The Council of Jerusalem refused to put Gentile believers under the yoke of the law.
It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden.
Some men from Judea taught the brothers in Antioch that unless they were circumcised according to Moses they could not be saved. Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem. Peter said God made no distinction, cleansing Gentile hearts by faith. James judged that they should not trouble those who turn to God, and wrote a letter: abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what has been strangled, and from blood. The church sent Judas and Silas with the letter. The council is not a new law. It is the refusal of circumcision as the way to be saved.
- The early church argued this in public and answered it in a letter.
- Peter’s proof is Cornelius. God gave the Spirit with no yoke.
- The four abstentions are the letter’s request. They are not a second gospel.
Why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples?
No greater burden than these requirements.
We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.
- The council met because circumcision was being required for salvation.
- Peter said God made no distinction.
- James would not trouble the Gentiles who turn to God.
- The letter names four abstentions.
- Silas carried the letter back to Antioch.
- Salvation is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, for Jew and Gentile.
- The Fight – Circumcision for salvation.
- The Witness – Peter, Paul, Barnabas.
- The Judgment – James.
- The Letter – Four abstentions.
- The Carriers – Judas and Silas.
- The Grace – The same way of salvation.
- Acts 15:1 – “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
- Acts 15:7-9 – “God… made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.”
- Acts 15:10-11 – “Why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples?”
- Acts 15:19-20 – “We should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain…”
- Acts 15:28-29 – “It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements.”
- Galatians 2:3-5 – “Titus… was not forced to be circumcised… to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment.”
- Galatians 2:9 – “James and Cephas and John… gave the right hand of fellowship to Barnabas and me.”
- Acts 15:22 – “It seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch.”
- Acts 15:30-31 – “They gathered the congregation together and delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced.”
- Acts 16:4 – “They delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.”
Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.
It has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden.
We will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.
The council refused the yoke. The four requests are not a new way to be saved.
Entry compiled for the JESUSaves.com Bible Glossary. Optimized for wiki.js Visual Editor.