Acts 15:22-16:5

Summary
This reading reveals how the leadership of the church took responsibility for sending a detailed letter about certain persons from them who went about propagating a wrong doctrine about circumcision and the keeping of the law. Paul and Barnabas with two other chosen men namely, Judas and Silas were sent to the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. They admonish them to abstain from meats offered to idols, blood, strangled things and fornication. They were instructed to keep away from these things for the sake of their wellness.
They delivered the message in Antioch which gave consolation to the people who in turn expressed their joy.
Paul and Barnabas stayed a while in Antioch teaching and preaching the word of God with others, they also at some point went apart to check on believers in other parts of countries to strengthen the churches.

Life Application
As believers we ought to be mindful of the truth in the gospel and be careful not to lead people astray through our philosophy or culture. There will be occasions where there will be disagreement or heated conversations; we need to ensure it does not lead to ungodly conducts such as bitterness or division in the body of Christ. We are to reconcile many to God through the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Personal Declaration
I am mindful of God’s word and steadfast in faith!

Reading – Acts 15:22-16:5

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

²² Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. ²³ With them they sent the following letter:

The apostles and elders, your brothers,

To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:

Greetings.

²⁴ We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. ²⁵ So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸ It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

Farewell.

³⁰ So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. ³³ After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. ^{[34] [a] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

³⁶ Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. ² The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. ³ Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 15:34 Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there.