Verse Lens · Concise explanation
Acts 15:5 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 5. 5But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Quick Meaning
Presents believing Pharisees' demand for circumcision and Torah observance.
Gentile belonging is argued among Jewish believers, not against Judaism
This verse is one part of that explanation in Acts 15:1–15:5. The complete section carries the connected meaning and how it should shape life.
Read It With
- Acts 15:1–15:5
Read Acts 15:5 with 15:1–15:5. In isolation, this contribution—presents believing Pharisees' demand for circumcision and Torah observance—can be mistaken for the scene's whole claim, detached from its speaker or narrator, or separated from its outcome. The complete unit establishes: Visitors from Judea teach that Gentile believers cannot be saved without Mosaic circumcision, Paul and Barnabas dispute them, and the Antioch church sends a delegation to Jerusalem where Pharisaic believers restate the demand.
What Remains True
Acts 15:5's particular contribution—presents believing Pharisees' demand for circumcision and Torah observance—shows that faithful witness remains accountable to the verse's speaker, narrated setting, affected people, and the complete movement of Acts 15:1–15:5.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Acts 15:1–15:5 — Circumcision teaching brings the church to deliberationSources used for this Verse Lens
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Exact displayed KJV wording, order, paragraph metadata, supplied-word markup, and unit coverage.
Exact location: Acts 15:1–15:5, pinned eng-kjv2006 USFM-derived repository corpus
Open source ↗Greek textual evidence
The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition
Michael W. Holmes, editor; Society of Biblical Literature and Logos
Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software, 2010
Supports: Greek wording and punctuation control, without pretending one edition is a complete apparatus.
Exact location: SBLGNT official text, Acts 15:1-15:5
Open the Acts Greek text file ↗Lexical and grammatical evidence
STEP Bible Data
Tyndale House Cambridge
Tyndale House Cambridge, repository snapshot verified 2026
Supports: Morphology and lexical cross-check for words explicitly discussed in this unit.
Exact location: STEP Bible Data, TAGNT rows for Acts 15:1-15:5
Open source ↗open translation and translator notes
NET Bible First Edition Notes: Acts
Biblical Studies Press
Biblical Studies Press, 2006
Supports: Verse-attached textual, translation, language, geography, chronology, and historical notes actually printed for the unit.
Exact location: NET Bible First Edition Acts PDF, printed pp. 2104-2205, exact tn/tc/sn entries attached to 15:1–15:5
Open source ↗