Intro to Acts 15:1-35

SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 3/21/2018 9:33 AM

My Worship Time                                                                              Focus:  Intro to Acts 15:1-35

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  Acts 15:1-35

            Message of the verses:  “1 Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved." 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, "It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses."  6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8  "And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9  and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are." 12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, "Brethren, listen to me. 14 “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 15 “With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 ’AFTER THESE THINGS I will return, AND I WILL REBUILD THE TABERNACLE OF DAVID WHICH HAS FALLEN, AND I WILL REBUILD ITS RUINS, AND I WILL RESTORE IT, 17 SO THAT THE REST OF MANKIND MAY SEEK THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME,’ 18 SAYS THE LORD, WHO MAKES THESE THINGS KNOWN FROM LONG AGO. 19 "Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20  but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. 21 “For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath."  22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas-Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, 23 and they sent this letter by them, "The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. 24 “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, 25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. 28  "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell." 30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message. 33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out. 34 [[But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.]] 35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.”

            John MacArthur entitles the chapter in his commentary that goes along with these verses “The Jerusalem Council: Is Salvation by Law or Grace?”  We will seek to write an introduction to these very important verses, perhaps more important than people may realize.

            In his commentary MacArthur speaks of different church councils that took place to settle doctrinal issues, but he then writes: 

“As important as those councils were, the Jerusalem Council, described in this chapter, was the first and most significant of all.  For it fixed the most momentous doctrinal question of all:  What must a person do to be saved?  The apostles and elders successfully resisted the pressure to impose Jewish legalism and ritualism on the Gentile believers.  In other words, they forbade the inclusion of works as a part of salvation.  They affirmed for all time the truth that salvation is wholly by God’s grace through faith alone, apart from any human efforts.”

            It was very difficult for some of the believing Jews at the time when Christianity was first offered to the Gentiles salvation, and many wanted the new Gentile believers to become Jewish proselytes, but this was not the plan of God.  God was about to set the Jews aside because of their rejection of their Messiah and would primarily be dealing with the Gentiles; however there will always be a saved remnant of Jews during the church age. As we have seen in the study of Acts 13-14 which was about Paul and Barnabas going to the Gentiles that their greatest enemy to the preaching of the Gospel came from the Jews and so we can see great conflict was happening.   The truth is that there is always going to be conflict when the Gospel is successfully preached and all men are born spiritually dead and have no desire to truly accept the forgiveness that Christ offers through His death on the cross, and that is why when a person is truly saved he or she receives an effectual call from the Holy Spirit and is given faith to receive the forgiveness that Christ offers.

            Once again I cannot over stress the importance of the Jerusalem Council as if Satan would have gotten his way at this council then the church would have certainly ended for God does not desire to have anything added to receiving salvation as it is a gift from God.  In today’s churches and perhaps from the early church age some have stated that a person must be baptized in order to have salvation.  Baptism comes after salvation as it reflects back on what Christ has done for you on the cross, and also speaks of His burial and then His resurrection.

Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:  “West” (Exodus 10:19).

Today’s Bible question:  “What should we do to our persecutors?”

Answer in our next SD.

3/21/2018 10:06 AM