3
So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoeni'cia and Sama'ria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles, and they gave great joy to all the brethren.
4
When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.
5
But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up, and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses."
6
The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.
7
And after there had been much debate, Peter rose and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8
And God who knows the heart bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us;
9
and he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their hearts by faith.
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Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
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But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."
12
And all the assembly kept silence; and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
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After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brethren, listen to me.
14
Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15
And with this the words of the prophets agree, as it is written,
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'After this I will return, and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up,
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that the rest of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
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says the Lord, who has made these things known from of old.'
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Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
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but should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from unchastity and from what is strangled and from blood.
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For from early generations Moses has had in every city those who preach him, for he is read every sabbath in the synagogues."
22
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsab'bas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,
23
with the following letter: "The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cili'cia, greeting.