Acts 15:2-21 So, as a dire disturbance and a serious discussion had been created between Paul and Barnabas and them, they decided that Paul and Barnabas and some others from their number should go up to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders about this question.

Williams⁽ⁱ⁾ ² So, as a dire disturbance and a serious discussion had been created between Paul and Barnabas and them, they decided that Paul and Barnabas and some others from their number should go up to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders about this question. ³ So they were endorsed and sent on by the church, and as they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told of the conversion of the heathen and brought great rejoicing to all the brothers. ⁴ When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported what God had done through them as instruments. ⁵ But some members of the Pharisaic party, who had become believers, arose and said that such converts must be circumcised and told to keep the law of Moses. ⁶ Now the apostles and elders met to consider this matter. ⁷ After a lengthy discussion Peter got up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose among you that through me the heathen should hear the message of the good news and believe it. ⁸ And God who knows men's hearts testifies for them by giving them the Holy Spirit, as He did us, ⁹ and in this way He put no difference between us and them, because He cleansed their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Then why do you now try to test God by putting on these disciples' necks a yoke which neither our forefathers nor we could bear? ¹¹ In fact, we believe that it is through the favor of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." ¹² By this he quieted the whole congregation, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul tell of the signs and wonders which God had done through them among the heathen. ¹³ When they finished, James responded as follows: "Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Symeon has told how God at first graciously visited the heathen to take from among them a people to bear His name. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in accord with this, as it is written: ¹⁶ 'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen dwelling; I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again, ¹⁷ So that the rest of mankind may earnestly seek the Lord, Yes, all the heathen who are called by my name, says the Lord, ¹⁸ who has been making this known from ages past.' ¹⁹ So I give it as my opinion, we ought not to put difficulties in the way of the heathen who turn to God, ²⁰ but we should write them to abstain from everything that is contaminated by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from tasting blood. ²¹ For Moses from the ancient generations has had his preachers in every town, and on every sabbath has been read aloud in the synagogues."