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Acts 15

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1 Καί τινες κατελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐδίδασκον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὅτι ἐὰν μὴ περιτμηθῆτε τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως, οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι. 2 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. 3 οἱ μὲν οὖν προπεμφθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διήρχοντο τήν τε Φοινίκην καὶ Σαμάρειαν ἐκδιηγούμενοι τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἐποίουν χαρὰν μεγάλην πᾶσιν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς. 4 παραγενόμενοι δὲ εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ παρεδέχθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ἀνήγγειλάν τε ὅσα ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν μετ' αὐτῶν. 5 ἐξανέστησαν δέ τινες τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Φαρισαίων πεπιστευκότες, λέγοντες ὅτι δεῖ περιτέμνειν αὐτοὺς παραγγέλλειν τε τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως.

1 But now some visitors came down from Judaea, who began to tell the brethren, You cannot be saved without being circumcised according to the tradition of Moses. 2 Paul and Barnabas were drawn into a great controversy with them; and it was decided that Paul and Barnabas and certain of the rest[1] should go up to see the apostles and presbyters in Jerusalem about this question. 3 So the church saw them on their way, and they passed through Phoenice and Samaria, relating how the Gentiles were turning to God, and so brought great rejoicing to all the brethren. 4 When they reached Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, and by the apostles and presbyters; and they told them of all that God had done to aid them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees came forward and declared, They must be circumcised; we must call upon them to keep the law of Moses.

1 Et quidam descendentes de Judæa docebant fratres: Quia nisi circumcidamini secundum morem Moysi, non potestis salvari. 2 Facta ergo seditione non minima Paulo et Barnabæ adversus illos, statuerunt ut ascenderent Paulus et Barnabas, et quidam alii ex aliis ad Apostolos et presbyteros in Jerusalem super hac quæstione. 3 Illi ergo deducti ab ecclesia pertransibant Phœnicen et Samariam, narrantes conversionem gentium: et faciebant gaudium magnum omnibus fratribus. 4 Cum autem venissent Jerosolymam, suscepti sunt ab ecclesia, et ab Apostolis et senioribus, annuntiantes quanta Deus fecisset cum illis. 5 Surrexerunt autem quidam de hæresi pharisæorum, qui crediderunt, dicentes quia oportet circumcidi eos, præcipere quoque servare legem Moysi.

6 Συνήχθησάν τε οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἰδεῖν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τούτου. 7 πολλῆς δὲ ζητήσεως γενομένης ἀναστὰς Πέτρος εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε ὅτι ἀφ' ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων ἐν ὑμῖν ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ στόματός μου ἀκοῦσαι τὰ ἔθνη τὸν λόγον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ πιστεῦσαι: 8 καὶ ὁ καρδιογνώστης θεὸς ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτοῖς δοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον καθὼς καὶ ἡμῖν, 9 καὶ οὐθὲν διέκρινεν μεταξὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν, τῇ πίστει καθαρίσας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν. 10 νῦν οὖν τί πειράζετε τὸν θεόν, ἐπιθεῖναι ζυγὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον τῶν μαθητῶν ὃν οὔτε οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν οὔτε ἡμεῖς ἰσχύσαμεν βαστάσαι; 11 ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ πιστεύομεν σωθῆναι καθ' ὃν τρόπον κἀκεῖνοι. 12 ἐσίγησεν δὲ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ἤκουον Βαρναβᾶ καὶ Παύλου ἐξηγουμένων ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν δι' αὐτῶν.

6 When the apostles and presbyters assembled to decide about this matter 7 there was much disputing over it, until Peter rose and said to them, Brethren, you know well enough how from early days it has been God’s choice that the Gentiles should hear the message of the gospel from my lips, and so learn to believe. 8 God, who can read men’s hearts, has assured them of his favour by giving the Holy Spirit to them as to us. 9 He would not make any difference between us and them; he had removed all the uncleanness from their hearts when he gave them faith. 10 How is it, then, that you would now call God in question, by putting a yoke on the necks of the disciples, such as we and our fathers have been too weak to bear?[2] 11 It is by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we hope to be saved, and they no less. 12 Then the whole company kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had performed among the Gentiles by their means.

