Book of Common Prayer

²² Then it pleased the apostles and elders with the whole congregation to send men chosen from their own company to Antioch (in Syria) with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas, called also Barsabas, and Silas, who were chief men among the brethren, ²³ and gave them letters in their hands as follows:

The apostles, elders, and brethren send greetings to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. ²⁴ Since we have heard that certain men who departed from us have troubled you with words and unsettled your minds, saying you must be circumcised and keep the law – to whom we gave no such instruction – ²⁵ it seemed therefore to us a good thing, when we came together with one accord, to send chosen men 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 therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also tell you the same things by mouth. ²⁸ For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to put no greater burden upon you than these necessary things, ²⁹ that is to say, to abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and fornication. From which, if you keep yourselves, you will do well. So fare ye well.

³⁰ When they departed, they went to Antioch, and gathered the whole community together and delivered the epistle. ³¹ When they had read it, the people were glad of that consolation. ³² And Judas and Silas, being prophets, exhorted the brethren with much preaching, and strengthened them. ³³ And after they had stayed there a little while, they were let go in peace from the brethren to the apostles. ³⁴ Notwithstanding, it pleased Silas to remain there still. ³⁵ Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others.

⁴⁵ Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary and seen the things that Jesus did, believed on him. ⁴⁶ But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

⁴⁷ Then the high priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, What should we do? This man does many miracles. ⁴⁸ If we let him go on this way, everyone will believe on him, and the Romans will come and take away our country and the people.

⁴⁹ And one of them named Caiaphas, who was the high priest that same year, said to them, You perceive nothing at all, ⁵⁰ nor yet consider that it is better for us that one man die for the people, and not that all the people perish. ⁵¹ This he spoke not of himself, but, being high priest that same year, he prophesied that Jesus would die for the people – ⁵² and not for the people only, but that he would gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

⁵³ From that day forth they took counsel together about how to put him to death. ⁵⁴ Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went his way from there to a region near to a wilderness, into a village called Ephraim, and there continued with his disciples.