The Acts of the Apostles
Acts 15 The Council at Jerusalem
(Reading v1-11)
Acts 15 is a ‘Watershed’ passage in the book of Acts. Changed horizons, Up until ch15 the horizon is Jerusalem after ch15 the horizon is Rome.
This passage at first sight seems to contain two contradictions.
Ch15: 36-40 and Ch16: 1-5
The events of Acts are parallel with the events of Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, etc, The book of Acts has a time factor of possibly many months between events.
Acts 10:9-23 The Impact of Peter’s vision on this passage.
Acts 15:1-2 Trouble makers arrive! We have to understand the Jewish perspective. God would redeem Israel. To the Jewish Christian, the Old Covenant was still important. Peter speaking before the Sanhedrian in Acts 5: 31 “God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Saviour that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”
The Issue You must comply with Mosaic Law to be fully saved.
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."
Two main issues faced the early church. Legalism and Gnosticism, both denying the all sufficiency of the cross. Therefore the key doctrinal point of this passage is v11 We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." The cross still has to be central to our preaching v2a This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them
This raises the question, who should we listen to when there is a point of dispute in the church? Three guide lines:
- does what the person say comply with scripture?
- does it glorify Jesus or them?
- are they committed to the church and do they work in the church? Have they earned the right to speak and be listened to?
Having said this, it’s very often difficult to discern who is right!
The way the issue in Ch15 is handled.
-
Seek outside advice. Non-biased, non-involved
v2b 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. - Agreement on the course of action.
v3 The church sent them on their way
They didn’t run around like headless chickens. In church and in life problems, issues, will arise. It’s one of Satan’s main weapons - They gave glory to God, not the issue.
v4 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. - The issue was not just in the church members in Antioch, it was also in Jerusalem
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."
and Peter had been guilty of double standards and Paul had had to confront him!
Paul writes in Gal 2:11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.12 Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. - The Apostles and Elders met to discuss – and took some time.
v6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. v7 After much discussion
Then key people address the Council
Peter speaks, from reality. Why burden gentiles with a law that we could not keep?
- But the law was not bad in itself
Ro 7:7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, "Do not covet." - Because Jesus came to fulfil the Law
Mt 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 fulfil them.
Barnabus and Paul speak, from experience, giving God the glory
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.
Then James speaks, using scripture as his foundation.
15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:
and then he expounds the Scriptures ending with this simple reflection:
19 "It is my judgement, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
Do we make it difficult for people to turn to God?
What is the outcome – the resolution of this Council of Jerusalem?
Send a letter and send some brothers to gently explain it.
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, two men who were leaders among the brothers.
23 With them they sent the following letter:
The Letter
Firstly the Council distance themselves from these troublemakers
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorisation and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said.
They sent men of experience with the letter, qualified by ‘fiery trials’ to explain.
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.
(You would listen to these sort of men and give credence to what they said.)
In the letter they gave simple instructions
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.
Then they set their minds at rest and encouraged them
31 The people read it and were glad for it’s encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
Positive, not negative action!
They didn’t just deliver the letter, then dash off! Issues take time to work through.
We then come to these two situations which seem at first sight to undo much of what has been achieved by this Council’s work
V36-41 Why on earth, after all they have just been through to bring unity to the church, did Paul and Barnabus fall out?
Mark was not reliable. Was Paul right? I don’t know. They should not have fallen out so publicly! Remember, these Apostles were men of flesh with feet of clay.
Then
Ch16: 1-5
Why after all the trouble to get the circumcision issue resolved, did Paul feel it necessary to circumcise Timothy?
Remember v29 of the letter in ch15 “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.”
The Gospel was being spread firstly to the Jews via synagogues. An uncircumcised assistant would cause unnecessary controversy. They would know Timothy was uncircumcised, because his father was a Greek
Ch16 v1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.
Don’t do anything in proclaiming the Gospel, to cause unnecessary controversy.
What then do we learn from this passage?
- Issues and controversy will arise from time to time within the church . They shouldn’t, but they will.
- We shouldn’t be surprised, they are Satan’s most successful tools.
- We should deal with them in the power of the Holy Spirit, not run away. Using these same principles we have seen in action in this passage.
- Issues dealt with this way should strengthen the church. The word strengthen appears three times in this passage.
v32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.
v41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches
Ch16 v5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Ch15 A ‘watershed’ experience for the church. Could this teaching be a ‘watershed’ experience for us?
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