Peter Speaks at the Council

⁴When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported everything God had done through them. ⁵But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, "They must be circumcised and commanded to keep the law of Moses." ⁶The apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. ⁷After much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose from among us that the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel from my mouth and believe. ⁸And God, who knows the hearts, testified on their behalf by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. ⁹He made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. ¹⁰So now why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we will be saved, just as they will." ¹²Then the whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they described what signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.