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.
I had studied Judaism in depth, more so than most Jews my age. That was because I was so devoted to the teachings passed down from those who’d lived before us.
“I’m a Jew. I was born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but I grew up here in Jerusalem. I studied with Gamaliel, who trained me well in the law that was given to our people long ago. I wanted to honor God as much as any of you do.
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.”
When they heard this, they didn’t question or criticize Peter any longer. Instead, they praised God and said, “So then, God has allowed even Gentiles to turn away from their sins and find life!”
All these things will happen when he comes to be glorified in his holy people. Everyone who has believed will be amazed when they see him. This includes you, because you have believed our testimony to you.
The leaders warned Peter and John again and then let them go. They didn’t dare punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.
During that time, when a crowd of so many thousands had gathered that the people were stepping on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples. He said, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. They just pretend to be godly.