Focused Passage

Acts 15:12-21

The Gospel of Grace Clarified and the Gentiles Received

A salvation controversy arises in Antioch, the apostles and elders discern God's work among Gentiles, Peter, Barnabas, Paul, and James testify, the church sends a letter preserving grace and fellowship, and the mission continues despite a painful ministry separation.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

12The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

13When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!

14Simon has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.

15The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

16‘After this I will return and rebuild the fallen tent of David. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,

17so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does these things

18that have been known for ages.’

19It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

20Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

21For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 12

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionTheτὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularwholeπᾶνG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter SingularassemblyπλῆθοςG4128Noun - Nominative Neuter Singularfell silentἘσίγησενG4601Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[as they]καὶG2532Conjunctionlistened toἤκουονG191Verb - Imperfect Indicative Active - 3rd Person PluralBarnabasΒαρνάβαG921Noun - Genitive Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionPaulΠαύλουG3972Noun - Genitive Masculine SingulardescribingἐξηγουμένωνG1834Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Genitive Masculine Plural[the]ὅσαG3745Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluralsignsσημεῖαG4592Noun - Accusative Neuter PluralandκαὶG2532ConjunctionwondersτέραταG5059Noun - Accusative Neuter Plural-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularhad doneἐποίησενG4160Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person SingularamongἐνG1722PrepositiontheτοῖςG3588Article - Dative Neuter PluralGentilesἔθνεσινG1484Noun - Dative Neuter Pluralthroughδι’G1223PrepositionthemαὐτῶνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Verse 13

Original words

-δὲG1161ConjunctionWhenΜετὰG3326Preposition-τὸG3588Article - Accusative Neuter SingulartheyαὐτοὺςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Pluralhad finished speakingσιγῆσαιG4601Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActiveJamesἸάκωβοςG2385Noun - Nominative Masculine SingulardeclaredἀπεκρίθηG611Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular-λέγωνG3004Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine SingularvvvἌνδρεςG435Noun - Vocative Masculine PluralBrothersἀδελφοίG80Noun - Vocative Masculine Plurallisten toἀκούσατέG191Verb - Aorist Imperative Active - 2nd Person PluralmeμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular
Verse 14

Original words

SimonΣυμεὼνG4826Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularhas told usἐξηγήσατοG1834Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person SingularhowκαθὼςG2531Adverb-G3588Article - Nominative Masculine SingularGodΘεὸςG2316Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularfirstπρῶτονG4412Adverb - Superlativevisited [the Gentiles]ἐπεσκέψατοG1980Verb - Aorist Indicative Middle - 3rd Person Singularto takeλαβεῖνG2983Verb - Aorist Infinitive ActivefromἐξG1537Preposition[them]ἐθνῶνG1484Noun - Genitive Neuter Plurala peopleλαὸνG2992Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular[to be]τῷG3588Article - Dative Neuter SingularHisαὐτοῦG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular[own]ὀνόματιG3686Noun - Dative Neuter Singular

BSB notes

  • Greek Simeon, a variant of Simon
Verse 15

Original words

-καὶG2532ConjunctionTheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralwordsλόγοιG3056Noun - Nominative Masculine Pluralof theτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine PluralprophetsπροφητῶνG4396Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralagreeσυμφωνοῦσινG4856Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Pluralwith thisτούτῳG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Dative Neuter SingularasκαθὼςG2531Adverbit is writtenγέγραπταιG1125Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Verse 16

Original words

AfterΜετὰG3326Preposition[this]ταῦταG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter PluralI will returnἀναστρέψωG390Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionrebuildἀνοικοδομήσωG456Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singular-τὴνG3588Article - Accusative Feminine Singularthe fallenπεπτωκυῖανG4098Verb - Perfect Participle Active - Accusative Feminine SingulartentσκηνὴνG4633Noun - Accusative Feminine Singularof DavidΔαυὶδG1138Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular-καὶG2532Conjunction-τὰG3588Article - Accusative Neuter PluralItsαὐτῆςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive Feminine 3rd Person Singularruinsκατεσκαμμένα*G2679Verb - Perfect Participle Middle or Passive - Accusative Neuter PluralI will rebuildἀνοικοδομήσωG456Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionI will restore itἀνορθώσωG461Verb - Future Indicative Active - 1st Person Singular. . .αὐτήνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Feminine 3rd Person Singular
Verse 17

