1 Now certain men came down from Judaea, teaching the brothers and saying that without circumcision, after the rule of Moses, there is no salvation.
2 And after Paul and Barnabas had had no little argument and discussion with them, the brothers made a decision to send Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them to the Apostles and the rulers of the church at Jerusalem about this question.
3 So they, being sent on their way by the church, went through Phoenicia and Samaria, giving news of the salvation of the Gentiles, to the great joy of all the brothers.
4 And when they came to Jerusalem, they had a meeting with the church and the Apostles and the rulers, and they gave an account of all the things which God had done through them.
5 But some of the Pharisees, who were of the faith, got up and said, It is necessary for these to have circumcision and to keep the law of Moses.
6 And the Apostles and the rulers of the church came together and gave thought to the question.
7 And when there had been much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, My brothers, you have knowledge that some time back it was God's pleasure that by my mouth the good news might be given to the Gentiles so that they might have faith.
8 And God, the searcher of hearts, was a witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit even as he did to us;
9 Making no division between them and us, but making clean their hearts by faith.
10 Why then are you testing God, by putting on the neck of the disciples a yoke so hard that not even our fathers or we were strong enough for it?
11 But we have faith that we will get salvation through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way as they.
12 And all the people were quiet while Barnabas and Paul gave an account of the signs and wonders which God had done among the Gentiles by them.
13 And when they had come to an end, James, answering, said, My brothers, give ear to me:
14 Symeon has given an account of how God was first pleased to take from among the Gentiles a people for himself.
15 And this is in agreement with the words of the prophets, as it is said,
16 After these things I will come back, and will put up the tent of David which has been broken down, building up again its broken parts and making it complete:
17 So that the rest of men may make search for the Lord, and all the Gentiles on whom my name is named,
18 Says the Lord, who has made these things clear from the earliest times.
19 For this reason my decision is, that we do not put trouble in the way of those who from among the Gentiles are turned to God;
20 But that we give them orders to keep themselves from things offered to false gods, and from the evil desires of the body, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from blood.
21 For Moses, from times long past, has his preachers in every town, reading his law in the Synagogues every Sabbath.
22 Then it seemed good to the Apostles and the rulers and all the church, to send men from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; Judas, named Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers:
23 And they sent a letter by them, saying, The Apostles and the older brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, may joy be with you:
24 Because we have knowledge that some who went from us have been troubling you with their words, putting your souls in doubt; to whom we gave no such order;
25 It seemed good to us, having come to an agreement together, to send these men to you, with our well loved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 And so we have sent Judas and Silas, who will say the same things to you themselves, by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to put on you nothing more than these necessary things;
29 To keep from things offered to false gods, and from blood, and from things put to death in ways which are against the law, and from the evil desires of the body; if you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. May you be happy.
30 So they, being sent away, came down to Antioch, and having got the people together, they gave them the letter.
31 And after reading it, they were glad of its comfort.
32 And Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, gave teaching to the brothers and made them strong in the faith.
33 And when they had been there for some time, they were sent back in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.
34 []
35 But Paul and Barnabas kept on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of God, with a number of others.
36 And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go back and see the brothers in every town where we have given the word of God, and see how they are.
37 And Barnabas had a desire to take with them John, named Mark.
38 But Paul was of the opinion that it was not right to take with them one who had gone away from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone on with the work.
39 And there was a sharp argument between them, so that they were parted from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and went by ship to Cyprus;
40 But Paul took Silas and went away with the blessing of the brothers.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, making the churches stronger in the faith.
