Acts 15:32

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters and strengthened them with a long message.

King James Version (1611)
And Iudas and Silas, being Prophets also themselues, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them:

King James Version
And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

English Standard Version
And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words.

New American Standard Bible
Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers and sisters with a lengthy message.

New Century Version
Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, said many things to encourage the believers and make them stronger.

Amplified Bible
Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets (divinely inspired spokesmen), encouraged and strengthened the believers with many words.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.

Legacy Standard Bible
And both Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a lengthy message.

Berean Standard Bible
Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

Contemporary English Version
Judas and Silas were prophets, and they spoke a long time, encouraging and helping the Lord's followers.

Complete Jewish Bible
Y'hudah and Sila, who were also prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.

Darby Translation
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with much discourse, and strengthened them.

Easy-to-Read Version
Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, said many things to encourage the believers and make them stronger in their faith.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And Iudas and Silas being Prophets, exhorted the brethren with many wordes, & strengthened them.

George Lamsa Translation
And Judas and Silas, being prophets themselves also, confirmed the brethren with gracious words.

Good News Translation
Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, spoke a long time with them, giving them courage and strength.

Lexham English Bible
Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers by a long message.

Literal Translation
And Judas and Silas, themselves also being prophets, exhorted the brothers through much speech, and confirmed them .

American Standard Version
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

Bible in Basic English
And Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, gave teaching to the brothers and made them strong in the faith.

Hebrew Names Version
Yehudah and Sila, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them.

International Standard Version
Then Judas and Silas, who were also prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.Acts 14:22; 18:23;">[xr]

Etheridge Translation
And by the word the brethren were the more strengthened, and Jihuda and Shilo established them because they were prophets also.

Murdock Translation
And with abundant discourse they strengthened the brethren; and the associates of Jude and Silas established them, because they also were prophets.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Iudas, and Silas, beyng prophetes, exhorted ye brethren with many wordes, and strengthed them.

English Revised Version
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.

World English Bible
Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers with many words, and strengthened them.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted and confirmed the brethren with many words.

Weymouth's New Testament
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also Prophets, gave them a long and encouraging talk, and strengthened them in the faith.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And Judas and Silas and thei, for thei weren prophetis, coumfortiden britheren, and confermyden with ful many wordis.

Update Bible Version
And Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, exhorted the brothers with many words, and confirmed them.

Webster's Bible Translation
And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed [them].

New English Translation
Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech.

New King James Version
Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.

New Living Translation
Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith.

New Life Bible
Judas and Silas were preachers also. They preached to the Christians and helped them to become stronger in the faith.

New Revised Standard
Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, both Judas and Silas, being themselves also prophets, with much discourse, consoled and confirmed the brethren.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, with many words comforted the brethren and confirmed them.

Revised Standard Version
And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren with many words and strengthened them.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
And Iudas and Sylas beinge prophetes exhorted the brethren with moche preachynge and strengthed them.

Young's Literal Translation
Judas also and Silas, being themselves also prophets, through much discourse did exhort the brethren, and confirm,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
As for Iudas & Sylas (which were prophetes also) they exorted ye brethre with moch preachinge, and stregthed them.

Mace New Testament (1729)
they being also prophets, they consolated and confirm'd the brethren by several discourses.

Simplified Cowboy Version
Then Judas and Silas, both being top hands, talked with all the cowboys. They encouraged them and told them to be strong and keep the faith.

