Acts 15

¹And certain coming down from Jewry, taught the brethren: That unless you be circumcised according to the manner of Moyses, you cannot be saved.

²No little sedition therefore being risen to Paul and Barnabas against them, they appointed that Paul and Barnabas should go up, & certain others of the rest, to the Apostles and Priests unto Jerusalem, upon this question.

³They therefore being brought on their way by the Church, passed through Phoenice & Samaria, reporting the conversion of the Gentiles: and they made great joy to all the brethren.

⁴And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the Church and of the Apostles and Ancients, declaring whatsoever God had done with them.

⁵And there arose certain of the heresy of the Pharisees that believed, saying, That they must be circumcised; commanded also to keep the law of Moyses.

⁶And the Apostles and Ancients assembled to consider of this word.

⁷And when there was made a great disputation, Peter rising up said to them: Men brethren, you know that of old days God among us chose, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe.

⁸And God which knoweth the hearts, gave testimony, giving unto them the Holy Ghost as well as to us,

⁹and hath put no difference between us and them, by faith purifying their hearts.

¹⁰Now therefore why tempt you God, to put a yoke upon the necks of the Disciples, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

¹¹But by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we believe to be saved, in like manner as they also.

¹²And all the multitude held their peace: and they heard Barnabas and Paul telling what great signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles by them.

¹³And after they held their peace, James answered, saying: Men brethren, hear me.

¹⁴Simon hath told how God first visited to take of the Gentiles a people to his name.

¹⁵And to this accord the words of the Prophets, as it is written:

¹⁶After these things I will return, and will re-edify the tabernacle of David which was fallen, and the ruins thereof I will re-edify, and set it up:

¹⁷that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all nations upon whom my name is invocated, saith the Lord that doeth these things.

¹⁸To our Lord was his own work known from the beginning of the world.

¹⁹For the which cause I judge, that they which of the Gentiles are converted to God, are not to be disquieted,

²⁰but to write unto them that they refrain themselves from the contaminations of idols, and fornication, and strangled things, and blood.

²¹For Moyses of old times hath in every city them that preach him in the Synagogues, where he is read every Sabboth.

²²Then it pleased the Apostles and Ancients with the whole Church, to choose men out of them, & to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, Judas, who was surnamed Barsabas, & Silas, chief men among the Brethren,

²³writing by their hands. The Apostles and Ancients, the brethren, to the brethren of the Gentiles that are at Antioch and in Syria and Cilicia, greeting.

²⁴Because we have heard that certain going forth from us have troubled you with words subverting your souls, to whom we gave no commandment:

²⁵It hath pleased us being gathered in one, to choose out men & to send them unto you with our dearest Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶men that have given their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas who themselves also will in words report unto you the same things.

²⁸For it hath seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay no further burden upon you than these necessary things:

²⁹That you abstain from the things immolated to idols, and blood, and that which is strangled, and fornication, from the which things keeping yourselves, you shall do well. Fare ye well.

³⁰They therefore being dismissed went down to Antioch: and gathering the multitude, delivered the epistle.

³¹Which when they had read, they rejoiced upon the consolation:

³²but Judas and Silas, themselves also being prophets, with many words comforted the brethren, and confirmed them.

³³And having spent some time there, they were with peace dismissed of the brethren unto them that had sent them.

³⁴But it seemed good unto Silas to remain there: and Judas departed alone:

³⁵and Paul and Barnabas tarried at Antioch, teaching and evangelizing with many others the word of our Lord.

³⁶And after certain days, Paul said to Barnabas, let us return and visit our brethren in all cities wherein we have preached the word of our Lord, how they do.

³⁷And Barnabas would have taken with them John also that was surnamed Mark.

³⁸But Paul desired that he (as who had departed from them out of Pamphylia, & had not gone with them to the work) might not be received.

³⁹And there rose a dissension, so that they departed one from another, & that, Barnabas indeed taking Mark sailed to Cypres.

⁴⁰But Paul choosing Silas departed, being delivered of the brethren to the grace of God.

⁴¹And he walked through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the Churches: commanding them to keep the precepts of the Apostles & the Ancients.