Acts 15:27 - Printer Friendly

ESV: We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.

NIV: Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.

NASB: Therefore, we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.

CSB: Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.

NLT: We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question.

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

NKJV: We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.

Paul, Barnabas, and other representatives have gone to Jerusalem for clarification on a message that men from the church in Jerusalem gave to their church in Syrian Antioch. The men had told the Gentile Christians that they must convert to Judaism to worship the Jewish Messiah. Antioch disagrees. The church in Jerusalem debates the issue and confirms the Antiochenes are right (Acts 15:1–21). In addition, even if James, the pastor of the church in Jerusalem, sent the men (Galatians 2:12), he did not give them that message to share (Acts 15:24).

The church in Jerusalem is writing a letter to Antioch and the other churches Paul and Barnabas planted in the district of Galatia in central modern-day Asia Minor. Paul, Barnabas, and the others from Antioch have witnessed the debate and the resolution, but they don't have the authority to represent the church in Jerusalem. So, Judas Barsabbas and Silas will take the letter and repeat the council's decision verbally.

Judas Barsabbas is a bit of a mystery. He isn't mentioned outside of this chapter. "Barsabbas" means "son of the father," which doesn't explain much.

Silas, sometimes called Silvanus, becomes a good friend of Paul's. Paul and Barnabas will go separate ways after differing on whether they should take John Mark on their next missionary journey. Silas, who is also a Roman citizen, will go with Paul (Acts 15:36–41). Silas will be with Paul when they are illegally jailed and beaten in Philippi (Acts 16:22–40), and he will remain with Timothy when Paul has to quickly depart Berea (Acts 17:14; 18:5).

Acts 15:22–29 records probably the first or second letter sent by a Christian leader with instructions as to how the church should live. A possibly earlier message is what we now call the book of James. The council in Jerusalem has decided: Gentiles do not need to convert to Judaism to receive salvation from Jesus. They are, however, asked to make a few alterations to their dietary and sexual practices. This is not for salvation, but to maintain unity and community in the Jewish-Gentile church.

Paul and Barnabas are in Syrian Antioch, home from their first missionary journey. Legalistic Christians from Jerusalem arrive and insist Gentiles must convert to Judaism. When negotiations fail, a delegation travels to Jerusalem to request clarification from Jesus' closest students. The leadership in Jerusalem agree with Paul and Barnabas. They write a letter that Gentiles should only make concessions, mostly dietary, which will ensure unity with the Jews in their congregation. After delivering the letter to Antioch, Paul takes Silas and Barnabas takes John Mark to share the letter to other churches they have planted.

Acts chapter 15 resembles Acts 11:1–18, where Peter testified before the leadership of the church in Jerusalem. His subject was how the Holy Spirit had fallen on uncircumcised and unbaptized Gentiles. Here Paul and Barnabas also testify that Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus without being circumcised. The issue the leadership must decide is the extent Gentiles must be responsible to follow the Mosaic law. Their decision is that the Law is in no way required to be saved, but Gentiles should graciously make concessions so their Jewish brothers and sisters feel free to live in community. This forms a partial background to the rest of Paul's missionary journeys as explained in Acts.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.