aSome men
came
down
from Judea
and began teaching
bthe brethren
, "Unless
you are ccircumcised
according to dthe custom
of Moses
, you cannot
be saved
."
And when Paul and Barnabas
had
1great
dissension
and adebate
with them, bthe brethren determined
that Paul
and Barnabas
and some
others
of them should go
up to Jerusalem
to the capostles
and elders
concerning
this
issue
.
Therefore, being asent
on their way
by the church
, they were passing
through
both
bPhoenicia
and Samaria
, cdescribing
in detail
the conversion
of the Gentiles
, and were bringing
great
joy
to all
dthe brethren
.
When they arrived at Jerusalem
, they were received
by the church
and athe apostles
and the elders
, and they breported
all
that God
had done
with them.
But some of athe sect
of the bPharisees
who had believed
stood
up, saying
, "It is necessary
to ccircumcise
them and to direct
them to observe
the Law
of Moses
."
aThe apostles and the elders
came
together
to 1look
into this
2matter
.
After there had been much
adebate
, Peter
stood
up and said
to them, "Brethren
, you know
that 1in the early
days
bGod
made
a choice
among
you, that by my mouth
the Gentiles
would hear
the word
of cthe gospel
and believe
.
"And God, awho
knows
the heart
, testified
to them bgiving
them the Holy
Spirit
, just
as He also
did to us;
and aHe made no
distinction
between
us and them, bcleansing
their hearts
by faith
.
"Now therefore
why
do you aput
God
to the test
by placing
upon the neck
of the disciples
a yoke
which
bneither
our fathers
nor
we have been
able
to bear
?
"But we believe that we are saved
through
athe grace
of the Lord
Jesus
, in the same
way
as they also
are."
All the people
kept
silent
, and they were listening
to Barnabas
and Paul
as they were arelating
what
bsigns
and wonders
God
had done
through
them among
the Gentiles
.
After they had stopped
speaking
, 1 aJames
answered
, saying
, "Brethren
, listen
to me.
" aSimeon has related
how
God
first
concerned
Himself about
taking
from among
the Gentiles
a people
for His name
.
"With this the words
of athe Prophets
agree
, just
as it is written
,
` aAFTER THESE
THINGS
bI will return
, AND I WILL REBUILD
THE 1TABERNACLE
OF DAVID
WHICH HAS FALLEN
, AND I WILL REBUILD
ITS RUINS
, AND I WILL RESTORE
IT,
aSO THAT THE REST
OF 1MANKIND
MAY SEEK
THE LORD
, AND ALL
THE GENTILES
2 bWHO
ARE CALLED
BY MY NAME
,'
aSAYS THE LORD
, WHO 1 bMAKES
THESE
THINGS
KNOWN
FROM LONG
AGO
.
"Therefore it is amy judgment
that we do not trouble
those
who are turning
to God
from among
the Gentiles
,
but that we write to them that they abstain
from 1 athings
contaminated
by idols
and from bfornication
and from cwhat is strangled
and from blood
.
"For aMoses from ancient
generations
has
in every
city
those
who preach
him, since 1he is read
in the synagogues
every
Sabbath
."
Then it seemed
good
to athe apostles
and the elders
, with the whole
church
, to choose
men
from among
them to send
to bAntioch
with Paul
and Barnabas
--Judas
called
Barsabbas
, and cSilas
, leading
men
among
dthe brethren
,
and they 1sent this letter
by them, " aThe apostles
and the brethren
who are elders
, to bthe brethren
in cAntioch
and dSyria
and eCilicia
who
are from the Gentiles
, fgreetings
.
"Since we have heard
that asome
1of our number
to whom
we gave
no
instruction
have bdisturbed
you with their words
, unsettling
your souls
,
ait seemed good
to us, having 1become
of one
mind
, to select
men
to send
to you with our beloved
Barnabas
and Paul
,
men who have 1 arisked
their lives
for the name
of our Lord
Jesus
Christ
.
"Therefore we have sent
aJudas
and bSilas
, who themselves
will also
report
the same
things
by word
of mouth.
"For ait seemed good
to bthe Holy
Spirit
and to cus to lay
upon you no
greater
burden
than
these
essentials
:
that you abstain from athings
sacrificed
to idols
and from ablood
and from athings
strangled
and from afornication
; 1if you keep
yourselves
free
from such
things
, you will do
well
. Farewell
."
So when they were sent
away
, athey went
down
to Antioch
; and having gathered
the 1congregation
together
, they delivered
the letter
.
When they had read it, they rejoiced
because
of its 1encouragement
.
aJudas and bSilas
, also
being
cprophets
themselves
, 1encouraged
and strengthened
dthe brethren
with a lengthy
message
.
After they had spent time
there, they were sent
away
from the brethren
ain peace
to those
who had bsent
them out.
[ 1But it seemed good
to Silas
to remain
there
.]
But aPaul and Barnabas
stayed
in Antioch
, teaching
and bpreaching
with many
others
also
, cthe word
of the Lord
.
After some
days
Paul
said
to Barnabas
, "Let us return
and visit
the brethren
in aevery
city
in which
we proclaimed
bthe word
of the Lord
, and see how
they are."
Barnabas wanted
to take
aJohn
, called
Mark
, along
with them also
.
But Paul kept insisting
that they should not take
him along
who had adeserted
them 1in Pamphylia
and had not gone
with them to the work
.
And there occurred such a sharp
disagreement
that they separated
from one
another
, and Barnabas
took
aMark
with him and sailed
away
to bCyprus
.
But Paul chose
aSilas
and left
, being bcommitted
by the brethren
to the grace
of the Lord
.
And he was traveling through
aSyria
and bCilicia
, strengthening
the churches
.