Acts 15:2-25

²Paul and Barnabas heard those men saying that, and they didn’t agree with them. They argued with them and told them they were wrong. The Christians at Antioch thought about that problem, then they told Paul and Barnabas to go with some other men to Jerusalem, to talk about it with the church leaders and the close followers of Jesus there.

³So Paul and Barnabas did what the Christians at Antioch said. They got up to go to Jerusalem, and on their way they went through Phoenicia country and Samaria country, and they talked to the Christians in those places and told them, “A lot of people that are not Jews are believing in Jesus now.” They told them everything that God did in the other countries. The Christians in Phoenicia and Samaria were very happy to hear that news.

⁴After that Paul and the men with him got to Jerusalem, and the Christians there were happy to see them. The close followers of Jesus and all those church leaders there told them, “Good. We are glad you came.” Then Paul and Barnabas, and the other men with them, told the Christians in Jerusalem everything that God helped them to do.

⁵But some of those Christians in Jerusalem were Jewish law men called Pharisees, and they stood up and said, “Those Christian men that are not Jews have to have that young man’s operation, just like Moses said. We have to tell them to do all the things in the law of Moses.”

⁶Then the close followers of Jesus, and all the church leaders met together to talk about that problem.

⁷They talked about it for a long time, and then Peter stood up and said to them, “My friends, you know that God picked me, and I was the first one to go to the people that are not Jews to tell them the good news about Jesus. God did that so they could hear about Jesus and believe in him.

⁸God knows what people are thinking, and he gave them the Holy Spirit to show them that he wants them in his family too. You see, at first he gave the Holy Spirit to us, then he gave the Holy Spirit to those people that are not Jews.

⁹He did the same thing for them that he did for us. They believed in him and he made them clean from the wrong things they did.

¹⁰So, why are you telling those Christians that are not Jews to do something that is too hard for them. You might upset God. You know that we can’t keep all of the law of Moses. It is too hard for us, and it was too hard for our grand-fathers too

¹¹But our leader, Jesus, is good to everybody in the same way. We believe in him, and he saves us.”

¹²Then everyone stopped talking and listened to Barnabas and Paul. They told everyone that God gave them power to do great things for the people that are not Jews.

¹³They finished talking, then a man called James stood up and said, “My friends, listen to me.

¹⁴Peter just told us about the first time God showed everyone that he loves those people that are not Jews, and that he picked some of them to be his own people.

¹⁵A long time ago God’s men told that same message. They wrote,

¹⁶‘God said, “I will come back later and I will fix up David’s family again. They are like a tent that broke and fell down. But I will fix them up and make them strong again.

¹⁷And some people from other countries will ask me for help. They are my people too. I am God. I promised to do that a long time ago, so I will do it.” ’ That’s in God’s book.”

¹⁹And James kept talking, he said, “Those people that are turning to God are not Jews, and I think we shouldn’t make it hard for them.

²⁰We have to write a letter to tell them not to worry about getting that young man’s operation. But we’ll tell them to follow these rules, – Don’t eat food that other people have given to sacred statues. – And don’t sleep with people that you are not married to, as if they are they are your wives or husbands. – And if somebody strangles an animal, don’t eat its meat. – And don’t eat blood.

²¹You see, every Saturday the Jews read the law of Moses aloud in their meeting houses, in all the towns where those people live. They have been doing that for a long time, and people that are not Jews have heard that law. So we have to tell them not to worry about getting that young man’s operation.”

²²Then all the Christians and their leaders picked 2 of their men. One was called Judas Barsabbas and the other was Silas. Those 2 men were Christian leaders in Jerusalem. The others told them, “You 2 go with Paul and Barnabas and take this news to the Christians in Antioch, in Syria country.”

²³And the church leaders wrote a letter for them to take with them. They wrote this, “This letter is from the close followers of Jesus, and the church leaders in Jerusalem. We are writing to you Christian people that are not Jews, that live in Antioch, and in Syria country and Cilicia country. You are like brothers and sisters to us. We hope you are all good and happy.

²⁴Listen, we heard that some men from here went to you and told you things that really upset you. But we didn’t send those men.

²⁵So we met together and picked some messengers, and we are sending them with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul.