Acts 15

Acts · Chapter 15

Acts 15:30

1And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.2When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.3And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.4And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.5But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.6And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.7And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.8And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.10Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?11But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.12Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.13And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:14Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,16After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:17That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.18Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.19Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:20But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.21For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.22Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:23And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:24Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:25It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,26Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.27We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.28For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;29That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.30So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:31Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.32And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.33And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.34Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.35Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.36And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the LORD, and see how they do.37And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.38But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.39And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;40And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.41And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
30So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.So they, when they were dismissed, came down to Antioch; and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle.

In context

Who is speaking and to whom, what is happening, when and where, and why it matters, each with its sources. Coming with the context cards.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Greek words

EnglishGreekSay itStrong'sMeaning
indeedμὲνmenG3303
on the other hand

μέν (men) μέν, conjunctive particle (originally a form of μήν), usually related to a following δέ or other adversative conjunction, and distinguishing the word or clause with which it stands from that which follows. It is generally untranslatable and is not nearly so frequent in NT as in cl. Like δέ, it never stands first in a clause. …

thereforeοὖνounG3767
therefore/then

οὖν (oun) οὖν, particle expressing consequence or simple sequence (never standing first in a sentence), wherefore, therefore, then: Mat.3:10, Luk.3:9, Jhn.8:38, Act.1:21, Rom.5:9, al.; in exhortations, Mat.3:8, Luk.11:35, Act.3:19, Rom.6:12, al.; in questions, Mat.13:28, Mrk.15:12, Jhn.8:[5], Rom.6:1, al.; continuing a narrative or resuming it after a digression, Mat.1:17, Luk.3:18, Jhn.1:22 2:18 (and very frequently in this Gospel), Act.26:22, al.; ἄρα οὖν (see: ἄρα); ἐπεὶ οὖν, Heb.2:14; οὖν with ptcp. (= ἐπεὶ οὖν), Act.2:30, Rom.5:1, al.; ἐὰν οὖν (where οὖν rather in sense belongs to the apodosis), …

having been sent offἀπολυθέντεςapoluthentesG0630G
to release: release

ἀπολύω (apoluō) ἀπο-λύω [in LXX for שׁוּב, etc., frequently in 1-4 Mac ;] 1. to set free, release: Luk.13:12, Jhn.19:10, al.; a debtor, Mat.18:27; metaphorically, of forgive­ness, Luk.6:37. 2. to let go, dismiss (Field, Notes, 9 f.): Mat.15:23, Luk.2:29 9:12, Act.19:41, al.; of divorce, τ. γυναῖκα: Mat.1:19 5:31-32 19:3, 8 19:10 Mrk.10:2, 4 10:11, Luk.16:18; with ref. to Gk. and Rom. (net Jewish) custom, τ. ἄνδρα: Mrk.10:12. Mid., to depart: Act.28:25 (MM, see word) (AS)

wentκατῆλθονkatēlthonG2718
to descend

κατέρχομαι (katerchomai) κατ-έρχομαι [in LXX: Tob.1:22, א Tob.2:1, Est.3:13, Wis.11:22, 2Ma.11:29 * ;] to come down, go down: before εἰς, Luk.4:31, Act.8:5 13:4 15:30 19:1, Τ; ἀπό, Luk.9:37, Act.15:1 18:5 21:10; ἀπό and εἰς, Act.11:27 12:10; of coming to port by ship, Act.18:22 21:3 27:5; before πρός, with accusative of person(s), Act.9:32; metaphorically, of gifts from God, Jas.3:15.† (AS)

toεἰςeisG1519
toward

εἰς (eis) εἰς, prep. with accusative, expressing entrance, direction, limit, into, unto, to, upon, towards, for, among (Lat. in, with accusative). I. Of place. 1. After verbs of motion; (a) of entrance into: Mat.8:23, 9:7, Mrk.1:45, Luk.2:15, 8:31, al.; (b) of approach, to or towards: Mrk.11:1, Luk.6:8, 19:28, Jhn.11:31, 21:6, al.; (with) before pl. and collective nouns, among: Mrk.4:7, 8:19, 20, Luk.11:49, Jhn.21:23, al.; …

Antioch,Ἀντιόχειαν,AntiocheianG0490G
Antioch

Ἀντιόχεια (Antiocheia) Ἀντιόχεια, -ας, ἡ Antioch; 1. in Syria: Act.11:19-22, 26-27 13:1 14:26 15:22-23, 30 15:35 18:22, Gal.2:11 2. In Pisidia: Act.13:14 14:19, 21, 2Ti.3:11.† (AS)

andκαὶkaiG2532
and

καί (kai) καί, conj., and I. Copulative. 1. Connecting single words; (a) in general: Mat.2:18, 16:1, Mrk.2:15, Luk.8:15, Heb.1:1, al. mult.; repeated before each of the terms in a series, Mat.23:23, Luk.14:21, Rom.7:12, 9:4, al. (b) connecting numerals (WM, §37, 4): Jhn.2:20, Act.13:20; (with) joining terms which are not mutually exclusive, as the part with the whole: Mat.8:33, 26:59, Mrk.16:17, Act.5:29, al. 2. Connecting clauses and sentences: Mat.3:12, Act.5:21, al. mult.; esp. …

having gatheredσυναγαγόντεςsunagagontesG4863
to assemble

συνάγω (sunagō) συν-άγω [in LXX chiefly for אָסַף, also for קָבַץ, etc. (cf. Kennedy, Sources, 128) ;] to gather or bring together: of things, Jhn.6:12-13; before εἰς, Mat.3:12, al.; ἐκεῖ, Luk.12:18; ποῦ, Luk.12:17; συναγαγὼν πάντα (sc. εἰς ἀργύριον; see Field, Notes, 68, MM, xxiv), having sold off all: Luk.15:13; of persons, Jhn.11:52; esp. of assemblies, Mat.2:4, Jhn.11:47, Act.14:27, al. Pass., to be gathered or come together: Mat.22:41, Mrk.2:2, Luk.22:66, al.; before ἐπί Mrk.5:21, Act.4:27; πρός, Mat.13:2, Mrk.4:1, al.; εἰς, Rev.19:17; ἐν, Act.11:26; μετά, Mat.28:12; οὗ, Mat.18:20; ὅπου, Mat.26:57; ἐκε …

multitudeπλῆθοςplēthosG4128
multitude

πλῆθος (plēthos) πλῆθος, -ους, τό [in LXX chiefly for רֹב, also for הָמוֹן, etc. ;] 1. a great number, a multitude; (a) of things : ἰχθύων, Luk.5:6, Jhn.21:6; φρυγάνων, Act.28:3; ἁμαρτιίῶν, Jas.5:20, 1Pe.4:8; τ. πλήθει, in multitude, Heb.11:12; (b) of persons: Act.21:22 (WH, R, om.); with genitive, Luk.2:13, Jhn.5:3, Act.5:14; π. πολύ (πολὺ π.), Mrk.3:7-8; id. with genitive, Luk.6:17 23:27, Act.14:1 17:4 …

they deliveredἐπέδωκανepedōkanG1929
to give/deliver

ἐπιδίδωμι (epididōmi) ἐπι-δίδωμι [in LXX for נָתַן, etc. ;] 1. to give over, to hand: with accusative of thing(s) and dative of person(s), Mat.7:9, 19, Luk.11:11-12 24:30, 42, Act.15:30; pass. with dative of person(s), Luk.4:17. 2. to give in, give way: absol., Act.27:15.† (AS)

letter.ἐπιστολήν.epistolēnG1992
epistle

ἐπιστολή (epistolē) ἐπι-στολή, -ῆς, ἡ (ἐπιατέλλω), [in LXX for אִגֶּרֶת, etc.; frequently in Mac ;] 1. a message. 2. a letter, an epistle: Act.9:2, 1Co.5:9, al.; pl., Act.22:5, 1Co.16:3, al.; ἐ. σνστατικαί, 2Co.3:1 (cf. Milligan, NTD, 254 f.). (On the NT ἐπιστολαί, cf. Milligan, Th., 121 ff.; NTD, 85 ff.; Deiss., BS, 3 ff.; St. Paul, 8 ff.) (AS)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.