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Acts 15

This is one of the most interesting chapters in the entire book!  Paul and Barnabas have just returned from the first missionary journey and they have much to share with the Antioch church.  They encounter a problem, but I'll let Luke explain:

"Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them."

A group of Jews from Judah come down to Antioch, perhaps to hear the report of Paul and Barnabas.  When they hear that Gentiles are being saved, the topic turns to circumcision.  The Jewish visitors to Antioch expect that Gentile converts to the Way (Christianity) follow all of the laws of Moses.  While the obvious concern is circumcision, they have many concerns.  Paul argues in opposition to this suggestion.  However, the leaders of the Antioch church decide that this ruling must be made by the Elders in Jerusalem.  They send a delegation up to Jerusalem.  This meeting would be know as the Jerusalem Council.  We continue with Luke's narrative:

Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”  The apostles and elders met to consider this question. After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

The pharisees argue that the Gentiles must follow all of the law, including that they be circumcised.  Peter argues against this requirement - mentioning the message (dream) he received from God.  Peter defends his position by noting that even the Jews have not been able to adhere to the law of Moses.  Now it is time for Paul and Barnabas to speak.  Continue reading at verse 12:

12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 13 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon (Peter)  has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:  16 “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent.  Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’—18 things known from long ago."

The James that Luke mentions here is the brother of Jesus, and the author of the Book of James.  After hearing the Pharisees, Peter, and Paul (Barnabas), James stands to offer his thoughts.  He begins by quoting Amos 9:11-12.  This had to have the effect of cold water on the Pharisees.  However James is not finished yet.  Let's return to Luke's narrative:

19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”

James recommends to the Council that Gentiles are to do three things:  1) Abstain from foods polluted by idols;  2) Abstain from sexual immorality;  3) Abstain from blood.  We need to consider these three recommendations.

1) Pollution of idols:  Exodus 20:3-4, “You shall have no other gods before me….”  In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul gives detail to this command.  Paul makes a distinction between “it is ok to eat anything” and “it is not ok to take part in idolatry.”

2) Sexual Immorality: Leviticus 18.  1 Corinthians 6:15-20, “Have nothing to do with sex sins! Any other sin that a man does, does not hurt his own body. But the man who does a sex sin sins against his own body.”

3) Blood:  Genesis 9:4, “But you must not eat meat that has its life blood still in it.” 

It is interesting to note that these same three requirements remain common ground between Christianity and the Jewish religion to this day.  Continue reading at verse 22:

22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:  The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:  Greetings. 24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. [34]  35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

Note about verse 34.  Many Bibles do not insert verse 34 because it is not found in many of the most reliable early copies.  When it is included, verse 34 reads, "But Silas decided to remain there."  The Jerusalem Council was satisfied with the three rules.  The church at Antioch was satisfied with the three rules.  In fact, for 2000 years the Church has been satisfied with these same three rules - proposed by James, the brother of Jesus!  One would think that this would be the end of the chapter, but it is not.  Let us return to the final paragraph of Acts 15 at verse 36:

36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

There was a second issue that needed to be settled.  Paul was ready to depart on a second missionary journey.  Barnabas was ready as well, but he wanted John-Mark to be on the team.  Paul was still upset with John-Mark for leaving them during the first journey.  Paul and Barnabas went their separate ways.  Paul teaming up with Silas, and Barnabas teaming up with John-Mark.  While this may have resulted in the doubling of efforts by sending two teams, we never hear anything about the Barnabas journey.  Luke appears to have joined Paul's team but we will leave that story for next time.

Posted by Bruce Powers with