Conflict over Circumcision

15 And (A)certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, (B)“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that (C)Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.

So, (D)being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, (E)describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. 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.”

The Jerusalem Council

Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: (F)“Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, (G)who knows the heart, [a]acknowledged them by (H)giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, (I)and made no distinction between us and them, (J)purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God (K)by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But (L)we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus [b]Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”

12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had (M)worked through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they had [c]become silent, (N)James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 (O)Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:

16 ‘After(P) this I will return
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up;
17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
Says the [d]Lord who does all these things.’

18 [e]“Known to God from eternity are all His works. 19 Therefore (Q)I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who (R)are turning to God, 20 but that we (S)write to them to abstain (T)from things polluted by idols, (U)from [f]sexual immorality, (V)from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, (W)being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

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Footnotes

  1. Acts 15:8 bore witness to
  2. Acts 15:11 NU, M omit Christ
  3. Acts 15:13 stopped speaking
  4. Acts 15:17 NU Lord, who makes these things
  5. Acts 15:18 NU (continuing v. 17) known from eternity (of old).
  6. Acts 15:20 Or fornication

15 Now kai some tis men came katerchomai down from apo · ho Judea Ioudaia and began to teach didaskō the ho brothers adelphos, “ Unless ean mē you are circumcised peritemnō according to the ho custom ethos of ho Moses Mōysēs, you cannot ou be saved sōzō.” And de when Paul Paulos and kai Barnabas Barnabas had ginomai no ou small oligos argument stasis and kai debate zētēsis · ho · ho with pros them autos, the brethren appointed tassō Paul Paulos and kai Barnabas Barnabas and kai some tis others allos among ek them autos to go up anabainō to eis Jerusalem Ierousalēm to pros the ho apostles apostolos and kai elders presbyteros regarding peri · ho this houtos issue zētēma. So oun being sent propempō on their way by hypo the ho church ekklēsia, they ho went dierchomai through · ho both te Phoenicia Phoinikē and kai Samaria Samareia, narrating ekdiēgeomai in detail the ho conversion epistrophē of the ho Gentiles ethnos, and kai brought poieō great megas joy chara to all pas the ho brothers adelphos. And de when they arrived paraginomai in eis Jerusalem Ierousalēm, they were welcomed paradechomai by apo the ho church ekklēsia and kai the ho apostles apostolos and kai the ho elders presbyteros, and te they reported anangellō all hosos that · ho God theos had done poieō with meta them autos. But de some tis arose exanistēmi · ho from apo the ho party hairesis of the ho Pharisees Pharisaios, believers pisteuō, and said legō, “ It is necessary dei to circumcise peritemnō them autos and te order parangellō them to keep tēreō the ho law nomos of Moses Mōysēs.”

The ho apostles apostolos and kai the ho elders presbyteros were gathered synagō to see about peri · ho this houtos matter logos. After there had been ginomai much polys · de debate zētēsis, Peter Petros stood anistēmi up and said legō to pros them autos, “ My brothers anēr, you hymeis know epistamai that hoti in apo days hēmera of old archaios God theos made a choice eklegomai among en you hymeis, · ho that through dia · ho my egō mouth stoma the ho Gentiles ethnos should hear akouō the ho message logos of the ho gospel euangelion and kai believe pisteuō. And kai · ho God theos, who knows kardiognōstēs the heart , confirmed martyreō this, by giving didōmi the ho Holy hagios Spirit pneuma · ho to them autos just kathōs as · kai he did to us hēmeis, and kai he made no outheis distinction diakrinō between metaxy us hēmeis and kai them autos, cleansing katharizō their autos hearts kardia by ho faith pistis. · ho 10 So oun now nyn why tis are you testing peirazō · ho God theos by putting epitithēmi a yoke zygos on epi the ho neck trachēlos of the ho disciples mathētēs, which hos neither oute · ho our hēmeis ancestors patēr nor oute we hēmeis have been able ischuō to bear bastazō? 11 But alla through dia the ho grace charis of the ho Lord kyrios Jesus Iēsous we believe pisteuō that we will be saved sōzō, in kata the same hos way tropos as those kakeinos also .”

12 And de the ho entire pas assembly plēthos fell silent sigaō, and kai listened akouō to Barnabas Barnabas and kai Paul Paulos recounting exēgeomai all hosos the signs sēmeion and kai wonders teras that God theos had done poieō · ho through dia them autos among en the ho Gentiles ethnos. 13 When meta · de they autos finished speaking sigaō, James Iakōbos replied apokrinomai, saying legō, “ My brothers anēr, listen akouō to me egō. 14 Simeon Symeōn has recounted exēgeomai how kathōs God theos first prōton · ho concerned episkeptomai himself about taking lambanō from ek among the Gentiles ethnos a people laos for ho his autos name onoma. 15 And kai with this houtos agree symphōneō the ho words logos of the ho prophets prophētēs, as kathōs it is written graphō, 16  After meta this houtos I will return anastrephō, and kai I will rebuild anoikodomeō the ho tent skēnē of David Dauid, which ho has fallen piptō, and kai I will rebuild anoikodomeō the ho ruins kataskaptō of it autos, and kai I will restore anorthoō it autos, 17 so hopōs that the ho rest kataloipos of ho men anthrōpos may an seek ekzēteō the ho Lord kyrios, namely kai, all pas the ho Gentiles ethnos on epi whom hos my egō name onoma has been called epikaleō, · ho says legō the Lord kyrios, who makes poieō these houtos things 18 known gnōstos from apo long aiōn ago .’ 19 Therefore dio I egō conclude krinō that we should not trouble parenochleō those ho from apo the ho Gentiles ethnos who are turning epistrephō to epi · ho God theos, 20 but alla should write epistellō to them autos to abstain apechō from the ho pollutions alisgēma of ho idols eidōlon, and kai from ho sexual porneia immorality , and kai from ho what has been strangled pniktos, and kai from ho blood haima. 21 For gar from ek ancient archaios generations genea Moses Mōysēs has had echō in kata every city polis those ho who proclaim kēryssō him autos, because he is read aloud anaginōskō in en the ho synagogues synagōgē every kata pas Sabbath sabbaton.”

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