30So then, having been sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter. [15:31] Having read it, they rejoiced at the encouragement. [15:32] Both Judas and Silas, also themselves being prophets, through much discourse exhorted the brothers and strengthened them. [15:33] Having spent some time, they were sent away in peace from the brothers to those having sent them. [15:34] It seemed good, however, to Silas to remain there. [15:35] Paul, however, and Barnabas were staying in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the good news, along with many others also, the word of the Lord.
ACT 15:30-35
The Believers at Antioch Rejoice
In the world it was spoken into
In 1st-century Antioch, a major urban center with a diverse population of Jews and Gentiles, the arrival of the letter from the Jerusalem council would have been a significant event. The (multitude) gathered likely included both Jewish and Gentile believers, reflecting the mixed community of the Antioch church. The letter’s contents, addressing the controversy over Gentile circumcision, would have been read aloud, a common practice in communal settings. The (encouragement/exhortation) in the letter would have been understood not just as comfort but as a form of authoritative guidance, akin to a legal or communal decree. Judas and Silas, identified as prophets, would have been seen as authoritative figures, their role extending beyond mere messengers to active participants in strengthening the community through (exhortation). Their departure in (peace) reflects the communal harmony and mutual respect between the Jerusalem and Antioch churches. Silas’s decision to remain suggests his ongoing role in the Antioch community, while Paul and Barnabas’s teaching and evangelism highlight the church’s active engagement in spreading the word.
›See the receipts
How other translations render this
ACT 15:30
- KJV
- So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
- BSB
- So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter.
- Koinōnos
- So then, having been sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the letter.
ACT 15:31
- KJV
- Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
- BSB
- When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.
- Koinōnos
- Having read it, they rejoiced at the encouragement.
ACT 15:32
- KJV
- And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
- BSB
- Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
- Koinōnos
- Both Judas and Silas, also themselves being prophets, through much discourse exhorted the brothers and strengthened them.
ACT 15:33
- KJV
- And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.
- BSB
- After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them.
- Koinōnos
- Having spent some time, they were sent away in peace from the brothers to those having sent them.
ACT 15:34
- KJV
- Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.
- Koinōnos
- It seemed good, however, to Silas to remain there.
ACT 15:35
- KJV
- Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
- BSB
- But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
- Koinōnos
- Paul, however, and Barnabas were staying in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the good news, along with many others also, the word of the Lord.
Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.
Translator's notes
ACT 15:30
- multitude:The word translated 'multitude' refers to a large crowd or assembly, emphasizing the collective body of believers gathered together.
ACT 15:31
- encouragement.:The term used here for 'encouragement' carries the sense of a call to one's side for help, comfort, or exhortation, often implying a strengthening or uplifting.
ACT 15:32
- exhorted:The word translated 'exhorted' means to call someone to one's side, often for the purpose of comforting, encouraging, or urging them to a particular course of action.
ACT 15:33
- peace:The word translated 'peace' in this context refers to a state of well-being, security, and wholeness, not merely the absence of conflict.