Acts

¹Then certain men came down from Judea {to Antioch} and taught the brethren,¹⁴⁵⁴ “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved!” ²As a result, Paul and Barnabas had no small dispute and controversy with them. Therefore, the brethren appointed Paul, Barnabas and some of their own to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters regarding this question. ³Having been sent on their way by the Church,¹⁴⁵⁵ they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, relating the conversion of the Gentiles and causing great joy to all the brethren. ⁴When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the Church, the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported all that God had accomplished with them <and that he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.>¹⁴⁵⁶

⁵However, some believers from the sect of the Pharisees arose and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses!”

⁶The apostles and the presbyters gathered together to discuss this matter. ⁷When there had been much discussion, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that some time ago, God made a choice among us, that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe. ⁸God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he had done to us. ⁹He made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰And now, why do you put God to the test by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, one which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? ¹¹But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus,¹⁴⁵⁷ just as they are.”

¹²At this, the whole multitude kept silence. They listened to Barnabas and Paul report what signs and wonders God had accomplished among the nations through them. ¹³When they had finished, James said, “Brethren, listen to me! ¹⁴Simeon has reported how God first showed concern toward the Gentiles in order to take from them a people for his Name. ¹⁵This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written:

¹⁶’After these things I will return.

I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen.

I will again build its ruins.

I will set it up,

¹⁷So that the rest of the people may seek after the Lord;

All the Gentiles who are called by my Name,’

Says the Lord, who does all these things.¹⁴⁵⁸

¹⁸All his works are known to God¹⁴⁵⁹ from eternity.

¹⁹Therefore, I judge¹⁴⁶⁰ that we should not trouble those who turn to God from among the Gentiles. ²⁰Instead, we should write to them to abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. ²¹For from generations of old, Moses has had in every city those who preach him, being read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

The letter from Jerusalem—Envoys are sent to Antioch

²²Then it seemed good to the apostles and the presbyters, along with the whole Church, to choose some of their own men and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, [who were] leading men among the brethren. ²³Through their hands,¹⁴⁶¹ they wrote:

“The apostles, the presbyters, and the brethren; to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: greetings! ²⁴We have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words and unsettled your souls by saying: ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ although they had no such commission from us. ²⁵Having assembled with one accord, it has seemed good to us to select men and to send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶men who have risked their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷Therefore, we have sent Judas and Silas, who will also tell you the same things by word of mouth. ²⁸It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose no greater burden on you than what is necessary: ²⁹that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols,¹⁴⁶² from blood,¹⁴⁶³ from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. If you abstain from these things, it will be well with you. Farewell!”

³⁰Accordingly, the men were sent off and arrived in Antioch where they gathered the community and delivered the letter. ³¹The people read it and rejoiced over the encouragement. ³²Judas and Silas (who were also prophets) encouraged the brethren with many words and strengthened them. ³³After spending some time there, they were sent back with greetings from the brethren to those who had sent them out. ³⁴<But it seemed good to Silas to remain there>.^{1464 35}Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others.

Parting of ways between Paul and Barnabas

³⁶After some time, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us revisit our brethren in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing!” ³⁷Barnabas was determined to take John (who was called Mark) along with them. ³⁸However, Paul did not think that it was a good idea to take with them someone who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹Then the disagreement became so intense that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. ⁴⁰But Paul chose Silas and having been entrusted by the brethren to the grace of God, they departed. ⁴¹Paul went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the Churches.

About Timothy

1454. Or “brothers.” In this context it is addressed to men only
1455. The Church of Antioch
1456. This phrase, a repeat of Acts 14:27b, appears to be unique to the Patriarchal Text.
1457. TR adds “Christ”
1458. Amos 9:11-12
1459. CT simply reads “known from eternity” for verse 18
1460. evgw. kri,nw can have a strong sense (“I decree”) or a mild one (“I think/I consider”)
1461. It is unclear whether the delivery or redaction of the letter was done through the hands of the envoys.
1462. Compare Revelation 2:20
1463. Compare Genesis 9:4—this prohibition is maintained in Orthodox life and canon law (Apostolic Canons, canon 63; Council in Trullo, canon 67).
1464. Some manuscripts omit verse 34