6 Conveneruntque Apostoli et seniores videre de verbo hoc. 7 Cum autem magna conquisitio fieret, surgens Petrus dixit ad eos: Viri fratres, vos scitis quoniam ab antiquis diebus Deus in nobis elegit, per os meum audire gentes verbum Evangelii et credere. 8 Et qui novit corda Deus, testimonium perhibuit, dans illis Spiritum Sanctum, sicut et nobis, 9 et nihil discrevit inter nos et illos, fide purificans corda eorum. 10 Nunc ergo quid tentatis Deum, imponere jugum super cervices discipulorum quod neque patres nostri, neque nos portare potuimus? 11 sed per gratiam Domini Jesu Christi credimus salvari, quemadmodum et illi. 12 Tacuit autem omnis multitudo: et audiebant Barnabam et Paulum narrantes quanta Deus fecisset signa et prodigia in gentibus per eos.

13 Μετὰ δὲ τὸ σιγῆσαι αὐτοὺς ἀπεκρίθη Ἰάκωβος λέγων, ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἀκούσατέ μου. 14 Συμεὼν ἐξηγήσατο καθὼς πρῶτον ὁ θεὸς ἐπεσκέψατο λαβεῖν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαὸν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ. 15 καὶ τούτῳ συμφωνοῦσιν οἱ λόγοι τῶν προφητῶν, καθὼς γέγραπται, 16 μετὰ ταῦτα ἀναστρέψω καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω τὴν σκηνὴν Δαυὶδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖαν, καὶ τὰ κατεσκαμμένα αὐτῆς ἀνοικοδομήσω καὶ ἀνορθώσω αὐτήν, 17 ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν κύριον, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐφ' οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ' αὐτούς, λέγει κύριος ποιῶν ταῦτα 18 γνωστὰ ἀπ' αἰῶνος. 19 διὸ ἐγὼ κρίνω μὴ παρενοχλεῖν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπιστρέφουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν, 20 ἀλλὰ ἐπιστεῖλαι αὐτοῖς τοῦ ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ τῆς πορνείας καὶ τοῦ πνικτοῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵματος: 21 Μωϋσῆς γὰρ ἐκ γενεῶν ἀρχαίων κατὰ πόλιν τοὺς κηρύσσοντας αὐτὸν ἔχει ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς κατὰ πᾶν σάββατον ἀναγινωσκόμενος.

13 And when they had finished speaking, James answered thus, Listen, brethren, to what I have to say. 14 Simon has told us, how for the first time God has looked with favour on the Gentiles, and chosen from among them a people dedicated to his name. 15 This is in agreement with the words of the prophets, where it is written: 16 Afterwards, I will come back, and build up again David’s tabernacle that has fallen; I will build up its ruins, and raise it afresh; 17 so that all the rest of mankind may find the Lord, all those Gentiles among whom my name is named, says the Lord, who is the doer of all this.[3] 18 God has known from all eternity what he does to-day.[4] 19 And so I give my voice for sparing the consciences of those Gentiles who have found their way to God; 20 only writing to bid them abstain from what is contaminated by idolatry, from fornication, and from meat which has been strangled or has the blood in it. 21 As for Moses, ever since the earliest times he has been read, sabbath after sabbath, in the synagogues, and has preachers in every city to expound him.[5]

13 Et postquam tacuerunt, respondit Jacobus, dicens: Viri fratres, audite me. 14 Simon narravit quemadmodum primum Deus visitavit sumere ex gentibus populum nomini suo. 15 Et huic concordant verba prophetarum: sicut scriptum est: 16

Post hæc revertar,
et reædificabo tabernaculum David quod decidit:
et diruta ejus reædificabo,
et erigam illud: 17
ut requirant ceteri hominum Dominum,
et omnes gentes super quas invocatum est nomen meum,
dicit Dominus faciens hæc. 18
Notum a sæculo est Domino opus suum. 19 Propter quod ego judico non inquietari eos qui ex gentibus convertuntur ad Deum, 20 sed scribere ad eos ut abstineant se a contaminationibus simulacrorum, et fornicatione, et suffocatis, et sanguine. 21 Moyses enim a temporibus antiquis habet in singulis civitatibus qui eum prædicent in synagogis, ubi per omne sabbatum legitur.

