Acts 15:8-18

8 God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.

9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith.

10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear?

11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.”

12 Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

13 When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me.

14 Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself.

15 And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:

16 ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it,

17 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—

18 he who made these things known so long ago.’

Footnotes

• [a]. Greek disciples.
• [b]. Greek Simeon.
• [c]. Or kingdom; Greek reads tent.
• [d]. Amos 9:11-12 (Greek version); Isa 45:21 .