78 - The Council at Jerusalem

Acts 15:1-41

Some folks had come from Judea, the Jewish-Christian area, and were teaching that converts to the way of Jesus had to be circumcised, as required in the laws of Moses.

This is not what Paul had been teaching.

The conflict had to go to the head office in Jerusalem.

In the council meeting, Peter, who has had his own experience with converting Gentiles, testifies that the Holy Spirit goes both to Gentiles and to the Hebrew people, and that "we believe that we will be saved by grace of the Lord Jesus..."

Paul also tells of his experiences among the Gentiles.  Here in Acts we don't read what he said.  But when Paul gives his own account of in the letter to the Galatians, we learn that he had the Greek (Gentile) Titus with him, who had not been required to be circumcised.

It is hard to tell a Christian who is standing right in front of you that they aren't good enough.

Finally, James, the brother of our Lord, who is calling the shots at the Jerusalem meeting, quotes scripture in which God indicates that including Gentiles has been part of his plan all along.  James concludes that if Gentiles will follow some basic rules regarding food that has been sacrificed to idols, that they would have the hand of fellowship extended to them.

Thus the path is chosen.  The community of the followers of Jesus will not be a sub-set of Judaism; rather it will be open to all people, to the ends of the earth.

Council of Jerusalem