15
“We Should Not Cause Extra Difficulty for Those of the Gentiles Who Are Turning to God”
1 Some men traveled down from Judea and started teaching the brothers, “Unless ᵖyou are circumcised in accordance with the custom passed down by Moses, ᵖyou cannot be saved.”
2 After Paul and Barnabas had engaged these men in long and fierce debate, the assembly appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others among them to make a trip up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem to further discuss this controversial issue.
3 While these who were appointed, therefore, on the one hand, having been sent off with the necessary provisions by the assembly, made their way south through the regions of Phoenicia and Samaria, telling people the whole story of how the Gentiles had turned to God, and brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters,
4 and on arriving in Jerusalem, moreover, were welcomed by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and reported everything that God had done with them,
5 there stood up to speak, on the other hand, some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisee party, saying, “It is necessary for the Gentiles to be circumcised and instructed to observe the Torah of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders gathered to deliberate this matter.
7 After very lengthy and extensive debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, ᵖyou are well aware of the fact that some time ago, in ᵖyour presence, God chose me to be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe.
8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness on their behalf by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did, too, to us,
9 and treated us and them no differently, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
10 As for the present time, therefore, why are ᵖyou putting God to the test by placing on the necks of the Gentile disciples a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have ourselves been able to bear?
11 No, we believe it is through the gift of the Lord Jesus that we will be saved, in the same way as they themselves.”
12 The whole group fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as the two men described all the miraculous signs and wonders that God had performed among the Gentiles through them.
13 When they had finished speaking, James responded by saying, “Brothers, listen to me.
14 Simeon has explained how at the first God came to the aid of the Gentiles by choosing from among them a people for his name,
15 and this agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written:
16 “ ‘After these things I will return
and restore the mighty kingdom of David,
which is in shambles;
I will rebuild its ruins and will restore it,
17 so that the people who survive may seek the Lord,
as well as all the Gentiles who belong to me and bear my name,
says the Lord, who is going to do these things,’+
18 known ‘from long ago.’+
19 “That is why I am of the opinion that we should not cause extra difficulty for those of the Gentiles who are turning to God,
20 but should write them a letter telling them to abstain from food that is ritually unclean on account of its being sacrificed to idols, to keep away from sexual immorality, and to not eat the meat of strangled animals, since their blood hasn’t been properly drained out.
21 The Torah of Moses, after all, for many generations, has been taught in city after city, being read aloud each and every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
22 Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole assembly, decided to choose some men from their fellowship and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were held in high regard by the brothers.
23 They sent this letter with them:
“From: The apostles and the elders, your brothers.
To: The brothers and sisters out from the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
Greetings.
24 Because we received news that some men from our group have thrown ᵖyou into confusion with their teachings and caused you great distress, although we did not send them or give them our approval,
25 we decided, having come to agreement, to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul,
26 friends who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah.
27 Therefore, we have sent Judas and Silas, who will tell you the same things in person.
28 For it was the decision of the Holy Spirit, and we agree, to place on ᵖyou a load no heavier than these necessary requirements:
29 Keeping away from food sacrificed to idols, from the blood and meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. By keeping yourselves free of these things ᵖyou will be conducting yourselves rightly.
Farewell.”
30 While the messengers, therefore, having been sent off, went down to Antioch, and, after gathering everyone together, delivered the letter,
31 on reading it the people rejoiced because of its encouraging and strengthening words.
32 Both Judas and Silas: They, too, being prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters through a long message.
33 After staying there for some time, they were sent off with blessings of peace by the brothers and sisters to return to those who had sent them.+
35 As for Paul and Barnabas, they remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) the message about the Lord.
“The Two Men Parted Company”
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in all the cities where we proclaimed the message about the Lord to see how their faith is coming along.”
37 Now Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark along with them.
38 Paul, however, insisted otherwise, since John Mark had abandoned them in Pamphylia and had not finished the work with them.
39 Well, the disagreement became so sharp that the two men parted company. Barnabas, taking along Mark, set sail for Cyprus,
40 while Paul, having chosen Silas, set out in another direction, having been entrusted to the gift of the Lord by the brothers and sisters.
41 He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.