The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers

22 Then it seemed good to (A)the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called (B)Barsabbas, and (C)Silas, leading men among (D)the brothers, 23 with the following letter: (E)“The brothers, both (F)the apostles and the elders, to the brothers[a] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, (G)greetings. 24 Since we have heard that (H)some persons have gone out from us and (I)troubled you[b] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come (J)to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our (K)beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 (L)men who have (M)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent (N)Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good (O)to the Holy Spirit and (P)to us (Q)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 (R)that you abstain from (S)what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 15:23 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 32, 33, 36
  2. Acts 15:24 Some manuscripts some persons from us have troubled you

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

22 Then the apostles and elders,(A) with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch(B) with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,(C) men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch,(D) Syria(E) and Cilicia:(F)

Greetings.(G)

24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.(H) 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives(I) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas(J) to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit(K) and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.(L) You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

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