ACTS   15

1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: 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. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed along with some other believers, to go to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

3 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 had made all the brothers very glad.

 4 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.

5 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 obey the law of Moses.

6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.

7 After much discussion, Peter 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.

8 God who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving them the Holy Spirit to them just as he did to us.

9 He made no distinction 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 the disciples a yoke that neither we or our fathers were able to bear?

11 No! we believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.

12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

13 When they finished, James spoke up: Brothers listen to me.

14 Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from Gentiles a people for Himself.

15 The words of  the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written.

16 after this I will return and rebuild Davids fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it.

17 That the remant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear My name, says the Lord, who does these things

18 that have been known for ages.

19 It is my Judgement, 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 Moses had been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.

 22 When 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 choose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.

23 With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.

24  We have heard that some have 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 for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth whay 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 meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.

30 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 strenthen the brothers.

33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessings of peace to return to those who sent them.

34 KJV Notwithstanding it pleasedSilas to abide there still.

35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of God.

36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, Let us go back and visit the brothers 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 Crypus,

40 but Paul choose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.

41 He went through Syria and Cicilia strengthening the churches.

God who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. Acts 15:8

I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. Revelation 2:23

LAW OR GRACE DEBATE

 Thomas J. Grace

Paul is now in Antioch where he and Barnabas had founded a church and were sent out together on their first missionary journey. Now Paul is there with Barnabas and have been training the disciples to be leaders in the church. Soon a new problem will send them to Jerusalem.                

      1 Some men from Judea have arrived in Antioch and have begun to teach the Gentile believers that they must be circumcised or you will not be saved. Did they not know who Paul was and what he was doing in Antioch that they wanted to oppose Paul on this issue. Was it not clear to them what had occured while Peter was in the home of Cornelius how the Gentile believers there had recieved the Holy Spirit even before they were baptized in water. This would be evidence for most Christians that circumcision was not necessary, that Gentiles did not have to become Jews and follow the law. that they have believed all their lives.

       Paul knew the law and what had become of it as men used it to satisfy their own needs and purposes. Paul was there when the law was used against Stephen and he was stoned to death. Paul knew how the law was used by the High Priest and the Sanhedrin to crucify Jesus Christ.  Paul himself used the law to justify his own persecutions of the Christian church in Jerusalem and would have done the same in Damascus if he had not been saved by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul knew how the law could become brutal if not observed  properly by a Gentile Christian church. The law included enforcement and punishment for those who disobeyed and could become a powerful weapon in the wrong hands to gain power and harm their enemies.

      2 Some of the Gentiles that heard these men must have gone directly to Paul with questions about what they were hearing from these men. Paul and Barnabas were in sharp dispute and debate with these men  on their side were thousands of Gentile believers filled with the Holy Spirit which should have been overwhelming evidence to satisfy any man. Paul and Barnabas must have thought that  having those of the circumcision group spend time in the Gentile church would convince them they were making a error about Gentiles and the law.

     Many Christian Jews had not yet spent any regular time with a group of Gentile believers and Paul would expect them to recognize what God was doing and how the Gentiles were accepted by our Lord Jesus just as they were. This did not impress them Paul also a Pharisee a man fully trained and educated much more than these men  he would explain the law and all the words of the prophets about Christ life His death and resurrection to help correct their mistake. These were things Paul would speak about often as he entered the synagogues in each city he entered he was very skilled in debate full of knowledge with many such experiences and full of the Holy Spirit and the Love of Christ.  Paul would tell of Gods grace and the salvation that the entire world would hear. Ephesians 2:8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith  and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God so that no one may boast. Romans 11:6 And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Romans 4:16 Therefore the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace, and may be guaranteed to all of Abrahams offspring not to only those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all.

     As he taught and showed the love of God for the Gentile people and even warned of the dangers that the law could bring about, he was met again and again by the law group with their own single mindedness on this issue.  All these Paul would do to bring the knowledge of Gods salvation by grace and faith in Jesus Christ to the law group a people that Paul would love and want tp believe in Gods love for them. The dispute would seem to be with the Jews who were Christian believers who could not bring themselves to depart from following the law as part of their own personal contribution to their own salvation.  They would insist that you must somehow earn what God had been giving you for free. Our works or service cannot earn what the work and sacrifice of Christ has already provided.  We are not given any name for these men and do not have any background information about them. 

