The Proceedings of the Jerusalem Council
Acts 15:6-21
6 And
the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men
and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that
the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy
Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us
and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why
tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our
fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. 12
Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul,
declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men
and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at
the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15
And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16
After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which
is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the
Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these
things. 18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of
the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them,
which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we
write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication,
and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time
hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every
sabbath day.
Introduction:
In this chapter
we are confronted with the historical narrative concerning an epochal event
that constitutes another of the major turning points in The Acts of the Ascended Christ through the Holy Spirit by His Apostles.
This seeds of this event were first sown in Acts 10 when Peter was directed to
cross the threshold of Cornelius’ house.
These seeds came to full bloom in the first missionary journey presented
in Acts 13-14. God opening the door to
the Gentiles through the ministry of Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus and
particularly in Asia Minor created a major theological issue for some of the
Jewish members of the Jerusalem Church. This issue embraces soteriology, ethics
and ecclesiology: 1) soteriology - Can someone be saved who is not circumcised?
2) ethics - Does the Law of Moses continue to be administered under the New Covenant?
3) ecclesiology - Must Gentiles become Jews to be considered as valid members
of the Church?
Acts 15 may be
considered under the following headings or paragraph divisions:
The Occasion of for the Jerusalem Council (15:1-5)
The Proceedings of the Jerusalem Council (15:6-21)
The Results of the Jerusalem Council (15:22-35)
The Journeys following the Jerusalem Council
(15:36-41)
Outline:
I. The Reminder of
Peter (15:6-11)
II. The Report of
Barnabas and Paul (15:12)
III. The
Recommendation of James (15:13-21)
Transition:
The significance of Acts 15 [1]
-
Historically:
“The success of the Gentile mission provoked what was
perhaps the most significant controversy in the NT era.” [2]
Theologically:
“Luke’s account of the discussion of the relation of the
Gentiles to the law of Moses forms the centre of Acts both structurally and
theologically.” [3]
Sadly:
“Probably no section of Acts has aroused such controversy
as this one or led to such varied historical reconstructions of the actual
situation.” [4]
I. The Reminder
of Peter (15:6-11)
6 And
the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men
and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that
the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy
Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us
and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why
tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our
fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
1. The
Significance of Peter (15:6-7)
2. The Spirit to
the Gentiles (15:8-9)
3. The Salvation
by Grace (15:10-11)
1. The
Significance of Peter (15:6-7)
6 And
the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men
and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that
the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
What the “council” will be confronted with in each of the
presentations as recorded by Luke is what God has done. God is the subject of the verbs. That God has saved the Gentile believers will
be proven and documented. The evidence
is unimpeachable, and therefore the true status of the Gentile believers cannot
be assailed. It is not to be
questioned. First man on deck to resolve
the disputing that is ongoing is Peter.
Peter begins by focusing on the sovereign choices of God
in two areas: the messenger and the reception of the message.
Let us be clear on the fact that God chose both elements
that follow the verb.
1) God Chose the
Means - the Messenger and the Message
Peter
rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while
ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the
word of the gospel,
God sovereignly chose Peter to open the door to the
Gentiles by delivering the message of the Gospel to them, preaching the Gospel
to the Gentiles of Cornelius’ household (Acts 10).
2) God Chose the
End - the Faith of the Gentiles
God
made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the
gospel, and believe.
God also sovereignly chose that the Gentiles would
believe. The response of faith is the
direct effect caused by the choice of God.
God’s sovereign election is the root, and the faith of His people, His
chosen ones, is the fruit. God did not
merely choose that they would hear the message He sent Peter to them with, but
that they would have ears to hear, and hearts to believe. God removed their deaf ears and their blind
eyes. He took away their hearts of
stone, and caused them to respond in faith to what they heard. Here as elsewhere in Scripture faith is
understood as the gift of God (Acts 18:27; Eph. 2:8; 2 Pet. 1:1). [5]
2. The Spirit
to the Gentiles (15:8-9)
8
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy
Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us
and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
The key points that Peter makes lies in verses 8-9. These are unassailable proofs that fly
directly in the fact of any negative aspersions on the salvation of the Gentile
believers.
