There is a danger whenever we add to the grace of God concerning our salvation. Early on within the history of the church, we see this happen and a council is called to address. Is Jesus death for sins, and His resurrection for our justification enough for us to believe in, or do we need to go back to the law of Moses or some other idea that people will bring up as evidence of salvation or evidence that you are “keeping” your salvation? Let’s look at this early church council’s story found in the book of Acts and see what we can learn.
Laws and Customs
Acts 15:1 (ESV) – But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.
Since Christ’s ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, God has been moving. He has been drawing people to salvation – both Jew (Acts 2 and other places) and Gentiles (Acts 10). Now that the Gentiles are starting to hear the gospel, repent of their sins and believe the message of the Apostle’s and Evangelists, men from Judea have come down with concerns. Many of these Gentiles are not keeping the custom of Moses, so they declare it rather boldly, “No circumcision, no salvation.”
The Debate Begins
Acts 15:2-5 (ESV)
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 the apostles and the elders about this question. So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
Paul and Barnabas opposed and debated these Jewish Christians that demanded circumcision and keeping the law of Moses. As Paul and Barnabas were passing through communities, there were testifying of God’s grace being extended toward the Gentiles. When they entered Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the leaders, while Christians who had been part of the Pharisees still gripped rather tightly their legalist interpretation of the law and demanded others to do so.
Peter’s Defense
Acts 15:6-11 (ESV)
The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
Peter was used first by the Lord to bring the gospel to the Gentiles. He saw the end result of his message – they received the Holy Spirit is the same way that Peter and those in the upper room did during the Festival of Pentecost (Harvest). He warned about putting a burden on the Gentile converts by demanding they keep the law and custom of Moses.
Peter emphasized that they are being saved – both Jew and Gentile – through the grace of the Lord Jesus.
Gentile Converts – a Fulfillment of Prophecy
Acts 15:12-21 (ESV)
And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
“‘After this I will return,
and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen;
I will rebuild its ruins,
and I will restore it,
that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord,
and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
After Peter’s defense of the gospel going to the Gentiles and many of them believing in Jesus Christ – James the Half Brother of Jesus and leader of the Church of Jerusalem addresses the council. He declares that the Gentiles coming to faith in Christ is a fulfillment of prophecy (from Amos’ book in the Old Testament). He doesn’t want to burden down the Gentile believer’s but gives them some practical things in their culture avoid: things involving Idol worship, sexual immorality (keeping oneself sexually pure) and strangled meat and blood (Leviticus 3:17).
Paul and Barnabas were sent out by the council to the Gentiles to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ – that His grace is far greater than their sin and paganism.
They sent a letter with Paul, Barnabas and their companions to the Gentile Christians:
Acts 15:28-29 (ESV)
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
What can we learn from this passage?
It can be very easy in our enthusiasm to want to speed up the process of change and sanctification that the Holy Spirit is doing in new believers. And sometimes, unfortunately, we will lay burdens on them that they just cannot lift at that time. Christ has set them free from the burden of their sin. They are babes in Christ. Start then with the basics: Meet with the community of believers regularly, pray, and flee the lusts of the flesh, idolatry, and anything that might hinder them in their walk with the Lord. Let’s be excited about what the Lord has done for these new disciples of His. Let’s not add to the grace of our Lord.
The Rescued Chronicles 