Acts 15
Disciples’ Literal New Testament
15 1 And certain ones having come down from Judea were teaching the brothers that “Unless you are circumcised by the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved”. 2 And no small dispute and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them having taken place, they[a] appointed[b] Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this issue. 3 So indeed the ones, having been sent-forward by the church, were going through both Phoenicia and Samaria describing-in-detail the conversion[c] of the Gentiles. And they were producing great joy in all the brothers. 4 And having arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders. And they reported all-that God did with them. 5 But some of the ones from the sect of the Pharisees having believed[d] stood-up-out-of the assembly, saying that “It-is-necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses”.
Peter Says That Both Jews And Gentiles Are Saved By Grace And Faith, Not By The Law
6 And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7 And much debate having taken place, Peter, having stood up, said to them, “Men, brothers, you know that from the old[e] days God made-a-choice among you that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the message of the good-news and believe. 8 And God, the heart-knower, testified[f]— having given the Holy Spirit to them, just as also to us. 9 And He made no distinction between both us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Therefore[g] why are you now testing God by laying a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 Rather, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in accordance with the way those also are saved ”.
James Quotes The Prophets To Show That It Is God’s Plan To Save The Gentiles
12 And the whole assembly was silent. And they were listening-to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders that God did through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they were silent, James responded, saying, “Men, brothers, listen-to me. 14 Simeon[h] described how God first visited to take a people for His name from the Gentiles. 15 And the words of the prophets agree with this, just as it has been written [in Amos 9:11-12]: 16 ‘After these things I will return and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David. And I will rebuild its things having been torn-down. And I will restore it 17 so that the rest of mankind may seek-out the Lord— even all the Gentiles upon whom My name has been called-upon them[i]’, says the Lord doing these things 18 known from the past age. 19 Therefore I judge that we not be troubling the ones from the Gentiles turning to God, 20 but that we write to them that they should be abstaining from the contaminated[j] things of idols, and sexual-immorality, and the strangled[k] thing, and blood. 21 For from ancient generations, Moses has the ones proclaiming him in each city— being read in the synagogues every Sabbath”.
A Letter Is Sent To Clear Up The Issue And Encourage The Gentile Believers
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, along with the whole church, that having chosen men from-among them they should send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas— Judas (the one being called Barsabbas) and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 having written by their hand:
“The apostles and the elders, your brothers, to the brothers from the Gentiles throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24 Because we heard that some having gone out from us disturbed you with words, unsettling your souls— to whom we did not give-orders— 25 it seemed good to us, having become of-one-accord, having chosen men, that we should send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul— 26 men[l] having handed-over their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent-forth Judas and Silas; they also will be declaring the same things by spoken word. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to be laying-on you no greater burden except these essentials[m]: 29 that you be abstaining from foods-sacrificed-to-idols, and blood, and strangled things, and sexual immorality; keeping yourselves from which things, you will do well. Farewell”.
30 So indeed the ones, having been sent-away, went down to Antioch. And having gathered together the multitude, they delivered the letter. 31 And having read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement. 32 Both Judas and Silas, also themselves being prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long[n] message. 33 And having done time there, they were sent-away with greetings of peace from the brothers to the ones having sent them out. 34 [o]
Paul And Barnabas Plan a Second Missionary Journey From Antioch, But Split Over John Mark
35 Now Paul and Barnabas were spending-time in Antioch, teaching and announcing-as-good-news the word of the Lord, along with many others also. 36 And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Having returned, let us now visit the brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord to see how they are having[p] things”. 37 And Barnabas was wanting to also take along John with them, the one being called Mark. 38 But Paul was considering-it-fitting that they not be taking-along-with them this one having withdrawn[q] from them since Pamphylia, and not having gone with them to the work. 39 And a disagreement took-place, so that they were separated from one another. And Barnabas, having taken along Mark, sailed-off to Cyprus[r].
Paul And Silas Revisit The Churches From Paul’s First Journey. Timothy Joins Them
40 And Paul, having chosen[s] Silas[t], went forth, having been handed-over to the grace of the Lord by the brothers. 41 And he was going[u] through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Footnotes
- Acts 15:2 That is, the brothers in Antioch, v 1.
- Acts 15:2 Or, assigned.
- Acts 15:3 Or, turning.
- Acts 15:5 That is, some believers who were formerly Pharisees.
- Acts 15:7 That is, the days of Acts 10, now some ten years in the past.
- Acts 15:8 That is, testified that Cornelius was truly and fully saved.
- Acts 15:10 The believers in Antioch are a continuation of what God started to do back in Acts 10. These former Pharisees are rejecting the testimony God gave in Acts 10, and seeking to lay on these Gentiles things they themselves could not keep.
- Acts 15:14 That is, Peter, v 7. This is the Aramaic form of ‘Simon’.
- Acts 15:17 That is, upon whom God has placed His name.
- Acts 15:20 Or, polluted, defiled. That is, the foods (v 29) contaminated by their association with idol-worship.
- Acts 15:20 That is, meat from strangled animals, because the blood remained in it, violating a command that goes back to Noah’s time, Gen 9:4.
- Acts 15:26 This refers specifically to Barnabas and Paul.
- Acts 15:28 Or, necessities.
- Acts 15:32 Or, a great message. That is, long in duration; or great in quality. If Luke is referring to multiple occasions rather than one speaking event, then this means ‘much speaking’, as in 20:2.
- Acts 15:34 Some manuscripts add here, But it seemed good to Silas to remain there. Note v 40.
- Acts 15:36 That is, how things are going.
- Acts 15:38 Or, more strongly (based on one’s understanding of this event), abandoned, deserted. This word is not related to ‘departed’ in 13:13.
- Acts 15:39 Barnabas and Mark return to the cities they had visited with Paul in chapter 13. Cyprus is the native country of Barnabas, 4:36. Paul and Silas visit the churches he and Barnabas had founded.
- Acts 15:40 Or, selected, called-upon.
- Acts 15:40 He is called Silvanus in 1 Thes 1:1.
- Acts 15:41 This time, Paul goes by land.
Acts 15
World English Bible
15 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers,[a] “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.” 2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul, Barnabas, and some others of them to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3 They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported everything that God had done with them.
5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7 When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus,[b] just as they are.”
12 All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. 13 After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations to take out of them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,
16 ‘After these things I will return.
I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen.
I will again build its ruins.
I will set it up 17 that the rest of men may seek after the Lord:
all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who does all these things.’(A)
18 “All of God’s works are known to him from eternity. 19 Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.[c] 23 They wrote these things by their hand:
“The apostles, the elders, and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings. 24 Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment; 25 it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”
30 So, when they were sent off, they came to Antioch. Having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words and strengthened them. 33 After they had spent some time there, they were dismissed in peace from the brothers to the apostles. 34 [d] 35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return now and visit our brothers in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas planned to take John, who was called Mark, with them also. 38 But Paul didn’t think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia, and didn’t go with them to do the work. 39 Then the contention grew so sharp that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.
Footnotes
- 15:1 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”
- 15:11 TR adds “Christ”
- 15:22 The word for “brothers” here and where the context allows may also be correctly translated “brothers and sisters” or “siblings.”
- 15:34 Some manuscripts add: But it seemed good to Silas to stay there.
Disciples' Literal New Testament: Serving Modern Disciples by More Fully Reflecting the Writing Style of the Ancient Disciples, Copyright © 2011 Michael J. Magill. All Rights Reserved. Published by Reyma Publishing
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