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Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Acts 15:31

When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Catholicity;   Church;   Elder;   Gentiles;   Judas (Jude);   Silas;   Zeal, Religious;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Circumcision;   Council;   Meats;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Antioch in syria;   Paul;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Worship;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Abstinence;   Ordination;   Presbyterians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Antioch;   Peter;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Barnabas;   Silas;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Acts;   Romans, Book of;   Unity;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Council;   Galatians, Epistle to the;   James;   James, Epistle of;   Judas;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Comfort;   Consolation;   Exhortation;   Silas or Silyanus;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Antioch in Syria ;   Barnabas ;   Silas ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Judas;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Antioch;   Synagogue;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Silas;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - New Testament;   Saul of Tarsus;  

Parallel Translations

Simplified Cowboy Version
People were whooping and hollering and waving their hats in the air at the good news.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Legacy Standard Bible
And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Bible in Basic English
And after reading it, they were glad of its comfort.
Darby Translation
And having read it, they rejoiced at the consolation.
New King James Version
When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.
Christian Standard Bible®
When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
World English Bible
When they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
Which having read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Weymouth's New Testament
The people read it, and were delighted with the comfort it brought them.
King James Version (1611)
Which when they had read, they reioyced for the consolation.
Literal Translation
And reading it , they rejoiced at the comfort.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan they had red it, they were glad of that cosolacion.
Mace New Testament (1729)
they were affected with joy at the comfortable contents, as for Judas and Silas,
Amplified Bible
And when they had read it, the people rejoiced greatly at the encouragement and comfort [it brought them].
American Standard Version
And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Revised Standard Version
And when they read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
When they had redde it they reioysed of that consolacion.
Update Bible Version
And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Webster's Bible Translation
[Which] when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Young's Literal Translation
and they having read, did rejoice for the consolation;
New Century Version
When they read it, they were very happy because of the encouraging message.
New English Translation
When they read it aloud, the people rejoiced at its encouragement.
Contemporary English Version
When the letter was read, everyone was pleased and greatly encouraged.
Complete Jewish Bible
After reading it, the people were delighted by its encouragement.
English Standard Version
And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And when they had read it, they reioyced for the consolation.
George Lamsa Translation
And when they had read it, the people rejoiced and were comforted.
Hebrew Names Version
When they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.
International Standard Version
When the peoplethey">[fn] read it, they were pleased with the encouragement it brought them.it brought them">[fn]
Etheridge Translation
And when they had read, they rejoiced and were comforted.
Murdock Translation
And when they had read [fn] , they rejoiced and were comforted.
New Living Translation
And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.
New Life Bible
When they read it, they were glad for the comfort and strength it brought them.
English Revised Version
And when they had read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.
New Revised Standard
When its members read it, they rejoiced at the exhortation.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, when they read it, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
King James Version
Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Lexham English Bible
And when they read it aloud, they rejoiced at the encouragement.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Which when they had read, they reioyced of the consolation.
Easy-to-Read Version
When the believers read it, they were happy. The letter comforted them.
New American Standard Bible
When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Good News Translation
When the people read it, they were filled with joy by the message of encouragement.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
which whanne thei hadden red, thei ioyden on the coumfort.

Contextual Overview

22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers, 23and sent them with this letter: "The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings. 24It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled your minds by what they said. 25So we all agreed to choose men to send you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing you. 28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: 29You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell." 30So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter. 31When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

they rejoiced: Acts 15:1, Acts 15:10, Acts 16:5, Galatians 2:4, Galatians 2:5, Galatians 5:1, Philippians 3:3

consolation: or, exhortation

Reciprocal: Joshua 22:33 - the thing Acts 13:48 - they

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Which when they had read,.... That is, when the brethren of the church at Antioch had read the letter delivered to them; for not Paul and Barnabas, or Judas and Silas, who were sent with it, read it, but the brethren to whom it was sent, as was proper.

