What was the meaning and importance of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)?

Answer

In the earliest days of the Christian church, it was predominantly composed of Jews. In Acts chapter 8, the gospel extended to the Samaritans (who were a mix of Jews and Gentiles), and many Samaritans accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior. In Acts chapter 10, the apostle Peter was the first to bring the gospel specifically to the Gentiles, and many of them accepted Christ as their Savior. In Acts chapters 13–14, Paul and Barnabas had a very successful ministry among the Gentiles. The conversion of these Gentiles to faith in Christ raised concerns among Jewish believers, initially addressed in Acts 11:1–18, and the issues were ultimately resolved at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). The discussions revolved around two main questions: Must Gentiles first convert to Judaism before becoming Christians? Should Gentiles adhere to the Mosaic Law after becoming Christians?

The reason for convening the Jerusalem Council is explained in Acts 15, verses 1 and 5, “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.’ . . . It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the Law of Moses.” Some Jewish Christians were advocating that Gentiles needed to follow the Mosaic Law and Jewish traditions to attain salvation. This teaching directly contradicted the belief that salvation is solely by grace, through faith, in Christ alone «But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. », (Acts 15:11). Consequently, the apostles and church leaders convened the first Christian council to address this issue. In verses 7-11, the apostle Peter recounted his experience with the Gentiles, as documented in Acts chapter 10. Peter emphasized that the Holy Spirit was given to uncircumcised Gentiles just as it was to circumcised Jews.Solely in the same manner, the Holy Spirit was given to the apostles and Jewish believers on the day of Pentecost. This led Peter to the conclusion that there should be no “placing a yoke on the neck of the [Gentile] disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear” «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? », (Acts 15:10).

Jesus’ half-brother James, who had become a leader of the church in Jerusalem, agreed with Peter and declared, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God” «Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: », (Acts 15:19). The Jerusalem Council then proceeded to give four “rules” that Gentile Christians should live by. These were not rules the Gentiles must follow to be saved. Rather, the rules were to build harmony between Jewish and Gentile Christians in the first century. The four rules the Jerusalem Council decided upon were that Gentile Christians should abstain from food polluted by idols, sexual immorality, the meat of strangled animals, and blood. The instructions were not intended to guarantee salvation but to promote peace within the early church.

It is interesting that the issue the Jerusalem Council was dealing with is still very much a concern in the church today. There are groups still teaching that Christians must obey the Old Testament Law. Whether it is the Sabbath day or the food laws or all of the Old Testament Law outside of the sacrificial system—there are groups that declare observance of the Law is either required for salvation or at least a crucially important aspect of the Christian life. Sadly, these groups either completely ignore or grossly misinterpret.The decision of the Jerusalem Council was to determine which aspects, if any, of the Old Testament Law Christians must follow. The Council aimed to blend the Jewish and Gentile cultures in the Antioch church by advising Gentiles to avoid their previous pagan practices linked to idolatry. Notably, there was no reference to the Sabbath. Additionally, the Jerusalem Council emphasized that these guidelines were not prerequisites for salvation, reiterating that salvation is through grace for both Jews and Gentiles “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”, (Acts 15:11). Many disputes could be resolved if today’s church would simply adhere to the principle established by the Jerusalem Council—constrain your freedom for the sake of love.