren.

²³They wrote this letter by them:

The apostles, the elders, and the brethren,

To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

²⁴Since we have heard that ^ysome who went out from us have troubled you with words, ^zunsettling your souls, ⁸saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”—to whom we gave no such commandment—²⁵it seemed good to us, being assembled with one ⁹accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ^26amen who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: ^29bthat you abstain from things offered to idols, ^cfrom blood, from things strangled, and from ^dsexual ¹immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Farewell.

Continuing Ministry in Syria

³⁰So when they were sent off, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.