The+Jerusalem+Council

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=**Importance of the Jerusalem Council **=

= =

The Jerusalem Council is the most important Councils ever called among Christians. They are to decide the nature of Christianity itself and verify God’s plan of salvation. As Gentile converts are added into the church, they clash with Jewish believers. One of the most important issues is circumcision and the observance of the Law for the Gentile converts. Must a Gentile be circumcised in order to be saved? Should they still observe Jewish ceremonial laws? Is salvation by grace or by works? What is the basis for the Gentile inclusion? Moreover, it answers the question, “should Gentiles become Jew in order to be Christians?” According to Bock, “the issue is not whether Gentiles should be included in the community but the speicifc requirements for their inclusion[|[1]] ”. In Ex. 12:45 the Gentiles who wished to be identified with Israel were required to be circumcised, and to live their lives in observance of the Mosaic Law. This Council is very crucial because it officially answers the Church’s theological constitution. The decision made in the Jerusalem is very vital since it establishes the character of the church and the enabling of its further growth[|[2]].

In response to the demands of the Judaizers, Peter made a key address recalling what God had originally done with his experience with Cornelius. Notice that this was the third time Luke mentioned this event in Acts, perhaps indicating its importance[|[3]]. Peter argued against requiring circumcision and the ceremonial Law to be upon Gentile Christians (Acts 15:6-11). His past experience with Cornelius, a Gentile in Acts 10 showed him that God saves without the necessity of circumcision. God saved Cornelius and his household without requiring them to observe circumcision. This is evidenced through the filling of the Holy Spirit upon them (Acts 10:44, 48). Second, the Gentiles had been saved exactly the same way as the Jews (15:9). Moreover, Peter argues that the Jews were not saved by keeping the Law (15:10). If neither their forefathers nor themselves were not able to bear this burden, then how much more can the Gentiles not handle the burden? In other words, to impose this burden would be tantamount that God’s redemptive work was a lie, thus putting “God to the test[|[4]] ” (Acts 15:10-11). Peter concluded his speech that people are saved “through the grace of the Lord Jesus.” Consequently, God gave the Holy Spirit to them without circumcision as precedent. Also, Peter emphasized the reality that God’s grace applies to both Jews and Gentiles.

Second, Paul and Barnabas testified about the ministry with the Gentiles in v. 12. Their testimony aligned with Peter’s. Both of them had just returned from a great missionary journey (14: 24-28). Many Gentiles were saved, and local churches organized. They personally attested that God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles; God was truly with them; there were genuine conversions in Christ and the Holy Spirit worked mightily. There is no doubt that the Gentiles did not need to keep the ceremonies of Judaism for salvation. Thirdly, Peter’s speech and the missionaries’ testimonies paved the way for James, the prominent leader of the church. He reasoned that the out calling of the Gentile is in alignment to God’s promises to Israel (vv. 13-18). He argued that the Old Testament prophetically included the salvation of the Gentiles in God’ divine plan[|[5]]. He refers to “prophets: in v. 15 to show that there are a number of OT prophets defend the inclusion of the Gentiles by faith alone. He notes how the teachings of the Old Testament prophets were in agreement to the inclusion of the Gentiles[|[6]]. He could have referred to Amos 9:11 and 12. Such Scriptures could have been in his mind: Dt. 30:1-6; Jer. 23:3-8; Ezek. 34:11-31; 36:24-28. At the close of his speech in vv. 14 and 17, he stressed the acceptability of the Gentiles in the household of God. Harrison suggests, “Those whom God has received need nothing additional to fit them for membership in the household of faith[|[7]] .”

=**The Jerusalem Decree **=

= =  In vv. 19-35, the Council of Jerusalem agrees that Christians are no longer subject to the Ceremonial Law; salvation is only by grace. Thus, neither circumcision nor any other part of the ceremonies is required. F.F. Bruce adds, “the upshot of the decree was that the circumcision issue could no longer impede the progress of the Gentile mission[|[8]] .” Christ freed sinners from the law. However, Gentile believers should not be offensive to the Jewish converts. For this reason, they wrote a letter instructing them to abstain form food sacrificed to idols, and from sexual immorality (Acts 15:28-29). They asked the Gentiles to be sensitive about these matters. These limitations were set so that the relations between the Gentiles and Jews would not be strained[|[9]] (cf. 1 Cor. 8-10). In Christ, the Jewish ceremonies are rendered useless. Thus, both Jews and Gentiles are free, but it not necessarily sin to perform these practices, since the temple is still around. The problem arises when the Law is made a requirement for salvation (cf. Gal. 2:15-21). Salvation cannot be a matter of works; God’s grace is from start to finish. Then, the Council sent Paul and Barnabas to send the letter to the churches (v. 26).

=**<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif';">Summary **=

= = <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif';"> In summary, the Jerusalem Council verified the fact that Gentile converts need not to observe Jewish laws, but rather be not a stumbling block other Jewish Converts. It stressed the fact that salvation is by grace alone through faith in Christ. As stated earlier, it has established the theology behind the inclusion of the Gentiles and salvation through faith in Christ apart from the works of the Law. Moreover, most of Pauline epistles were a result of this Council (cf. my paper on Galatians and 1 Corinthians).


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times','serif';">Bibliography **

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif';">Barrett, C. K.. //The acts of the Apostles: a shorter commentary//. London [u.a.: T & T Clark, 2002.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif';">Bock, Darrell L. //Acts//. Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2007.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif';">Bruce, F. F. //New Testament History//. Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1972.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif';">Carson, D. A. //An Introduction to the New Testament//. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2005.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif';">Foakes-Jackson, F.. //The Beginnings of Christianity//. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1979.

<span style="font-family: 'Times','serif';">Harrison, Everett Falconer. //Acts: The Expanding Church//. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975.

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif';">Moo, Douglas. //An Introduction to the New Testament//. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times','serif';">Rice, John. //Filled with the Spirit: The Book of Acts.// Murfreesboro: Sword of the Lord Publishers, 1963.

<span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[1]] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Darrell L Bock, //Acts// (Grand Rapids, Mich: Baker Academic, 2007), 497. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[2]] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">D. A Carson, //An Introduction to the New Testament//, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2005), 184. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[3]] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Bock, //Acts//, 499. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[4]] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Everett Falconer Harrison, //Acts: The Expanding Church// (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975), 232. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[5]] Ibid., 233. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[6]] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Bock, //Acts//, 503. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[7]] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Harrison, //Acts//, 235. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[8]] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">F. F Bruce, //New Testament History// (Garden City, N.Y: Doubleday, 1972), 290. <span style="font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">[|[9]] <span style="font-family: 'Cambria','serif';">Bock, //Acts//, 506.

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