Saved by the grace of Jesus(2)

Rev. Andrew Hunt, III

Walking through the Book of Acts • Sermon • Submitted 5 years ago

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Saved by the grace of Jesus

, ” 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." 2 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. 3 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. 4 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. 5 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." 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 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. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.10 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? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." 12 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. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 "'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, 17 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 18 known from of old.' 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 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. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues."

1 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." 2 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. 3 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.

4 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. 5 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." 6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 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. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.10 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? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will."

12 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. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, "Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 "'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, 17 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 18 known from of old.' 19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 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. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues."

Paul and Barnabas have just gone through a major test of their faith in the city of Lystra, Iconium, they had strengthen the souls of the disciples, and encouraged them, pleading with them to continue in the faith. They had done all of this through many trials and tribulations so as to one day enter the kingdom of God. They appointed elders for all the church and with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they all believed. Then the return to Antioch, where now they encountered some disturbing teaching about the need for Gentiles to be circumcised if they are to be saved. This all happens in Antioch and Paul and Barnabas must make their second journey to Jerusalem.

This journey is for the purpose of questioning the apostles and elders about this disturbing teaching that challenges the established freedom of Gentiles from the demands of the Mosaic Law. They received a positive reception in Phoenicia, Samaria, and Jerusalem to news about the conversion of the Gentiles, which, highlights the seriousness of the challenge from certain ‘believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees’, and their extra-biblical demands. We are taught in this passage that we all are saved by the grace of Jesus. Saved by the grace of Jesus... having not done so according to the custom of Moses. Saved by the grace of Jesus... having our hearts cleansed by faith. Saved by the grace of Jesus... having turned to God.

Let us pray...

Saved by the grace of Jesus... having not done so according to the custom of Moses.

1 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.” From its earliest days, the church at Antioch contained uncircumcised Gentiles as well as Jewish believers,

,“ Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus.”

The church in Jerusalem soon sent Barnabas to investigate developments at Antioch and to encourage the ministry there (11:22–24). Prophets later came down from Jerusalem to Antioch, to contribute to the life of the church (11:27; 13:1). One of them predicted a severe famine in Judea, provoking the Christians to send Paul and Barnabas with practical aid (11:28–30). This was probably the visit to Jerusalem mentioned by Paul in , where he set before James, Peter, and John the gospel he preached among the Gentiles and they ‘added nothing’ to his message. They acknowledged a common gospel and a God-given partnership in the work, with the Jerusalem leaders broadly accepting responsibility for ministry to Jews, and Paul and Barnabas ministry to Gentiles. On this occasion, even Titus, who was with the team from Antioch, was not circumcised, though some ‘false believers’ who had infiltrated the situation applied pressure.

We cannot be certain when the next incident mentioned by Paul in took place, though it is most likely to have been before the resolutions of the Jerusalem Council brought public agreement between Peter, James, Paul, and Barnabas on such matters. Paul accused Peter, Barnabas, and the other Jewish Christians of ‘not acting in line with the truth of the gospel’ Look at

, “ But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with hint, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

The setting of Paul’s confrontation with Peter was Antioch, Paul’s missionary base for a number of years.

Peter had been participating in meals where Jewish and Gentile Christians ate together, but then he drew back and separated himself, eating only with Jewish Christians. Paul saw that Peter’s behavior threatened the gospel of justification by faith alone because it implied that all Christians had to “live like Jews” in order to be justified before God. Eating with the Gentiles would mean not eating according to Jewish dietary restrictions. The circumcision party advocated following the ceremonies of the Mosaic covenant law at least regarding circumcision, food, and special days.Not only was Peter guilty of hypocrisy; as an influential leader, he also led astray the rest of the Jewish Christians, even Barnabas.

When Paul says that this move would force the Gentiles to live like Jews, he was accusing Peter of hypocrisy because, though he had been happily living like a Gentile (i.e., not observing food laws), he was now requiring Gentile Christians to observe Jewish table regulations if they wanted to eat with him. Such a requirement, however, would undermine the gospel itself by making justification depend on “works of the law” rather than “faith in Jesus Christ” So Paul confronted Peter before them all. Because Peter’s sin was a public sin that was setting a bad example for the church, Paul confronted him publicly (compare the different procedure that Jesus commands regarding a private sin against an individual person, which hopefully can be corrected privately.

