CHAPTER 15

(A.D. 51)

THE COUNCIL

¹And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the Brethren (presents the greatest crisis of the Early Church), and said, Except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved (they were attempting to refute Pauls Message of Grace through faith; in other words, they were attempting to circumvent the Cross, trying to add the Law of Moses to the Gospel of Grace).

²When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them (seems to indicate that these men came to Antioch not long after Paul and Barnabas had returned from their first Missions tour), they (the Elders of the Church at Antioch) determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the Apostles and Elders about this question (no doubt refers to the trip mentioned by Paul in Gal. 2:1-10).

³And being brought on their way by the Church (means that the Church at Antioch paid the expenses of the Brethren respecting this trip), they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles (indicates that they stopped to visit Churches all along the way): and they caused great joy unto all the Brethren (seems to indicate that the Judaizers had not brought their false doctrine to these Churches).

⁴And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received of the Church (indicates they were received with open arms), and of the Apostles (refers to the Twelve, minus James the brother of John who had been martyred) and Elders (other Preachers), and they declared all things that God had done with them (gave a report of their recent Missions trip).

⁵But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed (refers to them as having accepted Christ as their Saviour; they were in the Church at Jerusalem), saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to com mand them to keep the Law of Moses (speaking of new converts; this was the great controversy; even though this was a different group, it was the same erroneous message).

⁶And the Apostles and Elders came together for to consider of this matter (this was not a closed meeting, but was rather played out before many Believers).

PETER

⁷And when there had been much disputing (much questioning and discussion), Peter rose up, and said unto them (portrays the Apostle, at least now and at this particular meeting, in the position of Leadership), Men and Brethren, you 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 (harks back some ten to twelve years earlier to Peters experience with Cornelius [Acts, Chpt. 10]).

⁸And God, which knows the hearts (speaks of this action concerning Cornelius being of the Lord and not of Peter), bear them witness (witnessed to the validity of their conversion), giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us (all of this without Circumcision and Law-keeping);

⁹And put no difference between us and them (in other words, these Gentiles were just as saved as Jews, and without all of the Laws of the Jews), purifying their hearts by Faith (Faith in Christ and Faith in Christ alone, not by Law-keeping).

¹⁰Now therefore why do you tempt God (calls into question that which God has done), to put a yoke upon the neck of the Disciples (followers of Christ), which neither our Fathers nor we were able to bear? (Peter was not speaking disparagingly of the Law of Moses, but stating that its demands were beyond the ability of human beings to meet because of mans fallen condition.)

¹¹But we (the Apostles) believe that through the Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be Saved (without Law-keeping), even as they (even as the Gentiles).

THE GENTILES

¹²Then all the multitude kept silence (refers to the introduction of both Barnabas and Paul to the audience), and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul (Barnabas is listed first because he was known to the Church at Jerusalem; he probably spoke first), declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them (they simply gave an account, which refers to the fact that Paul and Barnabas preached Grace and Faith to the Gentiles, and didnt preach the Law at all; God honored it by giving them signs and wonders, which would not have been the case had He been displeased).

¹³And after they had held their peace (concluding their remarks), James answered, saying, Men and Brethren, hearken unto me (presents the Lords Brother as the presiding Elder of the Church in Jerusalem):

¹⁴Simeon has (Peter) declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles (refers to the conversion of Cornelius and his household), to take out of them a people for His Name (presents this as the Plan of God, which it surely was!).

¹⁵And to this agree the words of the Prophets (James now appeals directly to the Word of God, which verifies all that has been said); as it is written (Amos 9:11),

¹⁶After this I will return (speaks of the Church Age and the Second Coming of the Lord), 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 (speaks of the restoration of Israel and the coming Kingdom Age, in which all the Prophets declare [Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 7:13-14; Hos. 3:4-5; Lk. 1:32-33; Rom., Chpts. 9-11; Rev. 11:15; 20:1-10; 22:4-5]):

¹⁷That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles (a worldwide harvest of souls during the Kingdom Age), upon whom My Name is called, saith the Lord (refers to the Gentile world which has been favorable toward the Lord to a degree), Who does all these things (refers to the Power of God in performing all of this).

¹⁸Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world (the Plan of God regarding the human family was known from the beginning of the world [Gen., Chpt. 4]).

