The Jerusalem Council
TRANSLATION
(1) Certain persons came from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” (2) This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. As a result, Paul and Barnabas along with a few other believers were appointed to go and consult with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem regarding this issue. (3) Having been sent on their way by the church, they traveled through both Phoenicia and Samaria, reporting how many Gentiles had been converted. This brought great joy to all the believers. (4) Upon their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the apostles and elders to whom they reported all that God had been doing through them.
(5) Then some believers who belonged to the Pharisaic party stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise Gentile believers and require them to keep the law of Moses.” (6) The apostles and elders met to consider this question. (7) After some discussion, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a while ago God decided that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the Gospel and believe. (8) God, who knows the heart, confirmed the genuineness of their conversions by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us. (9) He made no distinction between us and them, having purified their hearts by faith. (10) Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on these disciples’ necks which neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? (12) Rather, we believe that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved just as they are.” (12) At this everyone remained silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul reporting on the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
(13) When they finished, James responded: “Brothers, listen to me. (14) Simon has described how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from among the Gentiles. (15) The words of the prophets support this, for it is written, (16) ‘After this I will return and rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen. I will rebuild its ruins and will restore it (17) so that the remnant of humanity may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, (18) says the Lord, who does all these things, things known from long ago.’ (19) Therefore, it is my judgment that we should not make it difficult for those Gentiles who are turning to God, (20) but that we should write to them requesting that they abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from eating anything strangled, and from blood. (21) From ancient times Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city since his Law is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
OBSERVATIONS
This chapter recounts one of the pivotal moments in the history of the early church, the meeting of church leaders in Jerusalem to determine what to do about the large numbers of Gentiles that were flooding into the newly established churches outside Judea. In essence the question could be framed this way: should Gentiles be required to become Jews before they become Christians? Along with proper names, several important repetitions should be noted: “believers” (vss. 1 & 3),“circumcise(d)” (twice in vss. 1 & 5), “the apostles and elders” (three times in vss. 2, 4, & 6), “the Gentiles” (six times in vss. 3, 7, 12, 14, 17, & 19), “God” (six times in vss. 4, 7, 8, 10, 12, & 19) along with “the Lord” (twice in vs. 17), and “brothers” (vss. 6 & 13).
OUTLINE
I. To settle the question of Gentile circumcision, the church in Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to obtain a definitive answer from the leaders of the early church. (1-5)
II. In reaching a decision, the church in Jerusalem considered the testimonies of Peter, Barnabas and Paul, and James. (6-21)
IDEA STATEMENT
The issue of Gentile circumcision had to be resolved before further outreach could take place.
APPLICATION
Most church historians consider the Jerusalem Council to have been a watershed moment in the life of the early church. Together these church leaders, after hearing the testimonies of Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James decided what attitude Jewish believers should have toward Gentiles believers in their church fellowships. One side was advocating for Gentiles to be circumcised (become Jewish) before becoming Christians. The other side called for Gentiles to be welcomed into the church based on their profession of faith alone.
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul set forth the implications of this issue at some length. There he summarized the controversy in two powerful verses: “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you” (Gal. 5:1 & 2). For these first-century Christians, as well as for believers ever since, there have been essentially two options: either enslavement under the law and all its requirements or freedom in Christ and the accompanying joy of living in the realm of grace. We should be eternally grateful that the Jerusalem Council, led by the Holy Spirit, chose the way of freedom and forcefully rejected the argument of those who advocated being subjugated once again to the law.