We have no way of knowing how satisfactorily that issue was resolved before the next serious challenge came from Jerusalem to Antioch through the visit of those mentioned by Luke. Their message was: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved’. Although it is embodied in the Mosaic Law, the command to circumcise ‘every male among you’ goes back to God’s covenant with Abraham (). The implications of the demand in v. 1 are brought out in v. 5, where it is made clear that circumcision would be the beginning of a life devoted to keeping the law of Moses.

It was widely accepted that Gentiles could become proselytes of Judaism and so share in the blessings promised to Israel. The biblical foundation for this can be seen in passages such as,

, “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.14Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring, 13 both he who is born in your house and he who is bought with your money, shall surely be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.14Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

Male converts would be circumcised, and the whole family would undertake to live in obedience to the law. But these Judaizers had failed to grasp the radical change in God’s dealings with the nations brought about by the coming of Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. vv. 8–11). The idea that God had granted Gentiles ‘repentance that leads to life’, without becoming Jewish proselytes, seemed to have been settled by Peter’s reflection on the Cornelius incident (11:18).

But clearly some Jewish Christians were not persuaded and were insistent that circumcision and all that it entailed was necessary for eternal salvation. ‘The issue here in chapter 15 is not merely post-conversion behavior but what really constitutes true conversion in the first place.’ Paul soon wrote to the Christians in Galatia about the same problem, because the false teachers spread their influence through Syria and Cilicia into the towns where Paul and Barnabas had conducted their first missionary campaign.

, “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. 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 can’t to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.”

The aggressive approach of the Judaizers brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them and it was ‘no small dissension.

As well as being concerned about the local situation, Paul and Barnabas presumably had an eye to the possible impact of the teaching on the churches they had founded elsewhere. Although it is not clear from v. 2 who appointed them to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question, because v. 3 simply says that it was the church, and not simply its leaders, who sent them on their way. Those who had united in commissioning Paul and Barnabas for their first missionary campaign, and had been privileged to hear the report of what God had done through them, were concerned about a right resolution of this gospel issue.

They were also presumably concerned about the deteriorating relationship between their church and the church in Jerusalem. As Paul and Barnabas travelled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted ‘recounting the turning of the Gentiles from vain things to a living God’). Here we find an anticipation of the argument in vv. 7–12. Fundamentally, just recognizing that God had been saving Gentiles on the same basis as Jews, namely though faith in Jesus as the crucified and resurrected Messiah would solve the problem. The Gentile mission is shown to have had wide support outside Judea (This news made all the believers very glad), and then Luke records that the church and the apostles and elders in Jerusalem welcomed them. Only the apostles and elders are mentioned in v. 6, but the whole church participated in the final decision to send representatives with a letter to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia (v. 22). This suggests that the council was ‘open to all disciples’, and that the church in Jerusalem was as much concerned to resolve the issue as the church in Antioch was. The way used to resolve conflict in antiquity was to call a meeting of the assembly of the people , ‘and listen to and consider speeches, following the conventions of deliberative rhetoric’, the aim of which was to overcome stasis (‘conflict’, as in v. 2) and ‘produce concord or unity’. This is why it is so important for all leaders and members to study to so yourselves approve as a workman who can rightly divide the Word of God and not ever be ashamed of your understanding.

The cumulative effect of vv. 3–4 is to show the positive response of many Jewish believers to Paul and Barnabas and their work among the Gentiles, as they reported everything God had done through them.

Their report proved that the Gentiles were being saved by the grace of Jesus alone and not according to the custom of Moses.

Saved by the grace of Jesus... having our hearts cleansed by faith

Yet, there were other brothers who had yet, to come to the understanding that Jesus Christ was the end of the law. Paul says in

, “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have zeal for God but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law of righteousness to everyone who believes.” The Jews’ zeal and sincerity does not lead them to salvation. The broader principle is that many sincere, “religious” people can be wrong in their beliefs. Wrong here because many Jews did not believe in Christ because they failed to submit to God’s righteousness and instead attempted to be righteous before God on the basis of their own works.

The fact that Jesus is the “End of the Law” includes the idea of both the goal and termination. The Mosaic Law has reached its goal in Christ (it looked forward to and anticipated him), and the law is no longer binding upon Christians (the old covenant has ended). Since Christ is the goal and end of the law, righteousness belongs to all who trust in Christ.

