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Chapter 15 |
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1 | And certain men which came down from
Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner
of Moses, ye cannot be saved. |
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2 | When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no
small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and
Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the
apostles and elders about this question. |
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3 | And being brought on their
way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the
conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the
brethren. |
| 4
| And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received
of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things
that God had done with them. |
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5 | But there rose up certain of the sect
of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise
them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. |
| 6 | And the
apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. |
| 7 |
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men
and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that
the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
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| 8 | And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the
Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; |
| 9 | And put no difference between
us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. |
| 10 | Now
therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon 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, even
as they. |
| 12
| Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to
Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among
the Gentiles by them. |
| 13 | And after they had held their peace, James
answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: |
| 14 | Simeon hath
declared how God at the first did visit 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 this I will return, and will build
again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the
ruins thereof, and I will set it up: |
| 17 | That the residue of men might
seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith
the Lord, who doeth all these things. |
| 18 | Known unto God are all his
works from the beginning of the world. |
| 19 | Wherefore my sentence is,
that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to
God: |
| 20 |
But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions
of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from
blood. |
| 21
| For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach
him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. |
| 22 | Then pleased
it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their
own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas
and Silas, chief men among the brethren: |
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23 | And they wrote letters by
them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto
the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
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| 24 | Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have
troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised,
and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: |
| 25 | It seemed
good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with
our beloved Barnabas and Paul, |
| 26 | Men that have hazarded their
lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. |
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27 | We have sent therefore
Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. |
| 28 |
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater
burden than these necessary things; |
| 29 | That ye abstain from meats
offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from
fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye
well. |
| 30 |
So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when
they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
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| 31 | Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. |
| 32 |
And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with
many words, and confirmed them. |
| 33 | And after they had tarried
there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the
apostles. |
| 34
| Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there
still. |
| 35
| Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and
preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. |
| 36 | And some
days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in
every city where we have preached the word of the LORD, and see how they
do. |
| 37 |
And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname
was Mark. |
| 38
| But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who
departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
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| 39 | And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder
one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
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| 40 | And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren
unto the grace of God. |
| 41 | And he went through Syria and Cilicia,
confirming the churches. |