Original words

so thatὅπωςG3704ConjunctiontheοἱG3588Article - Nominative Masculine PluralremnantκατάλοιποιG2645Adjective - Nominative Masculine Plural-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Masculine Pluralof menἀνθρώπωνG444Noun - Genitive Masculine PluralvvvἂνG302Particlemay seekἐκζητήσωσινG1567Verb - Aorist Subjunctive Active - 3rd Person PluraltheτὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularLordΚύριονG2962Noun - Accusative Masculine SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionallπάνταG3956Adjective - Nominative Neuter PluraltheτὰG3588Article - Nominative Neuter PluralGentilesἔθνηG1484Noun - Nominative Neuter Plural-ἐφ’G1909PrepositionwhoοὓςG3739Personal / Relative Pronoun - Accusative Masculine Pluralare calledἐπικέκληταιG1941Verb - Perfect Indicative Middle or Passive - 3rd Person Singularby MyμουG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Genitive 1st Person Singular-τὸG3588Article - Nominative Neuter SingularnameὄνομάG3686Noun - Nominative Neuter Singular-ἐπ’G1909Preposition-αὐτούςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person PluralsaysλέγειG3004Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular[the] LordΚύριοςG2962Noun - Nominative Masculine Singularwho doesποιῶνG4160Verb - Present Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singularthese thingsταῦταG3778Demonstrative Pronoun - Accusative Neuter Plural
Verse 18

Original words

[that] have been knownγνωστὰG1110Adjective - Accusative Neuter Pluralforἀπ’G575PrepositionagesαἰῶνοςG165Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular

BSB notes

  • Amos 9:11–12 (see also LXX); BYZ and TR says the Lord, who does all these things. 18Known unto God are all His works from the ages.
Verse 19

Original words

[It is] myἐγὼG1473Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Nominative 1st Person SingularjudgmentκρίνωG2919Verb - Present Indicative Active - 1st Person SingularthereforeΔιὸG1352ConjunctionvvvμὴG3361Adverbthat we should not cause trouble forπαρενοχλεῖνG3926Verb - Present Infinitive Active-τοῖςG3588Article - Dative Masculine Plural-ἀπὸG575PrepositiontheτῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralGentilesἐθνῶνG1484Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural[who] are turningἐπιστρέφουσινG1994Verb - Present Participle Active - Dative Masculine PluraltoἐπὶG1909Preposition-τὸνG3588Article - Accusative Masculine SingularGodΘεόνG2316Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Verse 20

Original words

InsteadἀλλὰG235Conjunctionwe should writeἐπιστεῖλαιG1989Verb - Aorist Infinitive Active[ and tell] themαὐτοῖςG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural-τοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singularto abstain fromἀπέχεσθαιG568Verb - Present Infinitive Middle[ food ]τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter PluralpollutedἀλισγημάτωνG234Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural-τῶνG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Pluralby idolsεἰδώλωνG1497Noun - Genitive Neuter Plural[from]καὶG2532Conjunction-τῆςG3588Article - Genitive Feminine Singularsexual immoralityπορνείαςG4202Noun - Genitive Feminine Singular[from]καὶG2532ConjunctiontheτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter Singularmeat of strangled animalsπνικτοῦG4156Adjective - Genitive Neuter SingularandκαὶG2532ConjunctionfromτοῦG3588Article - Genitive Neuter SingularbloodαἵματοςG129Noun - Genitive Neuter Singular
Verse 21

Original words

ForγὰρG1063ConjunctionMosesΜωϋσῆςG3475Noun - Nominative Masculine SingularhasἔχειG2192Verb - Present Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular-τοὺςG3588Article - Accusative Masculine Pluralbeen proclaimedκηρύσσονταςG2784Verb - Present Participle Active - Accusative Masculine Plural-αὐτὸνG846Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Accusative Masculine 3rd Person Singularin everyκατὰG2596PrepositioncityπόλινG4172Noun - Accusative Feminine SingularfromἐκG1537PrepositionancientἀρχαίωνG744Adjective - Genitive Feminine PluraltimesγενεῶνG1074Noun - Genitive Feminine Plural[and] is readἀναγινωσκόμενοςG314Verb - Present Participle Middle or Passive - Nominative Masculine SingularinἐνG1722PrepositiontheταῖςG3588Article - Dative Feminine PluralsynagoguesσυναγωγαῖςG4864Noun - Dative Feminine PluralonκατὰG2596PrepositioneveryπᾶνG3956Adjective - Accusative Neuter SingularSabbathσάββατονG4521Noun - Accusative Neuter Singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.