Act 15:1-21 | ESV | STEP | But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers , Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses , you cannot be saved .

1 ^aBut some men came down from Judea and were teaching ^bthe brothers, “Unless you are ^ccircumcised ^daccording to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and ^edebate with them, Paul and Barnabas and ^fsome of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ^gthe apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, ^hbeing sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, ⁱdescribing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and ^jbrought great joy to all ^kthe brothers. ^{▼▼Or brothers and sisters; also verse 22} 4 ^mWhen they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and ⁿthe apostles and the elders, and ^othey declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to ^pthe party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ^q“It is necessary ^rto circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

6 ^sThe ^tapostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much ^udebate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, ^vthat by my mouth the Gentiles should hear ^wthe word of ^xthe gospel and believe. 8 And God, ^ywho knows the heart, ^zbore witness to them, ^aaby giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and ^abhe made no distinction between us and them, ^achaving cleansed their hearts ^adby faith. 10 Now, therefore, why ^aeare you putting God to the test ^afby placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples ^agthat neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we ^ahbelieve that we will be ^aisaved through ^ajthe grace of the Lord Jesus, ^akjust as they will.”

12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul ^alas they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, ^amJames replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 ^anSimeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them ^aoa people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

16 ^ap“‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant ^{▼▼Or rest} of mankind ^armay seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles ^aswho are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 ^atknown from of old.’
19 Therefore ^aumy judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who ^avturn to God, 20 but should write to them ^awto abstain from ^axthe things polluted by idols, and from ^aysexual immorality, and from ^azwhat has been strangled, and from ^bablood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, ^bbfor he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”