They rejoiced for the consolation, or "exhortation", as the word may be rendered, which was given them in the letter, to abstain from the above things, without being burdened with any other; and they rejoiced that there was such an agreement among the apostles, elders, and brethren at Jerusalem; and that their sentiments, and those of Paul and Barnabas, and other faithful ministers and saints at Antioch, were alike, and were opposed to the judaizing preachers and professors; and above all, they rejoiced that they were freed from the burdensome yoke of the law, and that the controversy which had been raised among them, was likely to be ended, and to issue so well.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They rejoiced for the consolation - They acquiesced in the decision of the apostles and elders, and rejoiced that they were not to be subjected to the burdensome rites and ceremonies of the Jewish religion. This closes the account of the first Christian council. It was conducted throughout on Christian principles; in a mild, kind, conciliatory spirit, and is a model for all similar assemblages. It came together, not to promote, but to silence disputation; not to persecute the people of God, but to promote their peace; not to be a scene of harsh and angry recrimination, but to be an example of all that was mild, and tender, and kind. Those who composed it came together, not to carry a point, not to overreach their adversaries, not to be party people, but to mingle their sober counsels, to inquire what was right, and to express, in a Christian manner, what was proper to be done. Great and important principles were to be established in regard to the Christian church, and they engaged in their work evidently with a deep sense of their responsibility, and with a just view of their dependence on the aid of the Holy Spirit. How happy Would it have been if this spirit had been possessed by all professedly Christian councils; if all had really sought the peace and harmony of the churches; if none had ever been convened to kindle the fires of persecution, or to rend and destroy the church of God!

This council has been usually appealed to as the authority for councils in the church as a permanent arrangement, and especially as an authority for courts of appeal and control. But it establishes neither, and should be brought as authority for neither. For:

(1) It was not a court of appeal in any intelligible sense. It was an assembly convened for a special purpose; designed to settle an inquiry which arose in a particular part of the church, and which required the collected wisdom of the apostles and elders.

(2) It had none of the marks or appendages of a court. The term “court,” or judicature, is nowhere applied to it, nor to any assembly of Christian people in the New Testament. Nor should these terms be used now in the churches. courts of judicature imply a degree of authority which cannot be proved from the New Testament to have been conceded to any ecclesiastical body of people.

(3) There is not the slightest intimation that anything like permanency was to be attached to this council, or that it would be periodically or regularly repeated. It proves, indeed, that, when cases of difficulty occur - when Christians are perplexed and embarrassed, or when contentions arise - it is proper to refer to Christian people for advice and direction. Such was the case here, and such a course is obviously proper. If it should be maintained that it is well that Christian ministers and laymen should assemble periodically, at stated intervals, on the supposition that such cases may arise, this is conceded; but the example of the apostles and elders should not be pleaded as making such assemblies of divine right and authority, or as being essential to the existence of a church of God. Such an arrangement has been deemed to be so desirable by Christians, that it has been adopted by Episcopalians in their regular annual and triennial Conventions; by Methodists in their conferences; by Presbyterians in their General Assembly; by Friends in their Yearly Meetings; by Baptists and congregationalists in their Associations, etc.; but the example of the council summoned on a special emergency at Jerusalem should not be pleaded as giving divine authority to these periodical assemblages. They are wise and prudent arrangements, contributing to the peace of the church, and the example of the council at Jerusalem can be adduced as furnishing as reach divine authority for one as for another; that is, it does not make all or either of them of divine authority, or obligatory on the church of God.

(4) It should be added that a degree of authority (compare Acts 16:4) would, of course, be attached to the decision of the apostles and elders at that time which cannot be to any body of ministers and laymen now. Besides, it should never be forgotten - what, alas! it seems to have been the pleasure and the interest of ecclesiastics to forget that neither the apostles nor elders asserted any jurisdiction over the churches of Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia; that they did not claim a right to have these cases referred to them; that they did not attempt to “lord it” over their faith or their consciences. The case was a single, specific, definite question referred to them, and they decided it as such. They asserted no abstract right of such jurisdiction; they sought not to intermeddle With the case; they enjoined no future reference of such cases to them, to their successors, or to any ecclesiastical tribunal. They evidently regarded the churches as blessed with the most ample freedom, and contemplated no arrangement of a permanent character asserting a right to legislate on articles of faith, or to make laws for the direction of the Lord’s freemen.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. They rejoiced for the consolation. — It was not a matter of small moment to have a question on which such stress was laid decided by an apostolic council, over which the Spirit of God presided.


 
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