Acts 15 Explained

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[@musapurba8199]

I know I’m 2 years late, but I would go with ribs. And thank you Pastor for your teaching. May God bless you and your family always.

[@rickeyduck]

lol you are so way off course. I received the Holy Ghost in 1974 and spoke in tongues and at the same time while receiving the Spirit I saw a vision of Jesus on the cross crucified. Jude said for Christians to "pray in the Spirit". Paul informs us that praying in the Spirit is "in tongues". Peter had the KEYS and those keys were used in Acts 2:38. He told the unbelievers how to be saved. DO IT.

[@rickeyduck]

Join me every Monday evening at 8pm cst on KZbin "rickeyduck" for the Bread of Life Streamcast. View this message: kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZmYc5Voj9V7n68

[@randycarson9812]

James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem which counted among its members many priests and Pharisees who still held to their Jewish roots and believed that Gentiles must become Jews through circumcision in order to become Christians. “So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” (Acts 6:7) Some from among this group had gone to Galatia and upset the Gentile believers there. “When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. *Before certain men came **_from James,_* he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. (Galatians 2:11-14) From this, we can see that the Council of Jerusalem was divided into two camps: those who believed the Gentile converts should be circumcised and those who did not. Peter addresses the former with these words: “Now then, why do you [Judaizers] try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." (Acts 15:10-11) James addresses them, also: "Brothers, listen to me. Simon (note that James even used Peter's Hebrew name when speaking to the Judaizers) has described to us (James must be speaking here to the believers from Jerusalem since those from Galatia would already have been familiar with God's work in that province!) how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself..."It is my judgment, therefore, that we (the Jewish Christians of Jerusalem) should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them..." (Acts 15:13-20) Thus, after hearing Peter's doctrinal pronouncement, James rose to speak and addressed those from his own flock whom he knew would have the hardest time accepting Peter's decision. James accepted Peter's teaching and added his own pastoral comments for the benefit of the pro-circumcision group present and for those who might be tempted to doubt that he, James, the leader of the "Judaizers", really had accepted the decision of the full ecumenical council that circumcision was unnecessary for Gentiles. One other point...you may recall that James insisted on a prohibition against eating the meat from strangled animals. Does anyone pay any attention to that ruling of James? If not, what does that say about James' real significance at the council and his authority to bind and loose?

[@torahobservantsda]

Notice that the 4 things the Jerusalem council decided must immediately be obeyed by Gentile converts all come from the Law of God given through Moses, and not the 10 commandments. They further state that these same Gentile converts will learn the rest of what they need to obey in synagogue on Sabbath.

[@Angie-fn8op]

That is never stated and there is no other scripture that supports that theory.

[@torahobservantsda]

Which of the 10 commandments specifically forbids "pollutions from idols", "fornication", "things strangled",and "blood"? Furthermore, explain verse 21, which is a clear reference to BOTH the commonly misnamed "Law of Moses", which is, in its original OT context, the Law of God given through Moses as requested by the Israelites.

[@daestrayker]

True. Amen.

[@humbleb2126]

A Christian will live differently from the world, would repent and seek to honor God by keeping Jesus' Commands (John 14:15 and the whole of John 14), but that is out of love for the Lord, as an act of worship (Romans 12:1 @ presenting our bodies as living sacrifices: giving our livese to be formed after Him, in Who's image we were created), because of what He alone (Jesus, Who kept and fulfilled the entire Law) did, and we are saved by believing in Him. Saved by grace, through faith in the Grace, leading to fruit through enduring seeking to keep commands out of a position of gratitude and worship (aka works, James 2:14-20) . Hope this will hepp sum it up, This is what I have learnt, but I'm still just a man with limited understanding. Please correct if you deem necessary, but bring forth scripture.

[@papabear887]