But look at verse 5, “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.”

Who are the Pharisees?

The Pharisees, were an influential religious sect within Judaism in the time of Christ and the early church. They were known their emphasis on personal piety, the word Pharisee comes from the Hebrew word meaning “separated.” They accepted the oral tradition in addition to the written Law, and their teaching that all Jews should observe the 613 laws in the Torah, including the rituals concerning ceremonial purification. The Pharisees were scrupulous in the adhered to the Law.

In contrast with this widespread support, some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses’.

These particular Pharisees had apparently come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but had not abandoned their allegiance to Moses and the Law. They used the language of necessity, implying that this was God’s will. Although they appear to extend the demand being made on Gentiles, by including the requirement to obey the law of Moses, submission to a totally law-directed life. In other words, the demand for Gentile Christians to become proselytes of Judaism, which was first made by the visitors to Antioch, was reaffirmed by Pharisees who were members of this general assembly of the church in Jerusalem. At this point Luke appears to reveal that they were the source of the disruptive teaching that had been spreading from Jerusalem to Syria and beyond.

6 “ The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.” The apostles and elders met to consider this question. As noted above in connection with v. 4, it seems likely that the whole body of believers in Jerusalem was involved at some level in the debate and its outcome. This Jerusalem council presupposes the authority of Jerusalem to decide the issue of Gentile Christians’ obedience to the law. Its decision binds not only Antioch and its daughter churches but also the churches founded by Paul and Barnabas. However, such an authority structure is not really evident in the relationship between Jerusalem and the Gentile churches in the preceding narratives, and the letter which is sent to the churches (15:23–9) has a urging a course of conduct rather than a legislating one. With regard to the council itself, Peter and James play important roles in the decision, but the scene gives the impression that their authority is informal—resting on the respect they have gained and lasting as long as they can persuade their fellow apostles and elders, and the assembly as a whole to follow. Jerusalem is the place where this issue must be decided because the problem emerged from that context. Three speeches together present a single perspective on God’s purpose, though the contribution of Paul and Barnabas is given only briefly in narrative form.

7–9 “And after there had been much debate, Peter stood under and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early day 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.”

Peter made his contribution after much discussion. He first reminded the assembly that ‘some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe’. The apostle appealed to their common knowledge (‘you know’) and regarded the issue as having been decided ‘some time ago’.

God demonstrated his will by deliberately choosing that the Gentiles would hear the gospel and believe through Peter’s preaching and thus be saved. Peter had a unique role in receiving the vision about God’s will and witnessing the outpouring of God’s Spirit in a way that paralleled Pentecost. When he was called to account for entering the house of the uncircumcised and eating with them (11:2–3), he offered a personal recollection of the Cornelius incident (11:4–16), with a brief theological conclusion (11:17). Now he interprets the main events in a distinctly theological way, explaining what God was doing.

God was sovereign in the whole process by which Cornelius and his household were brought to faith in Christ. Most importantly, he ‘testified to them’ ‘by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us’.

The gift of the Spirit was a witness to the Gentiles themselves that God accepted them. Indirectly, it was also a testimony to Jews who had received the same Spirit through believing in Jesus that Gentiles were united with them in the New Covenant community. This last point is specifically related to a scriptural truth that would have been acknowledged by everyone present, that God ‘knows the heart.’

God knew what was in the hearts of Cornelius and his household, and he bore witness to their genuine faith in Christ by giving them the Spirit. However, even that faith was the gift of God. Peter’s final observation is that God ‘did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith’. The verb ‘to purify’ (katharizein) was used quite generally, with reference to God’s cleansing of the Gentiles. Now it is made clear that Gentiles, who were previously unclean because they lacked the purifying benefits of the law, have been cleansed because God enabled them to believe the gospel. God worked in the hearts of Gentiles to provide the cleansing or purification of life that comes from faith in Christ. Foundationally, this involves believing in the definitive forgiveness of sins, which the crucified and exalted Jesus makes possible. Unity among Christians at this level is located in the faith which God makes possible, and not simply in the gift of the Spirit, which is represented here as a testimony to saving faith. We are ‘all one in Christ Jesus’ through trust in the same Saviour ().

Applying these theological observations to the present situation, Peter’s rhetorical question implies that the demand for Gentiles to be circumcised and obey the law will provoke God’s anger. Look at verse 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test?

