3. The church helped the men leave on the trip. They went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria, telling all about how the non-Jewish people had turned to God. This made all the believers very happy.
4. When they arrived in Jerusalem, the apostles, the elders, and the church welcomed them. Paul, Barnabas, and the others told about all the things that God had done with them.
5. But some of the believers who had belonged to the Pharisee group came forward. They said, “The non-Jewish believers must be circumcised. We must tell them to obey the law of Moses!”
6. The apostles and the elders gathered to study this problem.
7. There was a long debate. Then Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know what happened in the early days. God chose me from among you to preach the Good News to the non-Jewish people. They heard the Good News from me, and they believed.
8. God, who knows the thoughts of all men, accepted them. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us.
9. To God, those people are not different from us. When they believed, he made their hearts pure.
10. So now why are you testing God? You are putting a heavy load around the necks of the non-Jewish brothers. It is a load that neither we nor our fathers were able to carry.
11. But we believe that we and they too will be saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus!”
12. Then the whole group became quiet. They listened to Paul and Barnabas speak. Paul and Barnabas told about all the miracles and signs that God did through them among the non-Jewish people.
13. After they finished speaking, James spoke. He said, “Brothers, listen to me.
14. Simon has told us how God showed his love for the non-Jewish people. For the first time he has accepted them and made them his people.