     This circumcision might have been taught by them to Gentiles that they have converted  in cities where no other apostle has been but now they are intrudeing on the work of the apostle Paul.  Now Paul and Barnabas who have been persecuted by Jews, Gentiles, and pagans now are in dispute with Christian Jews. When this problem could not be solved in Antioch Paul and Barnabas were sent along with some other believers to Jerusalem to speak to the apostles and elders about this matter. Paul did not need any one to tell him he was correct but the debate must have spread so deeply inside the church that it now caused serious damage to the faith of many. Paul needed to correct this problem and remove this doubt so that people would continue to live and believe in their faith in God based on faith and the grace of God. 

     These men could not be silenced like Elymas who was made blind, or the fortune teller that Paul cast the demon out of. These two were false prophets and demon posessed while these men were teaching something that had become incorrect. The law group must have convinced many in the church who would show up and demonstrate how they were now following the law.  This would confuse and cause doubt in many Gentile believers and certainly cause many of the Jewish Christians to return to their old customs and belief in the law.

     This meeting in Jerusalem would seem to be the plan of Paul and the Gentile believers who do not follow the law. It does not seem the the law group would want to go to Jerusalem where some of them may have debated this issue in the Christian church there and were not approved there in the past. 3 The church sent them on their way we are not told if both groups traveled together but this is what Paul would have wanted. By traveling together Paul would be making stops in churches to further prove that everywhere they would go God was calling the Gentiles to believe. They stoped in Phoenicia where Acts 11:19 Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Crypus and Antioch telling the message only to the Jews. In Samaria a city that would challenge the law group due to the past problems Jews in Jerusalem had with Jews in Samaria. As Samaritian and Gentile Christian whorship God this might have been a double proof for the Law group that the work of God was being done among all people. it gave Paul a opportunity to prove that the gospel was being spread and believed by all people without any act of the law. we have to consider that some of the law group would become believers in Gods grace before they reached Jerusalem.

      Paul would report to the churches in both cities how God had saved the Gentiles in many other cities. The Christians there would accept the good news about the Gentiles and did not raise any doubts about these people being saved and not being circumcised and obeying the law. This may have been Pauls first visit to Samaria and he would have heard from them the stories of how Philip had come there and brought the story of Jesus Christ  to them with signs and wonders.  Philips travel to Samaria was a brought about because he left Jerusalem due to Pauls persecution of the Christians  in Jerusalem. He would later share his visit story with Philip and remind Philip how he was well loved by the Samaritian people.

     4 When they arrived in Jerusalem they were welcomed by the apostles and elders and all the church. It was not a holiday and the Jews in Jerusalem would not be looking for Paul to arrive and would not be prepared to attack him there as they had done during his last two visits. This would be a Christian church visit and the Jews either would not be aware of him being in the city or could not act quick enough to harm Paul.  Once again Paul and Barnabas would report all that they have done in many cities and churchs about all who have believed in Jesus Christ as their Savior.

      5 The law group stood up at the council meeting to state their case that all the Gentiles must be circumcised and obey the law. They would speak of Gods covenant with Abraham Genesis 17:10,11 This is My covenant with you and your descendants after you for the generations to come the covenant you are to keep. You are to undergo circumcision and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and you. Likewise God had told Joshua 5:2 At that time the Lord said to Joshua, Make flint knives and circuncise the Israelites again. They would claim how can you not do what God had commanded to make us a part of Gods covenant. Peter might have said Deuteronomy 30:6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants so that you may love Him with all your heart and with all of your soul and live. Paul would have responded and said Romans 4: 13 It was not through law that Abraham and his offspring recieved the promise that he would be heir of the world, through the righteousness that comes by faith. Romans 3:28 For we maintain that man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.   Paul had not yet wrote the book of Romans but these things were known to Paul and he did believe and teach them long before he wrote the book.The law group would claim you follow the Passover every year and celebrate what God had done how is it that  you obey some law but not all of it. The law group would talk about how they love the law and all of Gods word as King david did. Psalm  1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on the law he mediates day and night. Psalm 19:7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving my soul. Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. These men did have real love for Gods word and believed the law must be followed, they were not punished or asked to leave the church. They did not seem to have any evil intentions for Gentiles or Christians.  The law group had very good points and were all sincere and would have been able to convince others that they were correct on these matters. Paul would have answered them  Jeremiah 31:33 This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts. I will be their God and they will be my people. Peter may have recalled the very words of Christ who said Matthew 5:17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.  While Paul would have told them Romans 10:4 Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. The law group may have now understood that Jesus had by his own death and resurrection fulfilled and completed all that the law had promised and now it was only mans word to believe that Christ was their own Savior. 

