3
After being sent off by the congregation, they made their way through Phoenicia and Shomron, recounting in detail how the Gentiles had turned to God; and this news brought great joy to all the brothers.
4
On arrival in Yerushalayim, they were welcomed by the Messianic community, including the emissaries and the elders; and they reported what God had done through them.
5
But some of those who had come to trust were from the party of the P'rushim; and they stood up and said, "It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Torah of Moshe."
6
The emissaries and the elders met to look into this matter.
7
After lengthy debate, Kefa got up and said to them, "Brothers, you yourselves know that a good while back, God chose me from among you to be the one by whose mouth the Goyim should hear the message of the Good News and come to trust.
8
And God, who knows the heart, bore them witness by giving the Ruach HaKodesh to them, just as he did to us;
9
that is, he made no distinction between us and them, but cleansed their heart by trust.
10
So why are you putting God to the test now by placing a yoke on the neck of the talmidim which neither our fathers nor we have had the strength to bear?
11
No, it is through the love and kindness of the Lord Yeshua that we trust and are delivered-and it's the same with them."
12
Then the whole assembly kept still as they listened to Bar-Nabba and Sha'ul tell what signs and miracles God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13
Ya'akov broke the silence to reply. "Brothers," he said, "hear what I have to say.