^aSome men came down from Judea and began teaching ^bthe brethren, “Unless you are ^ccircumcised according to ^dthe custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had ¹great dissension and ^adebate with them, ^bthe brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the ^capostles and elders concerning this issue. 3 Therefore, being ^asent on their way by the church, they were passing through both ^bPhoenicia and Samaria, ^cdescribing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all ^dthe brethren. 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and ^athe apostles and the elders, and they ^breported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of ^athe sect of the ^bPharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to ^ccircumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

6 ^aThe apostles and the elders came together to ¹look into this ²matter. 7 After there had been much ^adebate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that ¹in the early days ^bGod made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of ^cthe gospel and believe. 8 And God, ^awho knows the heart, testified to them ^bgiving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and ^aHe made no distinction between us and them, ^bcleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you ^aput God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which ^bneither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through ^athe grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were ^arelating what ^bsigns and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

13 After they had stopped speaking, ^1aJames answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 ^aSimeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 With this the words of ^athe Prophets agree, just as it is written,

19 Therefore it is ^amy judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from ^1athings contaminated by idols and from ^bfornication and from ^cwhat is strangled and from blood. 21 For ^aMoses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since ¹he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22 Then it seemed good to ^athe apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to ^bAntioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and ^cSilas, leading men among ^dthe brethren, 23 and they ¹sent this letter by them,

30 So when they were sent away, ^athey went down to Antioch; and having gathered the ¹congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its ¹encouragement. 32 ^aJudas and ^bSilas, also being ^cprophets themselves, ¹encouraged and strengthened ^dthe brethren with a lengthy message. 33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren ^ain peace to those who had ^bsent them out. 34 ¹[But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] 35 But ^aPaul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and ^bpreaching with many others also, ^cthe word of the Lord.

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in ^aevery city in which we proclaimed ^bthe word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take ^aJohn, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had ^adeserted them ¹in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took ^aMark with him and sailed away to ^bCyprus. 40 But Paul chose ^aSilas and left, being ^bcommitted by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he was traveling through ^aSyria and ^bCilicia, strengthening the churches.