The early church
The Apostolic Council in Jerusalem
The apostles and the elders meet in Jerusalem to clarify whether Gentile Christians must be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law. Peter and James speak, and they decide that salvation comes through Jesus' grace, but they ask Gentile Christians to abstain from food offered to idols, blood, meat from strangled animals, and sexual immorality. The letter is sent with Judas and Silas to Antioch.
Acts 15,1-35
1Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
Καί τινες κατελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐδίδασκον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ ⸀περιτμηθῆτε τῷ ἔθει ⸀τῷ Μωϋσέως, οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι.
2This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dissension and debate with them, so the brothers appointed Paul and Barnabas, along with some of the others, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question.
γενομένης ⸀δὲ στάσεως καὶ ζητήσεως οὐκ ὀλίγης τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Βαρναβᾷ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔταξαν ἀναβαίνειν Παῦλον καὶ Βαρναβᾶν καί τινας ἄλλους ἐξ αὐτῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ περὶ τοῦ ζητήματος τούτου.
3Sent on their way by the church, they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, telling in detail how the Gentiles had turned to God, and they brought great joy to all the brothers.
οἱ μὲν οὖν προπεμφθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διήρχοντο τήν ⸀τε Φοινίκην καὶ Σαμάρειαν ἐκδιηγούμενοι τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἐποίουν χαρὰν μεγάλην πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς.
4When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported everything God had done through them.
παραγενόμενοι δὲ εἰς ⸀Ἱεροσόλυμα ⸀παρεδέχθησαν ⸀ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ἀνήγγειλάν τε ὅσα ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν μετʼ αὐτῶν.
5But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "They must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses."
ἐξανέστησαν δέ τινες τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Φαρισαίων πεπιστευκότες, λέγοντες ὅτι δεῖ περιτέμνειν αὐτοὺς παραγγέλλειν τε τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως.
6So the apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter.
Συνήχθησάν ⸀τε οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἰδεῖν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τούτου.
7After a long debate, Peter stood up and said to them: "Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose me from among you, so that the Gentiles might hear the word of the gospel from my lips and believe.
πολλῆς δὲ ⸀ζητήσεως γενομένης ἀναστὰς Πέτρος εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε ὅτι ἀφʼ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων ⸂ἐν ὑμῖν ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς⸃ διὰ τοῦ στόματός μου ἀκοῦσαι τὰ ἔθνη τὸν λόγον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ πιστεῦσαι,
8And God, who knows the heart, testified in their favor by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.
καὶ ὁ καρδιογνώστης θεὸς ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτοῖς ⸀δοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καθὼς καὶ ἡμῖν,
9He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts by faith.
καὶ ⸀οὐθὲν διέκρινεν μεταξὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν, τῇ πίστει καθαρίσας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν.
10So then, why are you putting God to the test by laying on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
νῦν οὖν τί πειράζετε τὸν θεόν, ἐπιθεῖναι ζυγὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον τῶν μαθητῶν ὃν οὔτε οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν οὔτε ἡμεῖς ἰσχύσαμεν βαστάσαι;
11No, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the very same way they are."
ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι καθʼ ὃν τρόπον κἀκεῖνοι.
12The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul recount all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
Ἐσίγησεν δὲ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ἤκουον Βαρναβᾶ καὶ Παύλου ἐξηγουμένων ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν διʼ αὐτῶν.
13When they had finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me.
μετὰ δὲ τὸ σιγῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπεκρίθη Ἰάκωβος λέγων· Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἀκούσατέ μου.
14Simeon has described how God first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for his name.
Συμεὼν ἐξηγήσατο καθὼς πρῶτον ὁ θεὸς ἐπεσκέψατο λαβεῖν ἐξ ἐθνῶν ⸀λαὸν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.
15And this agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written:
καὶ τούτῳ συμφωνοῦσιν οἱ λόγοι τῶν προφητῶν, καθὼς γέγραπται·
16"'After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tent of David; I will rebuild its ruins and set it up again,
Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀναστρέψω καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω τὴν σκηνὴν Δαυὶδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν καὶ τὰ ⸀κατεσκαμμένα αὐτῆς ἀνοικοδομήσω καὶ ἀνορθώσω αὐτήν,
17so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things,
ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν κύριον, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐφʼ οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπʼ αὐτούς, λέγει ⸀κύριος ποιῶν ⸀ταῦτα
18known from of old.'