      6 The apostles meet to discuss this matter with the elders. 7  Peter brgins to speak this is the final time we will hear of Peter in the book of Acts it is fortunate that Peter was there in Jerusalem. Was he in Jerusalem or did he become aware of the problem and travel to be at this council meeting to support the ministry to the Gentiles. James would now be the leader of the Jerusalem church but there would be no other authority greater than Peter.  Paul had spent some time in Antioch and in Jerusalem discussing this matter with the law group but this will be the first time Peter will address them.

      Peter must have heard the very same proposal presented to him by others in Jerusalem.  Peter who was brought before the Sanhedrin twice would make sure these council meetings were nothing like those hearings. Brothers God had choosen me to tell the gospel to the Gentiles at the home of Cornelius he would tell the entire story from Joppa to Caesarea even the law group must have heard this before, maybe they considered this a one time event. 8 God who knows the heart accepted the Gentiles as true believers and showed them and us the evidence by giving the the Holy Spirit just as He gave to us on the day of Pentecost. We to were astonished as these Gentiles without circuncision or water baptism, they did speak in tongues and praise God. 9 God made no distinction between them and us, God had purified their hearts by faith.Ezekiel 11: 19 I will give the a undivided heart and put a new Spirit in them: I will remove from them their heart of stone; and give them a heart of flesh. God can change your heart to heal all your pain and doubts and will allow you to know Jesus as your Savior. 10 Why do you try to test God?  Peter must have remembered a less happy story in Acts 5:9 How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord. When Annais and Sapphira both were struck dead because they decided to lie to God. Perhaps the law group heard this story and took this as their warning not to pursue this matter any further. Why would you want to burden these people with a yoke that none of us was able to bear. Peter explains the way man has failed to obey the law and how the law has failed to lead all men to Christ. Galatians 5:1 It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by the yoke of slavery. Galations 5:6 For in  Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. 11 It is by grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are saved as His act of love for all of us. We can not add or remove by our own services our own grace or salvation and will not see one life changed by having them circumcised and following the law. Romans 5:17 For if by the trespass of the one man death reigned through that one man how much more will those who recieve Gods abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Let us not test God by trying to add our rules to provide what God through His Son Jesus has provided for free.

     12 Paul and Barnabas tell of all the miracles that God has done as both Jews and Gentiles became believers in Jesus Christ. 13 James addresses the group although he has not spoken his opinion on this issue he is the leader of the Jerusalem church and neither Peter or Paul will interfere with his role as leader.  The issues of grace works and sacraments will be a matter of debate many times and will divide and seperate many churchs and religions. Fortunely Gods grace exist and is not based on mans doctrines, just as we know the sun will shine in the morning Gods grace will be there for all of us.

     14 James states how Peter has been the first of the apostles to speak the gospel to the Gentiles. 15 James has found a scripture to support what Paul and Barnabas have been doing among the Gentiles. Amos 9:11,12 speaks of all the Gentiles that bear My Name. 19 James judgement based on this prophecy is that they must not make it difficult for the Gentiles to believe in the Lord. 20 There are three things the Gentiles should avoid abstain from food sacrificed to idols, sexual immorality and strangled animals and from blood. These should be our only rules that we request they should obey. 21 Moses will be preached and read in every synagogue on every Sabbath.  22 The apostles and elders with the whole church which would seem to include the law group who must have come to agreement about no circumcision will send some men with Paul and Barnabas to return to Antioch.

     Were there any men of the Law group to go with them to explain the error they had been teaching and correct those who had accepted their teaching. They choose Judas and Silas to travel with Paul and Barnabas. 23 They wrote a letter explaining their request that they  should obey some simple rules.. 24 Some have taught you without our authorization and disturbed you we did not send them and never endorsed circumcision for Gentiles. 25 Our dear friends Paul and Barnabas recognized as those dear to the church and apostles in Jerusalem there should be no doubt that they acted and taught correctly and leave Jerusalem and return to you as loved brothers in the Lord. 26 Paul and Barnabas men who have sacrificed and almost died for the name of Jesus Christ in their ministry to bring the gospel to you and anyplace the Holy Spirit will send them. 27 Judas and Silas will be with them to confirm what Paul and Barnabas will tell you as it is writen in this letter. There should be no doubt of the position of the church and the will of God if there are still others present that are still teaching about circumcision please show them this letter ask them to stop and tell whoever is hearing them that this is not church belief.