22 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, 23 γράψαντες διὰ χειρὸς αὐτῶν, οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἀδελφοὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν καὶ Συρίαν καὶ Κιλικίαν ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν χαίρειν. 24 ἐπειδὴ ἠκούσαμεν ὅτι τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν ἐξελθόντες ἐτάραξαν ὑμᾶς λόγοις ἀνασκευάζοντες τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, οἷς οὐ διεστειλάμεθα, 25 ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν γενομένοις ὁμοθυμαδὸν, ἐκλεξαμένοις ἄνδρας πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς σὺν τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς ἡμῶν Βαρναβᾷ καὶ Παύλῳ, 26 ἀνθρώποις παραδεδωκόσι τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ. 27 ἀπεστάλκαμεν οὖν Ἰούδαν καὶ Σιλᾶν, καὶ αὐτοὺς διὰ λόγου ἀπαγγέλλοντας τὰ αὐτά. 28 ἔδοξεν γὰρ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἡμῖν μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιτίθεσθαι ὑμῖν βάρος πλὴν τούτων τῶν ἐπάναγκες, 29 ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνικτῶν καὶ πορνείας: ἐξ ὧν διατηροῦντες ἑαυτοὺς εὖ πράξετε. ἔρρωσθε.

22 Thereupon it was resolved by the apostles and presbyters, with the agreement of the whole church, to choose out some of their own number and despatch them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas who was called Barsabas, and Silas, who were leading men among the brethren. 23 And they sent, by their hands, this message in writing; To the Gentile brethren in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia, their brethren the apostles and presbyters send greeting. 24 We hear that some of our number who visited you have disquieted you by what they said, unsettling your consciences, although we had given them no such commission; 25 and therefore, meeting together with common purpose of heart, we have resolved to send you chosen messengers, in company with our well-beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have staked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have given this commission to Judas and Silas, who will confirm the message by word of mouth. 28 It is the Holy Spirit’s pleasure and ours that no burden should be laid upon you beyond these, which cannot be avoided; 29 you are to abstain from what is sacrificed to idols, from blood-meat and meat which has been strangled, and from fornication. If you keep away from such things, you will have done your part. Farewell.

22 Tunc placuit Apostolis et senioribus cum omni ecclesia eligere viros ex eis, et mittere Antiochiam cum Paulo et Barnaba: Judam, qui cognominabatur Barsabas, et Silam, viros primos in fratribus: 23 scribentes per manus eorum: Apostoli et seniores fratres, his qui sunt Antiochiæ, et Syriæ, et Ciliciæ, fratribus ex gentibus, salutem. 24 Quoniam audivimus quia quidam ex nobis exeuntes, turbaverunt vos verbis, evertentes animas vestras, quibus non mandavimus, 25 placuit nobis collectis in unum eligere viros, et mittere ad vos cum carissimis nostris Barnaba et Paulo, 26 hominibus qui tradiderunt animas suas pro nomine Domini nostri Jesu Christi. 27 Misimus ergo Judam et Silam, qui et ipsi vobis verbis referent eadem. 28 Visum est enim Spiritui Sancto et nobis nihil ultra imponere vobis oneris quam hæc necessaria: 29 ut abstineatis vos ab immolatis simulacrorum, et sanguine, et suffocato, et fornicatione: a quibus custodientes vos, bene agetis. Valete.

30 Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀπολυθέντες κατῆλθον εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν, καὶ συναγαγόντες τὸ πλῆθος ἐπέδωκαν τὴν ἐπιστολήν: 31 ἀναγνόντες δὲ ἐχάρησαν ἐπὶ τῇ παρακλήσει. 32 Ἰούδας τε καὶ Σιλᾶς, καὶ αὐτοὶ προφῆται ὄντες, διὰ λόγου πολλοῦ παρεκάλεσαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἐπεστήριξαν: 33 ποιήσαντες δὲ χρόνον ἀπελύθησαν μετ' εἰρήνης ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστείλαντας αὐτούς. 34 35 Παῦλος δὲ καὶ Βαρναβᾶς διέτριβον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ διδάσκοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων πολλῶν τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου. 36 Μετὰ δέ τινας ἡμέρας εἶπεν πρὸς Βαρναβᾶν Παῦλος, ἐπιστρέψαντες δὴ ἐπισκεψώμεθα τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς κατὰ πόλιν πᾶσαν ἐν αἷς κατηγγείλαμεν τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου, πῶς ἔχουσιν. 37 Βαρναβᾶς δὲ ἐβούλετο συμπαραλαβεῖν καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην τὸν καλούμενον Μᾶρκον: 38 Παῦλος δὲ ἠξίου τὸν ἀποστάντα ἀπ' αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Παμφυλίας καὶ μὴ συνελθόντα αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ ἔργον, μὴ συμπαραλαμβάνειν τοῦτον. 39 ἐγένετο δὲ παροξυσμὸς ὥστε ἀποχωρισθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, τόν τε Βαρναβᾶν παραλαβόντα τὸν Μᾶρκον ἐκπλεῦσαι εἰς Κύπρον. 40 Παῦλος δὲ ἐπιλεξάμενος Σιλᾶν ἐξῆλθεν παραδοθεὶς τῇ χάριτι τοῦ κυρίου ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν, 41 διήρχετο δὲ τὴν Συρίαν καὶ [τὴν] Κιλικίαν ἐπιστηρίζων τὰς ἐκκλησίας.