1 有几个人从犹太下来， 教导弟兄们说： "你们若不照摩西的规例受割礼， 就不能得救。"
2 保罗和巴拿巴， 与他们大大地争执辩论起来。大家就派保罗、巴拿巴和他们中间的几个人， 为这个问题上耶路撒冷去见使徒和长老。
3 于是教会给他们送行， 他们就经过腓尼基、撒玛利亚， 述说外族人怎样归主的事， 使弟兄们大大喜乐。
4 到了耶路撒冷， 他们受到教会、使徒和长老的接待， 就报告 神同他们一起所行的一切。
5 然而有几个法利赛派的信徒站起来， 说： "我们必须给外族人行割礼， 吩咐他们遵守摩西的律法。"
6 使徒和长老聚集在一起， 商议这件事。
7 经过了很多的辩论， 彼得站起来对他们说： "弟兄们， 你们知道， 前些时候 神在你们中间拣选了我， 使外族人从我的口中听见福音的道， 而且信了。
8 知道人心的 神也为他们作证──赐圣灵给他们， 像给我们一样；
9 而且他待他们和我们没有分别， 因为借着信， 他洁净了他们的心。
10 现在你们为什么试探 神， 把我们祖先和我们所不能负的轭， 放在门徒的颈上呢？
11 我们相信， 我们得救是借着主耶稣的恩， 和他们也是一样。"
12 大家都静默无声， 听巴拿巴和保罗述说 神借着他们在外族人中所行的神迹奇事。
13 他们讲完了， 雅各说： "弟兄们， 请听我说！
14 刚才西门述说 神当初怎样关怀外族人， 从他们中间拣选了众人， 归在自己的名下。
15 众先知的话， 也符合这个意思， 正如经上所记：
16 ‘此后我要回来， 重建大卫倒塌了的帐幕， 重建它损坏之处， 把它重新竖立起来，
17 使余下的人， 就是所有称为我名下的外族人， 都寻求主，
18 这是自古以来就显明了这些事的主所说的。’
19 "所以我认为不可难为这些归服 神的外族人，
20 只要写信叫他们禁戒偶像的污秽、淫乱， 勒死的牲畜和血。
21 因为自古以来， 在各城里都有人宣讲摩西的书， 每逢安息日， 在各会堂里都有人诵读。"
22 当时， 使徒、长老和全教会都认为好， 就从他们中间选出人来， 差他们和保罗、巴拿巴一同到安提阿去， 所选的就是别号巴撒巴的犹大和西拉， 他们是弟兄中的领袖。
23 于是写信给他们带去， 信上说： "使徒和作长老的弟兄们， 向安提阿、叙利亚、基利家的外族众弟兄问安。
24 我们听说有人从我们这里出去， 说了一些话搅扰你们， 使你们心里不安， 其实我们并没有吩咐他们。
25 因此， 我们一致同意， 选派一些人跟我们亲爱的巴拿巴和保罗去见你们，
26 这两个人为了我们主耶稣基督的名， 曾经把性命置之度外。
27 我们派了犹大和西拉一同去， 他们也会亲口述说这些事。
28 圣灵和我们都同意， 不把别的重担加在你们身上， 然而有几件事是重要的，
29 就是禁戒祭过偶像的食物、血、勒死的牲畜和淫乱。这些事你们若能保守自己不作， 那就好了。祝你们平安！ "
30 他们受了差派， 下安提阿去， 集合了众人， 就把书信交上。
31 众人读了， 因信上的劝勉， 就感到欣慰。
32 犹大和西拉也是先知， 说了许多话劝勉弟兄， 坚固他们。
33 住了一段时间， 弟兄们就给他们送行， 祝一路平安； 他们就回到差派他们的人那里去。
34 （有些抄本在此有第34节： "但西拉认为自己应当在那里住下来， 只有犹大回到耶路撒冷。"）
35 保罗和巴拿巴却住在安提阿， 跟许多别的人一同教导， 传讲主的道。
36 过了一些时候， 保罗对巴拿巴说： "我们要回到我们传过主道的各城， 探望弟兄们， 好知道他们的情形怎么样。"
37 巴拿巴有意要带别号马可的约翰一同去，
38 但保罗认为不应带他去， 因为他从前在旁非利亚离开过他们， 不跟他们一起去作工。
39 他们各持己见， 以致彼此分手。巴拿巴带着马可， 坐船到塞浦路斯去；
40 保罗却选了西拉， 众弟兄把他交托在主的恩典中之后， 他就出发了。
41 他走遍了叙利亚、基利家， 坚固众教会。