The Newe Testament dylygently corrected and compared with the Greke by Willyam Tindale, and fynesshed in the yere of our Lorde God A.M.D. & xxxiiij. in the moneth of Nouember.

¶ ¶ The .xv. Chapter.

THen cam certayne from Iewrie / and taught the brethren: excepte ye be cir∣cumcysed [ A] after the maner of Moses / ye cannot be saved. And when ther was rysen* 1.1 dissencion & disputinge not alitle vnto Paul & Barnabas agaynst them. They determined that Paul and Barnabas & certayne other of them shuld ascende to Ierusalem vnto the Apostles & elders aboute this question. And after they were brought on their waye by the congregacion / they passed over Phenices and Samaria / declarynge the conuersion of the gē¦tyls / & they brought great ioye vnto all y^• bre¦thren. And when they were come to Ierusa∣lem / they were receaved of the congregacion & of the Apostles & elders. And they declared what thinges God had done by them. Then arose ther vp certayne that were of the secte of the Pharises & dyd beleve sayinge / that it

was nedfull to circūcise them & to enioyne thē to kepe y^• lawe of Moses. And y^• Apostles &* 1.2 elders came to geder to reason of this matter.

And when ther was moche disputinge / Pe¦ter rose vp & sayde vnto them: Ye men & bre∣thren / ye [ B] knowe how that a good whyle agoo / God chose amōge vs that the gētyls by my mouth shuld heare the worde of the gospell & beleve. And God which knoweth the herte / bare them witnes / and gave vnto them the holy goost / evē as he dyd vnto vs / and he put no difference bitwene them and vs / but with fayth * 1.3 purified their hertes. Now therfore why tempte ye God / that ye wolde put a yoke on the disciples neckes / which nether oure fa¦thers nor we were able to beare. But we bele∣ve that thorowe the * 1.4 grace of the Lorde Iesu Christ we shalbe saved / as they doo. Then all the multitude was peased and gave audi¦ence to Barnabas & Paul / which tolde what signes and wondres God had shewed amon∣ge the gentyls / by them.

And when they helde their peace / Iames an¦swered [ C] sayinge: Men & brethren herken vnto me. Simeon tolde how God at the begynnyn¦ge dyd visit the gentyls / & receaved of them / people vnto his name. And to this agreith y^• wordes of y^• Prophete / as it is written. After* 1.5 this I will returne / & wyll bylde agayne the tabernacle of David which is fallen doune / & that which is fallen in dekey of it / will I bil¦de agayne / & I will set it vp / that the residue of men might seke after the Lorde / & also the

gentyls vpō whom my name is named saith y^• Lorde / which doth all these thinges: know∣ne vnto God are all his workes from the be∣gynninge of the worlde. Wherfore my sentē¦ce [ D] is / y^t we trouble not them which frō amon∣ge the gentyls / are turned to God: but y^t we write vnto them y^t they abstayne them selves frō filthynes of ymages / frō fornicaciō / from* 1.6 strāglyd & frō bloude. For Moses of olde ty∣me hath in every cite that preache him / and he is rede in the sy••agoge every saboth daye.

Then pleased it the Apostles & elders w^t the whole congregaciō / to sende chosyn men of their owne cōpany to Antioche with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Iudas called also Barsabas and Silas / which were chefe men amonge the brethrē / and gave them lettres in their hondes after this maner.

The Apostles / elders & brethren send gre∣tynges vnto the brethrē which are of the gen¦tyls [ E] in Antioche / Siria & Celicia. For as mo¦che as we have hearde y^t certayne which de∣parted frō vs / have troubled you with worde / & combred youre myndes sayinge: Ye must be circumcised & kepe the lawe / to whom we ga¦ve no soche cōmaundemēt. It semed therfore to vs a good thinge / when we were come to gedder with one accorde / to sende chosyn men vnto you / with oure beloved Barnabas and Paul / men that have ieoperded their lyves for the name of oure Lorde Iesus Christ. We have sent therfore Iudas and Sylas / which shall also tell you the same thinge by mouth.

For it semed good to the holy gost and to vs / to put no grevous thinge to you more then these necessary thinges: that is to saye / that ye abstayne from thinges offered to ymages / from bloud / from strangled and fornicacion. From which yf ye kepe youre selves / ye shall do well. So fare ye well. [ F]

When they were departed / they came to An¦tioche & gaddred the multitude to geder & dely¦vered y^• pistle. When they had redde it / they reioysed of that consolacion. And Iudas & Sy¦las beinge * 1.7 prophetes / exhorted the brethren with moche preachynge▪& strengthed them. And after they had taryed there a space / they were let goo in peace of the brethren vnto the Apostles. Not with stondynge it pleasyd Sy¦las to abyde there still. Paul & Barnabas con¦tinued in Antioche teachynge and preachyn∣ge the worde of the Lorde with other many.

But after a certayne space / Paul fayde vnto [ G] Barnabas: Let vs goo agayne and visite oure brethren in every cite where we have shewed the worde of the Lorde / and se how they do. And Barnabas gave counfell to take w^t them Iohn / called also Marke. But Paul thought* 1.8 it not mete to take him vnto their company whiche departed from them at Pamphylia / & went not with them to the worke. And the dissencion was so sharpe bitwene them / that they departed a sunder one from the other: so that Barnabas toke Marke and sayled vnto Cypers. And Paul chose Sylas & departed delyvered of y^e brethren vnto the grace of god.

And he went thorowe all Cyria and Cilicia / stablisshynge the congregacions.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Circum∣cision.
• * 1.2

  Councell
• * 1.3

  Fayth purifieth the heart.
• * 1.4

  the gra¦ce of Ch∣rist saue∣th.
• * 1.5

  Amos. ••x
• * 1.6

  Images. Fornica∣cion. strāgled. Bloude.
• * 1.7

  Prophe¦tes are he¦re taken & in diuerse places of the new testament for expo∣unders of the scrip∣ture.
• * 1.8

  Marcke the euan∣gelist.