Acts 15:7-30

⁷And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose and said to them, Men, brethren, ye know that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the Gentiles, by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

⁸And God, who knoweth the hearts, bore them witness, giving to them the Holy Spirit, even as he did to us:

⁹And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

¹¹But we believe, that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved even as they.

¹²Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought by them among the Gentiles.

¹³And after they held their peace, James answered, saying, Men, brethren, hearken to me.

¹⁴Simeon hath declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take from among them a people for his name.

¹⁵And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

¹⁶After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins of it; and I will set it up:

¹⁷That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

¹⁸Known to God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

¹⁹Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, who from among the Gentiles are turned to God:

²⁰But that we write to them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from lewdness, and from things strangled, and from blood.

²¹For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

²²Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas; namely , Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:

²³And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles, and elders, and brethren, send greeting to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia.

²⁴Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain who went out from us, have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law; to whom we gave no such commandment:

²⁵It seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul:

²⁶Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who will also tell you the same things by mouth.

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;

²⁹That ye abstain from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from lewdness: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye will do well. Fare ye well.

³⁰So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had convened the multitude, they delivered the epistle.