Kwehla abathile eJudiya, bafundisa abazalwane ukuthi: “Uma ningasokwa ngomthetho kaMose, ningesindiswe.” Kuthe ukuba kuvele ukuphambana nokuphikisana okukhulu phakathi kwabo noPawulu noBarnaba, banquma ukuba oPawulu noBarnaba nabathile kubo bakhuphukele eJerusalema kubaphostoli namalunga ngaleyo ndaba. Ngalokho bephelekezelwe yibandla badabula iFenike neSamariya, balandisa ukuphenduka kwabezizwe, benzela bonke abazalwane intokozo enkulu. Sebefikile eJerusalema bamukelwa yibandla nabaphostoli namalunga, bakubika konke uNkulunkulu abekwenzile ngabo.
Kepha kwasukuma abathile behlelo labaFarisi abakholwayo, bathi kumelwe ukuba basokwe, bayalwe ukugcina umthetho kaMose.
Base bebuthana abaphostoli namalunga, ukuze bayihlole leyo ndaba. Sebephikisene kakhulu, wasukuma uPetru, wathi kubo: “Madoda, bazalwane, niyazi ukuthi sekukade uNkulunkulu wakhetha phakathi kwenu ukuba abezizwe bezwe izwi levangeli ngomlomo wami, bakholwe. UNkulunkulu owazi inhliziyo wabafakazela, ebapha uMoya oNgcwele njengathi; futhi akahlukanisanga ngalutho phakathi kwethu nabo, ehlambulula izinhliziyo zabo ngokukholwa. Manje-ke nimlingelani uNkulunkulu ngokubeka ijoka entanyeni yabafundi, obaba nathi esasingenamandla okulithwala na? Kepha siyakholwa ukuthi sisindiswa ngomusa weNkosi uJesu ngandlelanye nabo.”
Isixuku sonke sathula; babelalela oBarnaba noPawulu belanda ngezibonakaliso nangezimangaliso zonke uNkulunkulu abezenzile ngabo phakathi kwabezizwe. Kepha sebethulile, uJakobe wathatha wathi: “Madoda, bazalwane, ngilaleleni. USimeyoni uselandile ngokuhlela kukaNkulunkulu ekuqaleni ukuba athathele igama lakhe isizwe kubo abezizwe. Namazwi abaprofethi ayavumelana nalokho, njengalokho kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“ ‘Emva kwalokho ngiyakubuya,
ngiyakhe futhi indlu kaDavide ewileyo,
ngibuye ngakhe okudilikileyo kwayo,
ngiyimise,
ukuze abaseleyo babantu kanye
nabezizwe bonke bayifune iNkosi,
elibizwe phezu kwabo igama lami,’
isho iNkosi ekwenza lokhu,
okwaziwa kwaphakade.
“Ngakho mina ngithi masingabakhathazi labo kwabezizwe abaphendukela kuNkulunkulu, kodwa masibalobele ukuba bayeke amanyala ezithombe, nawobufebe, nawokuqumbeleneyo, nawegazi. Ngokuba uMose unabo abashumayelayo emizini yonke kwasezizukulwaneni zasendulo efundwa emasinagogeni* amasabatha ngamasabatha.”
Khona kwaba kuhle kubaphostoli namalunga nakulo ibandla lonke ukuthumela e-Antiyokiya noPawulu noBarnaba amadoda akhethiweyo phakathi kwabo, uJuda othiwa uBarsaba noSila, amadoda angabaholi phakathi kwabazalwane, baloba ngesandla sabo ngokuthi:
Abaphostoli namalunga, abazalwane, bayabingelela abazalwane abavela kwabezizwe abase-Antiyokiya, nabaseSiriya, nabaseKhilikhiya.
Njengalokho sizwile ukuthi abanye abavela kithi banikhathazile ngamazwi, benyakazisa imiphefumulo esingabayalelanga khona, kwaba kuhle kithi sesinhliziyonye ukuthuma kini amadoda akhethiweyo kanye nabathandiweyo bethu oBarnaba noPawulu, abantu abadele ukuphila kwabo ngenxa yegama leNkosi yethu uJesu Kristu. Ngalokho sithumile oJuda noSila abazakunitshela lezo zinto ngomlomo. Ngokuba kwaba kuhle kuMoya oNgcwele nakithi ukuba singanithwesi umthwalo omkhulu ngaphandle kwalezi zinto ezifunekayo zokuthi niyeke okuhlatshelwe izithombe, negazi, nokuqumbeleneyo, nobufebe; uma nizilinda kulezo zinto, noba nenza kahle.
Salani kahle.
Ngakho sebemukisiwe behlela e-Antiyokiya, balibutha ibandla, balinika incwadi. Sebeyifundile bathokoza ngenduduzo yayo. OJuda noSila, njengokuba nabo bengabaprofethi, babaduduza abazalwane ngamazwi amaningi, babaqinisa. Sebehlale khona isikhathi, bamukiswa ngabazalwane ngokuthula, babuyela kubo ababathumileyo. Kepha kwaba kuhle kuSila ukuba asale khona. Kodwa oPawulu noBarnaba bahlala e-Antiyokiya, befundisa beshumayela izwi leNkosi kanye nabanye abaningi.