Notice especially the qualifying phrases tied to each
action of God. Each of these is tied to
what preceded and builds on it. The
effect is cumulative.
1) God bore
witness to the Gentiles - He knows the hearts (15:8a-b)
And
God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness,
How did God do this?
2) God gave the
Holy Spirit to the Gentiles - Just as He did to the Jews (15:8c-d)
giving
them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
What is the significance of this?
3) God purified
the hearts of the Gentiles by faith - God put no difference between Jew and
Gentile (15:9)
And
put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
If this were not true the previous point would be
inconceivable. God would not dwell in
them otherwise. God does not dwell in
the unclean.
cp. Rom. 2:26-29; Col. 2:6-11; 2 Cor. 3:2-3.
3. The
Salvation by Grace (15:10-11)
10 Now
therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which
neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that
through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
1) Peter
challenges the false teachers with a loaded question (15:10)
Now
therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which
neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
2) Peter asserts a
fundamental theological proposition (15:11)
But
we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved,
even as they.
II. The Report
of Barnabas and Paul (15:12)
Then all the multitude kept
silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders
God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
1. The Silence
Setting
2. The Attentive
Audience
3. The Glorious
Report
1. The Silence
Setting
Then all the multitude kept silence
Peter’s testimony sets the stage for what is to follow,
ends the disputing, and meets with nothing but silence from those who taught
and thought otherwise.
2. The
Attentive Audience
and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul
Those who had carried the question from the First
Christian Church of Antioch now will get a hearing.
3. The Glorious
Report - God’s powerful work in the Gentiles by Paul and Baranabas
declaring what miracles and wonders God
had wrought among the Gentiles by them
This report of the undeniable work of God is added to the
testimony of Peter.
III. The
Recommendation of James (15:13-21)
13 And after they had held their
peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14
Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out
of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the
prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will
build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build
again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue
of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is
called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto
God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore
my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are
turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain
from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and
from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that
preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
1. The Acknowledgment by James of the Proclamation of
Peter (15:13-14)
2. The Connection by James to the Prophecy of Amos
(15:15-17)
3. The Solution by James to the Problem of Gentiles in
the Church (15:18-21)
1. The Acknowledgment by James of the Proclamation of
Peter (15:13-14)
13 And
after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren,
hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did
visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
1) The Fact of God
going to the Gentiles
God at
the first did visit the Gentiles
2) The Purpose of
God going to the Gentiles
to
take out of them a people for his name
2. The Connection by James to the Prophecy of Amos
(15:15-17)
15 And
to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After
this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is
fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17
That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon
whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Jeremiah
12:15 - And it shall come to pass, after
that I have plucked them out I will return, and have compassion on them,
and will bring them again, every man to his heritage, and every man to his
land.
1) Historical
Controversy:
(1) Con
Oswald
T. Allis, Prophecy and the Church (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and
Reformed Publishing Co., 1945, 1947; 1978 reprint), pp. 145-150.
E. J. Young,
Thy Word Is Truth (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co, 1957),
pp. 153-157.
Grover
Gunn, Dispensationalism, Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow (Memphis, TN:
Footstool Publications, 1985), pp. 175-184, 258-260.
Robert
B. Strimple, “Amillennialism”, in Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond,
gen. ed. Darrell L. Bock (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1999), pp.
96-97.
(2)
Pro
Kenneth
L. Barker, “The Scope and Center of Old and New Testament Theology and Hope”,
in Dispensationalism, Israel and the Church, eds. Craig A. Blaising and Darrell
L. Bock (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), pp. 327-328.
Robert
Saucy, The Case For Progressive Dispensationalism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan
Publishing House, 1993), pp. 76-80, 189-190, 210-211.
Carl Hoch,
All Things New: The Significance of Newness for Biblical Theology (Grand
Rapids: Baker Books, 1995), pp. 296-299.
