1 Ja mõned, kes olid tulnud Juudamaalt, õpetasid vendi nõnda: „Kui te ei lase endid ümber lõigata Moosese kombe järgi, siis te ei või õndsaks saada!"
2 Kui sellest tõusis lahkmeel ja Paulusel ja Barnabasel ei olnud nendega mitte pisut vaidlemist, siis tehti otsuseks, et Paulus ja Barnabas ning mõned muud nende seast lähevad Jeruusalemma Apostlite ja vanemate juurde selle tüliküsimuse pärast.
3 Siis kogudus saatis nad teele, ja nemad läksid Foiniikiast ja Samaariast läbi ning jutustasid paganate pöördumisest ja tegid sellega suure rõõmu kõigile vendadele.
4 Kui nad saabusid Jeruusalemma, võtsid kogudus, Apostlid ja vanemad nad vastu. Ja nemad jutustasid, mis suuri asju Jumal oli teinud, olles nendega.
5 Aga mõned variseride usulahust, kes olid saanud usklikuks, astusid esile ning ütlesid: „Neid tuleb ümber lõigata ja käskida pidada Moosese käsku!"
6 Siis Apostlid ja vanemad tulid kokku seda asja arutama.
7 Ja kui asjast tekkis palju vaidlust, tõusis Peetrus ning ütles neile: „Mehed, vennad, teie teate, et Jumal juba ammusest ajast teie seast on ära valinud mind, et minu suu läbi paganad kuuleksid Evangeeliumi sõna ja usuksid.
8 Ja südametundja Jumal on neile andnud tunnistuse, andes neile Püha Vaimu otsekui meilegi,
9 ega ole teinud mingisugust vahet meie ja nende vahel, puhastades nende südamed usu läbi.
10 Miks te siis nüüd kiusate Jumalat, et panete jüngrite kaela ikke, mida meie esiisad ega meie ei ole suutnud kanda?
11 Ent me usume Issanda Jeesuse Kristuse armu läbi saada õndsaks, otse nõnda kui nemadki!"
12 Aga kogu rahvahulk jäi vait ja nad kuulasid, kuidas Barnabas ja Paulus jutustasid, mis suuri tunnustähti ja imesid Jumal paganate seas oli teinud nende läbi.
13 Kui nad siis olid jutu lõpetanud, võttis Jakoobus sõna ning ütles: „Mehed, vennad, kuulge mind!
14 Siimon on seletanud, kuidas Jumal esiti võttis eesmärgiks võita Oma nimele rahvas paganate seast.
15 Sellega sobivad ühte prohvetite sõnad, nagu on kirjutatud:
16 „Pärast seda Ma tulen jälle ja ehitan üles Taaveti lagunenud maja ning parandan ära tema varemed ja püstitan ta uuesti,
17 et muudki inimesed otsiksid Issandat ja kõik rahvad, kelle üle on nimetatud Minu nimi, ütleb Issand, Kes seda teeb,
18 mis on teada igavikust."
19 Sellepärast arvan mina, et neile, kes paganate seast pöörduvad Jumala poole, ei peaks tehtama raskusi,
20 vaid neile kirjutatagu, et nad hoiduksid väärjumalate rüveduse, porduelu, lämbunu ja vere eest.
21 Sest Moosesel on vanast ajast kõigis linnades küllalt neid, kes teda kuulutavad, ning teda loetakse igal hingamispäeval kogudusekodades."
22 Siis Apostlid ja vanemad ühes kõige kogudusega arvasid heaks valida endi seast mehed ning läkitada Antiookiasse ühes Pauluse ja Barnabasega, nimelt Juuda, lisanimega Barsabas, ja Siilase, kes olid juhatajad vendade seas.
23 Nendega nad saatsid järgmise kirja: „Meie, Apostlid ja vanemad ja vennad, saadame tervisi vendadele paganate seast, kes elavad Antiookia- ja Süüria- ja Kiliikiamaal.
24 Olles kuulnud, et mõned meie seast on välja läinud ja on teid teinud kõnedega rahutuks ja on saatnud teie hinged kitsikusse, ilma et meie neid oleksime käskinud,
25 arvasime üksmeelselt heaks valida mehed ja läkitada need teie juurde ühes meie armsate vendade Barnabase ja Paulusega,
26 meestega, kes oma elu on pannud kaalule meie Issanda Kristuse nime pärast.
27 Nii me oleme siis läkitanud Juuda ja Siilase, et nad teile suusõnal teataksid sedasama.
28 Sest Püha Vaim ja meie oleme arvanud heaks, et teie peale ei tohi panna enam ühtki koormat kui aga need väga tarvilised määrused:
29 hoiduda ebajumalate ohvriliha ja vere ja lämbunu ja porduelu eest. Kui te nendest hoidute, teete hästi. Jääge Jumalaga!"
30 Nii nad saadeti teele ja nad saabusid Antiookiasse. Seal nad kogusid rahvahulga kokku ja andsid kirja neile kätte.
31 Kui nad seda olid lugenud, said nad rõõmsaks selle troostist.
32 Aga Juudas ja Siilas, kes ka ise olid prohvetid, manitsesid vendi mitme sõnaga ja kinnitasid neid.
33 Ja kui nad seal mõne aja olid viibinud, saadeti nad rahuga vendade juurest nende juurde, kes nad olid läkitanud.
34 Ja Siilas arvas heaks jääda nende juurde.
35 Aga Paulus ja Barnabas viibisid Antiookias ning õpetasid ja kuulutasid ühes paljude teistega Issanda armuõpetuse sõna.
36 Mõne päeva pärast ütles Paulus Barnabasele: „Lähme jälle vaatama vendi kõiki linnu mööda, kus me oleme kuulutanud Issanda sõna, kuidas nende käsi käib!"
37 Ja Barnabas andis nõu võtta kaasa Johannes, keda hüütakse Markuseks.
38 Aga Paulus arvas heaks mitte võtta enesega teda, kes neist oli lahkunud Pamfüülias ega olnud ühes nendega läinud tööle.
39 Sellest tekkis äge vaidlus, nii et nad üksteisest lahkusid ja et Barnabas võttis enese juurde Markuse ning sõitis laevaga Küprosesse.
40 Aga Paulus valis Siilase ja läks teele, ja vennad andsid ta Jumala armu hooleks.
41 Ja ta käis läbi Süüria ja Kiliikia kinnitades kogudusi.
1 Now certain men came down from Judaea, teaching the brothers and saying that without circumcision, after the rule of Moses, there is no salvation.
2 And after Paul and Barnabas had had no little argument and discussion with them, the brothers made a decision to send Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them to the Apostles and the rulers of the church at Jerusalem about this question.
3 So they, being sent on their way by the church, went through Phoenicia and Samaria, giving news of the salvation of the Gentiles, to the great joy of all the brothers.
4 And when they came to Jerusalem, they had a meeting with the church and the Apostles and the rulers, and they gave an account of all the things which God had done through them.
5 But some of the Pharisees, who were of the faith, got up and said, It is necessary for these to have circumcision and to keep the law of Moses.
6 And the Apostles and the rulers of the church came together and gave thought to the question.
7 And when there had been much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, My brothers, you have knowledge that some time back it was God's pleasure that by my mouth the good news might be given to the Gentiles so that they might have faith.
8 And God, the searcher of hearts, was a witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit even as he did to us;
9 Making no division between them and us, but making clean their hearts by faith.
10 Why then are you testing God, by putting on the neck of the disciples a yoke so hard that not even our fathers or we were strong enough for it?
11 But we have faith that we will get salvation through the grace of the Lord Jesus in the same way as they.
12 And all the people were quiet while Barnabas and Paul gave an account of the signs and wonders which God had done among the Gentiles by them.
13 And when they had come to an end, James, answering, said, My brothers, give ear to me:
14 Symeon has given an account of how God was first pleased to take from among the Gentiles a people for himself.
15 And this is in agreement with the words of the prophets, as it is said,
16 After these things I will come back, and will put up the tent of David which has been broken down, building up again its broken parts and making it complete:
17 So that the rest of men may make search for the Lord, and all the Gentiles on whom my name is named,
18 Says the Lord, who has made these things clear from the earliest times.
19 For this reason my decision is, that we do not put trouble in the way of those who from among the Gentiles are turned to God;
20 But that we give them orders to keep themselves from things offered to false gods, and from the evil desires of the body, and from the flesh of animals put to death in ways against the law, and from blood.
21 For Moses, from times long past, has his preachers in every town, reading his law in the Synagogues every Sabbath.
22 Then it seemed good to the Apostles and the rulers and all the church, to send men from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; Judas, named Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers:
23 And they sent a letter by them, saying, The Apostles and the older brothers, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, may joy be with you:
24 Because we have knowledge that some who went from us have been troubling you with their words, putting your souls in doubt; to whom we gave no such order;
25 It seemed good to us, having come to an agreement together, to send these men to you, with our well loved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Men who have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 And so we have sent Judas and Silas, who will say the same things to you themselves, by word of mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us, to put on you nothing more than these necessary things;
29 To keep from things offered to false gods, and from blood, and from things put to death in ways which are against the law, and from the evil desires of the body; if you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. May you be happy.
30 So they, being sent away, came down to Antioch, and having got the people together, they gave them the letter.
31 And after reading it, they were glad of its comfort.
32 And Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, gave teaching to the brothers and made them strong in the faith.
33 And when they had been there for some time, they were sent back in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.
34 []
35 But Paul and Barnabas kept on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of God, with a number of others.
36 And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go back and see the brothers in every town where we have given the word of God, and see how they are.
37 And Barnabas had a desire to take with them John, named Mark.
38 But Paul was of the opinion that it was not right to take with them one who had gone away from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone on with the work.
39 And there was a sharp argument between them, so that they were parted from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and went by ship to Cyprus;
40 But Paul took Silas and went away with the blessing of the brothers.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, making the churches stronger in the faith.