Acts · Chapter 15

[ edit] And ſumme comynge doun fro Judee, tauȝten breþeren, For no but ȝe be circumſidid vp þe lawe of Moyſes, ȝe mown not be maad ſaaf. Þerfore ſedicioun, or diſſencioun, maad not leeſt to Poul and Barnabas aȝens hem, þei ordeyneden, þat Poul and Barnabas, and ſumme oþere of hem, ſchulden gon vp to apoſtlis and preſtis in Jeruſalem, on þis queſtioun. Þerfore þei, ledd forþ of þe chirche, paſſiden by Fenyſe and Samarie; tellinge þe lyuynge of heþen men, and þei maaden greet ioye to alle breþeren. Soþli whanne þei camen to Jeruſalem, þei weren receyued of þe chirche, and of apoſtlis, and eldere men, tellinge how manye þingis God dide wiþ hem.

Forſoþ ſum of þe ereſye of Phariſees, þat bileuyden, riſen, ſeyinge, For it bihoueþ hem for to be circumſidid, and for to comaunde for to kepe þe lawe of Moyſes. And apoſtlis and eldre men camen to gidere, for to ſe of þis word. Forſoþ whanne greet ſekyng to gidere was maad, Petre ryſinge, ſeide to hem, Men breþeren, ȝe witen, for of oolde dayes in ȝou God chees by my mouþ heþen men, for to heere þe word of þe goſpel, and for to bileue; and God þat knew hertis, bar witneſſing, ȝyuynge to hem þe Hooli Goſt, as and to vs; and no þing dyuerſide bitwixe vs and hem, bi feiþ clenſynge þe hertis of hem.

Now þerfore what tempten ȝe God, for to putte a ȝok on þe nol, or necke, of diſciplis, þe which neþer we, neþer oure fadris myȝten bere? But bi þe grace of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt we bileuen for to be ſauyd, as and þei. Forſoþ al þe multitude heeld pees, and herden Barnaban and Poul, tellinge how many ſignes and wondris God dide by hem in heþen men. And aftir þat þei helden pees, James anſweride, ſeyinge, Men breþeren, heere ȝe me. Symound telde, how firſt God viſytide, for to take of heþen men a peple to his name.

And to him þe wordis of prophetis acorden, as it is writun, Aftir þis I ſchal turne aȝen, and bylde þe tabernacle of Dauiþ, þat felde doun; and I ſchal bylde aȝen þe caſt doun þingis of it, and I ſchal reyſe it; þat oþere of men aȝen ſeke þe Lord, and alle folkis on whiche my name is inclepid; þe Lord doynge þis þing, ſeiþ. Fro þe world, to þe Lord his werk is knowun. For which þing I deme hem þat of heþen men ben conuertid to God, for to be not vnquyetid, or diſeſid, but for to wryte to hem, þat þei abſteyne hem fro defoulingis of ſymulacris, and fornycacioun, and ſtranglid þingis, and blood.

Moyſes ſoþli of olde tymes haþ in alle citees hem þat prechen him in ſynagogis, where by ech ſaboþ he is rad. Þanne it pleſide to apoſtlis, and eldre men, wiþ al þe chirche, for to cheſe men of hem, and ſende to Antiochie, wiþ Poul and Barnabas, Judas, þat was named Barſabas, and Sylam, þe firſte men in breþeren; wrytinge by þe hondis of hem, Apoſtlis and eldere breþeren to hem þat ben at Antiochie, and Cirie, and Cilice, breþeren of heþen men, greetyng, or heelþe.

For we herden þat ſumme of vs goynge out, troubliden ȝou wiþ wordis, turnynge vpſodoun ȝoure ſoulis, to whiche men we comaundiden not, it pleſide to vs gederid into oon, for to cheeſe men, and ſende to ȝou, wiþ oure mooſte dereworþe Barnabas and Poul, men þat bitoken, or ȝauen, her ſoulis, or lyues, for þe name of oure Lord Jheſu Criſt. Þerfore we ſenten Judas and Sylas, þe whiche and þei ſchulen telle þe ſame þingis to ȝou by wordis. Forſoþe it is ſeyn to þe Hooly Goſt and vs, for to putte to ȝou no þing more of charge, þan þeſe nedeful þingis, þat ȝe abſteyne ȝou fro þe offrid þingis of ſymulacris, and blood ſtranglid, and fornycacioun. Fro whiche ȝe kepinge ȝou, ſchulen do wel.

Fare ȝe wel. Þerfore þei diſmittid, camen down to Antiochie; and, þe multitude gederid, þei bitaken þe epiſtle; þe which whanne þei hadden radd, þei ioyeden on þe comfort. Forſoþ Judas and Sylas and þei, whanne þei weren prophetis, wiþ ful moche word coumfortiden breþeren, and confermyden. Soþli ſum litil tyme maad þere, þei weren diſmittid, or left, wiþ pees of breþeren, to hem þat hadden ſent hem. Forſoþ it is ſeyn to Silas, for to dwelle þere; Judas ſoþli wente aloone to Jeruſalem. Forſoþ Poul and Barnabas dwelliden at Antiochie, techinge and euangelyſinge þe word of þe Lord, wiþ oþere manye.

Forſoþe aftir ſumme dayes, Poul ſeide to Barnabas, We turnynge aȝen, viſite oure breþeren by alle citees, in whiche we han prechid þe word of þe Lord, how þei han hem. Barnabas forſoþe wolde take wiþ him and John, þat was namyd Markus. Poul ſoþli preiede him, þat he þat departide fro hem fro Pamphilie, and wente not wiþ hem into werk, ſchulde not be receyued. Forſoþ diſſencioun is maad, ſo þat þei departiden atwyny. And Barnabas ſoþli, Mark takyn to, bi boot cam to Cypre. Forſoþ Poul, Silas choſun, wente forþ, takun to þe grace of God fro briþeren. Forſoþ he wente bi Sirie and Cilice, confermynge þe chirche, comaundinge for to kepe þe preceptis of apoſtlis and eldre men.