Acts 15:23

But you go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ for I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them.

for a great and effective door has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.

We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who themselves will also tell you the same things by word of mouth.

for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to those who are called, sanctified by God the Father, and kept for Jesus Christ:

Therefore do what we tell you. We have four men who have taken a vow.

Now when I came to Troas for the Good News of Christ, and when a door was opened to me in the Lord,

For godly sorrow produces repentance to salvation, which brings no regret. But the sorrow of the world produces death.

and when they perceived the grace that was given to me, James and Cephas and John, those who were reputed to be pillars, gave to Barnabas and me the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcision.

praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds,

Avoid a factious man after a first and second warning,

For he received from God the Father honor and glory when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

The Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the Tent of Meeting, take the hair of the head of his separation, and put it on the fire which is under the sacrifice of peace offerings.

and saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic, and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.

This was the first enrollment made when Quirinius was governor of Syria.

They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers.

But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”

After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me.

Because we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ to whom we gave no commandment;

that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, it will be well with you. Farewell.”

When he had greeted them, he reported one by one the things which God had worked among the Gentiles through his ministry.

Take them and purify yourself with them, and pay their expenses for them, that they may shave their heads. Then all will know that there is no truth in the things that they have been informed about you, but that you yourself also walk keeping the law.

He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor.

“Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.

which our twelve tribes, earnestly serving night and day, hope to attain. Concerning this hope I am accused by the Jews, King Agrippa!

I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae,

But as it is, I wrote to you not to associate with anyone who is called a brother who is a sexual sinner, or covetous, or an idolater, or a slanderer, or a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with such a person.

This was because of the false brothers secretly brought in, who stole in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage,

Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.

“I know your works (behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one can shut), that you have a little power, and kept my word, and didn’t deny my name.

In the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both near and far,

It will happen in that day that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who stands as a banner of the peoples; and his resting place will be glorious.

“ ‘They will know that I am Yahweh when I disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.

Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, “Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you.”

The report of this went out into all that land.

Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and his brothers, James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?

Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders, and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!”

As they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they compelled him to go with them, that he might carry his cross.

it seemed good to me also, having traced the course of all things accurately from the first, to write to you in order, most excellent Theophilus;

and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

The Jews therefore said among themselves, “Where will this man go that we won’t find him? Will he go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks?

God exalted him with his right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel, and remission of sins.

But some of those who were of the synagogue called “The Libertines”, and of the Cyrenians, of the Alexandrians, and of those of Cilicia and Asia arose, disputing with Stephen.

When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him off to Tarsus.

But he, beckoning to them with his hand to be silent, declared to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.

Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers.

Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words and strengthened them.

but Paul chose Silas and went out, being commended by the brothers to the grace of God.

He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.

The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. But now he commands that all people everywhere should repent,

Having spent some time there, he departed, and went through the region of Galatia, and Phrygia, in order, establishing all the disciples.

testifying both to Jews and to Greeks repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus.

When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly.

They, when they heard it, glorified God. They said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.

When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said,

we accept it in all ways and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thankfulness.

But he said, “I am not crazy, most excellent Festus, but boldly declare words of truth and reasonableness.

“Be it known therefore to you, that the salvation of God is sent to the nations, and they will listen.”

Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the Good News of God,

In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, you being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,

As many as desire to make a good impression in the flesh compel you to be circumcised; just so they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ.

in gentleness correcting those who oppose him: perhaps God may give them repentance leading to a full knowledge of the truth,

Through Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I consider him, I have written to you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God in which you stand.

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:

But I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to throw a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

The report about him went out into all Syria. They brought to him all who were sick, afflicted with various diseases and torments, possessed with demons, epileptics, and paralytics; and he healed them.

Then I came to the regions of Syria and Cilicia.

Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the residue of the elders of the captivity, and to the priests, to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon,

Therefore select from among you, brothers, seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life!”

which they also did, sending it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

When they had arrived, and had gathered the assembly together, they reported all the things that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith to the nations.

Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.”

When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported everything that God had done with them.

Paul, having stayed after this many more days, took his leave of the brothers, and sailed from there for Syria, together with Priscilla and Aquila. He shaved his head in Cenchreae, for he had a vow.

When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the assembly, and went down to Antioch.

From Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called to himself the elders of the assembly.

When we had come in sight of Cyprus, leaving it on the left hand, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for the ship was there to unload her cargo.

The day following, Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were present.

But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written our decision that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from strangled things, and from sexual immorality.”

But Paul said, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city. I beg you, allow me to speak to the people.”

“I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, instructed according to the strict tradition of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God, even as you all are today.

When we had sailed across the sea which is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.

If anyone comes to you, and doesn’t bring this teaching, don’t receive him into your house, and don’t welcome him,

The children of your chosen sister greet you. Amen.

but I hope to see you soon. Then we will speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name.

When they had appointed elders for them in every assembly, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they had believed.