1 And certain men who came down from Judea were teaching the brothers, "If you are not circumcised after the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
2 So when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in full of the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brothers.
4 And arriving at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they related all that God had done with them.
5 But there rose up some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, "They must be circumcised and commanded to keep the law of Moses."
6 So the apostles and the elders came together to consider this matter.
7 And when there had been much debate, Peter rose up and said to them, "Men and brothers, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 And God, who knows the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit even as he did to us;
9 and he put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore, why do you tempt God, to put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same way as they."
12 Then all the multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, who recounted what signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brothers, hear me.
14 Simeon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
15 And to this agree the words of the prophets, as it is written:
16 'After these things I will return and will build again the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; and I will build again its ruins, and I will set it up,
17 so that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, says the Lord, who does all these things.'
18 All his works are known to God from eternity.
19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
20 but that we should write to them to abstain from the pollutions of idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood.
21 For Moses of old time has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
22 Then it pleased the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers;
23 and they wrote this letter by them: "The apostles and the elders and the brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: greetings.
24 Since we have heard that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, 'You must be circumcised and keep the law,' to whom we gave no such commandment,
25 it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have sent, then, Judas and Silas, who themselves also will report the same things by word.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
29 that you abstain from things offered to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from sexual immorality; if you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."
30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch; and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.
31 And having read it, they rejoiced over the encouragement.
32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets themselves also, exhorted the brothers with many words and confirmed them.
33 And after they had stayed there for a time, they were let go in peace from the brothers to the apostles.
34 But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.
35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back now and visit our brothers in every city where we have proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing."
37 And Barnabas was determined to take with them John, who was called Mark.
38 But Paul thought it not good to take with them this man, who had departed from them from Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp that they parted from one another; and so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.
40 And Paul chose Silas and went out, being handed over by the brothers to the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.