The Jerusalem Council

15 ^(A)Some men came down from Judea and began teaching ^(B)the brothers, “Unless you are ^(C)circumcised according to ^(D)the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And when Paul and Barnabas had not a little dissension and ^(E)debate with them, ^(F)the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the ^(G)apostles and elders concerning this issue. ³ Therefore, being ^(H)sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both ^(I)Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(J)recounting in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all ^(K)the brothers. ⁴ When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and ^(L)the apostles and the elders, and they ^(M)reported all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some of ^(N)the sect of the ^(O)Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to ^(P)circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”

^6 (Q)Both the apostles and the elders came together to ^[a]look into this ^[b]matter. ⁷ And after there had been much ^(R)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that ^[c]in the early days ^(S)God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of ^(T)the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, ^(U)who knows the heart, testified to them ^(V)giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; ⁹ and ^(W)He made no distinction between us and them, ^(X)cleansing their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now therefore why do you ^(Y)put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which ^(Z)neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we are saved through ^(AA)the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

¹² And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were ^(AB)relating what ^(AC)signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

James Issues a Judgment

¹³ Now after they had stopped speaking, ^(AD)James answered, saying, “Brothers, listen to me. ^14 (AE)Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. ¹⁵ And with this the words of ^(AF)the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

¹⁹ Therefore ^(AN)I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, ²⁰ but that we write to them that they abstain from ^(AO)things contaminated by idols and from ^(AP)sexual immorality and from ^(AQ)what is strangled and from blood. ²¹ For from ancient generations, ^(AR)Moses has those who preach him in every city, since ^[i]he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

²² Then it seemed good to ^(AS)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them—Judas called Barsabbas, and ^(AT)Silas, leading men among ^(AU)the brothers—to send to ^(AV)Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, ²³ and they ^[j]sent this letter by them,

³⁰ So when they were sent away, ^(BP)they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the ^[m]congregation together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its ^[n]encouragement. ^32 (BQ)And both Judas and ^(BR)Silas, also being ^(BS)prophets themselves, ^[o]encouraged and strengthened ^(BT)the brothers with a lengthy message. ³³ And after they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers ^(BU)in peace to those who had ^(BV)sent them. ^34 [p][But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] ³⁵ But ^(BW)Paul and Barnabas spent a long time in Antioch, teaching and ^[q](BX)preaching with many others also, ^(BY)the word of the Lord.

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

³⁶ Now after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in ^(BZ)every city in which we proclaimed ^(CA)the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” ³⁷ And Barnabas wanted to take ^(CB)John, called Mark, along with them also. ³⁸ But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had ^(CC)deserted them ^[r]in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ And there was such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took ^(CD)Mark with him and sailed away to ^(CE)Cyprus. ⁴⁰ But Paul chose ^(CF)Silas and left, being ^(CG)committed by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ And he was traveling through ^(CH)Syria and ^(CI)Cilicia, strengthening the churches.