Acts 15
Study sheet, King James Version, with the original-language words this chapter turns on.
The text
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.
Words in this chapter
Definitions are Strong's own wording from his Exhaustive Concordance (1890). Counts are how often each word appears in this chapter, from the tagged text.
- ὁhoG3588118× in this chapter
the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom)
- καίkaíG253252× in this chapter
and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words
- αὐτόςautósG84628× in this chapter
the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative G1438 (ἑαυτοῦ)) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons
- δέdéG116116× in this chapter
but, and, etc.
- μέméG316513× in this chapter
me
- ἀπόapóG57511× in this chapter
"off," i.e. away (from something near), in various senses (of place, time, or relation; literal or figurative)
- ἀδελφόςadelphósG8011× in this chapter
a brother (literally or figuratively) near or remote (much like G1 (Α))
- ΠαῦλοςPaûlosG39729× in this chapter
(little; but remotely from a derivative of G3973 (παύω), meaning the same); Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle
- ΒαρνάβαςBarnábasG9219× in this chapter
son of Nabas (i.e. prophecy); Barnabas, an Israelite
- θεόςtheósG23168× in this chapter
figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very
- λόγοςlógosG30568× in this chapter
something said (including the thought); by implication, a topic (subject of discourse), also reasoning (the mental faculty) or motive; by extension, a computation; specially, (with the article in John) the Divine Expression (i.e. Christ)
- ἔθνοςéthnosG14847× in this chapter
a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan)
- ἐκekG15377× in this chapter
literal or figurative; direct or remote)
- κύριοςkýriosG29627× in this chapter
supreme in authority, i.e. (as noun) controller; by implication, Master (as a respectful title)
- οὗτοςhoûtosG37787× in this chapter
the he (she or it), i.e. this or that (often with article repeated)
- πᾶςpâsG39567× in this chapter
all, any, every, the whole
- τέtéG50377× in this chapter
both or also (properly, as correlation of G2532 (καί))
- διάdiáG12236× in this chapter
through (in very wide applications, local, causal, or occasional)
- εἰςeisG15196× in this chapter
to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases
- ἐνenG17226× in this chapter
"in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.
- ἐπίepíG19096× in this chapter
properly, meaning superimposition (of time, place, order, etc.), as a relation of distribution (with the genitive case), i.e. over, upon, etc.; of rest (with the dative case) at, on, etc.; of direction (with the accusative case) towards, upon, etc.
- μετάmetáG33266× in this chapter
properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between G575 (ἀπό) or G1537 (ἐκ) and G1519 (εἰς) or G4314 (πρός); less intimate than G1722 (ἐν) and less close than G4862 (σύν))
- ὅςhósG37396× in this chapter
the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that
- πρόςprósG43146× in this chapter
a preposition of direction; forward to, i.e. toward (with the genitive case, the side of, i.e. pertaining to; with the dative case, by the side of, i.e. near to; usually with the accusative case, the place, time, occasion, or respect, which is the destination of the relation, i.e. whither or for which it is predicated)
- σύsýG47716× in this chapter
thou
- κατάkatáG25965× in this chapter
(prepositionally) down (in place or time), in varied relations (according to the case (genitive, dative or accusative) with which it is joined)
- ποιέωpoiéōG41605× in this chapter
to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct)
- πρεσβύτεροςpresbýterosG42455× in this chapter
older; as noun, a senior; specially, an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian "presbyter"
- ἀνήρanḗrG4355× in this chapter
a man (properly as an individual male)
- ΣίλαςSílasG46095× in this chapter
Silas, a Christian
- τὶςtìsG51005× in this chapter
some or any person or object
- ἀπόστολοςapóstolosG6525× in this chapter
a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ ("apostle") (with miraculous powers)
- γίνομαιgínomaiG10964× in this chapter
to cause to be ("gen"-erate), i.e. (reflexively) to become (come into being), used with great latitude (literal, figurative, intensive, etc.)
- δοκέωdokéōG13804× in this chapter
compare the base of G1166 (δεικνύω)) of the same meaning; to think; by implication, to seem (truthfully or uncertainly)
- ἐκκλησίαekklēsíaG15774× in this chapter
a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both)
- ἀκούωakoúōG1914× in this chapter
to hear (in various senses)
- λέγωlégōG30044× in this chapter
properly, to "lay" forth, i.e. (figuratively) relate (in words (usually of systematic or set discourse; whereas G2036 (ἔπω) and G5346 (φημί) generally refer to an individual expression or speech respectively; while G4483 (ῥέω) is properly to break silence merely, and G2980 (λαλέω) means an extended or random harangue)); by implication, to mean
- μήmḗG33614× in this chapter
(adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas G3756 (οὐ) expects an affirmative one)) whether
- ὅτιhótiG37544× in this chapter
demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because
- οὖνoûnG37674× in this chapter
(adverbially) certainly, or (conjunctionally) accordingly