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          DASV: Acts 15    

1 Now some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers,
"Except you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses,
you cannot be saved."
2 When Paul and Barnabas had no small disagreement and debate
with them, the brothers decided that Paul and Barnabas,
and some of the others, should go up to Jerusalem to consult
with the apostles and elders about this issue.
3 So they, being sent on their way by the church, passed through
both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting about the conversion
of the Gentiles which caused great joy to all the brothers.

4 When they had arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by
the church, apostles and elders. They rehearsed all things
that God had done through them.
5 But there rose up some believers who belonged to a sect of
the Pharisees, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them
and to order them to observe the law of Moses."
6 The apostles and elders were gathered to consider this issue.
7 After there had been much debate, Peter got up, and said to
them, "Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice
among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word
of the good news and believe.
8 God, who knows the heart, confirmed it by giving them the Holy
Spirit, just as he did to us.
9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts
by faith.
10 Now why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the neck of
the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11 To the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the
grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way that they are."
12 All the crowd kept silent and they listened to Barnabas and
Paul narrating what miraculous signs and wonders God had
performed among the Gentiles through them.

13 After they had held their peace, James replied, "Brothers,
listen to me,
14 Simon has described how God first visited the Gentiles,
to take from among them a people for his name.
15 The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written,
16 'After these things I will return,
      and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David,
   and I will build again its ruins,
      and I will restore it.
17 that the rest of humanity may seek after the Lord,
      and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
18 says the Lord, who accomplishes these things,
19       making them known from long ago.'
    Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those
      Gentiles who turn to God,
20 but we should write to them, that they abstain from things
polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality and from eating
meat that has been strangled and from consuming blood.
21 For in every city, for many generations, Moses has been
proclaimed, being read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath."

22 So it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the
whole church, to choose delegates from among them, and send
them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. So they sent Judas
called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers.
23 They wrote the following: "From your brothers, the apostles
and the elders, to the brothers who are Gentiles in Antioch,
Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us,
although they had no orders from us, have troubled and
upset your minds with what they said,
25 it seemed good to us, having come to an agreement, to
choose out men and send them to you with our beloved
Barnabas and Paul.
26 These men have risked their lives for the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
27 So we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves also will
tell you the same things by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, not to
impose on any a greater burden than these essential things:
29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from
consuming blood, from eating meat from that which has been
strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves
from these things, you will do well. Farewell."

30 So they, after being sent, came down to Antioch; and having
gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
31 When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.
32 Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, encouraged and
strengthened the brothers with many words.
33 After they had spent some time there, they were sent in
peace from the brothers back to those who had originally sent
them.
34 [Some manuscripts have: But Silas decided to stay there.]
35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they
and many others also taught and proclaimed the word of
the Lord.

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's return now
and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the
word of the Lord, and see how they are doing."
37 Now Barnabas also wanted to take with them John, called Mark.
38 But Paul did not think it good to take him with them
because he deserted them in Pamphylia, and had not accompanied
them in the work.
39 There arose such a sharp disagreement that they split up.
Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed away to Cyprus.
40 Paul choose Silas, and set out, being commended by the
brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41 He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening
the churches.

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