Acts 15-16

Holman Christian Standard Bible

Dispute in Antioch

15 Some men^(A) came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised^(B) according to the custom prescribed by Moses,^(C) you cannot be saved!” ² But after Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, the church arranged for Paul and Barnabas and some others of them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this controversy.^{(D) 3} When they had been sent on their way by the church,^(E) they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, explaining in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they created great joy among all the brothers.

⁴ When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.^{(F) 5} But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!”

The Jerusalem Council

⁶ Then the apostles and the elders assembled to consider this matter. ⁷ After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them: “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you,^[a] that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, testified to them by giving^[b] the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us.^{(G) 9} He made no distinction between us and them,^(H) cleansing their hearts by faith.^{(I) 10} Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks^(J) that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ On the contrary, we believe we are saved through the grace^(K) of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”

¹² Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.^{(L) 13} After they stopped speaking, James responded: “Brothers, listen to me! ¹⁴ Simeon^[c] has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for His name.^{(M) 15} And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

¹⁹ Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, ²⁰ but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,^(O) from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. ²¹ For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”^(P)

The Letter to the Gentile Believers

²² Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas,^(Q) both leading men among the brothers. ²³ They wrote this letter to be delivered by them:^[f]

The Outcome of the Jerusalem Letter

³⁰ Then, being sent off, they went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. ³¹ When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. ³² Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and strengthened them with a long message.^{(Y) 33} After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace^(Z) by the brothers to those who had sent them.^{[i][j] 35} But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the message of the Lord.^(AA)

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

³⁶ After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers in every town^(AB) where we have preached the message of the Lord and see how they’re doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take along John Mark.^{[k] 38} But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. ³⁹ There was such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark^(AC) with him and sailed off to Cyprus. ⁴⁰ Then Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers.^{(AD) 41} He traveled through Syria^(AE) and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Paul Selects Timothy

16 Then he went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy,^(AF) the son of a believing Jewish woman,^(AG) but his father was a Greek. ² The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.^{(AH) 3} Paul wanted Timothy^[l] to go with him, so he took him and circumcised^(AI) him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for them to observe.^{(AJ) 5} So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily.^(AK)

Evangelization of Europe

⁶ They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia.^{(AL) 7} When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus^(AM) did not allow them. ⁸ So, bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas.^{(AN) 9} During the night a vision appeared to Paul: A Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!”^{(AO) 10} After^(AP) he had seen the vision, we^[m] immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to evangelize them.

Lydia’s Conversion

¹¹ Then, setting sail from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, ¹² and from there to Philippi,^(AQ) a Roman colony, which is a leading city of that district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for a number of days. ¹³ On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. ¹⁴ A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was spoken by Paul.^{(AR) 15} After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”^(AS) And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas in Prison

¹⁶ Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit of prediction.^[n](AT) She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you^[o] the way of salvation, are the slaves of the Most High God.” ¹⁸ And she did this for many days.

But Paul was greatly aggravated and turning to the spirit, said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.^[p](AU)

¹⁹ When her owners saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas^(AV) and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. ²⁰ Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews ²¹ and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”^(AW)

²² Then the mob joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.^{(AX) 23} After they had inflicted many blows on them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to keep them securely guarded. ²⁴ Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.^(AY)

A Midnight Deliverance

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. ²⁶ Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.^{(AZ) 27} When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.

²⁸ But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because all of us are here!”

²⁹ Then the jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. ³⁰ Then he escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”^(BA)

³¹ So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”^{(BB) 32} Then they spoke the message of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. ³³ He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had believed God with his entire household.^(BC)

An Official Apology

³⁵ When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men!”

³⁶ The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace.”^(BD)

³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to smuggle us out secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out!”^(BE)

³⁸ Then the police reported these words to the magistrates. They were afraid when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens. ³⁹ So they came and apologized to them, and escorting them out, they urged them to leave town. ⁴⁰ After leaving the jail, they came to Lydia’s house where they saw and encouraged the brothers, and departed.^(BF)