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The Council at Jerusalem
Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.
And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.
The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them — much to everyone’s joy — that the Gentiles, too, were being converted.
Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them.
When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.
But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.”
But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”
So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue.
The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.
At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe.
After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.
God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.
“And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;
He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.
and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
“Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”
“But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me.
James’s Judgment
After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me.
“Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.
And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:
“With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,
‘AFTER THESE THINGS I will return,
AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN,
AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS,
AND I WILL RESTORE IT,
AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN,
AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS,
AND I WILL RESTORE IT,
so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD,
including the Gentiles —
all those I have called to be mine.
The LORD has spoken —
including the Gentiles —
all those I have called to be mine.
The LORD has spoken —
SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD,
AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’
AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’
SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO.
“And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
“Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.
but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.
For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.”
“For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
The Letter for Gentile Believers
Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leadersf — Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas.
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas — Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,
This is the letter they took with them:
“This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!
“This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!
and they sent this letter by them,
| “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. |
“We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them!
“Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls,
So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question.
“Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements:
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:
You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”
that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”
The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter.
So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.
When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith.
Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.
After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out.
Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there.
But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.”
Second Missionary Journey
After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.
Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.
But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.
But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.
And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.
Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care.
But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.