Daily Bread 2011 - Acts 15
The Council at Jerusalem
1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
What Does This Mean?
We see that as the movement of God continued, there was much opposition. And in chapter 15, it comes in the form of false teaching/doctrine in the area of “justification”, or how one is saved. The men from Judea came and taught that unless one was circumcised, according to the teaching of Moses, they could not be saved. Of course this goes directly against the New Covenant teaching that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and this goes for both the Jew and the Gentile.
This was a key moment in the life of the early Church, and it is important to see the process by which they arrived at the correct decision to refute this false teaching. Paul and Barnabas went back to Jerusalem (the mother church) and presented the issue to the church leaders/elders/apostles. After much discussion, Peter, the chief leader got up and clarified that the mission God had granted was the preach the Good News to both the Jews and Gentiles, which God had confirmed by granting the Gentiles the same Holy Spirit given to the Jewish believers. He concludes by asking a question which is an important one for us today as well, “Why do you try and test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?”
What Does This Mean For Us?
While the Church today may not argue over the issue of circumcision, there are many ways the similar trap of “legalism” tries to rear its ugly head in the Church. “Legalism” by its very nature is a yoke we are not able to bear, because its standard is the Law, which we can never measure up to. In fact, the purpose of the Law is to drive us to Christ (Luther). God gave the Jewish people the Law to set them apart from the other nations, but also as a means to prepare them for the Messiah, who would write the Law on their hearts.
How do you think the Church puts new “yokes” on people today? I would like to know? If you have a story of this, please share with me. Anytime the church moves toward legalism it will create a “joyless”, “Spirit-less” environment and not many people will want to join that kind of church. Remember it is for “freedom” that Christ set you free! Don’t be in place that wants to enslave you again to the Law, which is powerless to change the human heart.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the freedom that Jesus purchased for us on the cross. May we never again return to the slavery of the Law. Help us to use our freedom to serve you and those you have called us to proclaim this same Good News to, Amen.
1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.”6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
What Does This Mean?
We see that as the movement of God continued, there was much opposition. And in chapter 15, it comes in the form of false teaching/doctrine in the area of “justification”, or how one is saved. The men from Judea came and taught that unless one was circumcised, according to the teaching of Moses, they could not be saved. Of course this goes directly against the New Covenant teaching that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, and this goes for both the Jew and the Gentile.
This was a key moment in the life of the early Church, and it is important to see the process by which they arrived at the correct decision to refute this false teaching. Paul and Barnabas went back to Jerusalem (the mother church) and presented the issue to the church leaders/elders/apostles. After much discussion, Peter, the chief leader got up and clarified that the mission God had granted was the preach the Good News to both the Jews and Gentiles, which God had confirmed by granting the Gentiles the same Holy Spirit given to the Jewish believers. He concludes by asking a question which is an important one for us today as well, “Why do you try and test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?”
What Does This Mean For Us?
While the Church today may not argue over the issue of circumcision, there are many ways the similar trap of “legalism” tries to rear its ugly head in the Church. “Legalism” by its very nature is a yoke we are not able to bear, because its standard is the Law, which we can never measure up to. In fact, the purpose of the Law is to drive us to Christ (Luther). God gave the Jewish people the Law to set them apart from the other nations, but also as a means to prepare them for the Messiah, who would write the Law on their hearts.
How do you think the Church puts new “yokes” on people today? I would like to know? If you have a story of this, please share with me. Anytime the church moves toward legalism it will create a “joyless”, “Spirit-less” environment and not many people will want to join that kind of church. Remember it is for “freedom” that Christ set you free! Don’t be in place that wants to enslave you again to the Law, which is powerless to change the human heart.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the freedom that Jesus purchased for us on the cross. May we never again return to the slavery of the Law. Help us to use our freedom to serve you and those you have called us to proclaim this same Good News to, Amen.
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