Acts 15:1-21
The Jerusalem Council
15aSome men came down from Judea and began teaching bthe brothers, “Unless you are ccircumcised according to dthe custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2And when Paul and Barnabas had not a little dissension and adebate with them, bthe brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the capostles and elders concerning this issue. 3Therefore, being asent on their way by the church, they were passing through both bPhoenicia and Samaria, crecounting in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all dthe brothers. 4When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and athe apostles and the elders, and they breported all that God had done with them. 5But some of athe sect of the bPharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to ccircumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”
6aBoth the apostles and the elders came together to 1look into this 2matter. 7And after there had been much adebate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that 1in the early days bGod made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of cthe gospel and believe. 8“And God, awho knows the heart, testified to them bgiving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9and aHe made no distinction between us and them, bcleansing their hearts by faith. 10“Now therefore why do you aput God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which bneither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11“But we believe that we are saved through athe grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
12And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were arelating what bsigns and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
James Issues a Judgment
13Now after they had stopped speaking, aJames answered, saying, “Brothers, listen to me. 14“aSimeon 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 athe Prophets agree, just as it is written,
16‘aAfter these things bI will return,And I will rebuild the cfallen 1booth of David,And I will rebuild its ruins,And I will restore it,17aSo that the rest of 1mankind may seek the Lord,And all the Gentiles 2,bwho are called by My name,’18aSays the 1Lord, who 2,bmakes these things known from long ago.19“Therefore aI judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20but that we write to them that they abstain from athings contaminated by idols and from bsexual immorality and from cwhat is strangled and from blood. 21“For from ancient generations, aMoses has those who preach him in every city, since 1he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”