Act 15:5-22 | ESV | STEP | But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said , It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses .

5 But some believers who belonged to ^athe party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ^b“It is necessary ^cto circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

6 ^dThe ^eapostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much ^fdebate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, ^gthat by my mouth the Gentiles should hear ^hthe word of ⁱthe gospel and believe. 8 And God, ^jwho knows the heart, ^kbore witness to them, ^lby giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and ^mhe made no distinction between us and them, ⁿhaving cleansed their hearts ^oby faith. 10 Now, therefore, why ^pare you putting God to the test ^qby placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples ^rthat neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we ^sbelieve that we will be ^tsaved through ^uthe grace of the Lord Jesus, ^vjust as they will.”

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

16 ^aa“‘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 ^acmay seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles ^adwho are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things 18 ^aeknown from of old.’
19 Therefore ^afmy judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who ^agturn to God, 20 but should write to them ^ahto abstain from ^aithe things polluted by idols, and from ^ajsexual immorality, and from ^akwhat has been strangled, and from ^alblood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, ^amfor he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

22 Then it seemed good to ^anthe apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called ^aoBarsabbas, and ^apSilas, leading men among ^aqthe brothers,