24. We have heard that some men have come to you from our group. What they said troubled and upset you. But we did not tell them to do this.
25. We have all agreed to choose some men and send them to you. They will be with our dear friends, Barnabas and Paul.
26. Barnabas and Paul have given their lives to serve our Lord Jesus Christ.
27. So we have sent Judas and Silas with them. They will tell you the same things.
28. We agree with the Holy Spirit that you should have no more burdens, except for these necessary things:
29. Don’t eat food that has been given to idols. Don’t eat meat from animals that have been strangled or any meat that still has the blood in it. Don’t be involved in sexual sin. If you stay away from these, you will do well. We say goodbye now.
30. So Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas left Jerusalem and went to Antioch. There they gathered the group of believers together and gave them the letter.
31. When the believers read it, they were happy. The letter comforted them.
32. Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, said many things to encourage the believers and make them stronger in their faith.
33. After Judas and Silas stayed there for a while, they left. They received a blessing of peace from the believers. Then they went back to those who had sent them.
35. But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught the believers and told other people the Good News about the Lord.
36. A few days later, Paul said to Barnabas, “We should go back to all the towns where we told people the message of the Lord. We should visit the believers to see how they are doing.”
37. Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark with them too.
38. But on their first trip John Mark did not continue with them in the work. He had left them at Pamphylia. So Paul did not think it was a good idea to take him this time.
39. Paul and Barnabas had a big argument about this. It was so bad that they separated and went different ways. Barnabas sailed to Cyprus and took Mark with him.
40. Paul chose Silas to go with him. The believers in Antioch put Paul into the Lord’s care and sent him out.
41. Paul and Silas went through the countries of Syria and Cilicia, helping the churches grow stronger.