Acts 15 - English Standard Version (ESV)

The Jerusalem Council

15 ^(A)But some men came down from Judea and were teaching ^(B)the brothers, “Unless you are ^(C)circumcised ^(D)according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and ^(E)debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and ^(F)some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ^(G)the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, ^(H)being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, ^(I)describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and ^(J)brought great joy to all ^(K)the brothers.^{[a] 4 (L)}When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and ^(M)the apostles and the elders, and ^(N)they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to ^(O)the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ^(P)“It is necessary ^(Q)to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

^{6 (R)}The ^(S)apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷ And after there had been much ^(T)debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, ^(U)that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear ^(V)the word of ^(W)the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, ^(X)who knows the heart, ^(Y)bore witness to them, ^(Z)by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹ and ^(AA)he made no distinction between us and them, ^(AB)having cleansed their hearts ^(AC)by faith. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why ^(AD)are you putting God to the test ^(AE)by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples ^(AF)that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we ^(AG)believe that we will be ^(AH)saved through ^(AI)the grace of the Lord Jesus, ^(AJ)just as they will.”

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

^{16 (AO)}“‘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^[b] of mankind ^(AP)may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles ^(AQ)who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things ^{18 (AR)}known from of old.’

¹⁹ Therefore ^(AS)my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who ^(AT)turn to God, ²⁰ but should write to them ^(AU)to abstain from ^(AV)the things polluted by idols, and from ^(AW)sexual immorality, and from ^(AX)what has been strangled, and from ^(AY)blood. ²¹ For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, ^(AZ)for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then it seemed good to ^(BA)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 ^(BB)Barsabbas, and ^(BC)Silas, leading men among ^(BD)the brothers, ²³ with the following letter: ^(BE)“The brothers, both ^(BF)the apostles and the elders, to the brothers^[c] who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, ^(BG)greetings. ²⁴ Since we have heard that ^(BH)some persons have gone out from us and ^(BI)troubled you^[d] with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, ²⁵ it has seemed good to us, having come ^(BJ)to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our ^(BK)beloved Barnabas and Paul, ^{26 (BL)}men who have ^(BM)risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ We have therefore sent ^(BN)Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸ For it has seemed good ^(BO)to the Holy Spirit and ^(BP)to us ^(BQ)to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: ^{29 (BR)}that you abstain from ^(BS)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.”

³⁰ So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. ³¹ And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. ³² And Judas and Silas, who were themselves ^(BT)prophets, encouraged and ^(BU)strengthened ^(BV)the brothers with many words. ³³ And after they had spent some time, they were sent off ^(BW)in peace by ^(BX)the brothers to those who had sent them.^{[e] 35} But ^(BY)Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Paul and Barnabas Separate

³⁶ And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit ^(BZ)the brothers ^(CA)in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” ³⁷ Now Barnabas wanted to take with them ^(CB)John called Mark. ³⁸ But Paul thought best not to take with them one ^(CC)who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. ³⁹ And there arose ^(CD)a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. ^(CE)Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and departed, ^(CF)having been commended by ^(CG)the brothers to ^(CH)the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ And he went through Syria and Cilicia, ^(CI)strengthening the churches.

Footnotes

1. Acts 15:3 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 22
2. Acts 15:17 Or rest
3. Acts 15:23 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 32, 33, 36
4. Acts 15:24 Some manuscripts some persons from us have troubled you
5. Acts 15:33 Some manuscripts insert verse 34: But it seemed good to Silas to remain there

