Acts 15

 Good morning and welcome back winter!!

The view from our living room window this morning!

The chapter begins with controversy! Over circumcision= again! These Jewish Christians (often called “Judaizers”) came to the congregation in Antioch and taught that Gentiles may become Christians, but only after first becoming Jews, and submitting to all Jewish rituals, including circumcision. It was very difficult for some Jewish Christians to accept that Gentiles could be brought into the church as equal members without first coming through the Law of Moses. How do we feel when someone seems to "skip past" the regulations to get something we have waited for a long time?

Paul and Barnabas respond back (vv 2-4) to this false doctrine. Circumcision and belief in the Mosaic laws were not critical for acceptance by God. Controversy continues, so they go to Jerusalem to talk with the "bosses" to see what they think! They couldn’t just agree to disagree on this issue, because it was at the core of what meant to be a follower of Jesus. 

As Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem, they found plenty of other Christians who rejoiced at what God did among the Gentiles. This was in contrast to the certain men from Judea. However, even with all the joy and happiness at their arrival, many of Pharisees who had converted were in the group who opposed Paul and Barnabas (v 5). Pharisees were well known for their high regard for the law, and their desire to obey the law in the smallest details. The Pharisees were experts in the law. If the Pharisees believed anything, they believed one could be justified before God by keeping the law. For a Pharisee to really be a Christian, it would take more than an acknowledgment that Jesus was Messiah; he would have to forsake his attempts to justify himself by the keeping of the law and accept the work of Jesus as the basis of his justification. Remember- Paul was a Pharisee at one time! The Pharisees were not against the Gentiles coming to Jesus, they just taught Gentiles are free to come to Jesus. We welcome them and want them to come to Jesus. But they have to come through the Law of Moses in order to come to Jesus. Paul and Barnabas, among others, have allowed Gentiles to come to Jesus without first coming through the Law of Moses. Life is about jumping through hoops- this seems like a hoop to jump through!

The discussion became too much of an argument and it was central to the teachings, so a council was called together (v 6). The question raised by the Jerusalem council was huge: "Are Christians made right with God by faith alone, or by a combination of faith and obedience of the Law of Moses? Is the work of Jesus by itself enough to save the one who trusts in Jesus, or must we add our work to Jesus’ work in order to be made right with God?" That controversy is still a debate in some denominations now! Faith? Works? Both? Either?

Peter stands up to address the crowd (v 7- 11). Peter made an important observation. It came straight from his vision of the clean and unclean animals, from which God taught him this principle: God has shown to me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Peter showed how the heart is purified: by faith, not by keeping of the law. If they were purified by faith, then there was no need to be purified by submitting to ceremonies found in the Law of Moses. Christians are not only saved by faith; they are also purified by faith. Peter concluded with the observation that it is through grace that all are saved – both Jew and Gentile – and not by obedience to the law. If we are made right with God by grace, then we are not saved by grace and law-keeping. So, what makes us right by God- faith or works?

Barnabas and Paul confirmed Peter’s previous point (v 12). Essentially they said, “God has accepted the Gentiles, should not we as well?”

James (author of the Epistle of James, brother of Jesus and Jude), speaks to the issue (v 13), supporting what Peter and Paul had said. In my translation, he uses the name "Simon" (v 14)-- this is the Hebrew name for Peter- just so you know it isn't a new guy! James quotes from Amos where the prophet outlines God call to the Gentiles and the fall of the tabernacle (reference to the fall of Judaism in that they rejected Jesus as Messiah).Now God wanted to rebuild that work, focusing on a church made up of both Jew and Gentile. James ends this small part (vv 19-21) with, "Just leave them alone! We have things other than circumcision to worry about!" Gentile Christians had the “right” to eat meat sacrificed to idols, to continue their marriage practices, and to eat food without a kosher bleeding, because these were aspects of the Mosaic Law they definitely were not under. However, they were encouraged to law down their rights in these matters as a display of love to their Jewish brethren. James was looking at a Law of Love rather than a Law of Moses with these suggestions. 

The Jerusalem council wisely sent two members of its own community (probably Jewish Christians themselves) with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch, the place where the whole dispute arose (v 22). They sent a decree from the Jerusalem Council. The letter gives the express decision of the Jerusalem council, that Gentiles should consider themselves under no obligation to the rituals of Judaism, except the sensitivity which love demands, so as to preserve the fellowship of Jewish and Gentile believers. This letter was written specifically to these churches where Jews and Gentiles mixed together with the potential of tension and conflict. It was not addressed to every Gentile congregation.

The Jerusalem Council was the first organized meeting to hammer out church doctrine. It is unique among the in that it is considered by theologians to be a prototype and forerunner of the later ecumenical councils and a key part of Christian ethics. The council decided that Gentile converts to Christianity were not obligated to keep most of the fasts, and other specific rituals, including the rules concerning circumcision. The Council did, however, retain the prohibitions on eating blood, meat containing blood, and meat of animals that were strangled, and on sexual impurity and idolatry, sometimes referred to as the Apostolic Decree or Jerusalem Quadrilateral.

The group gets to Antioch and are joyfully received (v 30-31). Try to imagine how the Gentile Christians felt, wondering how the decision might come forth. Would the council in Jerusalem decide that they really were not saved after all because they had not submitted to circumcision and the Law of Moses? The principle of grace had been preserved! They heard that they were saved and right with God after all (v 31). Work continuing the church in Antioch continues!

Paul and Barnabas discuss about going to the various congregations that they started for check-ins to make sure they were progressing well (v 36). This shows Paul had a real pastor’s heart. He was not content to merely plant churches without seeing them carefully nurtured and growing in the faith. John Mark had previously left the missionary party under what seemed to be less than honorable circumstances (Acts 13:13). This probably made Paul unwilling to trust him on future endeavors. Luke did not give us a clue as to who was right and who was wrong in the dispute between Paul and Barnabas. But it is never good when personal disputes flare up among those serving in the ministry. Tensions in ministry happen...and when tensions happen, ministry for both parties struggle. Any evidence of these struggles in your church? Barnabas takes John Mark (they are cousins, so this may have factored into the decision). Paul (accompanied by Silas) and Barnabas (accompanied by Mark) split, each going out to different fields of ministry (vv 40- 41).

The journey of Paul continues in the next set of chapters. We do't hear much of Barnabas for a while. 

Have a great day...enjoy the readings!

Reminder- tonight is the Maundy Thursday worship at Little Meadows (7PM). All are welcome. We will be on FB Live beginning at 7PM.

Shalom+
Pastor Paul