Acts 15:1-21 - The Jerusalem Council

¹ Some people came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers that unless they were circumcised as Moses prescribed, they could not be saved. ² This created a disturbance and a serious discussion between Paul and Barnabas and them, and it was agreed that Paul and Barnabas and some others of their number should go up to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders about this question. ³ The church saw them off upon their journey, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria they told of the conversion of the heathen, and caused great rejoicing among all the brothers.

⁴ When they reached Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported how God had worked with them. ⁵ But some members of the Pharisees' party who had become believers got up and said that such converts ought to be circumcised and told to obey the Law of Moses.

⁶ The apostles and elders had a meeting to look into this matter. ⁷ After a long discussion, Peter got up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose that of you all I should be the one from whose lips the heathen should hear the message of the good news and believe it. ⁸ And God who knows men's hearts testified for them by giving them the holy Spirit just as he had done to us, ⁹ making no difference between us and them, but cleansing their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Then why do you now try to test God, by putting on the necks of these disciples a yoke that neither our forefathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ Why, we believe that it is by the mercy of the Lord Jesus that we are saved just as they are."

¹² This quieted the whole meeting, and they listened while Barnabas and Paul told of the signs and wonders which God had done among the heathen through them. ¹³ When they finished James made this response: "Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Symeon has told how God first showed an interest in taking from among the heathen a people to bear his name. ¹⁵ And this agrees with the predictions of the prophets which say,

¹⁶ " 'Afterward I will return, and rebuild David's fallen dwelling. I will rebuild its very ruins, and set it up again, ¹⁷ So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the heathen who are called by my name, Says the Lord, ¹⁸ who has been making this known from of old.'

¹⁹ In my opinion, therefore, we ought not to put obstacles in the way of those of the heathen who are turning to God, ²⁰ but we should write to them to avoid anything that has been contaminated by idols, immorality, the meat of strangled animals, and the tasting of blood. ²¹ For Moses for generations past has had his preachers in every town, and has been read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath."