- 1And certain men which came down from Judæa 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.
- 6 And 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.
- 12 Then 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.
- 13 And 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.
- 36 And 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
ACTS 15
Read the chapter, follow a linked verse, and continue into related Watchman 33 teaching.
CHAPTER VISUAL
Acts 15 — The apostles and elders reject a burden God did not require, affirm salvation by the grace of Jesus, and send encouragement to Gentile believers.
About this illustration
The council’s discussion and agreement center the scene; the open scrolls represent Scripture and the resulting letter without invented text. Paul and Barnabas’s later sharp separation is not shown as if it occurred during the council.
Scripture basis: Acts 15:1–41King James Version · Standardized 1769 text with Strong’s numbering · Public domain outside the United Kingdom
EXPLORE THE MESSAGE
Related Watchman 33 Resources
Archaeological Evidence
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEInscription
First-century AD box; date of the complete inscription disputed
James Ossuary
An ancient Jerusalem-style ossuary carries the consequential Aramaic line “James son of Joseph brother of Jesus,” but absent provenance and conflicting epigraphic and scientific assessments leave the antiquity of the complete inscription—and its New Testament identity—unresolved.
Matthew 13:55 · Mark 6:3 · Acts 15:13–21
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
5th Century
Papyrus P127: Acts 10–12 and 15–17 in a Greek Codex
P.Oxy. LXXIV 4968, Gregory-Aland P127, comprises remains of eight fifth-century papyrus leaves of Acts and preserves a distinctive text often compared with Codex Bezae.
Acts 10:32–35 · Acts 10:40–45 · Acts 11:2–5
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
sixth–seventh century AD, usually assigned to the seventh (palaeographic estimate)
Papyrus P74: Bodmer XVII Acts and Catholic Epistles
Papyrus Bodmer XVII, Gregory-Aland P74, is a seventh-century Greek papyrus codex preserving almost all of Acts and important fragments of James, Peter, John, and Jude.
Acts 1:2–11 · Acts 2:2–47 · Acts 9:17–22
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEManuscript
Sixth century AD (palaeographic date)
Papyrus P33: Acts 7 and 15, Including the Former P58
Papyrus P33 is a sixth-century Greek papyrus witness to Acts 7:6–10, 13–18 and 15:21–24, 26–32. Four Vienna fragments once divided between P33 and P58 are now catalogued as one manuscript, making this record both evidence for Acts' transmission and a case study in correcting legacy manuscript identities.
Acts 7:6–10 · Acts 7:13–18 · Acts 15:21–24
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArchitecture
Late antique, principally fifth–sixth centuries AD
The Hammat Gader Synagogue and Donor Inscriptions
The Hammat Gader synagogue yielded mosaic inscriptions honoring donors and community leaders within a formal worship building near the famous thermal complex. The texts preserve names, offices, gifts, and communal memory. The dossier connects the excavated evidence to Luke 4:15-17 and Acts 15:21 while keeping the historical claim narrower than the biblical narrative.
Luke 4:15–17 · Acts 15:21
ARCHAEOLOGY EVIDENCEArchitecture
Multiple phases from the Roman through medieval periods
The Nabratein Synagogue, Torah Shrine, and Dated Lintel
Excavations at Nabratein identified successive synagogue buildings and associated village remains. Architectural fragments include a Torah-shrine façade and a dated Aramaic lintel, offering both built and written evidence for the community’s long history. The dossier connects the excavated evidence to Luke 4:16-17 and Acts 15:21 while keeping the historical claim narrower than the biblical narrative.
Luke 4:15–17 · Acts 15:21
Prophecy Events
Sermons
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In “Dangerous End-Time Errors, Part 2,” Pastor Dean Odle warns that online influence, confidence, and large audiences are not substitutes for biblical grounding or accountable ministry. Beginning with Romans 16:17-20 and 1 Timothy 1, he argues that Christians must identify teachings that create spiritual stumbling blocks, test teachers by sound doctrine, and refuse the assumption that every persuasive voice carries authority. He especially defends the apostolic authority of Paul from 2 Peter 3:15-17 and connects rejection of Paul to confusion about grace, the New Covenant, and the place of the Mosaic law.
Doctrine and DiscernmentApostasy and DeceptionBible Prophecy
View sermon Emmanuel, Salvation & Torah Deceivers
In “Emmanuel, Salvation & Torah Deceivers,” Pastor Dean Odle defends the deity of Jesus Christ and salvation by grace through faith against Torah-observant teachings that he believes diminish Christ or make Mosaic-law keeping necessary for right standing with God. He traces the meaning of Emmanuel—God with us—through prophecy and the New Testament, emphasizing that Jesus is not merely a human Messiah but God manifested in the flesh.
Christ AloneDoctrine and DiscernmentApostasy and DeceptionScripture AloneSalvation and the Gospel
View sermon Contentions & Strivings about the Law
In “Contentions & Strivings about the Law,” Pastor Dean Odle responds to controversy surrounding his criticism of Hebrew Roots and Torah-observant teaching. He acknowledges the volume of last-days deception and distinguishes his position from antinomianism: Christians are called to holiness and obedience, but Odle argues that they are governed by the New Covenant rather than commanded to adopt Israel’s complete Mosaic code, ritual calendar, food laws, or identifying customs.
Doctrine and DiscernmentChrist AloneApostasy and DeceptionScripture Alone
View sermon Showing 1–3 of 6 sermons