Acts 15:13
Translations
King James Version (KJV)
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brothers, listen to me:
American King James Version (AKJV)
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brothers, listen to me:
American Standard Version (ASV)
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me:
Basic English Translation (BBE)
And when they had come to an end, James, answering, said, My brothers, give ear to me:
Webster's Revision
And after they held their peace, James answered, saying, Men, brethren, hearken to me.
World English Bible
After they were silent, James answered, "Brothers, listen to me.
English Revised Version (ERV)
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me:
Clarke's Acts 15:13 Bible Commentary
James answered - He was evidently president of the council, and is generally called bishop of Jerusalem. The rest either argued on the subject, or gave their opinion; James alone pronounced the definitive sentence. Had Peter been prince and head of the apostles, and of the Church, he would have appeared here in the character of judge, not of mere counsellor or disputant. Thy popish writers say that "James presided because the council was held in his own church." These men forget that there was not then what they term a Church on the face of the earth. The Church, or assembly of believers, then met in private houses; for there was no building for the exclusive purpose of Christian worship then, nor till long after. These writers also forget that the pope pretends to be the head of the catholic or universal Church; and, consequently, no man can preside where he is present, but himself. Peter did not preside here; and this was the first ecclesiastical council, and now, if ever, he should have assumed his character of prince and chief; but he did not; nor did any of the other apostles invite him to it, which they would have done had they thought that Jesus Christ constituted him head of the Church. From this very circumstance there is the most demonstrative evidence that Peter was no pope, and that the right of his pretended successor is a nonentity.
Barnes's Acts 15:13 Bible Commentary
James answered - James the Less, son of Alpheus. See the notes on Acts 12:1.
Hearken unto me - This whole transaction shows that Peter had no such authority in the church as the papists pretend, for otherwise his opinion would have been followed without debate. James had an authority not less than that of Peter. It is possible that he might have been next in age (compare 1 Corinthians 15:7); and it seems morally certain that he remained for a considerable part of his life in Jerusalem, Acts 12:17; Acts 21:18; Galatians 1:19; Galatians 2:9, Galatians 2:12.