Chapter 15

¹Now certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

²After Paul and Barnabas had a significant disagreement and debate with them, the brothers appointed Paul and Barnabas, along with some others, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this issue.

³So, being sent on their way by the church, they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, which brought great joy to all the brothers.

⁴When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and elders, and they reported all that God had done through them.

⁵But some believers from the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶The apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.

⁷After much discussion, Peter stood up and said to them, “Friends, you know that some time ago God chose among us that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.”

⁸“And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He did to us.

⁹He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now, therefore, why do you test God by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our ancestors nor we could bear?

¹¹But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”

¹²The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they recounted what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

¹³After they finished speaking, James responded, saying, “Friends, hear me.

¹⁴Simeon has described how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for His name.”

¹⁵“And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written,

¹⁶‘After this I will return and rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,

¹⁷that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord, who makes these things

¹⁸known from of old.’”

¹⁹“Therefore, I judge that we should not trouble those from the Gentiles who are turning to God,

²⁰but should write to them to abstain from things defiled by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood.

²¹For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

²²Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose individuals from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, prominent leaders among the brothers,

²³with this letter: “The brothers, both apostles and elders, to the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.”

²⁴“Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your hearts, though we gave them no such instructions,

²⁵it seemed good to us, having reached agreement, to choose individuals and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶individuals who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

²⁷“We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also tell you 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:

²⁹that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

³⁰So, when they were sent off, they went to Antioch, and having gathered the assembly, they delivered the letter.

³¹When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

³²And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.

³³After spending some time there, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, along with many others.

³⁶After some days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.”

³⁷Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, with them,

³⁸but Paul thought it best not to take him, since he had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

³⁹And a sharp disagreement arose, so that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus,

⁴⁰but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.