What did the Jerusalem council mean when it responded to the Gentile's desire to be a part of the body of Christ? Acts 15:28-29 "For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.” Gentile believers were then welcomed in as a part of the body of Christ, adopted in as joint heirs. This scripture has been used many times to argue that the Law has been done away with (this post is not about that topic, although I don't think this scripture should be a source reference for that argument), but the point the council is making is not about the Law.
In order to understand what is going on here, background and context are key. Paul's main opponent in Christian circles was the Circumcision Party. The understanding of traditional Jewish thought was that only someone who was completely converted into Judaism would enter the kingdom of heaven, in effect they had to become Jews. In Galatians Paul writes about when he was in error about being zealous for the traditions of his fathers (1:14) and these are the man-made traditions he is talking about. These traditions are the result of the Oral Torah, which is like a commentary on God's law. It was written down after Christ's time (called the Mishnah when first written down, and would have been close to the traditions Christ followed, and then commentary on that commentary is called the Talmud). Commentary on how to obey God is not the issue, the problem comes when the commentary is given as much authority as scripture. These man made laws were what the Circumcision Party wanted to use to control the new believers (this is the same as what the Jewish priests were doing with their man-made laws).
Yeshua kept saying "as it is written" because he was challenging the Oral Torah, not what God said in His word. As we progress to become more Christ-like, we should be praying for discernment and learning what God said in His word. Today we have made the mistakes the early Christians almost made. Churches hold fast to doctrines like speaking in tongues, predestination, pre-tribulation rapture, healing, types of instruments in church, and the list goes on. Sometimes these issues are seen as salvation issues, sometimes they are seen as acceptance into congregation issues. What does the Bible (not the church traditions which are a type of Christian Mishnah) say about these things? Yeshua would point those listening to Him to the Bible.
Paul's main concern was unity in the body of believers, and his outreach was to the non-Jews or Gentiles (depending who Paul was talking to, sometimes he used the term "Gentile" for non-believer, no wonder Peter said he was hard to understand). These Gentiles were putting their faith in Yeshua. The signs and wonders that were establishing the early church were also seen among these new Gentile believers. People's lives were beginning to change and the Circumcision Party did not like that they were losing control. The Bible is not a book about the Jewish culture, Jewish culture is based on the Bible and has evolved with the Oral Law, eventually becoming the Mishnah and then Talmud. Circumcision of the heart, as it says in Deuteronomy 30:6, is about following God's commands and it will change your heart. Isaiah 49:6 tells of an offspring of Jacob restoring Israel, will be a light to the nations, and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Gentile acceptance into the body of believers without having to convert to Judaism was what the Jerusalem council was addressing. This wasn't an issue during the time of Christ because he was primarily speaking to Jews and God's plan spread to the nations after His death and resurrection.
The Jerusalem council's decision was something that happened because the Gospel was spreading and those hanging on to the oral traditions, and demanding others to as well, needed to be addressed. The council's decision was to not taking new believers and expect that they understand all of the Torah. James settles things for the council in Acts 15 after arguments are made when in verses 19-21 he says not to trouble the Gentiles that turn to God (they are new believers, starting to learn after all), but they still need to be set apart so he lists four things from Torah that will set them apart from non-believers. He then says they go to church and will hear what Moses said. This means, they were young believers that would grow as they heard God's commands in His word. He was not saying God's law, which is perfect, was only for Jews. The council was saying welcome brothers, we are all a part of the same family, our lives have been changed by the Master, and we are all on the journey to become more Christ-like as we study His word. Welcome!
Why are our churches so divided today? Some churches don't follow the Bible and other churches have their own Talmud that is given the same authority as the Bible. There are Christians attending these churches that don't read their Bibles, they go on feelings. Believers are all at different stages in learning to be Christ-like, and the Bible should be pointed to more often for guidance than church traditions or what men say. When Yeshua showed up, this was why the religious leaders did not recognize their savior because they were too caught up in giving authority to man made traditions, based off the Torah, but man made. We have churches that divide over when there will be a rapture of the church, and rapture isn't a word even used in the Bible and the idea of a rapture only became widely known in the 19th century.
Brothers, when you meet with me you are welcome. If you have put your faith in Yeshua, or want to know more about Him, then you are welcome. We all have growing to do, and I want to be in His word. When we discuss the Bible together we can both learn and grow. Proverbs 27:17 is about how iron sharpens iron, the disciples were learning from new Christians and the new Christians had a lot to learn from the disciples. They realized that God is not about a culture it is about Growing in Christ-likeness as we study His word. This is how I intend to go about my fellowship, those that choose to remain divided I may never meet this side of heaven . It is a shame that the council's decision has brought divisiveness when the intention was to accept and unite believers.
I hope this has blessed you.
Pray for discernment and read your Bible, after all, this is one man's commentary.
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