*Acts 15:1-21
A disagreement erupts in the early church about whether Gentile converts need to follow Jewish laws, leading to a council in Jerusalem.
- Controversy Over Gentile Circumcision:
- Certain individuals from Judea come to Antioch and teach the believers that unless they are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, they cannot be saved.
- This teaching causes great dispute and debate among the believers. Paul and Barnabas have a significant argument with them.
- Decision to Consult Jerusalem Church:
- The church in Antioch decides to send Paul and Barnabas, along with a few others, to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and elders.
- On their way to Jerusalem, they pass through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers and sisters.
- Jerusalem Council Convenes:
- Upon arrival in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas are welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders. They report everything God has done through them.
- But some believers who belong to the party of the Pharisees argue that the Gentile believers must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.
- Peter’s Speech:
- Peter addresses the assembly, reminding them of the early days when God chose him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, who heard the message and received the Holy Spirit just as the Jewish believers did.
- He emphasizes that God made no distinction between them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
- Peter argues that putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples (referring to the law of Moses), which neither the ancestors nor the believers have been able to bear, is unnecessary, as everyone is saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.
- Barnabas and Paul’s Testimonies:
- After Peter speaks, Paul and Barnabas share details of the signs and wonders God has performed among the Gentiles through them.
- James’s Proposal:
- James speaks next, noting how Peter’s experiences align with the prophets’ words, that the Gentiles would seek the Lord.
- He quotes from the prophets, supporting the inclusion of Gentiles without the need for circumcision.
- James proposes not to trouble the Gentiles who are turning to God but to write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from meat of strangled animals, and from blood.
- Conclusion of the Discussion:
- The council agrees with James’s proposal, deciding to send chosen men from among them along with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch with a letter conveying this decision.
Acts 15:1-21 teaches us the importance of grace and unity in following Jesus. When a disagreement arose about what was required to be saved, the leaders sought God’s wisdom and decided that faith in Jesus was what truly mattered. This reminds us not to burden others with unnecessary rules but to focus on God’s grace. We can apply this by welcoming others with love, avoiding unnecessary arguments, and remembering that our faith is about a relationship with Jesus, not just following rules. When we seek God together, He helps us find unity and truth.
Acts 15:1-21 (WEB)
15:1 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.” 2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul, Barnabas, and some others of them to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3 They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported everything that God had done with them.5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7 When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”12 All the multitude kept silence, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them. 13 After they were silent, James answered, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has reported how God first visited the nations to take out of them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets. As it is written,16 ‘After these things I will return.I will again build the tabernacle of David, which has fallen.I will again build its ruins.I will set it up 17 that the rest of men may seek after the Lord:all the Gentiles who are called by my name,says the Lord, who does all these things.’18 “All of God’s works are known to him from eternity. 19 Therefore my judgment is that we don’t trouble those from among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from the pollution of idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses from generations of old has in every city those who preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”