γνωστὰ ἀπʼ ⸀αἰῶνος.
19Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who are turning to God,
διὸ ἐγὼ κρίνω μὴ παρενοχλεῖν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπιστρέφουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν,
20but should write to them to abstain from what has been polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
ἀλλὰ ἐπιστεῖλαι αὐτοῖς τοῦ ⸀ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ τῆς πορνείας καὶ ⸀τοῦ πνικτοῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵματος·
21For from ancient generations Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, since he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath."
Μωϋσῆς γὰρ ἐκ γενεῶν ἀρχαίων κατὰ πόλιν τοὺς κηρύσσοντας αὐτὸν ἔχει ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς κατὰ πᾶν σάββατον ἀναγινωσκόμενος.
22Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to choose men from among themselves and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, leading men among the brothers.
Τότε ἔδοξε τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐκλεξαμένους ἄνδρας ἐξ αὐτῶν πέμψαι εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν σὺν ⸀τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ Βαρναβᾷ, Ἰούδαν τὸν ⸀καλούμενον Βαρσαββᾶν καὶ Σιλᾶν, ἄνδρας ἡγουμένους ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς,
23They sent this letter with them: "The apostles and the elders, your brothers, to the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
γράψαντες διὰ χειρὸς ⸀αὐτῶν· Οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ ⸀πρεσβύτεροι ἀδελφοὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν καὶ Συρίαν καὶ Κιλικίαν ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν χαίρειν.
24We have heard that some men went out from us, without any authorization from us, and unsettled you with their words, troubling your minds.
ἐπειδὴ ἠκούσαμεν ὅτι τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν ⸀ἐξελθόντες ἐτάραξαν ὑμᾶς λόγοις ἀνασκευάζοντες τὰς ψυχὰς ⸀ὑμῶν οἷς οὐ διεστειλάμεθα,
25So we came to a unanimous decision to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν γενομένοις ὁμοθυμαδὸν ⸀ἐκλεξαμένοις ἄνδρας πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς σὺν τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς ἡμῶν Βαρναβᾷ καὶ Παύλῳ,
26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
ἀνθρώποις παραδεδωκόσι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.
27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas, who will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
ἀπεστάλκαμεν οὖν Ἰούδαν καὶ Σιλᾶν, καὶ αὐτοὺς διὰ λόγου ἀπαγγέλλοντας τὰ αὐτά.
28For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to lay on you any burden beyond these necessary things:
ἔδοξεν γὰρ τῷ ⸂πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ⸃ καὶ ἡμῖν μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιτίθεσθαι ὑμῖν βάρος πλὴν ⸂τούτων τῶν ἐπάναγκες⸃,
29that you abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."
ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵματος καὶ ⸀πνικτῶν καὶ πορνείας· ἐξ ὧν διατηροῦντες ἑαυτοὺς εὖ πράξετε. ἔρρωσθε.
30So they were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the congregation together and delivered the letter.
Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀπολυθέντες ⸀κατῆλθον εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, καὶ συναγαγόντες τὸ πλῆθος ἐπέδωκαν τὴν ἐπιστολήν·
31When it was read, the people rejoiced at its encouragement.
ἀναγνόντες δὲ ἐχάρησαν ἐπὶ τῇ παρακλήσει.
32Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
Ἰούδας τε καὶ Σιλᾶς, καὶ αὐτοὶ προφῆται ὄντες, διὰ λόγου πολλοῦ παρεκάλεσαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἐπεστήριξαν·
33After spending some time there, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.
ποιήσαντες δὲ χρόνον ἀπελύθησαν μετʼ εἰρήνης ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν πρὸς τοὺς ⸂ἀποστείλαντας αὐτούς⸃.
34But Silas decided to remain there.
ἔδοξε δὲ τῷ Σίλᾳ ἐπιμεῖναι αὐτοῦ
35Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, where they and many others taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord.
Παῦλος δὲ καὶ Βαρναβᾶς διέτριβον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ διδάσκοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων πολλῶν τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου.