Acts 15:6-29

⁶The apostles and elders met together to discuss the issue.

⁷After much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me from among you so that the foreigners could hear the message of good news and trust in Jesus.

⁸God, who knows thewhat we're thinking, has shown that he accepts them, giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us.

⁹He doesn't make any distinction between us and them—he cleansed their thoughts as they trusted in him.

¹⁰So why do you want to oppose God and put a burden on the believers that our fathers weren't able to bear, and we can't either?

¹¹We're convinced that we're saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way they are.”

¹²Everyone listened attentively to Barnabas and Paul as they explained the miraculous signs that God had performed through them among the foreigners.

¹³After they had finished speaking, James spoke up, saying, “Brothers, listen to me.

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.”