The Council at Jerusalem
Believers from the party of the Pharisees insist that Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses, and the apostles and elders gather to consider it. After much debate Peter stands and says God chose that Gentiles would hear the gospel through him, gave them the Holy Spirit just as to Jewish believers, made no distinction between them, and saves both alike through the grace of the Lord Jesus rather than through an unbearable yoke.
B5ut some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” 6So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter. 7After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith. 10Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
The whole assembly falls silent as Barnabas and Paul describe the signs and wonders God has done among the Gentiles through them.
12The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
When Barnabas and Paul finish, James listens to Peter's account and says the words of the prophets agree that God would rebuild and gather a people from the nations for himself. He grounds his judgment in that long-announced purpose of God.
13When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me! 14Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own. 15The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written: 16‘After this I will return and rebuild 17so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, 18that have been known for ages.’
James therefore says the church should not trouble Gentiles who are turning to God, but should write to them to abstain from idolatrous pollution, sexual immorality, strangled meat, and blood. He notes that Moses has long been read in synagogues everywhere.
19It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood. 21For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”