Acts 15:28
New International Version
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:

New Living Translation
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements:

English Standard Version
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:

Berean Standard Bible
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:

Berean Literal Bible
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to lay upon you no further burden, except these necessary things:

King James Bible
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

New King James Version
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

New American Standard Bible
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

NASB 1995
“For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

NASB 1977
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

Legacy Standard Bible
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

Amplified Bible
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any greater burden than these essentials:

Christian Standard Bible
For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements:

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—to put no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

American Standard Version
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
“For it was the will of The Spirit of Holiness and also of us that we would not put upon you a burden greater than those things which are necessary:”

Contemporary English Version
The Holy Spirit has shown us that we should not place any extra burden on you.

Douay-Rheims Bible
For it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay no further burden upon you than these necessary things:

English Revised Version
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to place any additional burdens on you. Do only what is necessary

Good News Translation
The Holy Spirit and we have agreed not to put any other burden on you besides these necessary rules:

International Standard Version
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any burden but these essential requirements:

Literal Standard Version
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no more burden on you, except these necessary things:

Majority Standard Bible
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:

New American Bible
‘It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities,

NET Bible
For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules:

New Revised Standard Version
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials:

New Heart English Bible
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

Webster's Bible Translation
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

Weymouth New Testament
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no burden heavier than these necessary requirements--

World English Bible
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay no greater burden on you than these necessary things:

Young's Literal Translation
'For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, no more burden to lay upon you, except these necessary things:

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Letter to the Gentile Believers
27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: 29You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.…

Cross References
Acts 5:32
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey Him."

Acts 15:8
And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.

Acts 15:19
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

Acts 15:25
So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

Acts 16:4
As they went from town to town, they delivered the decisions handed down by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

Revelation 2:24
But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned the so-called deep things of Satan: I will place no further burden upon you.


Treasury of Scripture

For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay on you no greater burden than these necessary things;

it.

John 16:13
Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

1 Corinthians 7:25,40
Now concerning virgins I have no commandment of the Lord: yet I give my judgment, as one that hath obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful…

1 Corinthians 14:37
If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.

greater.

Matthew 11:30
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Matthew 23:4
For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Revelation 2:24
But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden.

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Burden Except Following Ghost Good Greater Heavier Holy Lay Necessary Requirements Seemed Spirit
Acts 15
1. Great dissensions arise regarding circumcision.
5. The apostles consult about it,
22. and send their determination by letters to the churches.
36. Paul and Barnabas, thinking to visit the brothers together,
39. disagree, and travel different ways.














(28) It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us . . .--The measure was, the Apostles were persuaded, one of wisdom and charity, and they could not ascribe those gifts to any other source than the Spirit who gives a right judgment in all things. The words have since become almost a formula for the decrees of councils and synods, often used most recklessly when those decrees bore most clearly the marks of human policy and passion. Here we may well admit that the claim was founded on a real inspiration, remembering, however, as we do so, that an inspired commandment does not necessarily involve a permanent obligation. (See Note on next verse.)

To lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.--The words throw light upon the message addressed to the Church of Thyatira, "I will put upon you no other burden" (Revelation 2:24). Looking to the prominence in the Epistles to the Seven Churches of the two points of fornication and eating things sacrificed to idols, there can scarcely be the shadow of a doubt that we have in those words a distinct reference to the decree of the Council of Jerusalem. The letter does not say why these things were necessary, and the term was probably chosen as covering alike the views of those who held, like the Pharisee Christians, that they were binding on the Church for ever, and those who, like St. Paul, held that they were necessary only for the time, and as a measure of wise expediency.

Verse 28. - It seemed good, etc. The formula is remarkable. It implies the consciousness on the part of the council that they had "the mind of the Spirit;" but how this mind of the Spirit was communicated we are not expressly told. There may have been some "revelation," similar to that recorded in Acts 13:2; Acts 10:19; Galatians 2:1, etc. It is, however, generally understood as resting upon Christ's promise to be with his Church always. Hefele ('Hist. of Christian Councils,' pp. 1,2, English translation) quotes Cyprian as writing to Pope Cornelius in the name of the Council of A.D. : "Placuit nobis, Sancto Spiritu suggerente;" and the Synod of Aries as saying, "Placuit, praesenti Spiritu Sancto." And this is the general language of the synods. Constantine claimed for the decrees of the three hundred bishops at Nicaea the same authority as if they had been "solius Filii Dei sententia." But, as Bishop Wordsworth on Acts 15:28 wisely says, "It cannot be held that councils of the Church now are entitled to adopt the words of the text in the framing of canons."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
It seemed good
Ἔδοξεν (Edoxen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1380: A prolonged form of a primary verb, doko dok'-o of the same meaning; to think; by implication, to seem.

to the
τῷ (tō)
Article - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article. Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article; the.

Holy
Ἁγίῳ (Hagiō)
Adjective - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 40: Set apart by (or for) God, holy, sacred. From hagos; sacred.

Spirit
Πνεύματι (Pneumati)
Noun - Dative Neuter Singular
Strong's 4151: Wind, breath, spirit.

and
καὶ (kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532: And, even, also, namely.

to us
ἡμῖν (hēmin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 1st Person Plural
Strong's 1473: I, the first-person pronoun. A primary pronoun of the first person I.

not
μηδὲν (mēden)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 3367: No one, none, nothing.

to burden
βάρος (baros)
Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular
Strong's 922: Probably from the same as basis; weight; in the New Testament only, figuratively, a load, abundance, authority.

you
ὑμῖν (hymin)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4771: You. The person pronoun of the second person singular; thou.

[with anything] beyond
πλέον (pleon)
Adjective - Accusative Neuter Singular - Comparative
Strong's 4119: Or neuter pleion, or pleon comparative of polus; more in quantity, number, or quality; also the major portion.

these
τούτων (toutōn)
Demonstrative Pronoun - Genitive Neuter Plural
Strong's 3778: This; he, she, it.

essential requirements:
ἐπάναγκες (epanankes)
Adverb
Strong's 1876: Necessarily; as subst: necessary things. Neuter of a presumed compound of epi and anagke; on necessity, i.e. Necessarily.


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Acts 15:27
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