Darrell
Bock, “Hermeneutics of Progressive Dispensationalism”, in Three Central
Issues in Contemporary Dispensationalism: A Comparison of Tradtional and
Progressive Views, gen. ed. Herbert W. Bateman IV (Grand Rapids: Kregel
Publications, 1999), pp. 92; “Response” to Elliott E. Johnson, “Covenants in
Traditional Dispensationalism”, pg. 160, and “Covenants in Progressive
Dispensationalism”, pp. 185-186, 189n20 (pg. 218).
George
N. H. Peters, The Theocratic Kingdom of our Lord Jesus, The Christ as
Covenanted in The Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1988;
reprint of 1884 original by Funk & Wagnalls, New York), I:240, 347, 629;
II:78.
Rod Decker, “A Response to W. Edward Glenny, “Gentiles and the People of God”,
Dispensational Study Group, National Evangelical Theological Society meeting (Washington,
DC; NOV 2006); on NT Resources at http://ntresources.com/blog/documents/RespGlennyAm9Ac15.pdf
[accessed 8 JUL 2014]. [6]
2) Hermeneutical
Issues:
(1) NT quotation of OT – NT fulfillment formulae.
(2) Issues with the language of the citation in Acts 15 –
what is different, what is the same; compound citation/allusion from Jeremiah
(12:15), Isaiah (45:21), and Amos.
(3) Reason for the citation in Acts 15 – what the Apostles
affirmed, and what they did not, what they meant, and what they could not have
meant.
3. The Solution by James to the Problem of Gentiles
(15:18-21)
18 Known
unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19
Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the
Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that
they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things
strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every
city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
1) The Humble
Reminder of the Eternal Knowledge of God (15:18)
Known
unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
Isaiah
45:21 - Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who
hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not
I the Lord? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there
is none beside me.
Remember Peter’s statement earlier about God knowing the
hearts. The emphasis in the proceedings
of the council up to this point has clearly been on what God has done and what
God knows. He knows the hearts of
all. God knows all of His works from
when He decreed them in eternity. What
happened to the Gentiles and to all believers is heart work, and this is the
work of God. He knows His work and he
knows the hearts. Don’t miss this
emphasis in the world today! Remind yourself of it. The work of God goes on!
Take it personally! He knows your heart!
2) The Proper
Response to the Established Reality of Gentile Conversions (15:19)
Wherefore
my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are
turned to God:
This goes back to Peter’s statement about the unbearable
yoke of the Law, and agrees with it.
This also acknowledges the genuniness of the conversion of the Gentiles
as a reality of God’s work in them by His Holy Spirit. They have clearly been regenerated. They are not to be required to submit to the
Law of Moses.
These Gentiles have to be accepted as fellow believers in
the church. God has done something that
the Jewish believers were not prepared for, and didn’t know how to deal
with. One thing is clear. They must deal now with it as the work of
God, and not react against it as if this work of God in Gentile heart is in
doubt. God has a way of altering our
perceptions and surprising us as He fulfills His Word and does His works.
3) The Peaceful
Requests for the Existing Situations of Mixed Memberships (15:20-21)
20 But that we write unto them, that they
abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things
strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every
city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Acts 15:28-29 - 28 For it
seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden
than these necessary things; 29 That
ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do
well. Fare ye well.
Acts 21:25 - As touching the Gentiles which believe,
we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only
that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood,
and from strangled, and from fornication.
In these four things to be abstained from there is a common
thread of idolatry and the practices associated with the idolatrous false
worship common in the Gentile world.
Only one of these is in and of itself sin. The others will be dealt with later in the
New Testament as situations develop (Rom. 14; 1 Cor. 8-10; Rev. 2-3) since they
are not sin in and of themselves, but other principles come into play as here.
What is remarkable by its absence is any requirement for
circumcision, or Sabbath observance, in other words, here is no laying down of
the “third use of the Law” mandating the supposed elements of the “eternal
moral law”.
