Acts 15
1 And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren, [saying],
Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2 And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them,
[the brethren] appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them,
should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
3 They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both
Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused
great joy unto all the brethren.
4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the
apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with
them.
5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying,
It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.
6 And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this
matter.
7 And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them,
Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my
mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8 And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy
Spirit, even as he did unto us;
9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by
faith.
10 Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the
neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in
like manner as they.
12 And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul
rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through
them.
13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren,
hearken unto me:
14 Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them
a people for his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16 After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of
David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set
it up:
17 That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon
whom my name is called,
18 Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.
19 Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the
Gentiles turn to God;
20 but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols,
and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him,
being read in the synagogues every sabbath.
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to
choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and
Barnabas; [namely], Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the
brethren:
23 and they wrote [thus] by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto
the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
24 Forasmuch as we have heard that certain who went out from us have troubled
you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment;
25 it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send
them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you
the same things by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater
burden than these necessary things:
29 that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from
things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it
shall be well with you. Fare ye well.
30 So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered
the multitude together, they delivered the epistle.
31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.
32 And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren
with many words, and confirmed them.
33 And after they had spent some time [there], they were dismissed in peace from
the brethren unto those that had sent them forth.
34 (Ommitted)
35 But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of
the Lord, with many others also.
36 And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the
brethren in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, [and see] how
they fare.
37 And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from
Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one from the
other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away unto Cyprus;
40 but Paul choose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the
grace of the Lord.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.