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The Blue Letter Bible

Acts 15 :: New International Version (NIV)

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The Council at Jerusalem

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:1

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:1 - 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:2

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:2 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:3

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:3 - The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:4

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:4 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:5

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:5 - 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:6

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:6 - The apostles and elders met to consider this question.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:7

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:7 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:8

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:8 - God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:9

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:9 - He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:10

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:10 - 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?

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:11

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:11 - No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:12

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:12 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:13

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:13 - When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:14

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:14 - Simon[fn] has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:15

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:15 - The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:16

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:16 - “ ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:17

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:17 - that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’[fn]—

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:18

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:18 - things known from long ago.[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:19

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:19 - “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:20

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:20 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:21

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:21 - For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:22

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:22 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:23

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:23 - With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:24

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:24 - We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:25

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:25 - So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:26

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:26 - men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:27

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:27 - Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:28

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:28 - It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements:

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:29

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:29 - 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. Farewell.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:30

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:30 - So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:31

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:31 - The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:32

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:32 - Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:33

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:33 - 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.[fn]

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:35

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:35 - But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:36

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:36 - 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.”

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:37

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:37 - Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them,

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:38

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:38 - 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.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:39

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:39 - They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:40

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:40 - but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.

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Unchecked Copy Box Act 15:41

Unchecked Copy BoxAct 15:41 - He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).
NIV Footnotes
Greek Simeon, a variant of Simon; that is, Peter
Amos 9:11,12 (see Septuagint)
Some manuscripts things’— / 18 the Lord’s work is known to him from long ago
Some manuscripts things’— / 18 the Lord’s work is known to him from long ago
Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there.
BLB Footnotes
Some Greek manuscripts exclude this verse. The NIV related footnote for 15:33 states:
Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there.  
NIV

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.


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For more information on this translation, see the NIV Preface.

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Acts Chapter 15 — Additional Translations:

King James Version New King James Version New Living Translation English Standard Version Christian Standard Bible New American Standard Bible 2020 New American Standard Bible 1995 Legacy Standard Bible Amplified Bible New English Translation Revised Standard Version American Standard Version Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Webster's Bible Hebrew Names Version Latin Vulgate Morphological Greek New Testament Textus Receptus Smith Van Dyck Arabic Bible Open New Arabic Version Reina Valera 1909 Reina-Valera 1960 Bible in Basic English Chinese Traditional Union Espanol Moderno Korean Holy Bible Louis Segond German Luther Russian Synodal Translation Sagradas Escrituras