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Text -- Acts 15:1-34 (NET)
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Strongs On/Off
Context
The Jerusalem Council
15:1 Now some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers , “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses , you cannot cannot be saved .”
15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate with them , the church appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this point of disagreement .
15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church , and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria , they were relating at length the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers .
15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem , they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders , and they reported all the things God had done with them .
15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees who had believed stood up and said , “It is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to order them to observe the law of Moses .”
15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate about this matter .
15:7 After there had been much debate , Peter stood up and said to them , “Brothers , you know that some time ago God chose me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message of the gospel and believe .
15:8 And God , who knows the heart , has testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us ,
15:9 and he made no distinction between them and us , cleansing their hearts by faith .
15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear ?
15:11 On the contrary , we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus , in the same way as they are .”
15:12 The whole group kept quiet and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them .
15:13 After they stopped speaking , James replied , “Brothers , listen to me .
15:14 Simeon has explained how God first concerned himself to select from among the Gentiles a people for his name .
15:15 The words of the prophets agree with this , as it is written ,
15:16 ‘After this I will return , and I will rebuild the fallen tent of David ; I will rebuild its ruins and restore it ,
15:17 so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord , namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be my own ,’ says the Lord , who makes these things
15:18 known from long ago .
15:19 “Therefore I conclude that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God ,
15:20 but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood .
15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times , because he is read aloud in the synagogues every Sabbath .”
15:22 Then the apostles and elders , with the whole church , decided to send men chosen from among them , Judas called Barsabbas and Silas , leaders among the brothers , to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas .
15:23 They sent this letter with them : From the apostles and elders , your brothers, to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch , Syria , and Cilicia , greetings!
15:24 Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us and have confused you , upsetting your minds by what they said,
15:25 we have unanimously decided decided to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul ,
15:26 who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ .
15:27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas who will tell you these things themselves in person .
15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules :
15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled and from sexual immorality . If you keep yourselves from doing these things, you will do well . Farewell .
15:30 So when they were dismissed , they went down to Antioch , and after gathering the entire group together , they delivered the letter .
15:31 When they read it aloud, the people rejoiced at its encouragement .
15:32 Both Judas and Silas , who were prophets themselves , encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech .
15:33 After they had spent some time there, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them .
15:34 [[EMPTY]]![](images/advanced.gif)
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Names, People and Places, Dictionary Themes and Topics
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Names, People and Places:
Dictionary Themes and Topics:
Paul |
Council |
Silas |
Titus |
Antioch |
Barnabas |
Peter |
Synagogue |
APOSTOLIC AGE |
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, 8-12 |
Elder |
ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, 13-OUTLINE |
KEYS, POWER OF THE |
ANTIOCH, IN SYRIA |
PETER, SIMON |
HOLY SPIRIT, 2 |
JESUS CHRIST, 5 |
LAW IN THE NEW TESTAMENT |
PAUL, THE APOSTLE, 1 |
PAUL, THE APOSTLE, 4 |
more
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expand allCommentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes
NET Notes -> Act 15:1; Act 15:1; Act 15:1; Act 15:2; Act 15:2; Act 15:2; Act 15:2; Act 15:2; Act 15:3; Act 15:3; Act 15:3; Act 15:4; Act 15:4; Act 15:4; Act 15:5; Act 15:5; Act 15:5; Act 15:5; Act 15:6; Act 15:7; Act 15:7; Act 15:7; Act 15:7; Act 15:7; Act 15:7; Act 15:8; Act 15:8; Act 15:8; Act 15:9; Act 15:9; Act 15:10; Act 15:10; Act 15:10; Act 15:11; Act 15:11; Act 15:11; Act 15:12; Act 15:12; Act 15:13; Act 15:13; Act 15:14; Act 15:14; Act 15:14; Act 15:14; Act 15:14; Act 15:15; Act 15:15; Act 15:16; Act 15:16; Act 15:16; Act 15:16; Act 15:17; Act 15:17; Act 15:17; Act 15:17; Act 15:17; Act 15:17; Act 15:18; Act 15:18; Act 15:19; Act 15:19; Act 15:19; Act 15:20; Act 15:20; Act 15:20; Act 15:20; Act 15:20; Act 15:21; Act 15:21; Act 15:21; Act 15:22; Act 15:22; Act 15:22; Act 15:22; Act 15:23; Act 15:23; Act 15:23; Act 15:23; Act 15:23; Act 15:23; Act 15:24; Act 15:24; Act 15:24; Act 15:24; Act 15:25; Act 15:25; Act 15:26; Act 15:26; Act 15:26; Act 15:27; Act 15:27; Act 15:27; Act 15:28; Act 15:28; Act 15:29; Act 15:29; Act 15:29; Act 15:29; Act 15:29; Act 15:29; Act 15:30; Act 15:30; Act 15:30; Act 15:31; Act 15:31; Act 15:31; Act 15:32; Act 15:33; Act 15:33; Act 15:34
NET Notes: Act 15:1 Unless you are circumcised. These teachers from Judea were teaching that Gentiles could not be saved unless they kept the law of Moses in regard to ci...
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NET Notes: Act 15:2 Or “point of controversy.” It is unclear whether this event parallels Gal 2:1-10 or that Gal 2 fits with Acts 11:30. More than likely Gal ...
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NET Notes: Act 15:3 For ἐποίουν (epoioun) in this verse BDAG 839 s.v. ποιέω 2.c has “they brought joy t...
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NET Notes: Act 15:4 “They reported all the things God had done with them” – an identical phrase occurs in Acts 14:27. God is always the agent.
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NET Notes: Act 15:6 The translation for ἰδεῖν (idein) in this verse is given by BDAG 279-80 s.v. εἶδον 3 as “de...
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NET Notes: Act 15:7 Grk “God chose among you from my mouth the Gentiles to hear the message of the gospel and to believe.” The sense of this sentence in Greek...
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NET Notes: Act 15:8 By giving them…just as he did to us. The allusion is to the events of Acts 10-11, esp. 10:44-48 and Peter’s remarks in 11:15-18.
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NET Notes: Act 15:11 In the same way as they are. Here is an interesting reversal of the argument. Jews are saved by grace (without law), as Gentiles are.
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NET Notes: Act 15:12 Here in connection with τέρατα (terata) the miraculous nature of these signs is indicated.
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NET Notes: Act 15:13 Grk “answered, saying”; the redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.
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NET Notes: Act 15:14 In the Greek text the expression “from among the Gentiles” is in emphatic position.
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NET Notes: Act 15:15 The term agree means “match” or “harmonize with.” James’ point in the introduction argues that many of the OT prophets t...
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NET Notes: Act 15:16 BDAG 86 s.v. ἀνορθόω places this verb under the meaning “to build someth. up again after it has fallen, rebu...
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NET Notes: Act 15:17 A quotation from Amos 9:11-12 LXX. James demonstrated a high degree of cultural sensitivity when he cited a version of the text (the Septuagint, the G...
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NET Notes: Act 15:19 Or “among the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).
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NET Notes: Act 15:20 What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mos...
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NET Notes: Act 15:23 Grk “and Syria,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between ...
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NET Notes: Act 15:24 Grk “by words”; L&N 25.231 translates the phrase “they troubled and upset you by what they said.”
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NET Notes: Act 15:25 BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”
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NET Notes: Act 15:26 Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.̶...
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NET Notes: Act 15:28 L&N 71.39 translates “indispensable (rules)” while BDAG 358 s.v. ἐπάναγκες has “th...
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NET Notes: Act 15:29 The phrase ἔρρωσθε (errwsqe) may be understood as a stock device indicating a letter is complete (“good-bye,...
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NET Notes: Act 15:32 Here λόγου (logou) is singular. BDAG 599-600 s.v. λόγος 1.a.β has “in a long speech”...
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