     28 It seemed good to us and to the Holy Spirit after all the debate with very good evidence for both sides  by men that love the Lord. We learn that the Holy Spirit moved to bring peace and solve this debate. We are not told how the Holy Spirit acted or the message but it did bring a agreement to both sides. The Spirit may have acted by word of knowledge or prophecy in a member of each part of the debate.  We should not burden you by asking you to obey the law which now for the second time is called a burden to hard to bear.

     29 Only obey the following requirements Abstain from meats sacrificed to idols, from blood, from animals strangled, and from sexual immorality. 30 The men left Jerusalem and traveled to Antioch where this teaching may have been taught most often.  They did not stop in Samaria or Phoenicia  maybe this was not taught there or they may have had elders waiting in Antioch for the results. They brought the church together to read the letter that stated no circumcision was necessary they did not need to learn  and obey the law. They would tell them of the request made that they should obey. 31 The people of Antioch were happy that this matter that had already began to divide the church had been solved with a agreement that no one would  have problems performing. 32 Judas and Silas were both prophets who encouraged them with many words from God about the Gentile church. There messages would strenthen the church and give them faith to believe they should spread the gospel to many more Gentiles without having to tell them about the burden of the law and the act of circumcision.

     33 Soon some of the men who traveled with Paul and Barnabas were sent back to Jerusalem to report how the Gentiles recieved the news, and the condition of the church in Antioch. 34 KJV Silas choose to remain in Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. 35 Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch where many others began to teach and preach the word of God. the teaching and training of Paul had produced many with the boldness and knowledge to be Spirit filled ministers of the word of God.

      36 Paul  did ask Barnabas to come with him to visit the churchs they had formerly been to and started together to see how they were doing. This would be a time to bring them further teaching and help them to spread the gospel. 37 Barnabas wanted to take John Mark  his cousin with them he must have traveled with them when they left Jerusalem after the council meeting. 38 Paul did not want to take John Mark because he had once before deserted them and returned to Jerusalem. Later Paul will change his view of John Mark 2 Timothy 4:11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. These men must have already worked together and have reconciled their past trouble. It is posible that Mark may have already at this time wrote the gospel and would definetely have had Paul read it. Paul may have even read some of it while he was preaching and would have encouraged others to share it with other churchs and cities as he did with his own letters. Colosians 4:16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea. John Mark also spent some time with Peter and much of the gospel he wrote was based on Peters sermons and stories Peter shared with him. 1 Peter 5:13 She who is in Babylon, choosen togetger with you, sends you her greetings, so does my son Mark. Along with the stories about Christ Mark must have learned a great deal about service and ministry while with Peter.

     39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Even apostles  filled with the Spirit became angry and had fights with each other that became so fierce that even the spirit could not resolve it. There seemed to be more trouble because of the John Mark selectioin by Barnabas than the law group caused over the circumcision debate which was able to be solved in agreement.  Many of the brothers and elders must have tried to make peace between these two leaders and would have spent hours praying for them to make peace with each other. The church must have been hurt to see their founders in such a strong disagreement.  Later Paul will write 1 Corinthians 9:6 Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living. Colosians 4:10 My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. You have recieved instructions about him; if he comes to you welcome him. Not only do we see peace among all three men but love and respect for each other and a willingness to work together once again for the spread of the word of God and salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  But before this would happen Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus where they would minister to many people and travel together through many cities and lead many to believe in Christ where new churchs would be formed.  40 Paul choose Silas we do not know if Silas was to leave with Paul and Barnabas or if he was choosen after Barnabas and John Mark had left town. They were commended by the brothers and the church as they would pray for them to be in the grace of God.

     There was no prophecy that we are told of like in Acts 13 when Paul and Barnabas were choosen by the Holy Spirit to leave the church at Antioch. They went to Syria and Cicilia strenthening the churchs that Paul and Barnabas had formed. They would meet many other men and women who will help them in the ministry that will bring the gospel to the whole world for both Jews and Gentiles. They also will face many other threats and dangers.

CHRIST LOVES YOU. AMEN. COME LORD JESUS