The primary concern is not over sin issues, or defining sin
by the Law. The focus is entirely on peaceable relations with the Jewish members
of the cities where Gentiles are being saved, and not giving unnecessary
offense to those of the circumcision.
The converted Gentiles are now the bridge between two
worlds: that of the Old Covenant, the Jews, and that of the ends of the earth
where the New Covenant is going, the unconverted Gentiles. They are the defining element for the
discontinuity between the Israel of the Old and the Church of the New.
Conclusion:
Take away principles from this passage:
The circle of the solution must be no larger than the
circle of the problem. We must often
ask, “Why are you telling me this?”, “Why am I being brought into this
situation?”, or. “What does that have to do with me?” Once we identify who is involved with the
problem, we can trace it to its root, seek Scriptural counsel, and determine
what must be done to solve it. Other
than that it is no one else’s business, and the solution must be limited to
only those who are either part of the problem in the first place, or definitely
responsible for the solution.
Don’t insult God by adding to His Word, or neglecting
what He reveals in it in defense of an ecclesiology of human construction.
Don’t insult Christ by demeaning His Headship over the
Church. Solus Christus will either be
maintained or denied in our view of church government. It is usually denied in practice while being
professed in creedal statements.
Don’t give unnecessary offense to others that may hinder
the spread of the Gospel. Abstention is
often the pathway of wisdom and love.
I. The Reminder of
Peter (15:6-11)
1. The Significance of Peter (15:6-7)
1) God Chose the Means - the
Messenger and the Message
2) God Chose the End - the
Faith of the Gentiles
2. The Spirit to the Gentiles (15:8-9)
1) God bore witness to the Gentiles
- He knows the hearts (15:8a-b)
2) God gave the Holy Spirit to
the Gentiles - Just as He did to the Jews (15:8c-d)
3) God purified the hearts of
the Gentiles by faith - God put no difference between Jew and Gentile (15:9)
3. The Salvation by Grace (15:10-11)
1) Peter challenges the false
teachers with a loaded question (15:10)
2) Peter asserts a fundamental
theological proposition (15:11)
II. The Report of
Barnabas and Paul (15:12)
1. The Silence Setting
2. The Attentive Audience
3. The Glorious Report
III. The
Recommendation of James (15:13-21)
1. The Acknowledgment by James
of the Proclamation of Peter (15:13-14)
1) The Fact of God going to the
Gentiles
2) The Purpose of God going to
the Gentiles
2. The Connection by James to the
Prophecy of Amos (15:15-17)
3. The Solution by James to the
Problem of Gentiles (15:18-21)
1) The Humble Reminder of the
Eternal Knowledge of God (15:18)
2) The Proper Response to the
Established Reality of Gentile Conversions (15:19)
3) The Peaceful Requests for
the Existing Situations of Mixed Memberships (15:20-21)
[Sermon preached 29
JUN 2014 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown,
PA.]
Excursus on one of the Biblical passages commonly
cited in the defense of extra-local ecclesiastical polity - The Jerusalem "Council"
in Acts 15: [7]
Many attempts at Biblical defenses for such
ecclesiastical superstructures have been brought forward over the centuries
which may be seen as flawed on their face, or not pertinent at best. What about the Jerusalem "council",
as it commonly referred to? This is
often cited as a historical precedent for extra-church superstructures
intervening between local churches and the Headship of Christ. This issue in
Acts 15 of the Jerusalem Council should be considered worthy of closer scrutiny
since it has at least the appearance of a reasonable treatment of the text. [8] In fact, if this "proof" is
demonstrated to be flawed, it may serve as the best example of the kind of
selective reading, eisegesis, and assuming what needs to be proved, etc. that
is evident in all of the others. One
current example of the employment of Acts 15 in such a fashion may be
cited.
