The Council at Jerusalem
(Acts 15:5–21)

1 Ἔπειτα (Then) διὰ (after) δεκατεσσάρων (fourteen) ἐτῶν (years) πάλιν (again) ἀνέβην (I went up) εἰς (to) Ἱεροσόλυμα (Jerusalem) μετὰ (with) Βαρνάβα (Barnabas) συμπαραλαβὼν (having taken along) καὶ (also) Τίτον (Titus)· 2 ἀνέβην (I went up) δὲ (now) κατὰ (according to) ἀποκάλυψιν (a revelation)· καὶ (and) ἀνεθέμην (I set before) αὐτοῖς (them) τὸ (the) εὐαγγέλιον (gospel) ὃ (that) κηρύσσω (I proclaim) ἐν (among) τοῖς (the) ἔθνεσιν (Gentiles), κατ’ (in) ἰδίαν (private) δὲ (however) τοῖς (to those) δοκοῦσιν (esteemed), μή (lest) πως (somehow) εἰς (in) κενὸν (vain) τρέχω (I might be running) ἢ (or) ἔδραμον (had run). 3 ἀλλ’ (But) οὐδὲ (not even) Τίτος (Titus) ὁ (who was) σὺν (with) ἐμοί (me), Ἕλλην (a Greek) ὤν (being), ἠναγκάσθη (was compelled) περιτμηθῆναι (to be circumcised)· 4 διὰ (because of) δὲ (even) τοὺς (the) παρεισάκτους (introduced stealthily) ψευδαδέλφους (false brothers), οἵτινες (who) παρεισῆλθον (came in stealthily) κατασκοπῆσαι (to spy on) τὴν (the) ἐλευθερίαν (freedom) ἡμῶν (of us) ἣν (that) ἔχομεν (we have) ἐν (in) Χριστῷ (Christ) Ἰησοῦ (Jesus), ἵνα (so that) ἡμᾶς (us) καταδουλώσουσιν (they will enslave)· 5 οἷς (to whom) οὐδὲ (not even) πρὸς (for) ὥραν (an hour) εἴξαμεν (we yielded) τῇ (not) ὑποταγῇ (in submission), ἵνα (so that) ἡ (the) ἀλήθεια (truth) τοῦ (of the) εὐαγγελίου (gospel) διαμείνῃ (might remain) πρὸς (with) ὑμᾶς (you⁺).

6 Ἀπὸ (Of) δὲ (now) τῶν (those) δοκούντων (being esteemed) εἶναί (to be) τι (something),—ὁποῖοί (whatever) ποτε (formerly) ἦσαν (they were) οὐδέν (not) μοι (to me) διαφέρει (makes a difference)· πρόσωπον (the face) ὁ (-) Θεὸς (God) ἀνθρώπου (of man) οὐ (not) λαμβάνει (accepts)—ἐμοὶ (to me) γὰρ (for) οἱ (those) δοκοῦντες (being esteemed) οὐδὲν (nothing) προσανέθεντο (imparted), 7 ἀλλὰ (But) τοὐναντίον (on the contrary) ἰδόντες (having seen) ὅτι (that) πεπίστευμαι (I have been entrusted with) τὸ (the) εὐαγγέλιον (gospel) τῆς (of the) ἀκροβυστίας (uncircumcision) καθὼς (just as) Πέτρος (Peter) τῆς (of the) περιτομῆς (circumcision), 8 ὁ (the One) γὰρ (for) ἐνεργήσας (having worked) Πέτρῳ (in Peter) εἰς (for) ἀποστολὴν (an apostleship) τῆς (of the) περιτομῆς (circumcision) ἐνήργησεν (worked) καὶ (also) ἐμοὶ (in me) εἰς (for) τὰ (the) ἔθνη (Gentiles),

9 καὶ (and) γνόντες (having known) τὴν (the) χάριν (grace) τὴν (-) δοθεῖσάν (having been given) μοι (to me), Ἰάκωβος (James) καὶ (and) Κηφᾶς (Cephas) καὶ (and) Ἰωάννης (John), οἱ (those) δοκοῦντες (esteemed) στῦλοι (pillars) εἶναι (to be), δεξιὰς (the right hands) ἔδωκαν (gave) ἐμοὶ (to me) καὶ (and) Βαρνάβα (Barnabas) κοινωνίας (of fellowship), ἵνα (that) ἡμεῖς (we are) εἰς (unto) τὰ (the) ἔθνη (Gentiles), αὐτοὶ (they) δὲ (however) εἰς (unto) τὴν (the) περιτομήν (circumcision)· 10 μόνον (only) τῶν (the) πτωχῶν (poor) ἵνα (that) μνημονεύωμεν (we should remember), ὃ (that) καὶ (also) ἐσπούδασα (I was eager) αὐτὸ (the same) τοῦτο (thing) ποιῆσαι (to do).

