The Dispute over Circumcision 2 UDB Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with those Jews and started arguing with them. So the believers at Antioch appointed Paul and Barnabas and some of the other believers to go to Jerusalem, in order that they might discuss this matter with the apostles and other leaders. BSB BSB: And after engaging these men in sharp debate, Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
3 UDB After Paul, Barnabas, and the others were sent on their way by the believers in Antioch, they traveled through the provinces of Phoenicia and Samaria. When they stopped at different places along the way, they reported to the believers that many Gentiles had become believers. As a result, all the believers in those places rejoiced greatly. BSB BSB: Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.
4 UDB When Paul, Barnabas, and the others arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the apostles, other elders, and the other believers in the group there. Then Paul and Barnabas reported the things that God had done through them. BSB BSB: On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported all that God had done through them.
The Council at Jerusalem (Amos 9:11–15; Galatians 2:1–10)
5 UDB But some of the believers who belonged to the Pharisee sect stood up among the other believers and said to them, "The Gentiles who have believed in Jesus must be circumcised, and they must be told to obey the laws that God gave to Moses." BSB BSB: But 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.”
6 UDB Then the apostles and the elders met together to talk about this matter. BSB BSB: So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter.
7 UDB After they had discussed it for a long time, Peter stood up and spoke to them. He said, "Fellow believers, you all know that a long time ago God chose me from among you other apostles, in order that I might also tell the Gentiles that God had chosen many of them, and that the Gentiles would receive the message of the Gospel and believe. BSB BSB: After 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.
8 UDB God knows the hearts of all people. He showed me and others that he had accepted the Gentiles to be his people by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he had also done for us. BSB BSB: And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.
9 UDB God made no distinction between us and them, because he made them clean inside simply as a result of their believing in the Lord Jesus. That is exactly how he has forgiven us. BSB BSB: He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
10 UDB Why do you want to force the disciples to obey our Jewish rituals and laws? Doing that is like putting a heavy burden on them because it forces them to obey laws that even our ancestors broke and that we have never been able to keep! BSB BSB: Now 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?
11 UDB We know that God saves us from our sins because of what the Lord Jesus did for us. God saves us exactly like he saves them." BSB BSB: On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12 UDB All the people there became silent after Peter had spoken. Then they all listened to Barnabas and Paul, as the two of them told about the many great miracles that God had enabled them to do among the Gentiles. BSB BSB: The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
14 UDB Simon Peter has told you how God had shown his care for the Gentiles. God did that by choosing from among the Gentiles those who would belong to himself. BSB BSB: Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.
15 UDB The words that God spoke long ago, words that were written by one of the prophets, agree with that: BSB BSB: The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
16 UDB 'Later on I will return and I will choose a king from the descendants of David. It will be like someone who builds a house again after it has been torn down. BSB BSB: ‘After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tent of David. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
17 UDB I will do this so that all other people may come to the Lord. This will include even the Gentiles whom I have called to belong to me. You can be certain that this will happen because I, the Lord, have spoken these words. BSB BSB: so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things
18 UDB I have done these things, and I have made my people know about them since long ago.'" BSB BSB: that have been known for ages.’
20 UDB Instead, we should write a letter to them, requiring only four things: They should not eat meat that people have offered to idols, they should not sleep with someone to whom they are not married, they should not eat meat from animals that have been killed by being strangled, and they should not eat the blood of animals. BSB BSB: Instead, 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.
The Letter to the Gentile Believers 22 UDB The apostles and the other elders, along with all the other believers in Jerusalem, accepted what James had said. Then they decided that they should choose men from among themselves and that they should send them, along with Paul and Barnabas, to Antioch, to let the believers there know what the leaders at Jerusalem had decided. So they chose Judas, who was also called Barsabbas, and Silas. These were both leaders among the believers at Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers,
23 UDB Then they wrote the following letter that they asked Judas and Silas to take to the believers at Antioch: "We apostles and elders who are your fellow believers send our greetings to you as we write this to you believers who live in Antioch and other places in the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. BSB BSB: and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
24 UDB People have told us that some men from among us went to you, although we had not sent them to you. We heard that they have troubled you by telling you things that confused your thinking. BSB BSB: It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.
25 UDB So after we met together here, we decided to choose some men and ask them to go to you, along with Barnabas and Paul, whom we love very much. BSB BSB: So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 UDB Those two have put their lives in danger because they serve our Lord Jesus Christ. BSB BSB: men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 UDB We have also sent Judas and Silas to you. They will tell you the same things that we are writing. BSB BSB: Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing.
29 UDB You should not eat food that people have sacrificed to idols. You should not eat blood from animals, and you should not eat meat from animals that people have killed by strangling them. Also, you should not sleep with someone to whom you are not married. "If you avoid doing these things, you will be doing what is right. Farewell." BSB BSB: You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
The Believers at Antioch Rejoice 30 UDB The four men they selected went down from Jerusalem and came to Antioch. When all the believers there had assembled together, they gave the letter to them. BSB BSB: So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.
31 UDB When the believers there read the letter, they rejoiced because its message encouraged them. BSB BSB: When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.
32 UDB Being prophets, Judas and Silas spoke a lot and encouraged the believers there and helped them to trust more strongly in the Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
33 UDB After Judas and Silas had stayed there for some time and were ready to return to Jerusalem, the believers at Antioch wished them well, and then they left. BSB BSB: After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them.
35 UDB However, Paul and Barnabas continued to stay in Antioch. While they were there, they, along with many others, were teaching people and preaching to them the message about the Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey Begins (Acts 13:1–3; Acts 18:23–28)
36 UDB After some time Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the fellow believers in every city where we previously proclaimed the message about the Lord Jesus. In that way, we will know how well they are continuing to believe in the Lord Jesus." BSB BSB: Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37 UDB Barnabas agreed with Paul and said that he wanted to take John, whose other name was Mark, along with them again. BSB BSB: Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.
38 UDB However, Paul told Barnabas that he thought that it would not be good to take Mark with them, because Mark had left them when they were previously in the region of Pamphylia and had not continued to work with them. BSB BSB: But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.
39 UDB Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with each other about this matter, so they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark along with him. They got on a ship and went to the island of Cyprus. BSB BSB: Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
40 UDB Paul chose Silas, who had returned to Antioch, to work with him. The believers there prayed to the Lord to ask him to graciously help Paul and Silas. Then the two of them departed from Antioch. BSB BSB: but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41 UDB Paul continued traveling with Silas through Syria and Cilicia provinces. In those places they were helping the groups of believers to strongly trust in the Lord Jesus. BSB BSB: And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.