Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and started teaching the believers, “If you aren’t circumcised the way Moses commanded, you can’t be saved.”
If a person believes in Christ Jesus, it doesn’t matter whether they’re circumcised or not. The only thing that matters is faith expressing itself through love.
Make sure that no one makes you their prisoner through false and deceptive reasoning, through ideas that depend on human teachings and the basic spiritual powers of this world rather than on Christ.
The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had turned to God. This news made all the believers very glad.
So don’t let anyone judge you because of what you eat or drink or because of how you approach holy days such as special feasts and New Moons and Sabbath days.
When they heard this, they praised God. But then they said to Paul, “Brother, you see that thousands of Jews have become believers. All of them try very hard to obey the law.
Then the apostles, elders, and the whole church decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas Barsabbas and Silas, who were leaders among the believers.
Here’s the letter they sent with them: From the apostles and elders, your brothers. To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings.
The people who are trying to get you to be circumcised want others to be impressed with them. They don’t want to suffer for saying that we have to depend entirely on the cross of Christ.