Acts 15

1 And certayne men whiche came downe fro Iurie, taught the brethren, except ye be circumcised after the maner of Moyses, ye can not be saued.

2 So, when there was rysen discention and disputyng, not a litle vnto Paul and Barnabas, agaynst them: they determyned that Paul and Barnabas, and certayne other of them, shoulde go vp to Hierusalem, vnto the Apostles and elders, about this question.

3 And after they were brought on their way by ye Churche, they passed through Phenices and Samaria, declaryng the conuersation of the gentiles, and they brought great ioy vnto all the brethen.

4 And when they were come to Hierusalem, they were receaued of ye Church, and of the Apostles and elders: And they declared all thynges that God had done with them.

5 Then rose vp certayne of the sect of the pharisees, which dyd beleue, saying that it was needefull to circumcise the, and to commaunde to kepe the lawe of Moyses.

6 And the Apostles and elders came together, for to consider of this matter.

7 And when there had ben much disputyng, Peter rose vp, and sayde vnto the: Ye men & brethren, ye knowe how that a good while ago, God did chose among vs, that the gentiles by my mouth, shoulde heare the worde of the Gospel, and beleue.

8 And God whiche knoweth the heartes, bare them witnesse, and gaue vnto them the holy ghost, euen as he dyd vnto vs:

9 And put no difference betwene vs and them, purifiyng their heartes by fayth.

10 Nowe therfore, why tempt ye God, to put on the disciples neckes, the yoke which neither our fathers nor we were able to beare?

11 But we beleue, that through the grace of the Lorde Iesu Christe, we shalbe saued, euen as they.

12 Then all the multitude was scilent, and gaue audience to Barnabas and Paul, which tolde what signes and wonders, God had shewed among the gentiles by them.

13 And when they helde their peace, Iames aunswered, saying: Men and brethren, hearken vnto me.

14 Simeon tolde, howe God at the begynnyng dyd visite, to receaue of the gentiles, a people in his name.

15 And to this agree the wordes of the prophetes, as it is written:

16 After this I wyll returne, and wyll buylde agayne the tabernacle of Dauid, which is fallen downe: and that which is fallen in decay of it, wyll I buylde agayne, and I wyll set it vp:

17 That the residue of men myght seke after the Lorde, and all the gentiles vpon whom my name is called, sayth the Lorde, which doth all these thynges.

18 Knowen vnto God are all his workes from the begynnyng of the worlde.

19 Wherfore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the gentiles, are turned to God:

20 But that we write vnto them, that they absteyne themselues from fylthynesse of idols, and fro fornication, and from strangled, and from blood.

21 For Moyses of olde tyme, hath in euery citie, them that preache hym in the synagogues, when he is read euery Sabboth day.

22 Then pleased it the Apostles & elders, with the whole Church, to sende chosen me of their owne companie to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas: [That is] Iudas, whose sirname was Barsabas, and Silas, which were chiefe men among the brethren,

23 And wrote letters by them, after this maner.

24 The Apostles, and elders, & brethren, sende greetinges vnto ye brethren, which are of the gentiles in Antiochia, Syria, & Cilicia. Forasmuch as we haue heard, that certayne which departed from vs, haue troubled you with wordes, & cumbred your myndes, saying ye must be circumcised and kepe the lawe, to who we gaue no such commaundent:

25 It seemed therfore to vs a good thing, when we were come together with one accorde, to sende chosen men vnto you, with our beloued Barnabas and Paul,

26 Men that haue ieoparded their lyues, for ye name of our Lorde Iesus Christe.

27 We haue sent therefore Iudas and Silas, which shall also tell you ye same thynges by mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the holy ghost, and to vs, to charge you with no more then these necessarie thynges [That is to say]

29 That ye abstayne from thynges offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication: From which yf ye kepe your selues, ye shall do well. So fare ye well.

30 Nowe therfore, when they were departed, they came to Antioche, and gathered the multitude together, and delyuered the epistle.

31 Which when they had read, they reioyced of the consolation.

32 And Iudas, and Silas, beyng prophetes, exhorted ye brethren with many wordes, and strengthed them.

33 And after they had taryed there a space, they were let go in peace of the brethren, vnto the Apostles.

34 Notwithstandyng, it pleased Silas to abyde there styll.

35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioche, teachyng and preachyng the worde of the Lorde, with other many.

36 But after a certayne space, Paul sayde vnto Barnabas: Let vs go agayne, and visite our brethren, in euery citie where we haue shewed ye worde of the Lorde, [and see] howe they do.

37 And Barnabas gaue counsell to take with them Iohn, whose sirname was Marke.

38 But Paul woulde not take hym vnto their companie, which departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the worke.

39 And the contention was so sharpe betwene the, that they departed a sunder, one from the other, and so Barnabas toke Marke, & sayled vnto Cypers.

40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, beyng committed of the brethren vnto the grace of God.

41 And he went through Cyria & Cilicia, stablisshyng the Churches.