The Early Church · c. AD 49
Chapter 11
The Council at Jerusalem
God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us.He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.
For parents
This chapter is about whether Gentile believers must be circumcised (Acts 15:1–5, 24); a name card says plainly what circumcision is. James says the Gentile believers should be told to keep away from sexual sin, among other things, and the letter the apostles and elders send tells them so (15:20, 29). It is named in a few words, without detail.
and had sailed to . It was there that they had been entrusted to God’s grace for the work they had now finished. They called the together and told them all the things God had done with them, and that he had opened a door for the nations to believe. Then they stayed on with the a long time.
Some men came down from and taught the brothers and sisters. “Unless you are ,” they said, “following the custom of , you can’t be saved.”
Paul and Barnabas had a sharp quarrel with them and argued with them long and hard. So they appointed Paul, Barnabas and some of the others to take this question up to the and the in .
The assembly sent them on their way. They passed through and , telling how the were turning to God, and they filled all the brothers and sisters with joy.
In Jerusalem the assembly welcomed them, and so did the apostles and the elders. They reported everything God had done with them.
But some believers from the party stood up. “They must be circumcised,” they said, “and they must be commanded to keep the law of Moses.”
The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.
There was a long debate. Then stood up and spoke to them. “Brothers,” he said, “you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you, that the nations would hear the Good News from my mouth and believe.
“God, who knows the heart, testified about them: he gave them the , just as he did for us. He treated them no differently from us. He made their hearts clean by faith.
“So now, why are you testing God by laying a on the necks of the disciples, a yoke neither our ancestors nor we could carry? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
The whole crowd fell silent. They listened as Barnabas and Paul told what signs and wonders God had done among the nations through them.
When they had gone quiet, answered. “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has told us how God first visited the nations, to take a people for his name from among them.
“This agrees with the words of the . As it is written:
‘After these things I will return.I will build again the tent of , which has fallen.I will build again its ruins.I will set it upso that the rest of humankind may seek after the Lord:all the Gentiles who are called by my name,says the Lord, who does all these things.’
“All of God’s works have been known to him from eternity. So this is my judgment: we should not make trouble for those Gentiles who turn to God. Instead, we should write them a letter telling them to keep away from things made unclean by , from sexual sin, from what is strangled, and from blood. After all, for many generations every city has had people who preach Moses, and he is read in the every .”
The apostles and the elders, with the whole assembly, then thought it best to choose men of their own company and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The men they chose were , who was called Barsabbas, and , two of the leaders of the brothers and sisters.
They wrote this letter for the men to carry: “From the apostles, the elders and the brothers and sisters, to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, and : greetings.
“We have heard that some who went out from us have upset you with what they said and unsettled your souls. ‘You must be circumcised and keep the law,’ they told you. We gave them no such orders.
“So we all agreed, and we thought it best to send you men we have chosen, along with our dear Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus . That is why we have sent Judas and Silas. They will also tell you the same things themselves, in person.
“It seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no heavier burden on you than these necessary things: that you keep away from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual sin. If you keep yourselves from these, it will go well with you. Farewell.”
Once the men had been sent off, they came to Antioch. There they gathered the whole crowd together and handed over the letter.
When the crowd had read it, they rejoiced at the encouragement it brought.
Judas and Silas were prophets themselves, and they encouraged the brothers and sisters with many words and made them strong.
After they had stayed there for a while, the brothers and sisters sent them off in peace, back to the apostles.
But Paul and Barnabas stayed on in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, along with many others.