"First, regardless of how one
applies all the details, the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 provides evidence for
the governmental interdependency of local churches. A dispute regarding the
orthodoxy of Paul and Barnabas arises in Antioch, but the case is referred to
the elders and apostles in Jerusalem for adjudication. Several lines of evidence
point to the extra-local governmental authority of the council. (a) The very
fact that a local church (Antioch) would deem it appropriate to look outside of
their own church to other men in other churches shows that the church did not
regard itself as completely self-governing. (b) If it is the case that the
elders of the Jerusalem council came from many different Jerusalem
house-churches, then this also indicates the governmental unity of the
churches. (c) The council viewed itself as having authority in many local
churches. The council communicated its decision not only to the church in
Antioch, but to churches in all of Syria and Cilica as well (15:22ff.; 16:4).
(d) The decree sent to the churches carried authority: “For it has seemed good
to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these
requirements…” (Acts 15:28). The decision came, not as a suggestion from a
neighboring church, but as an authoritative decree (carrying the “burden” of
“requirements”) sent by ecclesiastical officers. It was given in that spirit
(vv. 24-30), and it was received in that spirit (v. 31)." [9]
Is there anything to this argument? Should this historical episode in the first
century be credited as presenting Scriptural warrant for the denominations,
assemblies, synods, presbyteries, etc. that have been erected in subsequent
centuries?
The following factors must be taken into consideration,
and given appropriate weight, in answering such questions:
1. The presence
of Apostolic authority (Acts 15:2, 4,
6, 22-23; 16:4). [10]
Any ecclesiastical entity in the post-apostolic period
that thinks it has the right to ordain "decrees" to local churches is
presumptuous to say the least.
2. The lack of
New Testament guidance.
The fact that this was done prior to the close of the New
Testament should not be dismissed lightly or ignored. Whereas the Bereans searched the Scriptures
to ascertain whether what Paul was teaching was in accordance with their Bible,
i.e., the Old Testament (Acts 17:11), that would not have sufficed to resolve
this trans-covenantal and trans-ethnic issue.
At the conclusion of the "council" debate James did cite the
Old Testament prophets (Jer. 12:15; Amos 9:11f.; and Is. 45:21) as supporting
one related issue, i.e., God saving some of the Gentiles. This, however, did not resolve the presented
question concerning requiring circumcision for their salvation. The continuing flow of the inspired writings
that would come to constitute the New Testament canon of Scripture was ongoing,
and in fact, just beginning. When dating
the Jerusalem "council" is considered it should be obvious that the
bulk of the New Testament was written later than this. Once the New Testament was completed there
was no need to address such questions to the Apostles as was done here.
3. The nature
of the transitional period.
Both of the issues mentioned under the first two points
are directly related to the transitional nature of the period from Pentecost to
the completion of the New Testament canon and the death of the last
Apostle. A historical precedent may be
found in the inspired record of this period, but extreme care must be taken in
extracting doctrine from historical literature given the character of the
period involved. We may have no doubt
about what they did and why. We may have
no such certainty that we are to "go and do likewise" without
explicit didactic literature indicating that this is the case.
4. The
singularity of the church convening the council.
The issues in the question communicated were directed to
one church by another. The contingent
from the local church in Antioch presented their concerns to the church in
Jerusalem (Acts 15:2, 4). There is a
specific reason stated in the context why these questions were addressed to the
Jerusalem church, and this is made explicit in the decision communicated by the
council (Acts 15:24). That is:
1) did these men from Judea who came to our church in
Antioch teaching that the Gentiles could not be saved unless they were
circumcised come from the Jerusalem church, and,
2) is their teaching endorsed by the Jerusalem
church? The response of the Jerusalem
church was affirmative to the former and negative to the latter.
5. The lack of
any expression of ecclesiastical authority over other local churches in the
resultant document. (Acts 15:28;
16:4)
Apostolic authority, with the agreement of the Jerusalem
church, would appear to be implicit in the language of these two verses.
Acts 15:28 - "For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to
us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;"
Emphasis might be
placed upon the laying on of a burden, but the reality is that these were
"necessary things".
Acts 16:4 - "And as they went through the cities, they delivered
them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders
which were at Jerusalem."
