Get Ready
Who generally made the final decisions when there was an argument in your family? Mother? Dad? Another relative? How did this person gain this type of authority? How did you feel when you had to present your case — your side of the story — to this person?
The Word
15 Then certain individuals came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to discuss this question with the apostles and the elders. 3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the believers.
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary for them to be circumcised and ordered to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders met together to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “My brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that I should be the one through whom the Gentiles would hear the message of the good news and become believers. 8 And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; 9 and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us. 10 Now therefore why are you putting God to the test by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12 The whole assembly kept silence, and listened to Barnabas and Paul as they told of all the signs and wonders that God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “My brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first looked favorably on the Gentiles, to take from among them a people for his name. 15 This agrees with the words of the prophets, as it is written,
16 ‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen;
from its ruins I will rebuild it,
and I will set it up, and I will set it up,
17 so that all other peoples may seek the Lord—even all the Gentiles over whom my name has been called.
Thus says the Lord, who has been making these things 18 known from long ago.’
19 Therefore I have reached the decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but we should write to them to abstain only from things polluted by idols and from fornication and from whatever has been strangled and from blood. 21 For in every city, for generations past, Moses has had those who proclaim him, for he has been read aloud every sabbath in the synagogues.”
22 Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds,
25 we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” NRSV
Get into the Word
1. How does this dispute get started? Why do you suppose the “men from Judea” went to Antioch first? What is the issue these men are raising? Why would this be so important to the men? Why would it be important to Paul and Barnabas? [see Notes]
2. How is the argument resolved? Why do you think the Antioch church decided to go to Jerusalem for a decision?
3. What happens when the delegation arrives in Jerusalem? How do you suppose Paul and Barnabas felt at first?
4. Who raises the circumcision question? Why would these people be concerned? What happens next? How do you think Paul and Barnabas felt at this point? How would you have felt?
5. How does Peter respond to the question about circumcizing the Gentile Christians? What is the basis for his position? How does the council react to his remarks?
6. How does James respond to Peter’s argument? Do you think this may have surprised people in the meeting? Why?What must Gentile Christians avoid? Why did the Council include these and not others? How did they communicate their decision?
Get Personal
How do you deal with questions regarding your faith? What authorities do you rely on? Who do you look to for clarification or interpretation? How does God help you live out your beliefs each day?
Notes . . .
15:1. Circumcision — actually more than a “custom,” circumcision was the physical sign of being part of the covenant God made with Abraham: This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised, [Gen 17:10-11,14]. The Judaizers based their argument that Gentiles must be circumcised on the requirement regarding Passover, [Ex 12:48-49].
15:4. Whole church — this meeting, called the “Jerusalem Council,” was held in 49 or 50 A.D.
15:5. Pharisees — the religious [and political] party in Israel that insisted on strict adherence to Mosaic Law — and to the many interpretations, additions and rituals that had grown alongside the law over time.
15:7-10. Peter is referring to the conversion of Cornelius’ household in Acts 10:34-46.
15:10. Yoke — a harness, usually wooden, that allowed two animals to work together pulling a wagon or plow. The term was often used as a metaphor for a burden or responsibility.
15:13. James — Jesus’s brother, who became a Christian after Jesus’s death. He became the leader of the Jerusalem church and is considered the author of “James” in the New Testament.
15:16-18. James is combining several Old Testament passages in his remarks: Amos 9:11, Psalm 22:27, Isaiah 49:6, and Joel 2:32.
15:20-21. Abstain — the four things Gentile Christians should avoid are all rooted in Mosaic Law [idols: Ex 20:3-4 and Ex 20:23; blood: Lev 3:17 and Lev 17:12; strangled animals: Ex 22:31; and fornication (sexual immorality): Lev 18]
Memory Verse
God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us.
[Acts 15:8-9].
Next Lesson
Romans 7-8: The Law and sin, and life in the Spirit.
When my sons were born–we had them circumcised because of health issues–my sister-in-law; who was a nurse–told us it was the best thing for our sons. Now, to show how naive I was–I did not know that circumcision had any religious significance at all–I knew nothing about it–we didn’t talk about those things back then; my oldest son is 55–I have no idea if my brothers, or my father or any other family member has been circumcised–never asked–I suppose if I was Jewish–I would be aware of that distinction: and it seems like such an important part of the Jewish faith. It’s a good thing, God gives us the ability to continue to learn–