Acts 15:1-20 ▼

1 AND certain men who had come down from Judæ’a taught the brethren, Unless you be circumcised in accordance with the custom of the law you cannot be saved.

2 And there was great dissension and controversy between them and Paul and Bar’nabas, and it reached such a point that it was necessary for Paul and Bar’na-bas and others with them to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this question.

3 They were given an escort and sent on their way by the church, and they traveled through all Phoe-ni’ci-a and the territory of the Sa-mar’i-tans, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren.

4 On their arrival at Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and by the apostles and elders; and they reported everything that God had done with them.

5 But some of the men who had been converted from the sect of the Phar’i-sees rose up and said, You must circumcise them and command them to keep the law of Moses.

6 Then the apostles and elders assembled to consider this matter.

7 And after much controversy, Simon Peter rose up and said to them, Men and brethren, you know that from the early days God chose that from my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel and believe.

8 And God, who knows what is in the heart, has testified concerning them, and has given them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us.

9 And he did not discriminate between us and them, because he purified their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why do you tempt God by putting a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

11 But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they.

12 Then the whole congregation was silent, and listened to Paul and Barnabas, who were declaring the miracles and signs among the Gentiles and everything which God had wrought by their hands.

13 And when they had ceased speaking, James rose up and said, Men and brethren, hear me:

14 Simon Peter has told you how God from the beginning chose a people from the Gentiles for his name.

15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written,

16 After this I will return, and I will set up again the tabernacle of David which has fallen down; and I will repair what has fallen from it, and I will set it up:

17 So that the men who remain may seek after the LORD, and also all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called; so said the LORD who does all these things.

18 The works of God are known from the very beginning.

19 Because of this I say, Do not trouble those who turn to God from among the Gentiles:

20 But let us send word to them that they abstain from defilement by sacrifices to idols, and from fornication, and from animals strangled, and from blood.