Acts 15

[Chapter 15 is a six year period and basically about dissension in the church.]

15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye [You] be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye [You] cannot be saved.

[This was not true because when Jesus Christ died on the cross He shed His blood for mankind for one and all times doing away with all blood sacrifices.
After the crucifixion circumcision became a circumcision of the heart of both man and women which is to say we put Jesus Christ first in our lives and obey him.]

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, [In other words they had a big argument, a disagreement with them.] they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto [To] the apostles and elders [Of the church] about this question.

3 And being brought on their way by the church, [By orders of the Church] they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: [Their conversion to becoming Christians.] and they caused great joy unto [To] all the brethren.

[It was good news to them.]

4 And 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.

5 But 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.

[The Mosaic Law; the law of circumcision.]

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

7 And when there had been much disputing, [Reasoning and discussion] Peter rose up, and said unto [To] them, Men and brethren, [Brothers in Christ] ye [You] know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, [Yahveh [God] chose Peter] that the Gentiles [Nations] by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, [The good news about Jesus Christ] and believe.

[Believe in the word. Believe in Jesus Christ.]

8 And God, which knoweth [Knows] the hearts, [Hearts meaning minds. Yahveh [God] knows what is on your mind.] bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, [Holy Spirit] even as He did unto [To] us; [As in Acts 2:4-6.]

9 And put no difference between us and them, [Yahveh [God] is no respecter of persons. He respects people who put Him first in their lives and obey Him.] purifying their hearts by faith. [By faith in Jesus Christ.]

[Faith is built up by studying the Old Testament and the New Testament. Faith is built up by understanding Yahveh’s [God’s] word from the Apostles of the New Testament, and the Prophets of the Old Testament, and in seeing the prophecies of the Prophets given to them by Yahveh [God] come to pass.]

10 Now therefore why tempt ye [Why do you tempt] God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

[In other words we couldn’t live by the law so how could they?]

[This is not to say that Yahveh’s [God’s] laws are done away with because they are not done away with. Because Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross for us we can repent of our sins [Breaking God’s Laws] and be forgiven IF, IF we are putting Jesus Christ first in our lives by sincerely doing His will to the best of our ability.
Nobody was perfect back in those days and nobody is perfect now. We do our best and when we fall short we repent and ask Yahveh [God] to forgive us in the name of Jesus Christ. Repenting and asking Yahveh [God] for forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ is His commandment and by doing so we are obeying Jesus Christ/Yahveh.]

[Repent meaning to quit doing what you are doing against Yahveh’s law.]

11 But we believe that through the grace [Unmerited favor] of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, [Granted eternal life] even as they.

[Even as the Gentiles. Gentiles will be saved.]

[Salvation [Eternal life] is open to everyone as long as they believe and can make a good repentance.]

12 Then all the multitude [Apostles and elders] kept silence, [They shut up] and gave audience [Listened] to Barnabas and Paul, declaring [Who were telling] what miracles and wonders God had wrought [Accomplished] among the Gentiles by [Through] them.

13 And after they had held their peace, [After they quit speaking] James [James the less, who is considered to be the brother of Jesus Christ] answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken [Listen] unto [To] me:

14 Simeon hath [Has] declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name.

15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

[It is written in Amos 9:11&12 and follows here in verses 16 and 17.]

16 After 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:

[Jesus Christ will do it when He returns as King of kings and Lord of lords.]

17 That the residue [Remaining] of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, [Those who called on Me] saith the Lord, who doeth [Does] all these things.

[Whosoever is a doer of the commandments, believing in Jesus Christ, studying, believing, and loving the word of Yahveh, this word. All Gentiles who call on the Lord are His.]

18 Known unto [To] God are all His works from the beginning of the world.

[In other words it was in Yahveh’s [God’s] plan from the beginning.]

19 Wherefore my sentence [Judgment] is, that we trouble not them, [With the Mosaic Law of circumcision] which [Who] from among the Gentiles are turned to God:

20 But that we write unto [To] them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, [In other words they are to worship Yahveh [God] only.] and from fornication, [Unlawful sex] and from things strangled, and from blood.

[To abstain from blood meaning don’t eat or drink blood of strangled animals. Make sure any animal you partake [Eat] of has been properly bled. This has nothing to do with a blood transfusion. This has to do with health and obeying Yahveh.]

21 For Moses of old time hath [Has] in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues [Churches] every sabbath day.

[In other words they will know of the other laws and commandments because of what is taught in other synagogues.]

22 Then 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:

[The apostles and elders sent them because they were good teachers of the word.]

23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; the apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto [To] the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:

24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain [Men] which went out from us have troubled you with words, [Man’s word not Yahveh’s] subverting [Upsetting] your souls, saying, Ye [you] must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

[In other words we didn’t say you had to be circumcised.]

25 It seemed good unto [To] us, being assembled with one accord, [All in agreement] to send chosen men unto [To] you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

26 Men that have hazarded [Surrendered, entrusted] their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

[They were in danger at that time for being Christians. Christians in Muslim countries are in danger for being Christians today.]

27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

[Some people could not read.]

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, [Holy Spirit] and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden [Of the law] than these necessary things;

29 That ye [You all] abstain from [Don’t eat] meats offered to idols, and from blood, [From eating or drinking the blood of animals] and from things strangled, and from fornication: [Unlawful sex] from which if ye [You] keep yourselves, [In other words keep away from those things.] ye [You] shall do well. Fare ye [You]well.

[Fare ye [You] well was the end of the letter.]

30 So when they [Barnabus, Paul, Judas and Silas] were dismissed, [To leave Jerusalem] they came [Went] to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude [People] together, they delivered the epistle: [The letter]

31 Which when they [The Gentiles] had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

[Consolation meaning for the common sense.]

32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted [By mouth] the brethren with many words, and confirmed [Strengthened] them.

[In other words they strengthened the brethren in the Lord.]

33 And after they had tarried [Stayed] there a space, [A period of time] they were let go in peace from the brethren [The Gentile brethren] unto [To] the apostles.

[The problem was solved.]

34 Notwithstanding [But] it pleased Silas to abide [Stay] there still.

[Silas stayed there and taught the word.]

35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

[They were bringing many people to Jesus Christ.]

36 And some days after [After they were teaching and preaching in Antioch] Paul said unto [To] 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.

[In other words let’s go see how they are doing]

37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.

[Mark is the writer of the Gospel of Mark.]

38 But Paul thought not good to [Didn’t want to] take him [Mark] with them, [This is the second dissension] who departed from them from Pamphylia, [Pamphylia meaning of every tribe.] and went not with them to the work.

[Mark took off and Paul was upset because of it.]

39 And the contention [Arguing] was so sharp between them, [Between Paul and Barnabus] that they departed asunder one from the other [They split up] and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto [To] Cyprus;

40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.

[It was Yahveh’s [God’s] will they were separated. They could get more done for Yahveh [God] by being separated. Paul and Barnabus didn’t need each other to spread the word of Jesus Christ.]

41 And he [Paul] went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming [Strengthening] the churches.

[Silas was with Paul.]