Lesson Thirteen:

The Council at Jerusalem

Acts 15:1-41

Acts 14:27-28:27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 28 And there they abode long time with the disciples.

At the end of Chapter 14, Paul and Barnabas were back in Antioch of Syria after a very successful mission.

From the Matthew Henry Commentary:

“If ever there was a heaven upon earth, surely it was in the church at Antioch at this time, when there were so many excellent ministers there, and blessed Paul among them, building up that church in her most holy faith.

Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

But here we have their peace disturbed, and differences arising. A new doctrine started among them, which occasioned this division, obliging the Gentile converts to submit to circumcision and the ceremonial law.Those that are ever so well taught have need to stand upon their guard that they be not untaught again, or ill taught.”

Acts 15:1 And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

The Jewish Christians still zealous for the law became known as Judaizers.

If what they were saying was true…1) The Gentiles who had come to

Christ by faith alone were not truly saved.

2) Salvation was by works.3) All Christians were subject to

the Law of Moses.4) The Jewish Christian was a

higher class of Christian than his Gentile brother.

2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

Paul wrote of this trip to Jerusalem in his letter to the Galatians:

Galatians 2:1-2a:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles …

The journey was financed by the church in Antioch.

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

5 But 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.

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them,

Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.

8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying,

Men and brethren, hearken unto me:14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

Amos 9:11-12: 11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

1. pollutions of idols

2. fornication 3. things strangled4. blood

James mentioned neither circumcision nor salvation.

Paul later confronted the doctrine of the Judaizers in his epistle to the Galatians.

Galatians 5:2-4, 6: 2 Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. 3 For I testify again to every man that is circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. 6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Paul’s mission with Barnabas

James addressed things the Gentile Christians were doing that violated the two great commandments.

The two eternal laws of God were cited by both James and Paul in their respective letters to the church.

Mark 12:29-31:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. 31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

James addressed things the Gentile Christians were doing that violated the two great commandments.

The “royal law” of God was cited by both James and Paul in their respective letters to the church.

Romans 13:9-10:9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

James addressed things the Gentile Christians were doing that violated the two great commandments.

The “royal law” of God was cited by both James and Paul in their respective letters to the church.

Galatians 5:14:For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

James addressed things the Gentile Christians were doing that violated the two great commandments.

The “royal law” of God was cited by both James and Paul in their respective letters to the church.

James 2:8:If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:

Before coming to Christ, the Gentiles lived according to the customs and manners of their pagan religions. Idolatry and sexual deviance were celebrated rather than condemned.

‘Vile affections’ follow a trail forged by idolatry.

Romans 1:22-24, 26-27:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

Before coming to Christ, the Gentiles lived according to the customs and manners of their pagan religions. Idolatry and sexual deviance were celebrated rather than condemned.

‘Vile affections’ follow a trail forged by idolatry.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

1 Corinthians 10:7-8:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. 8 Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we again see the unholy union of idolatry and fornication .

Paul was referring to an event that took place in the days of Moses.

Numbers 25:1-3, 9: 1 And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel. 9 And those that died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians we again see the unholy union of idolatry and fornication .

Paul was referring to an event that took place in the days of Moses.

Concerning “things strangled, and from blood” Matthew Henry wrote:

Genesis 9:4:4 But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.“Though not evil in themselves,

as the other two, nor designed to be always abstained from, as those were, these had been forbidden by the precepts of Noah before the giving of the law of Moses.

The Jews had a great dislike to them and to all those that took a liberty to use them. Therefore, to avoid giving offence, the Gentile converts were advised to abridge themselves of their liberty herein. Thus we must become all things to all men.”

1 Corinthians 8:8, 13:8 But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.13 Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.

22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23 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:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circum-cised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; 29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

The Christian protocol concerning the eating of “meats offered to idols” was also set forth by Paul:

1 Corinthians 8:10-11:10 For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; 11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?

30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: 31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.

32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.

34 Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. 37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.

38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.40 And Paul chose Silas,

38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

And here, joined by Silas, Paul begins his second missionary journey.

End of Chapter 15

38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.