Acts 14:13-15:29

English Standard Version

¹³And the priest of ^(A)Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and ^(B)wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds. ¹⁴But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they ^(C)tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, ¹⁵“Men, ^(D)why are you doing these things? We also are men, ^(E)of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that ^(F)you should turn from these ^(G)vain things to ^(H)a living God, ^(I)who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. ¹⁶In past generations he ^(J)allowed all the nations ^(K)to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷Yet ^(L)he did not leave himself without witness, for he ^(M)did good by ^(N)giving you rains from heaven and ^(O)fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with ^(P)food and ^(Q)gladness.” ¹⁸Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

Paul Stoned at Lystra

¹⁹^(R)But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, ^(S)they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. ²⁰But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹When they had preached the gospel to that city and had ^(T)made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, ²²^(U)strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them ^(V)to continue in ^(W)the faith, and saying that ^(X)through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. ²³And when they had ^(Y)appointed ^(Z)elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting ^(AA)they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

²⁴Then they passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. ²⁵And when they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia, ²⁶and from there they sailed to Antioch, ^(AB)where they had been ^(AC)commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled. ²⁷And when they arrived and gathered the church together, ^(AD)they declared all that God had done with them, and ^(AE)how he had ^(AF)opened ^(AG)a door of faith to the Gentiles. ²⁸And they remained no little time with the disciples.

The Jerusalem Council

15 ^(AH)But some men came down from Judea and were teaching ^(AI)the brothers, “Unless you are ^(AJ)circumcised ^(AK)according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ²And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and ^(AL)debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and ^(AM)some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ^(AN)the apostles and the elders about this question. ³So, ^(AO)being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(AP)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and ^(AQ)brought great joy to all ^(AR)the brothers.^[a] ⁴^(AS)When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and ^(AT)the apostles and the elders, and ^(AU)they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵But some believers who belonged to ^(AV)the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ^(AW)“It is necessary ^(AX)to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶^(AY)The ^(AZ)apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷And after there had been much ^(BA)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, ^(BB)that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear ^(BC)the word of ^(BD)the gospel and believe. ⁸And God, ^(BE)who knows the heart, ^(BF)bore witness to them, ^(BG)by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹and ^(BH)he made no distinction between us and them, ^(BI)having cleansed their hearts ^(BJ)by faith. ¹⁰Now, therefore, why ^(BK)are you putting God to the test ^(BL)by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples ^(BM)that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹But we ^(BN)believe that we will be ^(BO)saved through ^(BP)the grace of the Lord Jesus, ^(BQ)just as they will.”

¹²And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul ^(BR)as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. ¹³After they finished speaking, ^(BS)James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴^(BT)Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them ^(BU)a people for his name. ¹⁵And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

¹⁶^(BV)“‘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,
¹⁷that the remnant^[b] of mankind ^(BW)may seek the Lord,
    and all the Gentiles ^(BX)who are called by my name,
     says the Lord, who makes these things ¹⁸^(BY)known from of old.’

¹⁹Therefore ^(BZ)my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who ^(CA)turn to God, ²⁰but should write to them ^(CB)to abstain from ^(CC)the things polluted by idols, and from ^(CD)sexual immorality, and from ^(CE)what has been strangled, and from ^(CF)blood. ²¹For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, ^(CG)for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers

²²Then it seemed good to ^(CH)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 ^(CI)Barsabbas, and ^(CJ)Silas, leading men among ^(CK)the brothers, ²³with the following letter: ^(CL)“The brothers, both ^(CM)the apostles and the elders, to the brothers^[c] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, ^(CN)greetings. ²⁴Since we have heard that ^(CO)some persons have gone out from us and ^(CP)troubled you^[d] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, ²⁵it has seemed good to us, having come ^(CQ)to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our ^(CR)beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶^(CS)men who have ^(CT)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷We have therefore sent ^(CU)Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸For it has seemed good ^(CV)to the Holy Spirit and ^(CW)to us ^(CX)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: ²⁹^(CY)that you abstain from ^(CZ)what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”