Acts 15:22-41
A Letter That Brought Encouragement
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22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers,
23and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
24It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.
25So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved 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 tell you in person the same things we are writing.
28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:
29You must 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 assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.
31When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.
32Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
33After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them.
35But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
36Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark.
38But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.
39Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
41And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Berean Standard Bible
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The Gentile believers have been unsettled by teachers claiming authority they did not have. Jerusalem's reply clears that up directly: those teachers were not authorized. The church sends both a letter and trusted messengers so the believers can hear the same answer in writing and in person.
The letter names the practices they should avoid: food sacrificed to idols, blood, strangled meat, and sexual immorality. It places no further burden on them. When the congregation in Antioch hears the message, they rejoice. Judas and Silas then spend time encouraging and strengthening them. A careful answer is followed by personal care.
Later, Paul proposes revisiting the churches. Barnabas wants to take John Mark, but Paul objects because Mark had left the earlier journey. Their disagreement is sharp enough that they part company. Luke tells us the reason without declaring either man's judgment entirely right or explaining every motive behind it.
Barnabas takes Mark to Cyprus, while Paul travels with Silas and strengthens churches in Syria and Cilicia. God's work continues through these servants, even though their partnership has suffered a painful division. That gives us hope without making their conflict something to celebrate.
Questions
1 Who carried the letter to Antioch?
AnswerJudas called Barsabbas and Silas carried the letter with Paul and Barnabas, representing the Jerusalem church in person.
2 What did the letter say about the troubling teachers?
AnswerThey had gone out without authorization from the Jerusalem church and unsettled the Gentile believers with their teaching.
3 How did the Antioch believers respond?
AnswerThey rejoiced at the encouraging message, which relieved the burden created by the unauthorized teachers.
4 Why did Paul and Barnabas separate?
AnswerThey disagreed about taking John Mark, who had previously left them in Pamphylia, so Paul and Barnabas separated and served in different directions.
What This Means for Us
If our words have confused or troubled someone, a vague reassurance may not be enough. We can say clearly what was wrong, give the accurate information, and allow time for questions. The letter to Antioch shows how much relief a truthful correction can bring. Caring about someone's peace includes doing the work to clear up what unsettled them.
Prayer
God, make our words truthful and encouraging. Give us grace when faithful people disagree and keep us focused on strengthening your church. Amen.