Acts 15:1-21
Legacy Standard Bible
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,
16 ‘(AG)After these things (AH)I will return,
And I will rebuild the (AI)fallen [d]booth of David,
And I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will restore it,
17 (AJ)So that the rest of [e]mankind may seek the Lord,
And all the Gentiles [f](AK)who are called by My name,’
18 (AL)Says the [g]Lord, who [h](AM)makes these things known from long ago.
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.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Acts 15:6 Lit see about
- Acts 15:6 Lit word
- Acts 15:7 Lit from days of old
- Acts 15:16 Or tent
- Acts 15:17 Gr anthropoi
- Acts 15:17 Lit upon whom My name is called
- Acts 15:18 In OT, Yahweh, cf. Amos 9:12
- Acts 15:18 Or does these things which were known
- Acts 15:21 The books of Moses, Gen-Deut
Acts 15:1-21
Christian Standard Bible
Dispute in Antioch
15 Some men(A) came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised(B) according to the custom prescribed by Moses,(C) you cannot be saved.” 2 After Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, Paul and Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this issue.(D) 3 When they had been sent on their way by the church,(E) they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.
4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.(F) 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
The Jerusalem Council
6 The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you,[a] that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.(G) 9 He made no distinction between us and them,(H) cleansing their hearts by faith.(I) 10 Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks(J) that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace(K) of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.(L) 13 After they stopped speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon[b] has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.(M) 15 And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
16 After these things I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
I will rebuild its ruins
and set it up again,
17 so that the rest of humanity
may seek the Lord—
even all the Gentiles
who are called by my name—
declares the Lord
who makes these things 18 known from long ago.[c][d](N)
19 Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,(O) from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”(P)
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