Before I begin this post on the Life of Paul, I want to mention that I went back to the three previous “Paul” posts and edited them to include episodes from a new series I recently found on Right Now Media. I’ll be referring to these some in future posts, but I wanted to make sure you know about the ones I added to the 1st Missionary Journey posts (Life of Paul 12-14).

The series is called Bible Backroads and is hosted by John Stott. The link just referenced takes you to an index of all of the episodes. The ones that I appended to the last three posts are listed below:

• Introduction and Background for Galatians
• The Cities of Galatia Province
• The Judaizers
• The Fruit of the Spirit
• Paul’s Writing Style & Methods
• Paul’s Answer to Jewish Legalism

Last time we left off in the book of Acts with the first two verses of Chapter 15.

“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.’ 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.”

In that previous post I discussed this conflict and how it led to the writing of Galatians. Now, let’s continue following Paul as he and Barnabas travel to Jerusalem to discuss the matter more fully with the church leaders there.

“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.’“

Notice that the Judaizers were present and vocal in Jerusalem. This account is not Paul’s description of their words. It is the Judaizers themselves that are confronting and arguing with Paul here. This argument is the very thing that Paul’s letter to the Galatians was all about!

“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 recounts his experience with the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house (Acts 10). He is also standing firm on his renewed position following his confrontation with Paul in Antioch over the matter (Galatians 2:11-14).

“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.’“

Here James supports the unified positions of Paul and Peter by quoting from the Old Testament Scriptures, specifically Amos 9:11-12, Jeremiah 12:15-16, Isaiah 43:6-7, and Isaiah 45:20-22. He successfully showed that the Scriptures foretold that the Gentiles were destined to be included in God’s Kingdom.

“‘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.’”

Even though the church leaders did not support forcing Gentile Christians to “convert” to Judaism or observe traditional Jewish laws, they did wish to convey the importance of outward appearances and actions as they relate to the body of Christ. This is not inconsistent with Paul’s later letters or even his letter to the Galatians. James’s last sentence above said, “For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” This is James’ reason for making the requirements that he did. Not only are there Jewish Christians, but there are still non-believing Jews living throughout the region and James wishes to encourage the Gentiles to not be a stumbling block to those who might turn to faith in Christ. That is the main point of the admonition against meat offered to idols and containing blood. The admonition against sexual immorality stems from the loose moral standards existing in Roman and Grecian culture of the day.

“Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter:“

Since Paul and Barnabas had been sent to Jerusalem by the church in Antioch, the Jerusalem church decided to send messengers back with them to carry the answer/decision of the Jerusalem church. Of course, the reason the Jerusalem church bore authority in the early rise of Christendom is that is where Jesus’ apostles were originally based.

Here is the text of the letter the apostles signed off on:

“‘The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.’“

It is interesting to note that the intended initial recipients of this letter were in Syria and Cilicia (see map).

These were regions that Paul visited early in his ministry and regions the church in Antioch would have influenced as well. Notably, it did NOT include Galatia. I speculate that this is because Paul had already informed the church leaders of his letter to the Galatians and they deemed that sufficient communication of their message to the Gentiles.

“‘Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 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.’”

Thus ends the letter from the church leaders to the Gentiles. Luke finishes his description of this episode with these words.

“So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.“

Acts 15 concludes with Paul and Barnabas setting out on another missionary journey, but we’ll begin looking at that in the next Life of Paul blog post.