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Paul and Barnabas return to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and church elders.
The first formal council of the Christian Church as it deliberates on salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone v. adherence to the Law of Moses.
I believe pictures and maps help in visualizing the events and places presented in Acts. Last week we looked at an actor sitting on an empty stage reading a script v. actors in full costume on a stage with a period setting, which puts the words into perspective, providing greater insight to the message. The Bible gives us the script, the pictures give us the stage setting for a total visualization of what Scripture is telling us. Nevertheless, to fully understand Scripture includes prayer. Take a moment to ask God to give you a deeper understanding of Acts and the early church, and how it applies to today's church.
From Antioch, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles and other disciples to tell about their trip’s success with Gentile conversions. As noted, the trip from Antioch to Jerusalem was about 15-16 days on foot.
Photos of remnants of what were Roman roads. Bottom left is the portion from Antioch to Jerusalem. Other photos are remnants stretching across Roman Asia Minor—traveled by Paul & Barnabas on their 1st missionary journey in Chap. 14. The roads were built to give the Roman army easy access across the entire region, to preserve Roman rule and retain law and order.
"Viae" is Latin for roadway or route. This map shows the extensive network of roads built by Rome across the Empire. God in His sovereignty used Rome to create a network of roads to be used to spread the Gospel throughout the region. He used Alexander the Great to bring and spread Greek as a common language that the Gospels and Epistles were written in, once again, to share the Gospel of saving grace across the Empire.
The men noted in v.1 were Jewish converts who adhered to the Law of Moses. Even though Antioch was north of Judea, it was at a lower elevation, since Judea was hilly in comparison—consequently, it's noted that Antioch is down from Judea. They were telling the Gentile converts they could not be saved without observing the Law of Moses, particularly circumcision (ouch?). A claim disputed by Paul and Barnabas. They all concurred that` it would have to go to the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem to be resolved.
Yellow arrows point to Antioch Syria and Jerusalem.
It’s easy to spot a Pharisee in the photo—with the head covering (yellow arrow). The Pharisees were educated in the law, which was important to them, and they could not see a valid reason not to insist that all Gentile converts must also follow the law of Moses, i.e., circumcision (yipes!). How many converts would have said, “No thank you,” and started their own branch of Christianity.
V5 ended with an important question from a Jewish perspective. Why were these Jews so adamant that Gentiles MUST follow Jewish law? Their underlying question being, “You’re telling us that our culture and Laws are no longer relevant, and we should be like the Gentiles and surrender our Jewish heritage. NO!” Many Roman Catholics after Vatican II (1962-65) who turned to the Gospel of “grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone”, faced a similar dilemma—to walk away from the beauty of the Latin mass, the comfort of confession, and the serenity of candles… (something we will explore in our Sunday Foundations’ studies in Heritage Lounge at 9:00 A.M.)
Why was it important for the Jew? #1 they were devout in their worship, #2 they studied and abided by the Law of Moses, #3 they felt a real loss to surrender O.T. ceremonial and dietary laws and traditions. Why didn’t the Church just let it go in the interest of unity? We’ll look at that.
The Pharisee-converts insisted that it was God’s Law handed down to Moses, and that Gentile-converts must also adhere to the Law and be circumcised using O.T. Scripture to make their case—a strong case at that. Even Jesus was circumcised and read the O.T. in the synagogue. Nor did Church reject the O.T.
Gen. 17:13 states that the custom of circumcision was to be an everlasting covenant, and a Gentile being brought into Israel MUST be circumcised. No one debated that the O.T. was God’s Word. So why should they not obey it?—the Jews would declare. Indeed, why not?
Even Jesus fulfilled the Law. Without doing so, He would have been a law-breaker and not part of God’s Covenant. So, what is a devote God fearing Jew to think? Paul dealt with this debate almost everywhere he went. Paul was trained as a Pharisee, and well versed in the Law. Who better to argue the case than “Saul the Pharisee” who studied under it, and even persecuted Jewish-Christians because of it, as we see in the next slide.
Lets take a moment and try to put ourselves into those Jews’ shoes.
Here is the comparison of the O.T. sacrifices vs. Jesus’ sacrificial crucifixion. He was sent as the “Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world.” Following the Jewish Law was a temporary fulfillment of those obligations, whereas Jesus was the total and complete fulfillment of them.
This is the Message (slide) the Jewish convert had to grasp. Many did not, especially the Pharisees who converted (v.15:5). They clung to the context of the O.T. Scripture and their knowledge of the Law. Concept of "grace alone" was far too easy to be true; but Jesus told us otherwise in Matthew 5:17-19 (slide).
The burden of making their own atonement for sin was lifted—no small matter. In other words, they were freed of that burden—just as we are—which they could not follow perfectly, as professed by Paul.
In v.6 they came together to resolve this important matter—yes it was important to both the Jew and the Gentile. V.7 is the last mention of Peter in Acts. Going forward, the Holy Spirit didn’t visibly appear over every convert. He did so on the Jews at Pentecost and then the first Gentiles who were baptized by Peter and those baptized by Paul proving God’s acceptance—signs and wonders were already exhibited, and no longer needed. It had shown that to God there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile. It’s the Holy Spirit that changes men’s heart and soul.
