FocusGentile believers and circumcision
Connection to the wholeThe dispute is examined through testimony about God's work and Scripture, rejecting the demand that Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved.
interpretation Acts 15:20
KJVBut that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Read it in context
The Jerusalem deliberation
Start reading at Acts 15:1 (Acts 15:1 to Acts 15:21).
An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
The dispute is examined through testimony about God's work and Scripture, rejecting the demand that Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved.
- 15:1 And 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.
- 15:2 When 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.
- 15:3 And 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.
- 15:4 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.
- 15:5 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.
- 15:6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
- 15:7 And 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.
- 15:8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
- 15:9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
- 15:10 Now 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?
- 15:11 But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
- 15:12 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.
- 15:13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
- 15:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
- 15:15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
- 15:16 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:
- 15:17 That 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.
- 15:18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
- 15:19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
- 15:20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
- 15:21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Who
- Who wrote the book? Luke, the physician and companion of Paul, is the traditional author of Acts and the Gospel of Luke. Biblical references: Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3; Colossians 4:14. Historical source: Anchor Bible Dictionary, Luke–Acts. traditionally held
- Who was present or being addressed in this passage? In the surrounding chapter context (Acts 15:1–15:41): A dispute about Gentile circumcision is considered by apostles, elders, and the church in Jerusalem. Peter, Barnabas, Paul, and James speak; delegates carry the decision to Gentile believers. stated in the text
- Who was the book written to? Theophilus, the same named recipient as Luke's Gospel, with the account also serving the wider Christian readership. Biblical references: Acts 1:1; Luke 1:3. stated in the text
What
- What is the topic of this reading unit? The Jerusalem deliberation. Read Acts 15:1 through Acts 15:21 as a connected unit. interpretation
- How does it contribute to the book? The dispute is examined through testimony about God's work and Scripture, rejecting the demand that Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved. interpretation
When
- When are the events or message set? Acts begins after Jesus' resurrection and follows the witness through Pentecost, expansion among peoples, and Paul's arrival in Rome. It does not give a final publication date. book background
Where
- What is the book’s geographic setting? The movement extends from Jerusalem through Judea and Samaria toward wider regions and Rome, as announced in Acts 1:8. book background
- Where does the context start? This passage sits in The Jerusalem deliberation (Acts 15:1 to Acts 15:21). Start reading at Acts 15:1. An editorial reading unit, not a claim that the surrounding context stops here. Book background below applies to the shared passage; individual verses may need more specific explanation.
How
- How does this book connect with Jesus Christ? The risen Jesus commissions the witnesses, and their preaching centers on Him. The accounts include repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, and reception of the Holy Ghost; keep the details and order stated for each event. See Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:44, Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, Acts 19:6. interpretation
- How should this book guide our response? Compare conversion accounts carefully, preserving what each one actually narrates. Do not invent an omitted detail or flatten every episode into an identical sequence. interpretation
Cited: Acts 15:1, Acts 15:21, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38, Acts 10:44, Acts 10:48, Acts 19:5, Acts 19:6
Who wrote it, and how we know
Luke
Named in Scripture
What Scripture saysThe book opens by referring to the author's former treatise to Theophilus, tying it to Luke, and shifts into first-person plural in the travel accounts.
Acts 1:1Acts 16:10
Early traditionEarly testimony names Luke.
What is debatedThe name is not in the text.
Old Testament prophecy and New Testament fulfillment
The notes distinguish explicit fulfillment statements from other explicit New Testament applications. They do not assume every detail of the surrounding prophecy has already been fulfilled.
Restoring David's fallen tabernacle and receiving the Gentiles
NT explicitly applies this passage
- Old Testament: Amos 9:11–12
- New Testament: Acts 15:13–21 (current passage)
James says the prophets agree with God's taking a people from the Gentiles and quotes Amos. The wording of the quotation differs from Amos in the KJV OT; both passages remain visible. This does not settle every question about the remaining promises in Amos.
Related passages
- from pollutions Acts 15:29 Gen 35:2 Exod 20:3-5,23 Exod 34:15-16 Num 25:2 Ps 106:37-39 Ezek 20:30-31 1 Cor 8:1,4-13
- fornication 1 Cor 5:11 1 Cor 6:9,13,18 1 Cor 7:2 2 Cor 12:21 Gal 5:19 Eph 5:3 Col 3:5 1 Thess 4:3
- things Acts 21:25 Gen 9:4 Lev 3:17 Lev 7:23-27 Lev 17:10-14 Deut 12:16,23-25 Deut 14:21 Deut 15:23
Cross references from CrossReferences-org (CC BY 4.0).
Time covered by Acts
About 30 years
- AD 30 or 33Approximate beginning · Acts 1
The risen Jesus instructs His apostles
Acts begins after Jesus’ resurrection and describes His ascension. - About AD 62Approximate ending · Acts 28
Paul teaches while confined in Rome
The account closes with Paul receiving visitors and teaching during two full years in his rented lodging.
The narrative moves from Jerusalem to Rome over roughly three decades. Chapters do not represent equal amounts of time.
View historical notes and sources
Using a beginning in AD 30 or 33 and an ending around AD 62 gives approximately 29–32 years. These are reconstructed dates for the events, not a date for the writing of Acts. The book does not explicitly total its elapsed years.
Macro-Structure
See how this passage fits the chapter and the book.
Acts 15
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
The decision communicated
Acts 15:22–35FocusA letter and encouragement
Connection to the wholeThe written decision and accompanying messengers give the churches a shared answer and strengthen the Gentile believers.
interpretation A disagreement and two journeys
Acts 15:36–41FocusContinued mission
Connection to the wholeThe dispute about Mark separates the travelling teams, yet the chapter closes with continuing visits to strengthen the churches.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.
Acts
Acts addresses Theophilus as a continuation of the earlier account and follows the witnesses empowered by the Holy Ghost. Acts 1:8 supplies an important geographical frame: Jerusalem, Judaea and Samaria, and the uttermost part of the earth.
The promised power and the Jerusalem church
Acts 1:1–2:47FocusWitness begins
Connection to the wholeJesus' promise, the coming of the Holy Ghost, Peter's preaching, and the hearers' response establish the beginning of the church's witness.
interpretation Witness and opposition in Jerusalem
Acts 3:1–7:60FocusBoldness, order, and rejection
Connection to the wholePublic testimony and growth are accompanied by internal needs and increasing opposition, culminating in Stephen's death.
interpretation The witness moves outward
Acts 8:1–12:25FocusSamaria, Saul, and Gentile hearers
Connection to the wholePersecution scatters believers; new fields open, Saul is called, and the reception of Gentiles becomes a matter publicly explained to the church.
interpretation FocusChurches established and the council
Connection to the wholeThe first missionary journey and the Jerusalem deliberation address the place of Gentile believers without making circumcision the entrance requirement.
interpretation Further journeys and growing churches
Acts 15:36–21:16FocusStrengthening and expanding witness
Connection to the wholePaul and his companions travel through new regions and revisit churches, moving toward the journey to Jerusalem despite coming danger.
interpretation Arrest, hearings, and Rome
Acts 21:17–28:31FocusTestimony through imprisonment
Connection to the wholePaul's custody becomes a setting for witness before authorities and brings him to Rome, where the account closes with continued proclamation.
interpretation Suggested literary divisions. Headings summarize the passage; they are not part of the biblical text.