Paul Confronts Cephas

11 Ὅτε (When) δὲ (however) ἦλθεν (came) Κηφᾶς (Cephas) εἰς (to) Ἀντιόχειαν (Antioch), κατὰ (to) πρόσωπον (face) αὐτῷ (his) ἀντέστην (I opposed him), ὅτι (because) κατεγνωσμένος (standing condemned) ἦν (he was). 12 πρὸ (Before) τοῦ (-) γὰρ (for) ἐλθεῖν (came) τινας (certain ones) ἀπὸ (from) Ἰακώβου (James) μετὰ (with) τῶν (the) ἐθνῶν (Gentiles) συνήσθιεν (he was eating)· ὅτε (when) δὲ (however) ἦλθον (they came), ὑπέστελλεν (he was drawing back) καὶ (and) ἀφώριζεν (was separating) ἑαυτόν (himself), φοβούμενος (fearing) τοὺς (those) ἐκ (of) περιτομῆς (the circumcision). 13 καὶ (And) συνυπεκρίθησαν (acted hypocritically) αὐτῷ (with him) καὶ (also) οἱ (the) λοιποὶ (rest) Ἰουδαῖοι (of the Jews), ὥστε (so that) καὶ (even) Βαρνάβας (Barnabas) συναπήχθη (was carried away) αὐτῶν (of them) τῇ (by the) ὑποκρίσει (hypocrisy).

14 Ἀλλ’ (But) ὅτε (when) εἶδον (I saw) ὅτι (that) οὐκ (not) ὀρθοποδοῦσιν (they are walking in line) πρὸς (with) τὴν (the) ἀλήθειαν (truth) τοῦ (of the) εὐαγγελίου (gospel), εἶπον (I said) τῷ (-) Κηφᾷ (to Cephas) ἔμπροσθεν (before) πάντων (all)· Εἰ (If) σὺ (you) Ἰουδαῖος (a Jew) ὑπάρχων (being) ἐθνικῶς (like a Gentile) καὶ (and) οὐκ (not) Ἰουδαϊκῶς (like a Jew) ζῇς (live), πῶς (how) τὰ (the) ἔθνη (Gentiles) ἀναγκάζεις (do you compel) ἰουδαΐζειν (to Judaize)?

15 Ἡμεῖς (We) φύσει (by nature) Ἰουδαῖοι (Jews) καὶ (and) οὐκ (not) ἐξ (of) ἐθνῶν (the Gentiles)· Ἁμαρτωλοί (sinners), 16 εἰδότες (knowing) δὲ (now) ὅτι (that) οὐ (not) δικαιοῦται (is justified) ἄνθρωπος (a man) ἐξ (by) ἔργων (works) νόμου (of the law) ἐὰν (if) μὴ (not) διὰ (through) πίστεως (faith) Ἰησοῦ (from Jesus) Χριστοῦ (Christ), καὶ (also) ἡμεῖς (we) εἰς (in) Χριστὸν (Christ) Ἰησοῦν (Jesus) ἐπιστεύσαμεν (believed), ἵνα (that) δικαιωθῶμεν (we may be justified) ἐκ (by) πίστεως (faith) Χριστοῦ (from Christ) καὶ (and) οὐκ (not) ἐξ (by) ἔργων (works) νόμου (of the law), ὅτι (because) ἐξ (by) ἔργων (works) νόμου (of the law) οὐ (not) δικαιωθήσεται (will be justified) πᾶσα (any) σάρξ (flesh).

17 Εἰ (If) δὲ (however) ζητοῦντες (seeking) δικαιωθῆναι (to be justified) ἐν (in) Χριστῷ (Christ) εὑρέθημεν (we were found) καὶ (also) αὐτοὶ (ourselves) ἁμαρτωλοί (sinners), ἆρα (is then) Χριστὸς (Christ) ἁμαρτίας (of sin) διάκονος (a minister)? μὴ (Never) γένοιτο (may it be). 18 εἰ (If) γὰρ (for) ἃ (that) κατέλυσα (I tore down) ταῦτα (these things) πάλιν (again) οἰκοδομῶ (I build), παραβάτην (a transgressor) ἐμαυτὸν (myself) συνιστάνω (I prove).

19 ἐγὼ (I) γὰρ (for) διὰ (through) νόμου (the law) νόμῳ (to the law) ἀπέθανον (died) ἵνα (so that) Θεῷ (to God) ζήσω (I might live)· 20 Χριστῷ (Christ) συνεσταύρωμαι (I have been crucified with)· ζῶ (I live) δὲ (now) οὐκέτι (no longer) ἐγώ (I), ζῇ (lives) δὲ (however) ἐν (in) ἐμοὶ (me) Χριστός (Christ)· ὃ (that which) δὲ (then) νῦν (now) ζῶ (I live) ἐν (in) σαρκί (the flesh), ἐν (in) πίστει (faith) ζῶ (I live) τῇ (-) τοῦ (of the) Υἱοῦ (Son) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God) τοῦ (the One) ἀγαπήσαντός (having loved) με (me) καὶ (and) παραδόντος (having given up) ἑαυτὸν (Himself) ὑπὲρ (for) ἐμοῦ (me). 21 Οὐκ (Not) ἀθετῶ (I set aside) τὴν (the) χάριν (grace) τοῦ (-) Θεοῦ (of God)· εἰ (if) γὰρ (for) διὰ (through) νόμου (the law) δικαιοσύνη (righteousness is), ἄρα (then) Χριστὸς (Christ) δωρεὰν (for nothing) ἀπέθανεν (died).