Here the language
is even stronger than that of 15:28 involving "decrees" being
"ordained". However, it must
be remembered that this was in response to a question from the church at
Antioch about teachers who had gone out from the Jerusalem church. In other words, the decrees ordained directly
counteracted the false teaching of those requiring circumcision, and directed
that in the future the only things that the Gentile believers could be expected
to do to keep the peace in the churches between the two ethnic groups would be
the four prohibitions mentioned in the letter in 15:29. The involvement of these four things with the
idolatrous backgrounds of these Gentiles, and the offensive nature to the
Jewish brethren during shared meals of the first three items, appear to be the
context for their selection and inclusion in the letter. [11]
6. The local
church authority expressed in the "council's" decision
(Acts 15:22-23, 25, 28).
The "council" itself may have been composed of
"apostles and elders", but the message went back to Antioch from this
group plus the rest of the brethren expressed as "the whole
church". This was a decision by one
local church in answer to a question raised by another local church. It may not be reduced to some type of
"conciliar" authority over one or more local churches.
7. The trans-covenantal
and trans-ethnic nature of the issues involved.
What is at stake are
relationships between:
1) different ethnic groups of believers, and,
2) the Old Covenant and the New Covenant (Acts 15:1-3,
5-21).
The seriousness of the issue between these Jewish
teachers, and Gentile believers and churches concerning Mosaic circumcision for
salvation could not therefore be lightly dismissed, nor could it be
ignored. The issues involve the very
nature of the Gospel, and the character of the New Covenant ministry. As such disagreement could not be tolerated
between local churches, especially when teachers are going from one church to
another with this heresy which undermines the very nature of the Gospel of the
New Covenant.
8. Finally, and
most importantly, the exceptional, unique and temporary nature of this council
(Acts 15:2, 6).
The Jerusalem "council", was only brought into
the "question" (Acts 15:2) or "matter" (Acts 15:6) on the
initiation of the local church in Antioch (Acts 14:26-27). This was
specifically due to the fact that the problem was created by "certain
men" from Judea. The exceptional nature
of the "council" is entirely based on this extraordinary circumstance
between two churches. It is unique since this is the only time in the New
Testament's inspired history of the first century churches where we ever read
of such a thing. The temporary nature of
this "council" is evident since there is no indication whatsoever
that the council continued to meet to deal with questions or matters such as
this or to function in any other way.
On this issue of the relevance of the Jerusalem Council
to the defenses of subsequent ecclesiastical extra-local polities see also:
Hezekiah Harvey, The
Church: Its Polity and Ordinances (Rochester, NY: Backus Book Publishers,
n.d.; 1982 reprint of 1879 original by American Baptist Publication Society,
Philadelphia), pp. 49-50. The 1903
reprint by the American Baptist Publication Society of the 1879 original is
available either as a full "preview" online or as a free eBook
including downloadable EPUB and PDF file formats on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=Q9RLAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Hezekiah+Harvey&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TwGdULL6J7O10AGSo4DIAQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAQ [accessed 9 NOV 2012].
Edward T. Hiscox, The
New Directory for Baptist Churches (Philadelphia: The Judson Press, 1894),
pp. 142-159, 313-317. The 1902 reprint
by the American Baptist Publication Society of the 1894 original is available
either as a full "preview" online or as a free eBook including
downloadable EPUB and PDF file formats on Google
Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=rQZFAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed 9 NOV 2012].
Paul R. Jackson, The
Doctrine and Administration of the Church, rev. ed. (Schaumburg, IL:
Regular Baptist Press, 1980, 1968), pg. 35.
Benjamin L. Merkle,
40 Questions About Elders and Deacons (Grand Rapids: Kregel Academic
& Professional, 2008), pp. 31-37.
Resources on the Jerusalem
Council:
Thomas Dehany Bernard, The Progress of Doctrine in the
New Testament: Eight lectures delivered before the University of Oxford on The
Bampton Foundation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, n.d.), pp. 131-141.
F. F. Bruce, New Testament History (Garden City,
NY: Anchor Books, 1969), pp. 279-290.
