Acts 15:1

Bible in Basic English (1941)

Now certain men came down from Judaea, teaching the brothers and saying that without circumcision, after the rule of Moses, there is no salvation.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

¶Καί τινες κατελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐδίδασκον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς, ὅτι Ἐὰν μὴ περιτέμνησθε τῷ ἔθει Μωϋσέως, οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι.

Transliteration

And tines having katelthontes from tēs Ioudaias were edidaskon the adelphous, that If not you are peritemneisthe to the ethei Mōuseōs, not you are dunasthe to be sōthēnai.

Grammar Details

• *tines*: nominative, masculine, plural - certain ones/some
• *katelthontes*: aorist participle, active, nominative, masculine, plural - having come down
• *tēs Ioudaias*: genitive, feminine, singular - of Judea
• *edidaskon*: imperfect, active, 3rd person, plural - were teaching [continuous action]
• *adelphous*: accusative, masculine, plural - brothers
• *peritemneisthe*: present, subjunctive, passive, 2nd person, plural - you are circumcised
• *ethei*: dative, neuter, singular - custom/manner
• *Mōuseōs*: genitive, masculine, singular - of Moses
• *dunasthe*: present, indicative, middle/passive, 2nd person, plural - you are able
• *sōthēnai*: aorist, infinitive, passive - to be saved

Word Meanings

• *katelthontes*: having come down/descended
• *edidaskon*: were teaching/instructing
• *ethei*: custom/tradition/practice
• *sōthēnai*: to be saved/delivered/preserved

Referenced Verses

• Acts 15:5 : 5 But some of the Pharisees, who were of the faith, got up and said, It is necessary for these to have circumcision and to keep the law of Moses.
• Acts 15:24 : 24 Because we have knowledge that some who went from us have been troubling you with their words, putting your souls in doubt; to whom we gave no such order;
• Lev 12:3 : 3 And on the eighth day let him be given circumcision.
• Acts 6:14 : 14 For he has said in our hearing that this Jesus of Nazareth will put this place to destruction and make changes in the rules which were handed down to us by Moses.
• Gal 2:11-14 : 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I made a protest against him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12 For before certain men came from James, he did take food with the Gentiles: but when they came, he went back and made himself separate, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews went after him, so that even Barnabas was overcome by their false ways. 14 But when I saw that they were not living uprightly in agreement with the true words of the good news, I said to Cephas before them all, If you, being a Jew, are living like the Gentiles, and not like the Jews, how will you make the Gentiles do the same as the Jews?
• Gal 5:1-4 : 1 Christ has truly made us free: then keep your free condition and let no man put a yoke on you again. 2 See, I Paul say to you, that if you undergo circumcision, Christ will be of no use to you. 3 Yes, I give witness again to every man who undergoes circumcision, that he will have to keep all the law. 4 You are cut off from Christ, you who would have righteousness by the law; you are turned away from grace.
• 1 Cor 7:18-19 : 18 If any man who is a Christian has had circumcision, let him keep so; and if any man who is a Christian has not had circumcision, let him make no change. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and its opposite is nothing, but only doing the orders of God is of value.
• Col 2:8 : 8 Take care that no one takes you away by force, through man's wisdom and deceit, going after the beliefs of men and the theories of the world, and not after Christ:
• Col 2:11-12 : 11 In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; 12 Having been put to death with him in baptism, by which you came to life again with him, through faith in the working of God, who made him come back from the dead.
• Col 2:16 : 16 For this reason let no man be your judge in any question of food or drink or feast days or new moons or Sabbaths:
• Gal 2:1 : 1 Then after the space of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus with me.
• Gal 2:3-4 : 3 But not even Titus who was with me, being a Greek, was made to undergo circumcision: 4 And that because of the false brothers let in secretly, who came searching out our free condition which we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might make servants of us;
• Gal 5:6 : 6 Because in Christ Jesus, having circumcision or not having circumcision are equally of no profit; but only faith working through love.
• Gal 6:13-16 : 13 Because even those who undergo circumcision do not themselves keep the law; but they would have you undergo circumcision, so that they may have glory in your flesh. 14 But far be it from me to have glory in anything, but only in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which this world has come to an end on the cross for me, and I for it. 15 For having circumcision is nothing, and not having circumcision is nothing, but only a new order of existence. 16 And on all who are guided by this rule be peace and mercy, and on the Israel of God.
• Phil 3:2-3 : 2 Be on the watch against dogs, against the workers of evil, against those of the circumcision: 3 For we are the circumcision, who give worship to God and have glory in Jesus Christ, and have no faith in the flesh:
• Acts 15:3 : 3 So they, being sent on their way by the church, went through Phoenicia and Samaria, giving news of the salvation of the Gentiles, to the great joy of all the brothers.
• John 7:22 : 22 Moses gave you circumcision--not that it comes from Moses, but from the fathers--and even on the Sabbath you give a child circumcision.
• Acts 21:20 : 20 And hearing it, they gave praise to God; and they said to him, You see, brother, what thousands there are among the Jews, who have the faith; and they all have a great respect for the law:
• Rom 4:8-9 : 8 Happy is the man against whom no sin is recorded by the Lord. 9 Is this blessing, then, for the circumcision only, or in the same way for those who have not circumcision? for we say that the faith of Abraham was put to his account as righteousness. 10 How, then, was it judged? when he had circumcision, or when he had it not? Not when he had it, but when he did not have it: 11 And he was given the sign of circumcision as a witness of the faith which he had before he underwent circumcision: so that he might be the father of all those who have faith, though they have not circumcision, and so that righteousness might be put to their account; 12 And the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who keep to the way of that faith which our father Abraham had before he underwent circumcision.
• Acts 15:22 : 22 Then it seemed good to the Apostles and the rulers and all the church, to send men from among them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; Judas, named Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brothers:
• Gen 17:10-27 : 10 And this is the agreement which you are to keep with me, you and your seed after you: every male among you is to undergo circumcision. 11 In the flesh of your private parts you are to undergo it, as a mark of the agreement between me and you. 12 Every male among you, from one generation to another, is to undergo circumcision when he is eight days old, with every servant whose birth takes place in your house, or for whom you gave money to someone of another country, and not of your seed. 13 He who comes to birth in your house and he who is made yours for a price, all are to undergo circumcision; so that my agreement may be marked in your flesh, an agreement for all time. 14 And any male who does not undergo circumcision will be cut off from his people: my agreement has been broken by him. 15 And God said, As for Sarai, your wife, from now her name will be not Sarai, but Sarah. 16 And I will give her a blessing so that you will have a son by her: truly my blessing will be on her, and she will be the mother of nations: kings of peoples will be her offspring. 17 Then Abraham went down on his face, and laughing, said in his heart, May a man a hundred years old have a child? will Sarah, at ninety years old, give birth? 18 And Abraham said to God, If only Ishmael's life might be your care! 19 And God said, Not so; but Sarah, your wife, will have a son, and you will give him the name Isaac, and I will make my agreement with him for ever and with his seed after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have given ear to your prayer: truly I have given him my blessing and I will make him fertile and give him great increase; he will be the father of twelve chiefs, and I will make him a great nation. 21 But my agreement will be with Isaac, to whom Sarah will give birth a year from this time. 22 And having said these words, God went up from Abraham. 23 And Abraham took Ishmael, his son, and all whose birth had taken place in his house, and all his servants whom he had made his for a price, every male of his house, and on that very day he gave them circumcision in the flesh of their private parts as God had said to him. 24 Abraham was ninety-nine years old when he underwent circumcision. 25 And Ishmael, his son, was thirteen years old when he underwent circumcision. 26 Abraham and Ishmael, his son, underwent circumcision on that very day. 27 And all the men of his house, those whose birth had taken place in the house and those whom he had got for money from men of other lands, underwent circumcision with him.