UBF Daily Bread

ENCOURAGING NEW BELIEVERS

Passage: Acts 15:22~35

Key verse: 31

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

²²Then the apostles and elders,^(A) with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch^(B) with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas,^(C) 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,^(D) Syria^(E) and Cilicia:^(F)

Greetings.^(G)

²⁴We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.^(H) 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^(I) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas^(J) to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. ²⁸It seemed good to the Holy Spirit^(K) 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.^(L) 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,^(M) who themselves were prophets,^(N) 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^(O) to return to those who had sent them. ^[34]^[a] ³⁵But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached^(P) the word of the Lord.^(Q)

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Footnotes

Acts 15:34 Some manuscripts include here But Silas decided to remain there.

1. A letter of encouragement and advice (22-29)

The letter assured Gentile Christians that they did not have to submit to the regulations of Judaism in order to be Christians. Two things are offensive to God in any age and in any culture: sexual immorality and idolatry. Both are expressions of unfaithfulness. All believers should abstain from these things. The advice to abstain from blood came from Ge 9:4 and Lev 17:11-12. It was an ancient law given by God to teach the preciousness of life, and to set the stage for the atonement. We should not forget that life is precious and that Jesus' blood atones for our sins.

2. Men of encouragement (30-35)

Judas and Silas were chosen to go with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch to deliver the letter from the Council. They not only made the decision of the Council clear, but they also taught the Bible and greatly encouraged the believers. After they left, Paul and Barnabas and many others continued a Bible teaching ministry.

Prayer: Lord, help me to build up your people with your word.

One Word: Encourage others with God's word

Daily Bread

ENCOURAGING NEW BELIEVERS

Passage: Acts 15:22~35

Key verse: 31

The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

Footnotes

Cross references

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