 1 Certain men then came down from Judea and taught the family+ saying: Unless+ you are circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. 2 This brought great dissension and therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dispute with them. So, they decided+ that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3 So, the assembly+ of believers sent them on. As they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, they described the conversion of the Gentiles and this caused great joy to all the family+. 4 When they arrived+ at Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly+ and by the apostles and elders, and they reported+ all the things that God had done through+ them. 5 But some of the Pharisees who had become believers stood+ up and said that they believed that it was necessary+ to circumcise them and to instruct+ them to keep the law of Moses. 6 So the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said to them: Men and family+, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among us, that from my mouth, the Gentiles should hear the Word of the Gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the hearts, bore witness of them by giving them the Holy Spirit, even as He did to us. 9 He made no difference between them and us, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Therefore, why do you now test+ God, by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that we will be saved, even as they surely have been. 12 Then all the multitude kept silent and gave their attention+ to Barnabas and Paul who described+ the many miracles~ and wonders that God had worked+ among the Gentiles through them. 13 After they stopped+ speaking+, James answered saying: Men and family+, listen carefully+ to me. 14 Simon Peter has declared how God first visited the Gentiles to take from among them a people for His name. 15 To this the words of the prophets agree. As it is written: 16 After this I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down. I will build again from those ruins and I will set it up. Amos 9:11 17 Thereby all the rest+ of mankind+ might also seek the Lord, including all the Gentiles who are called by my name. Thus spoke the Lord Himself who does all these things. Amos 9:12 18 Surely God knows about all His works from the beginning of the world. 19 Therefore my judgment+ is that we should not trouble those who have turned to God from among the Gentiles. 20 But we should write to instruct them that they must abstain from the pollutions of idols and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood. 21 For many long generations+, Moses has had in every city those who proclaim+ his writings as they are read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. 22 Then it seemed good+ to the apostles and elders and with the whole assembly+ to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Jude surnamed Barsabas and Silas, who were leading+ men in the family+. 23 They wrote this letter to send with them: The apostles, elders, and family+ here send greetings to the family+ of Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. 24 Since+ we have heard, that certain ones who came to you from us have troubled you with their words, subverting your souls by saying that you must be circumcised and keep the law, we want to inform you that we gave no such commandment. 25 It seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send these chosen men to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. 26 These men have risked+ their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent Jude and Silas who will also tell you the same things by their own mouths. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: 29 Abstain from meats offered to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Fare well. 30 So when they were dismissed, they went to Antioch and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle. 31 When it was read, they all rejoiced for the consolation. 32 Jude and Silas, also being prophets, exhorted the family+ with many words, and confirmed them. 33 After they stayed there for a while, they returned+ in peace to the apostles. 34 But Silas decided+ to remain there. 35 Paul and Barnabas also continued teaching and proclaiming+ the Word of the Lord in Antioch, along with many others. 36 Some days later, Paul said to Barnabas: Let us go again and visit our family+ in every city where we have proclaimed+ the Word of the Lord, and see how they are doing. 37 Barnabas decided+ to take John, whose surname was Mark, with them. 38 But Paul thought it would not be good to take Mark with them, because he had left+ them in Pamphylia and did not go with them to finish the work. 39 The disagreement+ between them was so sharp that they parted+ from one another. So Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. 40 Paul chose Silas and left+, being recommended by the family+ to the grace of God. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies+ of believers.
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