Chapter 15

¹And certain persons, having come down from Judaea, taught the brethren, If ye shall not have been circumcised according to the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved. ²A commotion therefore having taken place, and no small discussion on the part of Paul and Barnabas against them, they arranged that Paul and Barnabas, and certain others from amongst them, should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. ³They therefore, having been set on their way by the assembly, passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, relating the conversion of [those of] the nations. And they caused great joy to all the brethren. ⁴And being arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly, and the apostles, and the elders, and related all that God had wrought with them. ⁵And some of those who were of the sect of the Pharisees, who believed, rose up from among [them], saying that they ought to circumcise them and enjoin them to keep the law of Moses. ⁶And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. ⁷And much discussion having taken place, Peter, standing up, said to them, Brethren, ye know that from the earliest days God amongst you chose that the nations by my mouth should hear the word of the glad tidings and believe. ⁸And the heart-knowing God bore them witness, giving [them] the Holy Spirit as to us also, ⁹and put no difference between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰Now therefore why tempt ye God, by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹But we believe that we shall be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same manner as they also. ¹²And all the multitude kept silence and listened to Barnabas and Paul relating all the signs and wonders which God had wrought among the nations by them. ¹³And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, listen to me: ¹⁴Simon has related how God first visited to take out of [the] nations a people for his name. ¹⁵And with this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written: ¹⁶After these things I will return, and will rebuild the tabernacle of David which is fallen, and will rebuild its ruins, and will set it up, ¹⁷so that the residue of men may seek out the Lord, and all the nations on whom my name is invoked, saith [the] Lord, who does these things ¹⁸known from eternity. ¹⁹Wherefore I judge, not to trouble those who from the nations turn to God; ²⁰but to write to them to abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. ²¹For Moses, from generations of old, has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath. ²²Then it seemed good to the apostles and to the elders, with the whole assembly, to send chosen men from among them with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch, Judas called Barsabas and Silas, leading men among the brethren, ²³having by their hand written [thus]: The apostles, and the elders, and the brethren, to the brethren who are from among [the] nations at Antioch, and [in] Syria and Cilicia, greeting: ²⁴Inasmuch as we have heard that some who went out from amongst us have troubled you by words, upsetting your souls, [saying that ye must be circumcised and keep the law]; to whom we gave no commandment; ²⁵it seemed good to us, having arrived at a common judgment, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves also will tell you by word [of mouth] the same things. ²⁸For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: ²⁹to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from fornication; keeping yourselves from which ye will do well. Farewell. ³⁰They therefore, being let go, came to Antioch, and having gathered the multitude delivered to [them] the epistle. ³¹And having read it, they rejoiced at the consolation. ³²And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with much discourse, and strengthened them. ³³And having passed some time [there], they were let go in peace from the brethren to those who sent them. ³⁵And Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and announcing the glad tidings, with many others also, of the word of the Lord. ³⁶But after certain days Paul said to Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city where we have announced the word of the Lord, [and see] how they are getting on. ³⁷And Barnabas proposed to take with [them] John also, called Mark; ³⁸but Paul thought it not well to take with them him who had abandoned them, [going back] from Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹There arose therefore very warm feeling, so that they separated from one another; and Barnabas taking Mark sailed away to Cyprus; ⁴⁰but Paul having chosen Silas went forth, committed by the brethren to the grace of God. ⁴¹And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.