And certain men came down from Judæa and taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them, the brethren appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them.
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.
And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter.
And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them,
Brethren, ye know that {Greek: from early days.}a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the {Or, good tidings}gospel, and believe.
And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us;
and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.
And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through them.
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying,
Brethren, hearken unto me:
Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
{Amos 9:11, 12.}After these things I will return,
And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen;
And I will build again the ruins thereof,
And I will set it up:
That the residue of men may seek after the Lord,
And all the {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,
Saith the Lord, {Or, who doeth these things which were known & c.}who maketh these things known from of old.
Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the Gentiles turn to God;
but that we {Or, enjoin them}write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood.
For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
and they wrote thus by them, {Or, The apostles and the elder brethren}The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
Forasmuch as we have heard that certain {Some ancient authorities omit who went out.}who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment;
it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word of mouth.
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:
that ye abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which if ye keep yourselves, it shall be well with you. Fare ye well.
So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle.
And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the {Or, exhortation}consolation.
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, {Or, comforted}exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
And after they had spent some time there, they were dismissed in peace from the brethren unto those that had sent them forth. {Some ancient authorities insert with variations, verse 34 But it seemed good unto Silas to abide there.}
- - -
But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and {See marginal note on chapter 5:42.}preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
And after some days Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us return now and visit the brethren in every city wherein we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they fare.
And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark.
But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
And there arose a sharp contention, so that they parted asunder one from the other, and Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away unto Cyprus;
but Paul choose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
Querverweise zu Apostelgeschichte 15,2 Apg 15,2
And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them,Brethren, ye know that {Greek: from early days.}a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the {Or, good tidings}gospel, and believe.
it seemed good unto us, having come to one accord, to choose out men and send them unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them.
And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter.
I marvel that ye are so quickly removing from him that called you in the grace of Christ unto a different {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel;
{Or, which is nothing else save that there &c.}which is not another gospel: only there are some that trouble you, and would pervert the {Greek: good tidings. See marginal note on Matthew 4:23.}gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, should {See marginal note on Matthew 11:5.}preach {Some ancient authorities omit unto you.}unto you any gospel {Or, contrary to that}other than that which we preached unto you, let him be anathema.
As we have said before, so say I now again, If any man {See marginal note on Matthew 11:5.}preacheth unto you any gospel {Or, contrary to that}other than that which ye received, let him be anathema.
For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? or am I striving to please men? if I were still pleasing men, I should not be a {Greek: bondservant.}servant of Christ.
If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace.
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word of mouth.
Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
and they wrote thus by them, {Or, The apostles and the elder brethren}The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
to whom we gave place in the way of subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the {See marginal note on chapter 1:6.}gospel might continue with you.
Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus also with me.
So he called them in and lodged them.And on the morrow he arose and went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.
and they wrote thus by them, {Or, The apostles and the elder brethren}The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present.
Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
And I went up by revelation; and I laid before them the {See marginal note on chapter 1:6.}gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately before them who {Or, are}were of repute, lest by any means I should be running, or had run, in vain.
And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no distinction. And these six brethren also accompanied me; and we entered into the man's house:
And Jehovah said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not be king over them.
Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes {Greek: the brother.}our brother,
For though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more.
And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, not being myself under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
to them that are without law, as without law, not being without law to God, but under law to Christ, that I might gain them that are without law.
To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak: I am become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some.
And I do all things for the {See marginal note on chapter 4:15.}gospel's sake, that I may be a joint partaker thereof.
For I reckon that I am not a whit behind {Or, those preeminent apostles}the very chiefest apostles.
And I went up by revelation; and I laid before them the {See marginal note on chapter 1:6.}gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately before them who {Or, are}were of repute, lest by any means I should be running, or had run, in vain.
Wherefore, though I have all boldness in Christ to enjoin thee that which is befitting,
yet for love's sake I rather beseech, being such a one as Paul {Or, an ambassador, and now & c.}the aged, and now a prisoner also of Christ Jesus: