Acts 15:23

(KJV) And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
(1611 KJV) And wrote letters by them after this maner, The Apostles and Elders, and brethren, send greeting vnto the brethren, which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia.
(1587 Geneva Bible) And wrote letters by them after this maner, The Apostles, and the Elders, and the brethren, vnto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antiochia, and in Syria, and in Cilicia, send greeting.
(1526 Tyndale) and gave them lettres in their hondes after this maner. The Apostles elders and brethren send gretynges vnto the brethre which are of the gentyls in Antioche Siria and Celicia.

Counterfeit Versions
(1881 RV) and they wrote thus by them, The apostles and the elder brethren unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
(1901 ASV) and they wrote thus by them, The apostles and the elders, brethren, unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greeting:
(AMP) With [them they sent] the following letter: The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings:
(CEB) They were to carry this letter: The apostles and the elders, to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!
(CEV) They wrote a letter that said: We apostles and leaders send friendly greetings to all of you Gentiles who are followers of the Lord in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.

(CSB) They wrote: “From the apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

(Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition) Writing by their hands: The apostles and ancients, brethren, to the brethren of the Gentiles that are at Antioch, and in Syria and Cilicia, greeting.
(ERV) The group sent the letter with these men. The letter said: From the apostles and elders, your brothers, To all the non-Jewish brothers in the city of Antioch and in the countries of Syria and Cilicia.
(ESV) with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
(GNB) and they sent the following letter by them: “We, the apostles and the elders, your brothers, send greetings to all our brothers of Gentile birth who live in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.
(HCSB) They wrote this letter to be delivered by them: From the apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
(JB PHILLIPS) They carried with them a letter bearing this message: “The apostles and elders who are your brothers send their greetings to the brothers who are Gentiles in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.
(LB) This is the letter they took along with them: “From: The apostles, elders and brothers at Jerusalem. “To: The Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Greetings!
(THE MESSAGE) 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!
(New American Bible-Revised Edition-Roman Catholic) This is the letter delivered by them: “The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings.
(NASV) and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.
(NCV) They sent the following letter with them: From the apostles and elders, your brothers. To all the non-Jewish believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings!
(NET) They sent this letter with them: From the apostles and elders, your brothers, to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, greetings!
(NIRV) Here is the letter they sent with them. The apostles and elders, your brothers, are writing this letter. We are sending it to the non-Jewish believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Greetings.
(NIV) With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings.
(NKJV) They wrote this letter by them: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.
(NLV) They sent them with this letter: “The missionaries and church leaders and Christians greet the brothers who are not Jews in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.
(NLT) This is the letter they took with them: “This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!
(RSV) with the following letter: “The brethren, both the apostles and the elders, to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cili′cia, greeting.
(VOICE) to deliver this letter: The brotherhood, including the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, send greetings to the outsider believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) They wrote this and sent it through them: “The apostles and the elders, your brothers, to those brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Ci·li′cia who are from the nations: Greetings!

Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
γραψαντες δια χειρος αυτων ταδε οι αποστολοι και οι πρεσβυτεροι και οι αδελφοι τοις κατα την αντιοχειαν και συριαν και κιλικιαν αδελφοις τοις εξ εθνων χαιρειν

Hort-Westcott - Critical Text
γραψαντες δια χειρος αυτων οι αποστολοι και οι πρεσβυτεροι αδελφοι τοις κατα την αντιοχειαν και συριαν και κιλικιαν αδελφοις τοις εξ εθνων χαιρειν

Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
P 74 - Seventh Century

Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit
E 08 - Sixth century
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century

Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omit “after this manner”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition

Affected Teaching
When the letters were written, they were written “after this manner” with the apostles and elders. It meant that these letters were authoritative and that is why the letters were sent in the manner of an official capacity. They probably used Silas and Judas Barsabas to pen the letters, both being scribes and well educated. The modern versions make it sound like a casual correspondence.

Back