Putting God to the test (peirazete ton theon; cf. ; ; ; [Ananias and Sapphira]) is another way of talking about hindering his purpose (cf. 5:39 [Gamaliel’s warning]; 11:17 [Peter’s previous warning]). Putting God to the test is insisting on something, which is against his will, stretches his patience and invites his judgment. The Greek infinitive epitheinai explains how they are testing God ‘by putting’ this demand on Gentile believers. Peter implies that the divine command for foreigners to be circumcised, and thus become members of the covenant community, has now been superseded by God’s action in bringing Gentiles to faith through the preaching of the gospel and giving them his Holy Spirit. God has moved on in his dealings with humanity, and it is sinful to demand obedience to the old way (cf. ). Peter also insists that the old way was unbearable, 10b by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

A yoke was used as a restraint, enabling animals to pull heavy loads. Figuratively, the yoke was used as a metaphor for political or social control, , “Let all who are under a yoke as bondservants regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and teaching may be reviled.” The motive for bondservants honoring their masters is similar to the motive of giving a good impression of the faith to unbelievers. Our master is God and His will is our method.

Jesus used the image differently, challenging the weary and burdened to take his yoke upon them and learn from him, claiming that his yoke was easy and his burden light.

, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Jesus offers us rest for our very souls and the way that leads to eternal life! Jesus also criticized the teachers of the law and the Pharisees for placing heavy burdens on the shoulders of others—in the form of their teaching—and not being willing to lift a finger to help them understand. Viewing the way of salvation through faith in Christ as the ultimate expression of God’s will for his people, Peter spoke quite frankly about the yoke of the law as an obligation his fellow Jews had never really managed to fulfill—‘a yoke which they had not had the strength to carry’. Since God did not require Gentiles who trusted in Jesus to live that way, Peter found it objectionable that some of his fellow Jews wanted to place such a burden on Gentile converts.

Peter concludes his address to the Jerusalem Council with an affirmation that Jews and Gentiles are saved on exactly the same basis ‘through the grace of the Lord Jesus we believe in order to be saved, just as they do’.

Saved by the grace of Jesus… having cleansed our hearts by faith.

Saved by the grace of Jesus… having turned to God.

Now we are called to listen to James’s speech which echoes the perspective, that the gospel is fundamentally about the grace of God displayed in the person and work of the Lord Jesus to those who have turned to God and away from vain things. While this most obviously refers to the historic expression of God’s grace in the cross and resurrection of Jesus, the immediate context also suggests that ‘the grace of our Lord Jesus’ extends into the present. Whenever and wherever the gospel of God’s grace is preached, God himself enables belief and sends his Spirit upon those whom he chooses. ‘Faith itself is of the Lord’s gracious appointment.’ This applies to Jews as well as to Gentiles, uniting all in a common dependence on God’s grace for salvation. Any other demand, such as the Judaizers were making, is a hindrance to God’s saving purpose, since it requires something other than trust in the grace of our Lord Jesus for salvation.

12 “ And all the assembly fell silent, and they listen to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them.” ‘Luke could mean simply that the company were silenced, intends to suggest that they were convinced and agreed.’ They listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. Peter’s argument had a profound impact and prepared them all to listen attentively to the confirming evidence of Barnabas and Paul. Their contribution to the council was limited, probably because the Judaizers regarded them as the main reason for the inclusion of Gentiles in the church without circumcision. In Luke’s account they bring no theological argument, because Peter has already persuasively done so. Paul is named after Barnabas, perhaps reflecting the order in which they spoke, giving a brief report of what God had done among the Gentiles through them.