F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free
(Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977), pp. 173-187.
J. Gresham Machen, The Origin of Paul's Religion: The
James Sprunt Lectures Delivered at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia
(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1925), pp. 39-40, 71-113, and
139-140.
A. T. Robertson, Epochs in the Life of Paul: A Study of
Development in Paul's Character (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974), pp.
121-138.
Udo Schnelle, Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology,
trans. M. Eugene Boring (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003; trans. from Paulus: Leben und Denken, Berlin: Walter
de Gruyter GmbH & Co., n.d.), pp. 121-137, and 512-513.
Resources on Acts:
G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old
Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 513-606.
Paul Barnett, The Birth of Christianity: The First
Twenty Years, After Jesus, Vol. 1
(Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2005).
Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, eds. Robert W.
Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007).
F. F. Bruce, The
Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd
ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1951, 1952).
H. J. Cadbury,
“Lexical Notes on Luke-Acts. IV. On Direct Quotations with Some Uses of oti and
dei”, Journal of Biblical Literature 48 (1929), pp. 412-425.
I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction And
Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New
Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint).
David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, The Pillar New Testament Commentaries,
gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009).
John B. Polhill, Acts, Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary, gen. ed. David
S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers, 1992).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament, gen. ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012).
William H. Willimon, Acts, in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching,
series ed. James Luther Mays, New Testament ed. Paul J. Achtemeier (Louisville,
KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).
Resources on Paul:
Kenneth E. Bailey, Paul Through
Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians (Downers Grove,
IL: IVP Academic, 2011).
F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free
(Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1977).
D. A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts
Pluralism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), pp. 496-501.
W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, The Life, Times and
Travels of St. Paul, 2 vols. in 1, unabridged American ed. (New York: E. B.
Treat U Co., 1869); on Google Books
at http://books.google.com/books?id=Bn1CAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Adolf Deissmann, Paul: A Study in Social and Religious
History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson (New York: Harper Torchbooks,
n.d.).
F. W. Farrar, The Life and Work of St. Paul (New
York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1889); on Google
Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=RB2KeCSM6KsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Bruce N. Fisk, “Paul: Life and
Letters”, in The Face of New Testament Studies: A Survey of Recent Research,
ed. Scot McKnight and Grant R. Osborne (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004),
pp. 283-325.
Richard B.Gaffin, Jr.,
"Acts and Paul", 46 lectures (MP3 format), WTS Resources Media Center
on Westminster Theological Seminary
at http://wts.edu/resources/media.html?paramType=audio&filterTopic=5&filterSpeaker=10&filterYear=2005 [accessed 20 MAR 2013].
Frank J. Goodwin, A Harmony of the Life of the St. Paul
According to the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline Epistles (New York:
American Tract Society, 1895); on Google
Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=YgpEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Richard N. Longenecker, The Ministry And Message Of Paul
(Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971).
Richard N. Longenecker, Paul, Apostle Of Liberty (New
York: Harper & Row, 1964).
Richard N. Longenecker, ed., The Road From Damascus : The
Impact Of Paul's Conversion On His Life, Thought, And Ministry (Grand
Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).
Richard N. Longenecker, Studies In Paul, Exegetical And
Theological (Sheffield : Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2004).
J. Gresham Machen, The Origin of Paul's Religion: The
James Sprunt Lectures Delivered at Union Theological Seminary in Virginia
(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1925).
Leon Morris, The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross
(Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1955).
John Pollock, The Apostle: A Life of Paul, 3rd ed.
(Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1969, 2012); also published as The Man Who
Shook the World (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1972; originally The Apostle: A Life of Paul, New York:
Doubleday, 1969).
Stanley E. Porter, Paul in Acts, in Library of Pauline Studies, gen. ed.
Stanley E. Porter (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1999; 2001
reprint of The Paul of Acts: Essays in Literary Criticism, Rhetoric and
Theology, in Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen
zum Neuen Testament 115, by Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen).