(1) Text and context are extremely imprtant in reading Acts15. The Jewish believers in Jesus who are of the camp of circumcision is missapplying Genesis 17 in regard to circumcision and Exodus/Leviticus/Numbers/Deuteronomy in regard to the Law of Moses. Nothing in the scripture says that salvation is by faith in God and circumcision or observance of the Law of Moses. Abraham believed God first then the circumcision law for all generations. Moses and the house of Jacob and the mix multitudes believed first and were saved in that Passover night. Then the Laws came later. Acts 15 problem is a problem that christians are doing now in missapplying Scripture. (2) The debate was about requiring circumcision and by extension observance of the Law of Moses as a condition of salvation. This was far from the truth. Salvation is by faith alone in Jesus through Grace according to the apostles. The yoke that was referred to was physical circumcision. Verse 10 says “a yoke” but then goes on in verse 19-21 giving 5 (including Sabbath) laws of Moses for the turning Gentile believer and the reason to the limitation. Thus this yoke is simply the physical circumcision that they refer to that neither their fathers could bear. It is painful and burdens the new gentile believer, friends and family for 2 weeks just to be saved. The Law of Moses was not the burden or yoke they refer to except the physical circumcision. Verse 21 says, “for Moses in ancient generations has had in every city those who proclaim him, since he is read in ALL synagogues every SABBATH.” Meaning, as the gentile believer in Jesus observes the Law of Moses when coming together with the believers on Sabbath (another Law of Moses/God), he will hear more of what Moses teaches as he is read in the synagogues. Thus, these laws were just a start. Sexual immorality and eating foods sacrificed to idols are condemned by Jesus in Revelation chapters 2 and 3 saying that those who practice them will face His wrath and if they do not repent will have their names removed from the Book of Life. Paul in Galatians 5:19-21 warned the believers TWICE that those who practice sexual immorality and idolatry will not inherit the kingdom of God. (3) The Law of Moses is not a property of the Jews. The Law of Moses is a property of God (Exodus 19:5-6, Leviticus 20:1-26). The Sons of Israel in Exodus 12 were both from the descendants of Jacob and the mix multitudes and were called together as Armies and ALL Sons of Israel twice with the same Law as formed over their journey starting from leaving Egypt. The phrase “the Law applies to the native as well as the outsider who dwell with them” embracing the faith began in Exodus 12 as well. Thus this was the beginning of the promise given to Abraham in Genesis 17 when God made the covenant with him and the seed after him throughout their generations as the ‘father of a multitude of Nations’. (4) Colossians 2:16-17 is another evidence that the gentile believer in Jesus were observing the dietary laws, New Moon, Sabbaths, and Feasts. And Paul encouraged them by telling them to not let anyone judge them for they are a foreshadowing of things TO COME in reference to Jesus second coming, trumpet blast, Isaiah 66, Zechariah 14 and Revelation.

[@johnnybaptist6933]

The “issue” at hand was whether or not someone who was not a Jew could be saved. To put it another way, how could a Gentile become a covenant member with Israel and share in the blessings of the covenant? The prevailing belief of the Judaisms in Paul’s day was that only Jews had a place in the world to come since God had made the covenant of blessing with Israel and no other nation. All Israel have a place in the world to come. This central theological axiom shows that from the perspective of the Rabbis, a Gentile could secure a place in the world to come only by becoming a Jew. This, the Rabbis taught, was possible through becoming a proselyte, a ritual based entirely upon their rules but without any foundation in the Torah itself. In fact, the added phrase “according to the custom of Moses” in the opening verse of Acts 15 may point to the fact that the disagreement taking place between Paul and Barnabas was not over what the written Torah prescribed for Gentiles, but whether or not the additional teachings of the Sages were binding upon them. Thus, when men from Judea taught that “unless you are circumcised (undergo the ritual of a proselyte) according to the custom of Moses you cannot be saved,” they were simply applying the standard theology of their day. This is what the Council was dealing with-did all Israel have a place in the world to come, and did Gentiles therefore need to submit to the man-made ritual of the proselyte so that in accordance with the prevailing theology they too could secure eternal life, that is, be saved? Nowhere in God’s word is there a ceremony outlined for a Gentile to become a proselyte. In fact, the Torah is quite specific that the resident non-Jew was to be received as just that-a non-Jewish person who had attached himself to Israel and to her God. If God expected the believing Gentile to become a Jew through some ritual of conversion, there would be no reason for a verse like Numbers 15:16. There is to be one Torah and one ordinance for you and for the alien who sojourns with you. Tim Hegg

[@johnnybaptist6933]

Hello there, I would agree with some of what you said but you didn't keep reading. If you had we would see the Apostles making it a priority to teach these new converts who were fresh out of their pagan lifestyle to abstain from certain types of idolatry. These were specific commands in the Torah. And it goes on to say they would learn the rest every Sabbath in the synagogues where Moses (Torah) is read. I understand you would think someone with my belief is a "legalist" but I disagree my friend. And I would be happy to further explain the context of Acts 15 if you would care to have that discussion. I would also be happy to share what it really means to be a "legalist". Take care brother.

[@kengienegishi1768]

Amen pastor