When they finished, James spoke up. James was first introduced as a leader of the Jerusalem church in 12:17. The fact that he spoke last and had such a decisive role in the council suggests a seniority or primacy in the leadership (cf. 21:18). 13-14 “After they finished speaking, James replied, “ Brothers, listen to me. Simon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.” James endorsed Peter’s speech, using his Semitic name ‘Simon’ (Gk. Symeōn). However, he draws out more explicitly the ecclesiological significance of the events recalled by Peter. Every word of his brief statement is important. He first acknowledges that Peter has ‘described’ or reported a significant work of God. The issue being considered by the council was effectively resolved when God took action ‘at first’ Using a term previously employed to describe God’s saving action in sending the Messiah to Israel, James proclaims that God ‘intervened’ or ‘visited’ the nations. God first did this when Peter visited Cornelius with the message of salvation, but every gospel initiative after that can also be classified as a divine visitation: God encounters people personally through the preaching of the gospel. The purpose of this visitation was not simply to save individuals but ‘to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles’ ‘to take from the nations a people for his name’. Certain Gentiles can now be called a people for his name, even though they lack what had previously been the necessary qualification for this. For his name means for his possession. In , which provides the foundational declaration of Israel’s calling and identity, the Lord says, ‘out of all nations you will be my treasured possession’ (cf. ; ). There the Lord singles out from all nations one particular nation to be his ‘treasured possession’. Here he creates a new people for himself, consisting of representatives out of all nations. ‘The events directing Peter and Cornelius to each other and the subsequent coming of the Spirit have the same meaning for Gentiles as the election of Israel has for the Jewish people.’ This does not imply the abandonment of Israel as his people. However, Peter has already made it clear that faith in the Lord Jesus will be the mark of Israelites who inherit the promised salvation (v. 11). James goes on to explore the relationship between these two peoples, theologically and pastorally.

, 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.’

James now claims, ‘The words of the prophets are in agreement with this’. He starts with because of the salvation-historical perspective it gives. The text is cited with the introductory formula, ‘as it is written’, suggesting that the words now quoted have the continuing authority of divinely inspired Scripture. Note, however, that James says the words of the prophets are in agreement with this, rather than ‘this agrees with the prophets’. ‘God’s action dictates how we should understand the text of Scripture.’

After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen And its demolished ruins I will rebuild

And I will restore it.

The focus of this interpretive translation is the predicted rebuilding of the tent of David that has fallen. This refers to the restoration of the ‘house’ or family of David and to the promised Davidic kingdom. The promise looks back to the remembered security of national life under the umbrella of David’s rule and announces that freedom from fear of foes will be established again by the revival of the Davidic kingdom.

The seating of Jesus on David’s throne and installation as royal Son of God have already taken place through Jesus’ resurrection and exaltation to the right hand of God.’ Scripture has been fulfilled because the heavenly and universal reign of the crucified Messiah or Son of David has begun. The restoration of Israel follows from the reestablishment of David’s kingdom in Jesus’ resurrection (cf. ).

The purpose of this restoration of the Davidic rule is not simply to bless Israel but also ‘ “that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things.” James adds words possibly taken from “known from of old.” This addition strengthens the claim that God’s plan to save Gentiles along with Jews is no novelty, since it was part of his eternal purpose.

, “For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written, “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.” And again it is said, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.” And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”

and let all the peoples extol him.” And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles;

in him will the Gentiles hope.”

Of course, it was always possible for Gentiles to become proselytes of Judaism, but Amos envisaged a massive number of Gentiles (the rest of humanity) seeking the Lord when the house of David had been restored. This group is further defined as all the Gentiles who bear my name ‘upon whom my name has been named’), exposing the scriptural basis for the claim that God has taken from the Gentiles ‘a people for his name’. Those who seek the Lord from among the nations are those whom he has already claimed as his own ‘has been named’; cf. 13:48, ‘all who were appointed for eternal life’). They constitute a new people of God and not simply a large addition to the existing people known as Israel. The critical question is therefore how these two peoples relate to each other. Theologically, the point has already been made that they have a profound unity through a common faith in Jesus the exalted Messiah. Practically, James now makes two proposals regarding the way that Jewish and Gentile Christians can coexist and support one another.

James has agreed with Peter’s interpretation of what God was doing and added his own ecclesiological and salvation-historical perspective, basing his argument on an interpretive translation of . He now proposes a formal rejection of the demand of the Judaizers

(v. 19): “Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those Gentiles who turn to God.” Submission to the law through the act of circumcision cannot be demanded of Gentiles who are turning to God by believing in Jesus. Jewish Christians should recognize the freedom of Gentile Christians to live a life that is determined by Christ and his Spirit, not by the demands of the law. The main issue for which the council was called has been resolved. James then proposes what at first glance appears to be a qualification of the freedom of Gentile Christians (vv. 20): “But should write them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from what been strangled, and from the blood.”

