15 ¹ NOW CERTAIN PERSONS who had come down from Judaea began to teach the brotherhood that those who were not circumcised in accordance with Mosaic practice could not be saved. 15 ² That brought them into fierce dissension and controversy with Paul and Barnabas. And so it was arranged that these two and some others from Antioch should go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
15 ³ They were sent on their way by the congregation, and travelled through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling the full story of the conversion of the Gentiles. The news caused great rejoicing among all the Christians there.
15 ⁴ When they reached Jerusalem they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, and reported all that God had helped them to do. 15 ⁵ Then some of the Pharisaic party who had become believers came forward and said, 'They must be circumcised and told to keep the Law of Moses.'

15 ⁶ The apostles and elders held a meeting to look into this matter; and, after a long debate. 15 ⁷ Peter rose and addressed them. 'My friends,' he said, 'in the early days, as you yourselves know. God made his choice among you and ordained that from my lips the Gentiles should hear and believe the message of the Gospel. 15 ⁸ And God, who can read men's minds, showed his approval of them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, as he did to us. 15 ⁹ He made no difference between them and us; for he purified their hearts by faith. 15 ¹⁰ Then why do you now provoke God by laying on the shoulders of these converts a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear? 15 ¹¹ No, we believe that it is by the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, and so are they.'

15 ¹² At that the whole company fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and miracles that God had worked among the Gentiles through them.
15 ¹³ When they had finished speaking, James summed up: 'My friends,' he said, 'listen to me. 15 ¹⁴ Simeon has told how it first happened that God took notice of the Gentiles, to choose from among them a people to bear his name; 15 ¹⁵ and this agrees with the words of the prophets, as Scripture has it:

15 ¹⁹ 'My judgement therefore is that we should impose no irksome restrictions on those of the Gentiles who are turning to God, 15 ²⁰ but instruct them by letter to abstain from things polluted by contact with idols, from fornication, from anything that has been strangled, and from blood. Some witnesses omit: from fornication; others omit: from anything that has been strangled; some add (after: blood): and to refrain from doing to others what they would not like done to themselves. 15 ²¹ Moses, after all, has never lacked spokesmen in every town for generations past; he is read in the synagogues Sabbath by Sabbath.'