The Jerusalem Council
1 1But some men came down from Judea and were teaching
2the brothers, “Unless you are
3circumcised
4according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved. ”
2
And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and
5debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and
6some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to
7the apostles and the elders about this question.
3
So,
8being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria,
9describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and
10brought great joy to all
11the brothers.
4
12When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and
13the apostles and the elders, and
14they declared all that God had done with them.
5
But some believers who belonged to
15the party of the Pharisees rose up and said,
16“It is necessary
17to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses. ”
6
18The
19apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.
7
And after there had been much
20debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you,
21that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear
22the word of
23the gospel and believe.
8
And God,
24who knows the heart,
25bore witness to them,
26by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
9
and
27he made no distinction between us and them,
28having cleansed their hearts
29by faith.
10
Now, therefore, why
30are you putting God to the test
31by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples
32that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11
But we
33believe that we will be
34saved through
35the grace of the Lord Jesus,
36just as they will. ”
12
And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul
37as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13
After they finished speaking,
38James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.
14
39Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them
40a people for his name.
15
And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
16
41“‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
17
that the remnant of mankind
42may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles
43who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things
18
44known from of old. ’
19
Therefore
45my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who
46turn to God,
20
but should write to them
47to abstain from
48the things polluted by idols, and from
49sexual immorality, and from
50what has been strangled, and from
51blood.
21
For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him,
52for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues. ”