W. M. Ramsay, The Cities of St. Paul: Their Influence on
his Life and Thought (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son; London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1908); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=JryEbmKool0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, Pauline and Other Studies in Early
Christian History (New York: A. C. Armstrong and Son, 1906); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=-1ZJAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [accessed
13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen,
10th ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1907); on Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ramsay/paul_roman.html
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, The Teaching of Paul in terms of The
Present Day: The Deems Lectures in New York University (London: Hodder and
Stoughton, 1914); on Internet Archive
at http://ia600404.us.archive.org/2/items/teachingofpaulin00rams/teachingofpaulin00rams.pdf
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
A. T. Robertson, Epochs in the Life of Paul: A Study of
Development in Paul's Character (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Paul The
Missionary: Realities, Strategies And Methods (Downers
Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2008).
Udo Schnelle, Apostle Paul: His Life and Theology,
trans. M. Eugene Boring (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2003; trans. from Paulus: Leben und Denken, Berlin: Walter
de Gruyter GmbH & Co., n.d.).
Thomas R. Schreiner, Paul, Apostle of God's Glory in
Christ: A Pauline Theology (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2001).
James Stalker, The Life of St. Paul, (Edinburgh: T.
& T. Clark, 1885; rev. ed. 2010 by Kessinger Publishing from 1912 ed.); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=vT0HAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 7 FEB 2013].
James Ironside Still, St. Paul on Trial (London:
Student Christian Movement, 1923).
[1] See also “Resources on the
Jerusalem Council” appended to the sermon notes.
[2] Thomas R. Schreiner, The King In His Beauty: A
Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2013), pg. 496.
[3] I. Howard Marshall, Acts: An Introduction And
Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New
Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers Grove, IL:
InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint), pg. 256.
[4] Marshall, op. cit., pg.
258. See my “Excursus” on this chapter
appended to the sermon notes for my response to one aspect of the controversies.
[5] See “Faith is the Gift of
God” (10 FEB 2012), on Wayside Gospel
Chapel at http://waysidegospelchapel.blogspot.com/2012/02/faith-is-gift-of-god.html
[accessed 24 JUN 2014].
[6] See also:
W. Edward
Glenny, “Gentiles and the People of God: A Study of Apostolic Hermeneutics and
Theology in Acts 15”, Dispensational Study Group, National Evangelical Theological
Society meeting (Washington, DC; NOV 2006); on NT Resources at http://ntresources.com/blog/documents/Amos9inActs15b.pdf
[accessed 8 JUL 2014].
W. Edward
Glenny, “Rejoinder to Rodney J. Decker’s Response”, Dispensational
Study Group, National Evangelical Theological Society meeting (Washington, DC; NOV
2006); on NT Resources at http://ntresources.com/blog/documents/GlennyRejoinderToDecker.pdf
[accessed 8 JUL 2014].
Rod
Decker, “Surrejoinder to W.
Ed Glenny”,
Dispensational Study Group, National Evangelical Theological Society meeting (Washington,
DC; NOV 2006); on NT Resources at http://ntresources.com/blog/documents/SurRejoinderToGlenny.pdf
[accessed 8 JUL 2014].
[7] This is an excerpt from my
discussion outline “Theocratic Congregationalism” posted on 16 APR 2014 to Wayside Gospel Chapel at http://waysidegospelchapel.blogspot.com/2014/04/theocratic-congregationalism-solus.html
[accessed 24 JUN 2014].
[8] See on this Benjamin
L. Merkle, 40 Questions About Elders and Deacons (Grand Rapids: Kregel
Academic & Professional, 2008), pg. 31.
[9] Sovereign Grace Book of Church Order, PROPOSAL
(SGM Polity Committee, October 28, 2012), pp. 4-5. See Appendix 4: Extract (cover to end of
page six only).
[10] This may be a moot point
for Sovereign Grace Ministries and others who maintain that apostles are extant
throughout the history of the Church including the 21st century! Sovereign Grace Book of Church Order,
op. cit., pg. 5.
[11] On this issue see especially Merkle, op. cit., pp. 34-36.
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