¹⁹Wherefore my sentence is (would have been better translated, I think it good), that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God (carries the idea that it does not make any sense to demand certain other things of them, claiming such things are needed in order to be saved, when in fact the people are already saved!):

²⁰But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols (this was common in the heathen world of that day), and from fornication (all forms of immorality), and from things strangled (which refers to the blood not being properly drained from the flesh), and from blood (not to eat blood, which was somewhat common among the heathen during those days; in any case, blood was not to be imbibed, but this did not refer to transfusion; man is saved by the shed Blood of Christ, so blood must be treated accordingly).

²¹For Moses of old time has in every city them who preach him, being read in the Synagogues every Sabbath Day (the idea is that Gentiles who desire to know more about the Law of Moses need only to go to one of the Synagogues on the Sabbath, which was every Saturday).

THE DECISION

²²Then pleased it the Apostles and Elders, with the whole Church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas (proclaims the fact that all of the Church at Jerusalem, or at least the greater majority, totally agreed with what James had said respecting Gentiles and the Law of Moses); namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, Chief men among the Brethren (Silas was to play a very important part regarding his help to Paul with respect to future Evangelism):

²³And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The Apostles and Elders and Brethren send greeting unto the Brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:

²⁴Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls (evidently speaks of those mentioned in Verse 1), saying, You must be circumcised, and keep the Law: to whom we gave no such Commandment (specifies exactly what the error was; these individuals, whomever they may have been, were not sent by the Church in Jerusalem, nor were they given any Commandment to teach any type of false doctrine):

²⁵It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord (proclaims the unity of the Brethren in Jerusalem), to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul (places a gracious and kind endearment toward Paul and Barnabas, which spoke volumes as well),

²⁶Men who have hazarded their lives for the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ (tells us for Whom it was done!).

²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth (with these two men accompanying this letter, and verifying its contents, no false prophet could claim that the letter was forged, etc.).

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us (proclaims without a doubt that the Holy Spirit led and guided these proceedings), to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things (when men leave the Word of God, they get into a lot of unnecessary things);

²⁹That you abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if you keep yourselves, you shall do well. Fare ye well.

³⁰So when they (possibly six or seven Brethren) were dismissed (sent away with great love), they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the Epistle (we arent told how large the Church was in Antioch; however, it could have numbered several hundred; that being the case, they would have met outdoors for this Epistle to be read to them):

³¹Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation (tells us that the Law/Grace issue had been very serious; now this settles the dispute, at least for the time being).

³²And Judas and Silas, being Prophets also themselves (means that they stood in the Office of the Prophet [Eph. 4:11]), exhorted the Brethren with many words, and confirmed them (they addressed the multitude with words of great encouragement).

³³And after they (Judas and Silas) had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the Brethren unto the Apostles (refers to Judas returning to Jerusalem, but not Silas).

³⁴Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still (it was the Holy Spirit Who moved on him to remain in Antioch).

SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY

³⁵Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord, with many others also (this Church was blessed, to say the least!).

³⁶And some days after (could have been as much as a year) Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our Brethren in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord, and see how they do (refers to the Churches they had planted on the first Missionary Journey).

³⁷And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark (the word determined implies a deliberate action, which means that Barnabas was adamant on the subject).

³⁸But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia (suggests a rupture), and went not with them to the work (he did not go with them to the work to which God called them, as he ought to have done).

³⁹And the contention was so sharp between them (means to dispute to the point of anger), that they departed asunder one from the other (it created an abrupt and severe rupture; it is my feeling that Barnabas should have acquiesced to Paul; the Holy Spirit had said separate Me Barnabas and Paul for the work whereunto I have called them; the Holy Spirit didnt mention Mark): and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus (Barnabas will not be mentioned again in the great Book of Acts, and yet we dare not take away from the Godliness of this man);

PAUL AND SILAS

⁴⁰And Paul chose Silas, and departed (proclaims the beginning of the Second Missionary Journey; this is the reason the Holy Spirit had Silas remain behind in Antioch), being recommended by the Brethren unto the Grace of God (he wholeheartedly approved of the great Covenant of Grace, which was absolutely necessary if he was to be of help to Paul).

⁴¹And he (Paul) went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the Churches (teaching in each Church, which obviously was so very much needed).