Paul’s religious upbringing gave him the knowledge and education of Jewish law to be able to show how Jesus fulfilled it and it was no longer necessary for man to continue striving to do so. To avoid eyestrain, Paul’s religious credentials (equivalent to a Ph.D.), are magnified on the next two slides.
He was both a Pharisee and the son of a Pharisee, which enhanced his knowledge and his status as a teacher of the Law. He began his studies at age 13, and was well equipped to debate it with full knowledge of the Law and how Jesus fulfilled it on our behalf because even the most devout Jew was incapable of doing.
All of which Paul states in his own words in Acts 22:3.
Here Paul continues to refute the Jewish-Pharisee-converts: you couldn’t fulfill the Law perfectly, why then should you expect Gentile-converts to do so, since we are no longer under the Law but under grace. Nevertheless, the Jews continued to insist on circumcision and adherence to the Law of Moses for Gentile converts. How much clearer can Paul be in v.10-11? We are saved by grace and not works. But for many Jews it was still a struggle to discard centuries of customs and religious rites, the very basis of their identity, and who they were as God’s Chosen people. It was something they did not want to give up. Even the O.T. saints were saved by grace, just as we are, and not by their adherence to the Law.
James relates to Peter’s experience of the sheet with unclean animals coming down from heaven (Acts 10) and the Holy Spirit visibly descending as tongues of fire on the first Gentile converts (Cornelius, a Roman centurion located in Caesarea, and his household, mentioned in Chap. 10).
And now James notes the words of Amos an O.T. prophet regarding God’s acceptance of the Gentiles. It was okay with the Jews, for Gentiles to become Christian, but still many wanted Gentiles to become Jewish first in compliance with Mosaic Law, something Paul dealt with during most of his ministry.
Based on Peter’s testimony and Paul’s experience with the Gentiles, the message is clear—Gentiles were also fellow-Christians. V.20 tells us that Jewish influence was still alive and well as some cling to Jewish laws—avoid meat of strangled animals and blood. If salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ alone, why were Gentiles then told to follow these dietary rules?
Concessions were made by the apostles and church elders. But are they essential for the Christian today? Should we still be practicing them? Some would argue that this would apply to eating rare or medium-rare meat. But the Jews weren’t vegetarians, nor was Jesus and the Apostles—all of whom celebrated and participated in the Paschal lamb.
Since they are O.T. commands, why would they not apply to Christians today? Apparently, the Apostles thought they did. Why then don’t we still follow it? Let’s turn to Paul for the answer in the next slide. But before we do, I wanted to make one point, each animal has a unique DNA replicated in its blood. Does this have to do with God’s repopulation of the New Heaven and “New Earth”? Will He restore those animals with resurrected bodies just as we are resurrected in glorified bodies? Hmmm? Sin destroys animal—who did not sin—just as it destroyed Adam and Eve and their descendants. Did Satan win that battle over God's creation, or does God have something special in store for the animals in repopulating the New Earth? I think so as I state in another study blog: https://johnatcpc.blogspot.com
No where in any of his letters/epistles does Paul impose these dietary laws. We see the answer in Paul’s Letter to the Roman. In other words, it isn’t what we eat or refrain from eating that makes us right with God—which was done for us by Jesus Himself.
We also see it in Paul's letter to the Corinthian church. The weak in this case could very well be the Jewish-Pharisees; (i.e., alcohol with Baptist friends! Not sure how they would answer this verse because we never discussed it).
In essence it could have resulted in two distinct Christian churches like the split between “Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic” in 1054 A.D. or “Reformers and Roman Catholics” in the 16th century.
The church leadership in Jerusalem concluded that Paul and Barnabas were right and sent some men to accompany them to bring that message back to Antioch Syria and Cilicia, both verbally and in writing, that Jesus Christ was the Lamb of God who took away the sins of the world, without "works" on man’s part, Jew nor Gentile.
V.24 is speaking of the Pharisee-converts, so than—v.25-27—tells them that that Gentile-converts do not have to comply with Jewish law or circumcision.
Yet, certain O.T. dietary laws were retained. The key words: "You would do well to abstain from them"—which is not spoken as a command or law, with the exception of sexual immorality, which Paul covers in detail in his letter to the Romans.
The men in v.30 were Paul, Barnabas, Judas (called Barsabbas), and Silas. They went to affirm that Gentile converts did not have to become Jewish converts first, nor did they need to be circumcised--definitely well received news.
Paul and Barnabas have a difference of opinion. So, who was right? We don’t know.
Map shows Paul's journey with Silas to revisit the churches that he and Barnabas had established.
They—Paul and Barnabas –spread the Gospel in spite of the physical hardships and constant threats against their lives. They established churches and appointed elders to lead them. When we read the Scriptures, we need to ask how did it apply then, and how does it apply now, and even, how does it apply to me?
Keep strong in the faith. If you haven’t been able to go to Pastor Scott Larson’s Wednesday study at 7:00 PM, due to a schedule conflict, you can still access his study on YouTube via any one of the following links. Copy and paste it into you web browser.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGFgtjTWmgI (week 5 of Proverbs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uLXdvnt5_k (week 4)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MWGYcnpc8E (week 3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zuy3VEXKl0 (week 2 of Proverbs)
End of
The Acts of the Apostles
Chapter 15
