Acts 15

Modern

Literal

The Dispute over Circumcision

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

¹But certain ones having come down from Judea were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you are not able to be saved.”

²And after engaging these men in sharp debate, Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

²There having been, then, no small commotion and discussion by Paul and Barnabas with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and certain others out of them to go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.

³Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.

³Therefore indeed, having been sent forward by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, relating in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they were bringing great joy to all the brothers.

⁴On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported all that God had done through them.

⁴And having come to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders. And they declared all that God had done with them.

The Council at Jerusalem

⁵But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”

⁵Now certain ones of those who believed from the sect of the Pharisees rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter.

⁶And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter.

⁷After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.

⁷And much discussion having taken place, Peter having risen up, said to them, “Men, brothers, you know that from early days God chose among you for the Gentiles to hear by my mouth the word of the gospel, and to believe.

⁸And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.

⁸And the heart-knowing God testified to them, having given them the Holy Spirit, as also to us.

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

⁹And He made no distinction between both us and them, having purified their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?

¹⁰Now, therefore, why are you testing God, putting upon the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

¹¹On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

¹¹But we believe to be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same manner as they also.”

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

¹²Now the whole multitude kept silent and were listening to Barnabas and Paul relating what signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles by them.

¹³When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!

¹³And after they were silent, James answered, saying, “Men, brothers, hear me.

¹⁴Simon^a has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.

¹⁴Simeon related how God first visited to take out of the Gentiles a people for His name.

¹⁵The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

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

¹⁶‘After this I will return and rebuild

the fallen tent of David.

Its ruins I will rebuild,

and I will restore it,

¹⁶‘After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David that has fallen, and its ruins I will rebuild, and I will set it upright,

¹⁷so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,

and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,

says the Lord who does these things

¹⁷so that the remnant of men may seek out the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom has been called My name—upon them, says the Lord, doing these things

¹⁸that have been known for ages.’^a

¹⁸known from the age.’

¹⁹It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

¹⁹Therefore I judge not to trouble those from the Gentiles turning to God,

²⁰Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

²⁰but to write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from sexual immorality, and from that which is strangled, and from blood.

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

²¹For Moses has ones proclaiming him in every city from generations of old, being read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

The Letter to the Gentile Believers

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

²²Then it seemed good to the apostles and to the elders, with the whole church, having chosen out of them to send men to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, leading men among the brothers,

²³and sent them with this letter:

The apostles and the elders, your brothers,

To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

²³having written by their hand: The apostles and the elders, brothers, To those brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.

²⁴It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.^a

²⁴Inasmuch as we have heard that some went out from us, to whom we gave no instructions, and that they troubled you by words, upsetting your minds,

²⁵So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁵it seemed good to us, having come with one accord, having chosen men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

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

²⁶men having handed over their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing.

²⁷Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they are telling the same things by word.

²⁸It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no further burden except these necessary things:

²⁹You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

²⁹to abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what is strangled, and from sexual immorality. Keeping yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.

The Believers at Antioch Rejoice

³⁰So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.

³⁰Indeed, therefore, having been sent off, they went to Antioch, and having gathered the multitude, they delivered the letter.

³¹When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.

³¹And having read it, they rejoiced at the encouragement.

³²Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

³²Both Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, exhorted and strengthened the brothers by much talk.

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

³³And having continued a time, they were sent away in peace from the brothers to those having sent them.

³⁴—

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

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the good news—with many others also—the word of the Lord.

Paul’s Second Missionary Journey Begins

³⁶Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”

³⁶Now after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Indeed, having turned back, let us look after the brothers in every city in which we have proclaimed the word of the Lord—how they are.”

³⁷Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.

³⁷Now Barnabas purposed also to take along John, called Mark.

³⁸But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.

³⁸But Paul was thinking it fit not to take him along, the one having withdrawn from them from Pamphylia and not having gone with them to the work.

³⁹Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,

³⁹Therefore a sharp disagreement arose, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas, having taken Mark, sailed to Cyprus.

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

⁴⁰But Paul, having chosen Silas, went out, having been committed to the grace of the Lord by the brothers.

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

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