Acts 15:14-41

¹⁴Simon has described how God first revealed his concern for the foreigners by taking from them a people committed to him.

¹⁵This is in accordance with the words of the prophets, as it's written,

¹⁶‘In the future I will return, and I will rebuild the fallen house of David; I will rebuild its ruins and set it straight.

¹⁷I will do this so that those who are left may come to the Lord, including the foreigners who call on my name.

¹⁸This is what the Lord says, who revealed these things long ago.’

¹⁹So my decision is that we shouldn't make it difficult for foreigners who turn to God.

²⁰We should write to them and tell them to avoid food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality, meat of animals that have been strangled, and from consuming blood.

²¹For the law of Moses has been taught in every town for a long, long time—it's read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

²²Then the apostles and elders, together with the whole church, decided it would be good to choose some representatives and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas Barsabbas and Silas, leaders among the brothers,

²³and sent them with this letter: “Greetings from us, the apostles and elders and brothers, to the non-Jewish brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

²⁴We have heard that some from our group have confused you with their teachings, causing you trouble. We certainly didn't tell them to do this!

²⁵So we have agreed to choose some representatives and send them to you together with our much-loved brothers Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷So we are sending to you Judas and Silas who can verbally confirm what we're saying.

²⁸It seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any heavier burden than these important requirements.

²⁹You should avoid: anything sacrificed to idols; blood; meat from strangled animals; and sexual immorality. You will do well to observe these requirements. God bless you.”

³⁰The men were sent on their way to Antioch. When they arrived they called everybody together and delivered the letter.

³¹After they had read it, the people were so happy for the encouraging message.

³²Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, encouraged the brothers, explaining many things, and strengthening them.

³³After spending some time there they were sent back by the brothers with their blessing to the believers in Jerusalem.

³⁵But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of God along with many others.

³⁶Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let's go back and visit the believers in every town where we shared the word of the Lord, and see how they're doing.”

³⁷Barnabas planned to take along John Mark too.

³⁸But Paul didn't think it was a good idea to take him with them, since he'd left them in Pamphylia and hadn't continued working with them.

³⁹They had such a strong disagreement that they separated. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus.

⁴⁰Paul chose Silas, and as they left, the believers committed them to the grace of the Lord.

⁴¹Paul traveled through Syria and Cilicia, encouraging the churches there.