¹⁸ Was anyone at the time of his call already circumcised? Let him not seek to remove the marks of circumcision. Was anyone at the time of his call uncircumcised? ^(A)Let him not seek circumcision.

⁵ But some believers who belonged to ^(A)the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ^(B)“It is necessary ^(C)to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

²⁸ For it has seemed good ^(A)to the Holy Spirit and ^(B)to us ^(C)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:

²⁴ Since we have heard that ^(A)some persons have gone out from us and ^(B)troubled you^[a] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,

¹⁹ Therefore ^(A)my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who ^(B)turn to God,

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For ^(A)freedom Christ has ^(B)set us free; ^(C)stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to ^(D)a yoke of ^(E)slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that ^(F)if you accept circumcision, ^(G)Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that ^(H)he is obligated to keep the whole law.

^11 (A)Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave,^[a] free; but Christ is ^(B)all, and in all.

The Jerusalem Council

15 ^(A)But some men came down from Judea and were teaching ^(B)the brothers, “Unless you are ^(C)circumcised ^(D)according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and ^(E)debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and ^(F)some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ^(G)the apostles and the elders about this question.