Yerusalem Agyinatufo
1Bere a Paulo ne Barnaba wɔ Antiokia no, nnipa bi fi Yudea bɛkyerɛkyerɛɛ anuanom no se, “Sɛ moamma wɔantwa mo twetia sɛnea Mose amanne no kyerɛ no a morennya nkwa.” 2Paulo ne Barnaba ne wɔn gyee saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi ho akyinnye denneennen. Saa asɛm yi nti Paulo ne Barnaba ne Antiokia asafo no mu nnipa bi kɔɔ Yerusalem kohuu asomafo no ne mpanyimfo faa saa nkyerɛkyerɛ yi ho. 3Asafo no gyaa wɔn kwan. Wɔrekɔ no, wɔfaa Foinike ne Samaria kaa amanamanmufo gye a wɔagye asɛm no adi no kyerɛɛ wɔn. Saa asɛm yi yɛɛ agyidifo no nyinaa anigye yiye. 4Woduu Yerusalem no, asafo no asomafo ne mpanyimfo a wɔkaa nneɛma a Onyankopɔn nam wɔn so ayɛ kyerɛɛ wɔn no gyee wɔn.
5Nanso Farisifo a wɔabɛyɛ agyidifo no hyɛe sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wotwa amanamanmufo a wɔagye asɛm no adi no nyinaa twetia na wodi Mose mmara no so.
6Asomafo no ne mpanyimfo no hyia dwenee asɛm yi ho. 7Wodwinnwen ho wiee no, Petro sɔre kasae se, “Me nuanom, munim sɛ bere bi a atwam no, Onyankopɔn yii me fii mo mu sɛ menka asɛmpa no nkyerɛ amanamanmufo, sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ na wɔbɛte asɛmpa no na wɔagye adi. 8Sɛnea Onyankopɔn a onim koma mu no nam Honhom Kronkron a ɔma ɛbaa yɛn mu no so gyee yɛn too mu no, saa ara na ɔnam Honhom Kronkron no ara so agye amanamanmufo nso ato mu. 9Onyankopɔn anyɛ nyiyimu; ɔnam gyidi so tew wɔn koma mu. 10Adɛn nti na mopɛ sɛ mode adesoa duruduru a yɛn agyanom antumi ansoa, na yɛn nso yɛantumi ansoa no soa agyidifo no de sɔ Onyankopɔn hwɛ? 11Nanso yegye di sɛ wɔnam Awurade Yesu Kristo adom so na agye yɛn nkwa sɛ wɔn ara.”
12Bere a Barnaba ne Paulo kaa anwonwade a Onyankopɔn nam wɔn so yɛɛ wɔ amanamanmufo no mu maa nnipa a wɔahyia hɔ no tee no, wɔyɛɛ dinn. 13Wɔkasa wiei no, Yakobo kae se, “Anuanom, muntie me! 14Mprempren ara na Simon kyerɛɛ mu kyerɛɛ yɛn se Onyankopɔn yii amanamanmufo sɛ ne de. 15Adiyifo no nsɛm a wɔkaa no ne eyi hyia, sɛnea wɔakyerɛw wɔ Kyerɛwsɛm no mu se:
16“ ‘Eyi akyi no, mɛsan aba
abesi Dawid fi a abubu no.
Mɛma nea adwiriw no so,
na masan asi bio,
17sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a nnipa a wɔaka no,
ne amanamanmufo a me din da wɔn so no bɛhwehwɛ Awurade.’
18Awurade a ɔdaa eyi adi bere bi a atwa mu no, ɔno na ɔbɛyɛ eyinom nyinaa.”
19Yakobo toaa so se, “Mʼadwene ne sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛhaw amanamanmufo a wɔde wɔn ho rema Onyankopɔn no. 20Mmom, momma yɛnkyerɛw nhoma nkɔka nkyerɛ wɔn se, ɛnsɛ sɛ wodi aduan biara a wɔde ama abosom, efisɛ ɛho ntew; afei wɔntwe wɔn ho mfi aguamammɔ ho na wɔnnwe aboa a wɔantwa ne mene na owui. Bio, wonnni mogya nso. 21Efi tete na wɔkenkan saa Mose mmara yi wɔ hyiadan mu wɔ Homeda biara, na wɔka ho nsɛm nso wɔ kurow biara mu.”
