24. Because we have heard that some have gone out from among us—to whom we gave no orders—and have thrown you into confusion by words upsetting your minds,
25. it seemed best to us, having reached a unanimous decision, and having chosen men, to send them to you together with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul,
26. men who have risked their lives on behalf of the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they will report the same things by word of mouth.
28. For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to place on you no greater burden except these necessary things:
29. that you abstain from food sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these things you will do well. Farewell.
30. So when they were sent off, they came down to Antioch, and after calling together the community, they delivered the letter.
31. And when they read it aloud, they rejoiced at the encouragement.
32. Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers by a long message.
33. And after spending some time, they were sent away in peace from the brothers to those who had sent them.
35. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord with many others also.
36. And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, “Come then,let us return and visit the brothers in every town in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.”
37. Now Barnabas wanted to take John who was called Mark along also,
38. but Paul held the opinion they should not take this one along, who departed from them in Pamphylia and did not accompany them in the work.
39. And a sharp disagreement took place, so that they separated from one another. And Barnabas took along Mark and sailed away to Cyprus,
40. but Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers.
41. And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.