30 So they took their leave and went down to Antioch, where they called the multitude together and delivered the letter to them; 31 and they, upon reading it, were rejoiced at this encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, for they were prophets too, said much to encourage the brethren and establish their faith; 33 they stayed there for some time before the brethren let them go home, in peace, to those who had sent them. 34 But Silas had a mind to remain there; so Judas went back alone to Jerusalem.[6] 35 Paul and Barnabas waited at Antioch, teaching and preaching God’s word, with many others to help them; 36 and then, after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go back and visit the brethren in all the cities where we have preached the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing. 37 And Barnabas was for taking John, also called Mark, with them. 38 But Paul said, here was a man who left them when they reached Pamphylia, and took no part with them in the work; it was not right to admit such a man to their company. 39 So sharp was their disagreement, that they separated from each other; Barnabas took Mark with him, and sailed off to Cyprus, 40 while Paul chose Silas for his companion and went on his journey, commended by the brethren to the Lord’s grace. 41 And he travelled all through Syria and Cilicia, establishing the churches in the faith, and bidding them observe the commands which the apostles and presbyters had given.[7]

30 Illi ergo dimissi, descenderunt Antiochiam: et congregata multitudine tradiderunt epistolam. 31 Quam cum legissent, gavisi sunt super consolatione. 32 Judas autem et Silas, et ipsi cum essent prophetæ, verbo plurimo consolati sunt fratres, et confirmaverunt. 33 Facto autem ibi aliquanto tempore, dimissi sunt cum pace a fratribus ad eos qui miserant illos. 34 Visum est autem Silæ ibi remanere: Judas autem solus abiit Jerusalem. 35 Paulus autem et Barnabas demorabantur Antiochiæ, docentes et evangelizantes cum aliis pluribus verbum Domini. 36 Post aliquot autem dies, dixit ad Barnabam Paulus: Revertentes visitemus fratres per universas civitates in quibus prædicavimus verbum Domini, quomodo se habeant. 37 Barnabas autem volebat secum assumere et Joannem, qui cognominabatur Marcus. 38 Paulus autem rogabat eum (ut qui discessisset ab eis de Pamphylia, et non isset cum eis in opus) non debere recipi. 39 Facta est autem dissensio, ita ut discederent ab invicem, et Barnabas quidem, assumpto Marco, navigaret Cyprum. 40 Paulus vero, electo Sila, profectus est, traditus gratiæ Dei a fratribus. 41 Perambulabat autem Syriam et Ciliciam, confirmans ecclesias: præcipiens custodire præcepta Apostolorum et seniorum.

[1] ‘Of the rest’; or perhaps ‘of the other party’.

[2] ‘Tempting God’ is generally used of one who challenges God to prove his power by working a miracle; here it must be understood in a less precise sense of shewing distrust, by taking no notice of the signs he has already given. ‘Been too weak to bear’, in the sense, apparently, that the Law of Moses was in fact ill kept; cf. 7.53 above.

[3] vv. 16-17: Am. 9.11, 12. The Hebrew, as we have it, does not agree with the quotation St James here makes from the Greek Septuagint.

[4] The end of this verse is wanting in some manuscripts; according to this reading, it is necessary to connect what remains of verse 18 with verse 17, ‘says the Lord, who makes this known from all eternity’. If verse 18 stands in full, it is not part of the quotation, but a reflection by St James that God’s inclusion of the Gentiles in his Church does not imply any change in his eternal decrees.

[5] There is much difference of opinion about the bearing of this verse on the argument. Perhaps it is simplest to take it as meaning that the Church has no need to keep alive the custom of circumcision, since there are Jewish synagogues everywhere to hand down the tradition of the Mosaic law. Or the sense may be, that it was not advisable to abrogate all the ceremonial precepts of the old law, as long as its continued recitation in the synagogue gave them prominence.

[6] Some of the Latin manuscripts, following the Greek, omit either the whole of this verse or the second half of it.

[7] The Greek manuscripts and a few of the Latin omit the second half of this verse, from ‘and bidding them’ onwards.

Knox Translation Copyright © 2013 Westminster Diocese
Nihil Obstat. Father Anton Cowan, Censor.
Imprimatur. +Most Rev. Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster. 8th January 2012.
Re-typeset and published in 2012 by Baronius Press Ltd