The first prohibition is literally to abstain from ‘the pollution of idols’ or ‘the defilements caused by idols’. What James is demanding in the first instance is a complete abandonment of the spiritual defilement that comes from idolatry. When this is later expressed in terms of avoiding ‘things sacrificed to idols’, the reference is most likely to participation in pagan temple feasts, not simply to the uncleanness incurred from eating meat bought in the marketplace. Sexual immorality in the broadest sense is most probably intended by the use of the Greek word porneia, rather than simply spiritual adultery in the practice of idolatry. The meat of strangled animals refers to meat from which the blood has not been drained because of the way it was killed (e.g., ; ). Blood most naturally refers to the consumption of blood in any form.

One interpretation of the requirements here is that they simply arose out of the practicalities of life in the Gentile world. Barrett suggests that ‘Jews had long known that the temptation to idolatry came most often through the butcher’s shop and the brothel’. But Witherington more persuasively relates the prohibitions to participation in temple feasts, where sexual immorality was regularly found in association with meat offerings that were an abomination to Jews. The issue of food and fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians was discussed in , and another social matter is under discussion here, namely, ‘what to do about Gentiles’ associations with pagan temples, both before and even after their conversion to Christianity’. A more elaborate interpretation explains the restrictions in terms of the so-called Noachian precepts, which at least one strand of Jewish tradition believed were applicable to all nations. However, ‘the parallel is not close, and there is nothing in the text of Acts to call Noah to mind’. More widely accepted is the view that the rules in relating to Jews and resident aliens in the land of Israel were being applied to Christian Gentiles in the Jewish Dispersion. Gentile converts were not required to become Jewish proselytes and keep the whole law, but only those parts of it that were required by Moses of resident aliens. But this implies that Gentile Christians were living with Jewish believers in the Dispersion in a way that was comparable to living with Jews in the Holy Land, ignoring the argument that God has taken for himself a new and distinctive people from among the nations (15:14). Moreover, ‘there is, in fact, no known Jewish parallel to the selection of precisely these four commandments from the Law of Moses as those which are binding on Gentiles or a category of Gentiles’. It is difficult to align the command to avoid ‘the defilements caused by idols’ with and hard to explain why other laws binding on resident aliens are not included in (e.g., ; ; ; ; ; ). Finally, 15:21 is a call to recognise the importance of the law for Jews, not a justification for imposing some of its requirements on Gentiles. Another possible background is provided by a group of rabbinic texts which indicate three matters on which compromise by Jews was impossible: idolatry, the shedding of blood, and incest.

Any specific background proposed must be squared with the rationale given in v. 21: ‘For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath’. The long-standing and widespread practice of reading the law and teaching about the law in every synagogue of the Jewish Dispersion should have alerted Gentile Christians to the concerns of faithful Jews. Although some have argued that this verse looks back to v. 19, or relates to everything that is proposed in vv. 19–20, the most obvious link is with v. 20 alone. James implies that there are observant Jews everywhere and that Gentile Christians will know why the requirements of v. 20 are being suggested. The rationale is specifically scriptural, and not simply practical or even rabbinic in its expression. It also seems that James expected synagogue worship to go on in every city and that the issue of obedience to the law would not quickly be resolved for Jewish Christians. As Christians wrestled with the question of the law’s ongoing relevance and application, reflecting on Christ’s own teaching and the events by which he inaugurated the New Covenant, there was need for sensitivity and generosity on all sides. Luke goes on to record that Paul was later willing to circumcise Timothy ‘because of the Jews who lived in that area’ (16:1–3). This narrative is linked to the report that Paul and Silas travelled from town to town, delivering the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey (16:4). Both activities seem to reflect a common concern not to offend Jews unnecessarily, so that the gospel may have free course in their midst (cf. ). The only other mention of the so-called Apostolic Decree is in 21:25. There it is recalled as part of a response to the accusation that Paul is teaching Jews who live among Gentiles to abandon Moses and the law (21:21–25). The decree is used as evidence that the church has already taken steps to avoid putting pressure on Jews in this way. At this later stage in the narrative we see that ‘the problem is no longer the demands being made on Gentiles to become Jews but the pressure being felt by Jews to conform to a Gentile way of life.’ This pressure must have been considerable wherever Gentile believers came to outnumber Jewish believers. Further reflection on the meaning and application of the advice of James in v. 20 and the decree of v. 29 will be given in the Additional Note: The Meaning and Application of the Council Narrative

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