Contextual Overview

²²Everyone agreed: apostles, leaders, all the people. They picked Judas (nicknamed Barsabbas) and Silas—they both carried considerable weight in the church—and sent them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas with this letter: From the apostles and leaders, your friends, to our friends in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Hello! ²⁴We heard that some men from our church went to you and said things that confused and upset you. Mind you, they had no authority from us; we didn't send them. We have agreed unanimously to pick representatives and send them to you with our good friends Barnabas and Paul. We picked men we knew you could trust, Judas and Silas—they've looked death in the face time and again for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ. We've sent them to confirm in a face-to-face meeting with you what we've written. ²⁸It seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that you should not be saddled with any crushing burden, but be responsible only for these bare necessities: Be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians (blood, for instance); and guard the morality of sex and marriage. These guidelines are sufficient to keep relations congenial between us. And God be with you! ³⁰And so off they went to Antioch. On arrival, they gathered the church and read the letter. The people were greatly relieved and pleased. Judas and Silas, good preachers both of them, strengthened their new friends with many words of courage and hope. Then it was time to go home. They were sent off by their new friends with laughter and embraces all around to report back to those who had sent them. Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of God. But they weren't alone. There were a number of teachers and preachers at that time in Antioch. After a few days of this, Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit all our friends in each of the towns where we preached the Word of God. Let's see how they're doing." Barnabas wanted to take John along, the John nicknamed Mark. But Paul wouldn't have him; he wasn't about to take along a quitter who, as soon as the going got tough, had jumped ship on them in Pamphylia. Tempers flared, and they ended up going their separate ways: Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus; Paul chose Silas and, offered up by their friends to the grace of the Master, went to Syria and Cilicia to build up muscle and sinew in those congregations. ³⁴To Let Outsiders Inside It wasn't long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: "If you're not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can't be saved." Paul and Barnabas were up on their feet at once in fierce protest. The church decided to resolve the matter by sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few others to put it before the apostles and leaders in Jerusalem. After they were sent off and on their way, they told everyone they met as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria about the breakthrough to the non-Jewish outsiders. Everyone who heard the news cheered—it was terrific news! When they got to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were graciously received by the whole church, including the apostles and leaders. They reported on their recent journey and how God had used them to open things up to the outsiders. Some Pharisees stood up to say their piece. They had become believers, but continued to hold to the hard party line of the Pharisees. "You have to circumcise the pagan converts," they said. "You must make them keep the Law of Moses." The apostles and leaders called a special meeting to consider the matter. The arguments went on and on, back and forth, getting more and more heated. Then Peter took the floor: "Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him. "So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don't we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?" There was dead silence. No one said a word. With the room quiet, Barnabas and Paul reported matter-of-factly on the miracles and wonders God had done among the other nations through their ministry. The silence deepened; you could hear a pin drop. James broke the silence. "Friends, listen. Simeon has told us the story of how God at the very outset made sure that racial outsiders were included. This is in perfect agreement with the words of the prophets: After this, I'm coming back; I'll rebuild David's ruined house; I'll put all the pieces together again; I'll make it look like new So outsiders who seek will find, so they'll have a place to come to, All the pagan peoples included in what I'm doing. "God said it and now he's doing it. It's no afterthought; he's always known he would do this. "So here is my decision: We're not going to unnecessarily burden non-Jewish people who turn to the Master. We'll write them a letter and tell them, ‘Be careful to not get involved in activities connected with idols, to guard the morality of sex and marriage, to not serve food offensive to Jewish Christians—blood, for instance.' This is basic wisdom from Moses, preached and honored for centuries now in city after city as we have met and kept the Sabbath." Everyone agreed: apostles, leaders, all the people. They picked Judas (nicknamed Barsabbas) and Silas—they both carried considerable weight in the church—and sent them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas with this letter: From the apostles and leaders, your friends, to our friends in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Hello! We heard that some men from our church went to you and said things that confused and upset you. Mind you, they had no authority from us; we didn't send them. We have agreed unanimously to pick representatives and send them to you with our good friends Barnabas and Paul. We picked men we knew you could trust, Judas and Silas—they've looked death in the face time and again for the sake of our Master Jesus Christ. We've sent them to confirm in a face-to-face meeting with you what we've written. It seemed to the Holy Spirit and to us that you should not be saddled with any crushing burden, but be responsible only for these bare necessities: Be careful not to get involved in activities connected with idols; avoid serving food offensive to Jewish Christians (blood, for instance); and guard the morality of sex and marriage. These guidelines are sufficient to keep relations congenial between us. And God be with you! And so off they went to Antioch. On arrival, they gathered the church and read the letter. The people were greatly relieved and pleased. Judas and Silas, good preachers both of them, strengthened their new friends with many words of courage and hope. Then it was time to go home. They were sent off by their new friends with laughter and embraces all around to report back to those who had sent them. ³⁵ Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of God. But they weren't alone. There were a number of teachers and preachers at that time in Antioch.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

being: Acts 2:17, Acts 2:18, Acts 11:23, Acts 11:27, Acts 13:1, Matthew 23:34, Luke 11:49, Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:28, 1 Corinthians 12:29, 1 Corinthians 14:3, 1 Corinthians 14:29, 1 Corinthians 14:32, Ephesians 3:5, Ephesians 4:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:20

exhorted: Acts 2:40, Acts 11:23, Acts 14:22, Acts 18:23, Acts 20:2, Romans 12:8, 1 Thessalonians 2:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 1 Thessalonians 5:14, 2 Thessalonians 3:12, 1 Timothy 2:1, 2 Timothy 4:2, Titus 2:6-15, 1 Peter 5:1, 1 Peter 5:12

confirmed: Acts 15:41, Isaiah 35:3, Isaiah 35:4, Daniel 11:1, 1 Corinthians 1:8, Ephesians 4:12, Ephesians 4:13, 1 Thessalonians 3:2, 1 Peter 5:10

Reciprocal: Acts 15:22 - Silas Acts 15:40 - chose Acts 17:4 - Silas 1 Thessalonians 1:1 - Silvanus

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Judas and Silas being also prophets themselves,.... As well as Paul and Barnabas, and others, that were at Antioch; see

Acts 13:1 and by prophets are meant, not only such who had the gift of foretelling things to come; though such there were, and these might have that gift; but such who were able to explain the prophecies of the Old Testament, give the true sense of the Scriptures, and open them to the edification of others; wherefore having such gifts, they made use of them; Beza's ancient copy adds, "full of the Holy Ghost":

and exhorted the brethren with many words; which does not so much design the prolixity of their discourses, and the frequency of their ministrations, though they might preach both long and often; as the richness of the matter of them, as the Syriac version suggests, rendering it, "with a rich word"; with copiousness, fulness, and abundance of Gospel truths, with which they comforted the brethren, giving them many useful instructions and exhortations:

and confirmed them; in the doctrines of the Gospel, and particularly in their Christian liberty, and freedom from the law of Moses, in which the false teachers had endeavoured to stagger them.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Being prophets - See the notes on Acts 11:27. This evidently implies that they had been preachers before they went to Antioch. What was the precise nature of the office of a prophet in the Christian church it is not easy to ascertain. Possibly it may imply that they were teachers of unusual or remark able ability. Compare the notes on Romans 12:6.

Confirmed them - Strengthened them; that is, by their instructions and exhortations. See the notes on Acts 14:22.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 32. Judas and Silas, being prophets — That is, being teachers in the Church. This signification of the word prophet we have often already seen. See the notes on Acts 11:27; Acts 13:1.

Exhorted the brethren — To abide steadily attached to God, and to each other, in peace, love, and unity.

And confirmed them.] In the blessed truths they had already received.