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Acts 15

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Conflict in Antioch: The Need for the Law 1–5

1
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. ​
2
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. ​
3
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. ​
4
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.
5
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. ​

The Jerusalem Council Convenes 6–12

6
And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter. ​
7
And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. ​
8
And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us;
9
and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. ​
10
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? ​
11
But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they. ​
12
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. ​

James's Judgment and Apostolic Decree 13–21

13
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me: ​
14
Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. ​
15
And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16
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: ​
17
That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,
18
Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.
19
Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the Gentiles turn to God; ​
20
but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. ​
21
For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath. ​

The Apostolic Letter is Dispatched 22–35

22
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: ​
23
and they wrote thus by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
24
Forasmuch as we have heard that certain who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment; ​
25
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,
26
men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word of mouth.
28
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: ​
29
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. ​
30
So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle.
31
And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation. ​
32
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them. ​
33
And after they had spent some time there, they were dismissed in peace from the brethren unto those that had sent them forth.
34
Not present in the manuscripts this translation follows.
35
But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Paul and Barnabas Separate 36–41

36
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. ​
37
And Barnabas was minded to take with them John also, who was called Mark.
38
But Paul thought not good to take with them him who withdrew from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. ​
39
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: ​
40
but Paul chose Silas, and went forth, being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. ​
41
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for Acts 15

Verse 1

Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses — These men 'came down from Judaea' to Antioch and made circumcision the condition of salvation. Circumcision was the sign of the covenant given to Abraham (Gen 17:10–14), and the question is whether Gentile believers must receive it. The men are not named; the apostles later say they had given them no such commandment (v.24).

Verse 2

no small dissension and disputation — Stasis is strife, a faction; syzetesis is a joint questioning, found only here, in v.7 and at Acts 28:29. The church at Antioch did not settle the matter among themselves but sent Paul, Barnabas and others 'unto the apostles and elders' at Jerusalem about the 'question' (zetema).

Verse 3

declaring the conversion of the Gentiles — Epistrophe, 'conversion', is a turning, and is found only here in the New Testament; its verb appears in v.19, 'turned to God'. The route through Phenice and Samaria passed churches born of earlier scattering (Acts 11:19; 8:14), and the news 'caused great joy unto all the brethren'.

Verse 5

the sect of the Pharisees which believed — Hairesis, 'sect', is also used of the Sadducees (Acts 5:17) and, by Paul, of the Pharisees as 'the most straitest sect of our religion' (Acts 26:5). These were believers, yet held that Gentiles must be circumcised and 'keep the law of Moses', which restates v.1 as a requirement.

Verse 6

the apostles and elders came together — The same two groups received Paul and Barnabas in v.4 and the letter goes out in their name (v.23); Acts 16:4 calls its contents the decrees 'ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem'. The 'matter' (logos) is the one in v.1: whether circumcision is required for salvation.

Verse 7

God made choice among us — Eklegomai, to choose out, is used of the apostles' appointment (Acts 1:2) and again of the 'chosen men' in v.22. Peter points to Cornelius's house, where the Gentiles heard 'by my mouth' and the Holy Ghost fell on them while he was speaking (Acts 10:44). 'Much disputing' is syzetesis, as in v.2.

Verse 9

purifying their hearts by faith — Katharizo, to cleanse, is the verb of the voice to Peter: 'What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common' (Acts 10:15; 11:9). The cleansing is of the heart and comes by faith; for that reason God 'put no difference' (diakrino) between Jew and Gentile.

Verse 10

why tempt ye God — Peirazo, to test: 'Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God' (Deut 6:16), which Christ quotes (Matt 4:7). The 'yoke' (zygos) set against Christ's, 'my yoke is easy, and my burden is light' (Matt 11:30), is later called 'the yoke of bondage' (Gal 5:1). 'Our fathers' had the law and could not bear it.

Verse 11

through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they — Peter states that the Jews themselves are saved by grace in the same way as the Gentiles. Paul says the same: 'For by grace are ye saved through faith' (Eph 2:8). Charis is grace, favour freely given.

Verse 12

miracles and wonders — Semeia kai terata, signs and wonders. The multitude's silence gives way to the report of Barnabas and Paul, who had told the church at Antioch 'how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles' (Acts 14:27). 'Declaring' is exegeomai, the verb used of Peter's report in v.14.

Verse 13

James answered — This is James 'the Lord's brother' (Gal 1:19), the one Peter bade the brethren inform after his release (Acts 12:17); Paul names him first among the 'pillars' in Jerusalem (Gal 2:9). He speaks after the silence of v.12, and his 'sentence' in v.19 is built on Scripture as well as on what had been seen.