Wɔkyerɛw Krataa Kɔma Amanamanmufo
22Asomafo ne mpanyimfo ne asafo no mu nnipa nyinaa hyiae, yɛɛ adwene sɛ wobeyi nnipa bi afi kuw no mu aka Paulo ne Barnaba ho na wɔakɔ Antiokia. Woyii mmarima atitiriw baanu a wɔn din de Yuda, a wɔfrɛ no Barsaba ne Silas. 23Nhoma a wɔde maa wɔn kɔe no mu nsɛm ni:
Anuanom amanamanmufo a mote Antiokia, Siria ne Kilikia,
Asomafo ne mpanyimfo ne anuanom a wɔwɔ Yerusalem no kyia mo.
24Yɛtee sɛ anuanom bi a yɛmaa wɔn tumi fi yɛn mu nam wɔn nkyerɛkyerɛ so tan mo ani, haw mo adwene. 25Eyi nti yɛatu nnipa bi sɛ wɔmmra mo nkyɛn. Saa nnipa no ne Paulo ne Barnaba 26a wɔde wɔn nkwa abɔ afɔre ama Awurade Yesu Kristo no. 27Eyi nti, yɛresoma Yuda ne Silas ama wɔabɛkasa afoa asɛm a yɛrekyerɛw no so. 28Honhom Kronkron ne yɛn ayɛ adwene sɛ, saa ahyɛde yi akyi no yɛmmfa adesoa foforo bi a emu yɛ duru nsoa mo; 29munnni aduan a wɔde ama abosom; saa ara nso na munnni mogya. Monnwe aboa a wɔantwa ne mene na owui. Bio, montwe mo ho mfi aguamammɔ ho. Sɛ mutumi di saa ahyɛde yi so a, ebesi mo yiye.
Yɛsan kyia mo.
30Wogyaa nnipa no kwan ma wɔkɔɔ Antiokia. Woduu hɔ no, wohyiaa agyidifo no de nhoma no maa wɔn. 31Agyidifo no kenkan nhoma no, emu nkuranhyɛsɛm no maa wɔn ani gyei. 32Yuda ne Silas a wɔyɛ adiyifo no ne anuanom no kasa kyɛe, hyɛɛ wɔn nkuran. 33Wodii nna kakra wɔ hɔ no, anuanom no gyaa wɔn kwan asomdwoe mu ma wɔsan kɔɔ anuanom a wɔsomaa wɔn no nkyɛn dwoodwoo. 34Nanso Silas de, wankɔ bi15.34 Tete akyerɛw binom mfa nkyekyɛmu 34 nka ho. 35Paulo ne Barnaba dii nna kakra wɔ Antiokia, boaa anuanom bi ma wɔkyerɛkyerɛe, kaa Awurade asɛm.
Paulo Ne Barnaba Ntam Tetew
36Nna bi akyi no, Paulo ka kyerɛɛ Barnaba se, “Ma yɛnsan nkɔsra anuanom a wɔwɔ nkurow a yɛaka Awurade asɛm wɔ so no nyinaa nkɔhwɛ sɛnea wɔrekɔ so wɔ gyidi mu.” 37Barnaba pɛɛ sɛ wɔde Yohane Marko ka wɔn ho kɔ, 38nanso Paulo ampene so, efisɛ wɔwɔ Pamfilia no ogyaw wɔn hɔ a ɔne wɔn antena hɔ ankosi awiei. 39Akasakasa a emu yɛ den sii wɔn ntam maa wɔn mu tetewee. Barnaba faa Marko ne no kɔɔ Kipro 40na Paulo nso faa Silas. Anuanom no de wɔn hyɛɛ Onyankopɔn nsa ma wofii hɔ kɔe. 41Ɔkɔfaa Siria ne Kilikia hyɛɛ asafo no den.
The council at Jerusalem
1Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.’ 2This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3The church sent them on their way, and as they travelled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
5Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.’
6The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: ‘Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles should hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.’
12The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13When they finished, James spoke up. ‘Brothers,’ he said, ‘listen to me. 14Simon15:14 Greek Simeon, a variant of Simon; that is, Peter has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
16‘ “After this I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
and I will restore it,
17that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things”15:17 Amos 9:11,12 (see Septuagint) –
18things known from long ago.15:17,18 Some manuscripts things’ – / 18 the Lord’s work is known to him from long ago
19‘It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.’
The council’s letter to Gentile believers
22Then 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. 23With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24We have heard that some went out from us without our authorisation and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul – 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29You 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.
30So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. 3415:34 Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there. 35But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Disagreement between Paul and Barnabas
36Some 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.’ 37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38but 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. 39They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
