Acts:15:1-35
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And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren ,
and said ,
Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses ,
ye cannot be saved .
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When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them ,
they determined that Paul and Barnabas ,
and certain other of them ,
should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question .
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And being brought on their way by the church ,
they passed through Phenice and Samaria ,
declaring the conversion of the Gentiles :
and they caused great joy unto all the brethren .
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And when they were come to Jerusalem ,
they were received of the church ,
and of the apostles and elders ,
and they declared all things that God had done with them .
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But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed ,
saying ,
That it was needful to circumcise them ,
and to command them to keep the law of Moses .
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And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter .
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And when there had been much disputing ,
Peter rose up ,
and said unto them ,
Men and brethren ,
ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us ,
that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel ,
and believe .
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And God ,
which knoweth the hearts ,
bare them witness ,
giving them the Holy Ghost ,
even as he did unto us ;
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And put no difference between us and them ,
purifying their hearts by faith .
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Now therefore why tempt ye God ,
to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples ,
which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear ?
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But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved ,
even as they .
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Then all the multitude kept silence ,
and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul ,
declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them .
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And after they had held their peace ,
James answered ,
saying ,
Men and brethren ,
hearken unto me :
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Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles ,
to take out of them a people for his name .
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And to this agree the words of the prophets ;
as it is written ,
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After this I will return ,
and will build again the tabernacle of David ,
which is fallen down ;
and I will build again the ruins thereof ,
and I will set it up :
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That the residue of men might seek after the Lord ,
and all the Gentiles ,
upon whom my name is called ,
saith the Lord ,
who doeth all these things .
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Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world .
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Wherefore my sentence is ,
that we trouble not them ,
which from among the Gentiles are turned to God :
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But that we write unto them ,
that they abstain from pollutions of idols ,
and from fornication ,
and from things strangled ,
and from blood .
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For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him ,
being read in the synagogues every sabbath day .
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Then pleased it the apostles and elders ,
with the whole church ,
to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas ;
namely ,
Judas surnamed Barsabas ,
and Silas ,
chief men among the brethren :
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And they wrote letters by them after this manner ;
The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia :
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Forasmuch as we have heard ,
that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words ,
subverting your souls ,
saying ,
Ye must be circumcised ,
and keep the law :
to whom we gave no such commandment :
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It seemed good unto us ,
being assembled with one accord ,
to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul ,
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Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ .
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We have sent therefore Judas and Silas ,
who shall also tell you the same things by mouth .
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For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost ,
and to us ,
to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things ;
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That ye abstain from meats offered to idols ,
and from blood ,
and from things strangled ,
and from fornication :
from which if ye keep yourselves ,
ye shall do well .
Fare ye well .
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So when they were dismissed ,
they came to Antioch :
and when they had gathered the multitude together ,
they delivered the epistle :
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Which when they had read ,
they rejoiced for the consolation .
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And Judas and Silas ,
being prophets also themselves ,
exhorted the brethren with many words ,
and confirmed them .
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And after they had tarried there a space ,
they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles .
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Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still .
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Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch ,
teaching and preaching the word of the Lord ,
with many others also .