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.
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.
(This is one of the main things the apostles do in the church ... set church doctrine ... establish church doctrine.)
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.
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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.
6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
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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.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them (the Gentiles) witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
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?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
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.
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13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
14 Simeon hath 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,
16 After this I (The Word) will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I (The Word) will build again the ruins thereof, and I (The Word) will set it up:
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.
18 Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.
(The apostle James then presents the ruling that will govern the doctrine in this matter for the NT church.)
19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
(The apostle James had the decision which would set the doctrine in the church for them to follow concerning circumcising the Gentiles... the decision was not to circumcise the believing Gentiles.)
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
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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:
23 And 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.
24 Forasmuch 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:
25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (The Word).
27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That 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.
30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
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32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.
34 Notwithstanding it pleased Silas (a prophet to the NT church) to abide there still.
35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
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36 And 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.
37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
40 And Paul chose Silas (a prophet), and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
(Confirming the churches in the doctrine of Christ, THE Word of God.)
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Comments by Joan Boney:
By prophecy, God told me: I have ordained you and called you as an apostle.
I was very shocked. I had no idea what this meant. I asked Bible teacher at our church what the apostles do in NT church. He didn't know.
Then I asked God about apostles and what they do today in the church today.
God took me to this section of scripture, Acts 15, to show me how HE anoints apostles concerning the doctrine of Christ for the NT church and gives rulings concerning doctrine to the NT apostles for the church.
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NT apostles consider the issues, consider the Bible, are guided by the Holy Spirit to the ruling on the doctrines. And when fully persuaded, state the doctrine.
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For example: Can women remarry after divorce?
(What do the scriptures say?)
* Matthew 5:32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
(If the divorced woman remarries she will commit adultery.)
* I Corinthians 7:10-11 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.
(If wife does leave husband, she must remain unmarried or return to husband.)
* Romans 7:2-3 For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.
* Matthew 16:11-12 And HE (Jesus) saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.
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The churches today explain away these scriptures to permit women to divorce and remarriage.
The explaining away of scripture allows antichrist (the opposite to Christ, the Word) to happen inside the church.
What do these scriptures say to the woman?
- if your husband divorces you and you remarry, you commit adultery.
- do not leave your husband: but if you do leave your husband you must remain unmarried or return to your husband.
- if you divorce your husband and marry another man, you commit adultery
NT apostles will redirect individuals to what the scriptures tell us by the Holy Spirit to restore our thinking to ways set by God HIMSELF.
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