Verse 14

Simeon hath declared — Symeon is the Hebrew form of Peter's first name, used of him only here and in 2 Pet 1:1. 'Did visit' is episkeptomai, the verb of Luke 1:68, 'he hath visited and redeemed his people'. From among the Gentiles God takes 'a people for his name', and v.17 names them as those 'upon whom my name is called'.

Verse 16

the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down — James quotes Amos 9:11: 'will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen.' Skene, tent, is the word, and anoikodomeo, 'build again', is found nowhere else in the New Testament. In Amos 9:12 the nations are 'called by my name'; v.17 renders this as 'upon whom my name is called'.

Verse 19

my sentence is — Krino, to judge or determine; the decrees of Acts 16:4 are 'ordained' with the same verb. Parenochleo, 'trouble… further', occurs only here in the New Testament. Gentiles 'turned to God' (epistrepho) are not to be burdened with circumcision; the following verse names what is to be asked of them.

Verse 20

pollutions of idols… fornication… things strangled… blood — Alisgema, 'pollution', is found only here; v.29 reads 'meats offered to idols'. Pniktos, 'strangled', is used only here, in v.29 and in Acts 21:25. The prohibition of blood goes back to Gen 9:4 and Lev 17:10–11, where 'the life of the flesh is in the blood'.

Verse 21

Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him — Moses is 'read in the synagogues every sabbath day'; Paul heard 'the reading of the law and the prophets' at Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:15, 27). The verse is commonly taken as the reason for the four requirements: Jewish believers and hearers in every city knew the law and the practices it forbade.

Verse 22

Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas — They are 'chosen men' (eklegomai, the verb of v.7) and 'chief men' (hegeomai, leaders). Barsabas is a different man from 'Joseph called Barsabas' (Acts 1:23). Silas is generally identified with the Silvanus of 2 Cor 1:19 and 1 Pet 5:12. They go to Antioch so that the decision is carried in person (v.27).

Verse 24

subverting your souls — Anaskeuazo is found only here in the New Testament; its root sense is to pack up baggage, hence to upset. The men who 'went out from us' had 'troubled' (tarasso) the believers, as Paul writes that 'some… trouble you, and would pervert the gospel' (Gal 1:7). The apostles state: 'to whom we gave no such commandment.'

Verse 28

seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us — The Spirit is named first. Baros, burden, is a weight, as in Rev 2:24, 'I will put upon you none other burden'; epanankes, 'necessary', is found only here in the New Testament. Peter had called the law a 'yoke' (v.10); the four 'necessary things' are the whole of what is laid on the Gentiles.

Verse 29

meats offered to idols — Eidolothuton, an idol sacrifice; Paul takes up the question in 1 Cor 8:1–10 and 10:19–28. The list repeats v.20 with the order changed, and again in Acts 21:25. 'Fare ye well' is errhosthe, 'be strong', the closing wish of the letter; the only other use is Acts 23:30.

Verse 31

they rejoiced for the consolation — Paraklesis, consolation or exhortation, is the noun of Barnabas's name, 'the son of consolation' (Acts 4:36), and of the 'word of exhortation' asked of Paul in the synagogue (Acts 13:15). The letter was read before the assembled church (v.30), and the answer to the question was received with joy.

Verse 32

being prophets also themselves — Judas and Silas were prophets, and 'exhorted' (parakaleo, the verb behind 'consolation' in v.31) the brethren 'with many words'. Episterizo, 'confirmed', to strengthen further, is used only four times: here, v.41, Acts 14:22 and Acts 18:23, of strengthening disciples or churches.

Verse 36

Let us go again and visit our brethren — Episkeptomai, to visit and look after, is the verb of v.14, where God 'did visit the Gentiles'. The cities are those of Paul's first journey with Barnabas (Acts 13–14), where they had 'preached the word of the Lord'. The proposal is to see 'how they do' in the faith.

Verse 38

who departed from them from Pamphylia — Mark, called John, had left them at Perga in Pamphylia and gone back to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). 'The work' is the one to which the Holy Ghost had called Barnabas and Saul (Acts 13:2). Axioo, 'thought not good', is to judge worthy; Paul judged Mark not fit to take.

Verse 39

the contention was so sharp — Paroxysmos, from which English takes 'paroxysm', is found only here and Heb 10:24, 'provoke unto love'. They separated; Barnabas, a man 'of the country of Cyprus' (Acts 4:36), took Mark there. Paul later asks for him: 'Take Mark… he is profitable to me for the ministry' (2 Tim 4:11).

Verse 40

recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God — This is the phrase of Acts 14:26, used when Paul and Barnabas were first sent out from Antioch. Epilegomai, 'chose', is found only here and, as 'called', in John 5:2. Silas, who had stayed at Antioch (v.34), becomes Paul's companion; the two go 'through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches' (v.41).