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15:3
Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.
15:4
On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported all that God had done through them.
15:5
But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”
15:6
So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter.
15:7
After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.
15:8
And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
15:9
He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
15:10
Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
15:11
On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
15:12
The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
15:13
When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!
15:14
Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.
15:15
The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
15:16
‘After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tent of David. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
15:17
so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things
15:18
that have been known for ages.’
15:19
It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
15:20
Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
15:21
For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”