Textus Receptus Bibles
The Great Bible 1539
| 15:1 | And certayne men which came downe taught the brethren excepte ye be circumcysed after the maner of Moses, ye cannot be saued. |
| 15:2 | So when ther was rysen dissencion & disputyng not a lyttel vnto Paul and Barnabas agaynst them, they determined that Paule and Barnabas, and certayne other of them, shulde go vp to Ierusalem vnto the Apostles and elders about thys questyon. |
| 15:3 | And after they were brought on their waye by the congregacion, they passed ouer Phenices and Samaria, declaryng the conuersion of the Gentyls, and they brought greate ioye vnto all the brethren. |
| 15:4 | And when they were come to Ierusalem, they were receaued of the congregacion & of the Apostles and elders. And they declared all thynges that God had done by them. |
| 15:5 | Then rose vp certayne of the secte of the Pharyses, which dyd beleue, saying, that it was nedfull to circumcyse them, and to commaunde them to kepe the lawe of Moses. |
| 15:6 | And the Apostles & elders came together, to reason of thys matter. |
| 15:7 | And when ther was moche disputyng, Peter rose vp, & sayde vnto them: Ye men & brethren, ye knowe how the a good whyle agoo, God dyd chose amonge vs, that the Gentyls by my mouth shuld heare the worde of the Gospell, and beleue. |
| 15:8 | And God which knoweth the hertes, bare them wytnes, and gaue vnto them the holy goost, euen as he dyd vnto vs, |
| 15:9 | and put no difference betwene vs and them seynge that with fayth he purified theyr hertes. |
| 15:10 | Now therfore, why tempte ye God, to put on the disciples neckes the yoke which nether our fathers nor we were able to beare, |
| 15:11 | But we beleue, that thorow the grace of the Lorde Iesu Christ, we shalbe saued, as they do. |
| 15:12 | Then all the multitude was peased & gaue audience to Barnabas & Paul, which tolde what sygnes & wondres God had shewed amonge the Gentyls by them. |
| 15:13 | And when they helde their peace, Iames answered, sayng: Men & brethren, herken vnto me. |
| 15:14 | Simeon tolde, how God at the beginning dyd visit the gentyls, to receaue of them a people in his name. |
| 15:15 | And to this agree the wordes of the prophetes, as it is written: |
| 15:16 | After this I wyll returne, and wyll buylde agayne the tabernacle of Dauid, which is fallen downe and that which is fallen in decaye of it, wyll I buylde agayne, and I wyll set it vp, |
| 15:17 | that the resydue of men myght seke after the Lord & also the Gentyls vpon whom my name is named sayth the Lorde, which doth all these thynges: |
| 15:18 | knowen vnto God are all hys workes from the begynning of the world. |
| 15:19 | Wherfore my sentence is, that we trouble not them: which from amonge the Gentyls, are turned to God: |
| 15:20 | but that we wryte vnto them, that they absteyne them selues from filthynes of ymages, and from fornicacyon, and from straunglyd, and from bloude. |
| 15:21 | For Moses of olde tyme hath in euery cytie them that preache hym, in the synagoges, when he is redd euery Saboth daye. |
| 15:22 | Then pleased it the Apostles and elders with the whole congregacion, to sende chosen men of theyr awne company to Antioche wt Paul and Barnabas, They sent Iudas (whose syrname was Barsabas) and Sylas, which were chefe men amonge the brethren, |
| 15:23 | and gaue them leters in theyr handes after thys maner. The Apostles, and elders and brethren send gretynges vnto the brethren which are of the Gentyls in Antioche, Syria and Cylicia. |
| 15:24 | For as moche as we haue hearde, that certayne which departed from vs, haue troubled you with wordes, and combred youre myndes saying: Ye must be circumcysed, and kepe the lawe, to whom we gaue no soch commaundement. |
| 15:25 | It semed therfore to vs a good thynge, when we were come together with one accorde, to sende chosen men vnto you, with oure beloued Barnabas and Paul, |
| 15:26 | men that haue ieoparded their lyues for the name of oure Lorde Iesus Christ. |
| 15:27 | We haue sent therfore Iudas and Sylas, which shall also tell you the same thinges by mouth. |
| 15:28 | For it semed good to the holy ghost and to vs, to charge you with no more then these necessary thynges: |
| 15:29 | that is to saye, that ye abstayne from thynges offered to ymages, and from bloud, and from straungled and from fornicacyon. From which yf ye kepe youre selues, ye shall do well. So fare ye well. |
| 15:30 | When they therfore were departed, they cam to Antioche and gathered the multytude together, & deliuered the pistle. |
| 15:31 | Which when they had red, they reioysed of the consolacyon. |
| 15:32 | And Iudas & Sylas being Prophetes, exhorted the brethren with moch preachynge, & strengthed them. |
| 15:33 | And after they had taryed there a space, they were let go in peace of the brethren vnto the Apostles. |
| 15:34 | Not withstandyng it pleased Sylas, to abyde there styll |
| 15:35 | Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioche, teachynge & preachynge the worde of the Lorde with other many. |
| 15:36 | But after a certayne space, Paul sayd vnto Barnabas: Let vs go agayne, and visite oure brethren in euery cytie where we haue shewed the word of the Lord, & se how they do. |
| 15:37 | And Barnabas gaue counsell to take with them Iohn, whose syrname was Marcke. |
| 15:38 | But Paul wold not take him vnto their company which departed from them at Pamphilia, & went not with them to the worcke. |
| 15:39 | And the contencion was so sharpe betwene them: that they departed asunder one from the other & so Barnabas toke Marcke, and sayled vnto Cypers. |
| 15:40 | And Paul chose Sylas, & departed, beynge commytted of the brethren vnto the grace of God. |
| 15:41 | And he went thorow Cyria and Cylicia, stablisshinge the congregacions: |
The Great Bible 1539
The Great Bible of 1539 was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English, authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of the Church of England. The Great Bible was prepared by Myles Coverdale, working under commission of Thomas, Lord Cromwell, Secretary to Henry VIII and Vicar General. In 1538, Cromwell directed the clergy to provide "one book of the bible of the largest volume in English, and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church that ye have care of, whereas your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it."