Acts 15:1
King James Version (KJV)
And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Translations
Acts 15:1 - Amplified Bible
BUT SOME men came down from Judea and were instructing the brethren, Unless you are circumcised in accordance with the Mosaic custom, you cannot be saved.
Acts 15:1 - American Standard Version
And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Acts 15:1 - Bible in Basic English
Now certain men came down from Judaea, teaching the brothers and saying that without circumcision, after the rule of Moses, there is no salvation.
Acts 15:1 - Darby Bible
And certain persons, having come down from Judaea, taught the brethren, If ye shall not have been circumcised according to the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Acts 15:1 - English Standard Version
But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
Acts 15:1 - King James Version
And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Acts 15:1 - La Biblia de las Americas
Y algunos descendieron de Judea y enseñaban a los hermanos: Si no os circuncidáis conforme al rito de Moisés, no podéis ser salvos.
Acts 15:1 - The Message
It wasn’t long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: "If you’re not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can’t be saved." Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem.
Acts 15:1 - New American Standard Bible
Some men came down from Judea and {began} teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."
Acts 15:1 - Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy
Algunos que llegaron de Judea enseñaban a los hermanos: "Si no se circuncidan conforme al rito de Moisés, no pueden ser salvos."
Acts 15:1 - World English Bible
Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can`t be saved."
Acts 15:1 - Young's Living Translation
And certain having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren -- `If ye be not circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye are not able to be saved;`
Acts 15:1 - Additional Comments
Chapter 15 summary - Jerusalem visit and discussion (15:1-35)
1. Debate over whether circumcision is a condition of salvation (15:1-5)
2. Visit to Jerusalem to discuss the matter (15:6-21)
3. Letter of instruction sent to the believers at Antioch of Syria (15:22-29)
4. Report given to the church in Antioch of Syria (15:30-35)
Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch of Syria (vs 14:26). The men who were saying these things had come up from Judea, actually from Jerusalem (vs 24).
There were many who became Christians from the Jewish religion, and now they are saying the Gentiles who were in the Christian religion needed to become Jews.
These men who came down from Judea , possibly from the sect of the Pharisees (vs 5), or possibly some of the priests who had converted (vs 6:7).
Why did these men come to Antioch? Probably because that is where the outreach to Gentiles was strongest and centered. If they made inroads there, it probably would spread to the other Gentile converts.
They felt compelled that the Gentiles needed circumcision. Note they did not ask it as a question, they stated it as fact. And, it was a bold statement, that without circumcision you would go to hell. This is similar to http://www.howtobesaved.co.uk - he felt compelled to create the site to make it clear that baptism is required to be saved.
Their position was not unreasonable, for God had clearly commanded that all believers were to be circumcised. They knew this law was from God, and that it was sacred. They had spent their life defending their faith, their God, and their laws. But that was before Christ. And yet, notice that even back then, it was not circumcision that gave them the relationship with God, it was their faith - Gen 15:6, Heb 11:39.
Things were going very well in the church, until... a division arose, over whether circumcision was required for salvation. Don't think that once the mountain is built, there is no way for weaknesses to appear. We should expect it and learn how to deal with it.
It is unfortunate that Christians often have to spend time getting their own house in order to be able to then refocus on the enemy. But without this, we cannot focus on our goals, as internal conflict distracts us and diminishes our power. But the example of resolving discord in the church is a good example for us to follow today.
There are various beliefs that different Christian denominations believe that those in the church have been taught all their lives, which may not be true. The Christian Church teaches it is wrong to have instruments in the worship service. The ELCA Lutheran church says the Bible is "Inspired but not inerrant.". The Catholics pray to saints. The Baptists... what marginal practices or beliefs do we have that are errant?
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