The Dispute over Circumcision
1Then 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.”
The Antioch church decided to send... delegates to...
The Antioch church decided to send . . . delegates to Jerusalem to resolve this matter in discussion with the apostles and elders there. En route, the entourage visited believers in Phoenicia and Samaria, where the Christian faith had made substantial inroads (ch 8).
2And after engaging these men in sharp debate, Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
3Sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy to all the brothers.
The first council of the church met to...
The first council of the church met to resolve the dispute concerning Gentiles and circumcision (15:1–2).
4On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported all that God had done through them.
The Council at Jerusalem
(Amos 9:11–15; Galatians 2:1–10)
5But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and declared, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” 6So the apostles and elders met to look into this matter.
Peter, no doubt remembering his own experience in...
Peter, no doubt remembering his own experience in the household of Cornelius (ch 10), argued that God had already confirmed his acceptance of the Gentiles without circumcision by giving them the Holy Spirit. The undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus had been made available to all.
7After much discussion, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you that the Gentiles would hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
10Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
12The whole assembly fell silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul describing the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
James, the brother of Jesus, declared that the...
James, the brother of Jesus, declared that the conversion of the Gentiles was clearly in accord with Scripture. He argued forcefully that it was contrary to the divine will to put unnecessary requirements on the admission of the Gentiles.
13When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me! 14Simon† has told us how God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people to be His own.
Because God’s prophets had predicted the conversion and...
Because God’s prophets had predicted the conversion and inclusion of the Gentiles, James argued that the Gentiles should be accepted as Gentiles, without requiring them to practice Judaism (15:1).
15The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
16‘After this I will return and rebuildthe fallen tent of David.Its ruins I will rebuild,and I will restore it,17so that the remnant of men may seek the Lord,and all the Gentiles who are called by My name,says the Lord who does these things18that have been known for ages.’†19It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood. 21For Moses has been proclaimed in every city from ancient times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
The Letter to the Gentile Believers
The Jerusalem church chose two of the church...
The Jerusalem church chose two of the church leaders to report its decision. They took with them a letter from the apostles and elders . . . in Jerusalem explaining the terms of the agreement.
22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, two leaders among the brothers, 23and sent them with this letter:
The apostles and the elders, your brothers,
To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24It has come to our attention that some went out from us without our authorization and unsettled you, troubling your minds by what they said.† 25So we all agreed to choose men to send to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to tell you in person the same things we are writing.
28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements: 29You must abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
The Believers at Antioch Rejoice
The believers at Antioch received the decision with...
The believers at Antioch received the decision with great joy that conversion to Judaism and keeping all the requirements of the law of Moses was not required of them. The dispute had been resolved, so the work of teaching and preaching in Antioch could continue unimpeded.
30So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they assembled the congregation and delivered the letter. 31When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message.
32Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. 33After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers in peace to return to those who had sent them.† 35But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey Begins
The discordant separation of Paul and Barnabas is...
The discordant separation of Paul and Barnabas is indicated by a very strong word in Greek (their disagreement was so sharp). It was an honest disagreement between two godly men about whether John Mark (Barnabas’s cousin, Col 4:10) should be given a second chance to accompany them on a mission journey after he had deserted them in Pamphylia (see Acts 13:13). The rift between Paul and John Mark was eventually healed (2 Tim 4:11).
36Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they are doing.” 37Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark. 38But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.
39Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,
Following his disagreement with Barnabas over John Mark,...
Following his disagreement with Barnabas over John Mark, Paul chose Silas as his partner for a second missionary journey through Syria and Cilicia. The two men traveled overland to visit Derbe and Lystra, explaining the decision of the Jerusalem council and strengthening believers in their faith.
40but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.