v.1-21
The Council at Jerusalem
v.22-29
The Jerusalem Council's Letter to Gentile Believers
v.30-35
Return to Antioch
v.38-
41 Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
v.1-21
The Council at Jerusalem
v.1-3
Opposition from the circumcision party of the Jews resulted in
Paul and Barnabas going to Jerusalem
v.1
Certain
people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers:
“Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by
Moses, you cannot be saved.”
v.2
This
brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them.
So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers,
to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this
question.
v.3
The
church sent them on their way, and as they travelled through Phoenicia
and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This
news made all the believers very glad.
v.4,5
They explain why they have come
v.4
When
they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the
apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had
done through them.
v.5
Then
some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees
stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required
to keep the law of Moses.”
v.6-11
Peter speaks up for their position
v.6
The
apostles and elders met to consider this question.
v.7
After
much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you
know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles
might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
v.8
God,
who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the
Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
v.9
He
did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their
hearts by faith.
v.10
Now
then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles
a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?
v.11
No!
We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are
saved, just as they are.”
v.12-21
The apostles share and James makes a judgment
v.12
The
whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and
Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the
Gentiles through them.
v.13
When
they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to
me.
v.14
Simon
has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people
for his name from the Gentiles.
v.15
The
words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
v.16-18
“‘After
this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that
the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles
who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things' [
Amos 9:11,12 ] — things
known from long ago. [
Some manuscripts things'— / 18 the Lord's work is known
to him from long ago]
v.19
“It
is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult
for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
v.20
Instead
we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted
by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals
and from blood.
v.21
For
the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest
times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
[Passage
Synopsis: The next
opposition comes from Jews from Judea who come to Antioch teaching
the circumcision was still necessary. The church appointed Paul
and Barnabas to go the mother church in Jerusalem and seek counsel.
In Jerusalem some more circumcision Jews hold that position and
first Peter and then James make judgments: no, circumcision should
not be an issue, and they give just several guidelines for Christians
of those days.]
v.22-29
The Jerusalem Council's Letter to Gentile Believers
v.22
Then
the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose
some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders
among the believers.
v.23
With
them they sent the following letter:
The
apostles and elders, your brothers,
To
the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
v.24
We
have heard that some went out from us without our authorization
and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.
v.25,26
So
we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our
dear friends Barnabas and Paul— men who have risked their lives
for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
v.27
Therefore
we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what
we are writing.
v.28
It
seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with
anything beyond the following requirements:
v.29
You
are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from
the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You
will do well to avoid these things.
[Passage
Synopsis: So the
Jerusalem church choose two leaders to return with Paul and Barnabas,
to take a letter with their judgment.]
v.30-35
Return to Antioch
v.30
So
the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered
the church together and delivered the letter.
v.31
The
people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.
v.32
Judas
and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage
and strengthen the believers.
v.33
After
spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers
with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them.
[34] [Some
manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there]
v.35
But
Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others
taught and preached the word of the Lord.
[Passage
Synopsis: Thus peace
through doctrine is brought to Antioch. Interestingly, the two
from Jerusalem were also prophets who stayed a while, strengthened
and blessed the church and then returned to Jerusalem.]
v.38-
41 Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas
v.36
Some
time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the
believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord
and see how they are doing.”
v.37,38
Barnabas
wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did
not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in
Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work.
v.39,40
They
had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas
took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left,
commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.
v.41
He
went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
[Passage
Synopsis: Paul has
a feeling they should go back and check out the churches they
established and when Barnabas wants to take John Mark along again,
Paul objects because that young man had pulled out part way through
the first trip. They agree to separate and Paul goes off to Asia
Minor with Silas who had clearly remained and not returned to
Jerusalem. Barnabas and Mark return to Cyprus.]