Cross references

1. Acts 15:1 : ver. 24
2. Acts 15:1 : ver. 3, 22, 23, 36, 40; See John 21:23
3. Acts 15:1 : ver. 5; Gal. 5:2; [1 Cor. 7:18; Gal. 2:11, 14]
4. Acts 15:1 : ch. 6:14; Lev. 12:3
5. Acts 15:2 : ver. 7
6. Acts 15:2 : [Gal. 2:1, 2]
7. Acts 15:2 : ver. 4, 6, 22, 23; ch. 16:4; See ch. 5:12; 11:30
8. Acts 15:3 : ch. 21:5; Rom. 15:24; 1 Cor. 16:6, 11; 2 Cor. 1:16; Titus 3:13; 3 John 6; [ch. 17:15]
9. Acts 15:3 : See ch. 14:27
10. Acts 15:3 : ch. 11:18
11. Acts 15:3 : ver. 1
12. Acts 15:4 : [ch. 21:17]
13. Acts 15:4 : ver. 2
14. Acts 15:4 : [See ver. 3 above]; See ch. 14:27
15. Acts 15:5 : See ch. 24:5
16. Acts 15:5 : ver. 1
17. Acts 15:5 : Gal. 5:3
18. Acts 15:6 : [ver. 12, 25]
19. Acts 15:6 : [See ver. 4 above]; ver. 2
20. Acts 15:7 : ver. 2
21. Acts 15:7 : ch. 10:20
22. Acts 15:7 : [Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; 1 Thess. 1:5]
23. Acts 15:7 : ch. 20:24
24. Acts 15:8 : ch. 1:24
25. Acts 15:8 : ch. 14:3
26. Acts 15:8 : ch. 10:44, 47; 11:15, 17; [ver. 28; Gal. 3:2]
27. Acts 15:9 : ch. 11:12; Rom. 3:22-24; Eph. 3:6; [ch. 10:28, 34]
28. Acts 15:9 : Ps. 51:10; [ch. 26:18; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Pet. 1:22]
29. Acts 15:9 : See ch. 10:43
30. Acts 15:10 : Ps. 106:14; Isa. 7:12
31. Acts 15:10 : Gal. 5:1; [ver. 28]
32. Acts 15:10 : [Matt. 11:28; 23:4; Luke 11:46]
33. Acts 15:11 : [ch. 16:31]
34. Acts 15:11 : Eph. 2:5, 8; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 2:11; 3:7; [Rom. 3:24; 1 Thess. 5:9]
35. Acts 15:11 : Rom. 5:15
36. Acts 15:11 : [See ver. 9 above]; ch. 11:12; Rom. 3:22-24; Eph. 3:6; [ch. 10:28, 34]
37. Acts 15:12 : ver. 4; See ch. 14:27
38. Acts 15:13 : See ch. 12:17
39. Acts 15:14 : [ver. 7]
40. Acts 15:14 : [ch. 18:10; Deut. 7:6; Isa. 43:21; Rom. 9:24-26]
41. Acts 15:16 : Cited from Amos 9:11, 12; [Jer. 12:15]
42. Acts 15:17 : [ch. 17:27]
43. Acts 15:17 : Isa. 43:7; Jer. 14:9; Dan. 9:19
44. Acts 15:18 : [Isa. 45:21]
45. Acts 15:19 : [ver. 28]
46. Acts 15:19 : See ch. 14:15
47. Acts 15:20 : ch. 21:25
48. Acts 15:20 : [ver. 29; Ezek. 4:13, 14; Dan. 1:8; Mal. 1:7, 12]
49. Acts 15:20 : 1 Cor. 10:7, 8; Rev. 2:14, 20; See 1 Cor. 6:18
50. Acts 15:20 : See Lev. 3:17
51. Acts 15:20 : See Lev. 3:17
52. Acts 15:21 : ch. 13:15; 2 Cor. 3:14, 15; [ch. 13:27]
53. Acts 15:22 : ver. 2
54. Acts 15:22 : [ch. 1:23]
55. Acts 15:22 : See 1 Pet. 5:12
56. Acts 15:22 : ver. 1
57. Acts 15:23 : [See ver. 22 above]; ver. 1
58. Acts 15:23 : [See ver. 22 above]; ver. 2
59. Acts 15:23 : ch. 23:26; James 1:1; [2 John 10, 11]
60. Acts 15:24 : ver. 1; [Gal. 2:4; 5:12; Titus 1:10]
61. Acts 15:24 : Gal. 1:7; 5:10
62. Acts 15:25 : See ch. 1:14
63. Acts 15:25 : [2 Pet. 3:15]
64. Acts 15:26 : ch. 9:23-25; 14:19
65. Acts 15:26 : [ch. 20:24; 21:13; 2 Cor. 4:11; 1 John 3:16]
66. Acts 15:27 : ver. 22, 32
67. Acts 15:28 : [ver. 8; ch. 5:32; John 16:13; 1 Cor. 7:40]
68. Acts 15:28 : [ver. 19]
69. Acts 15:28 : [ver. 10; Rev. 2:24]
70. Acts 15:29 : See ver. 20
71. Acts 15:29 : ch. 21:25; 1 Cor. 8:1, 4, 7, 10; 10:19; Rev. 2:14, 20
72. Acts 15:32 : See ch. 13:1
73. Acts 15:32 : See ch. 14:22
74. Acts 15:32 : ver. 1
75. Acts 15:33 : Gen. 26:29; Heb. 11:31; [1 Cor. 16:11]
76. Acts 15:33 : [See ver. 32 above]; ver. 1
77. Acts 15:35 : ch. 13:1
78. Acts 15:36 : [See ver. 32 above]; ver. 1
79. Acts 15:36 : ch. 13:4, 13, 14, 51; 14:6, 24, 25
80. Acts 15:37 : See ch. 12:12
81. Acts 15:38 : ch. 13:13
82. Acts 15:39 : [ch. 17:16 (Gk.)]
83. Acts 15:39 : [Col. 4:10]
84. Acts 15:40 : ch. 14:26
85. Acts 15:40 : ver. 1
86. Acts 15:40 : ver. 11; [ch. 11:23]; See Rom. 16:20
87. Acts 15:41 : ver. 32; ch. 16:5