The Jerusalem Counsel: Salvation is solely by God’s grace and faith in Jesus Christ - Part 3

Acts 15:12–21“And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. Now after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brothers, listen to me. “Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. “And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written, ‘After these things I will return, And I will rebuild the fallen booth of David, And I will rebuild its ruins, And I will restore it, So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’ Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago. “Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood. “For from ancient generations, Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read n the synagogues every Sabbath.”

When I ended the message last week I stated that Peter had concluded telling the apostles and elders at the Jerusalem council that “we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they (Gentiles) also are. Peter conclusion was that Jews and Gentiles are were not justified by works of the Law, but through faith in Christ Jesus (Rom 3:24; Eph 2:8-9).

After Peter had made his final defense before the apostles and elders that the Gentiles had received salvation by God grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, just as they did. We are told in v.12 that the multitude that were their became silent, to listen to Barnabas and Paul, who began telling them about the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. It was important for Barnabas and Paul to tell them about the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles because their Jewish audience wouldn’t believe unless they see signs (John 4:48). 

Notice that Paul and Barnabas emphasized that the signs and wonders were done by God through them. God was the source of the signs and wonders. The sign and wonders were given by God to validate His presence and His Word through His apostles affirming their ministry among the Gentiles.

Hebrews 2:3–4“how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? That salvation, first spoken by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard, God also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will.” 

When Paul and Barnabas encountered the false prophet Bar-Jesus in Chapter 13 who was opposing them seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith, Paul told him Acts 13:9–12“You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord? “Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand. Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”

Acts 15:13-21James issues his statement and final judgment

Acts 15:13 “Now after they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brothers, listen to me.”

James is the brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3). He commands those in the assembly to listen to him. James is respected and prominent leader in the Jerusalem church. Paul calls James an apostle in Gal 1:19, and one of the pillars of the church along  with Peter and John (Gal 2:9). James was also known as “Jame the Just,” because of his godly character and he was meticulous in keeping the law. Now this is important to know because the Judaizers who were there and had instigated the false teaching that Gentiles were not saved until they were circumcised and kept the law, were meticulous law keepers as well and would be looking for James to their side in this heated debate. What James is about to say would tilt the debate one way or another, either Gentiles needed to be circumcised and adhere to the law and its ritual for salvation, or salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

 Acts 15:14 ““Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.”

James calls Peter by his Hebrew named Simeon and he is in full agreement with Peter’s testimony that God first concerned Himself about taking from the Gentiles, not all Gentiles, but take out from them believing Gentiles, a people for His name.

Calling Gentiles a “people” Laos is significant because it is often used to refer to Israel.

Deuteronomy 26:18–19““And Yahweh has today declared you to be His people, a treasured possession, as He promised you, and that you should keep all His commandments; and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, for praise, a name, and beauty; and that you shall be a holy people to Yahweh your God, as He has spoken.””

By James saying that God first concerned Himself about taking from the Gentiles a people for His name shows that God had made good on what He had decreed.

Zechariah 2:11““And many nations will join themselves to Yahweh in that day and will become My people. Then I will dwell in your midst, and you will know that Yahweh of hosts has sent Me to you.”

Hosea 2:23 (b) “And I will say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they will say, ‘You are my God!’””

God had taken the initiative to ensure that the Gentiles would hear the gospel for salvation by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ. And because of His grace for us who have accepted Christ through faith, God say you are My people.

Now since God by His mercy has taken Gentiles to be a people for His name, this means His possession. We like the Jews are God’s chosen people for His own possession.

1 Peter 2:9–10“But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

All praise to the Most High God and glory to God for taking the initiative to pour out His mercy to save us and making us the people of God, a people for His possession, a possession of people that God will bring into His kingdom.

Acts 15:15““And with this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,”

James continues to further his point that God has included the Gentiles in His salvation plan. He says that the words of the prophets, a reference to all the OT prophets, are in agreement that God would save the Gentiles by His grace. 

Acts 15:16-17 is quoted from a combination of passages taken from Amos 9:11-12. God will rebuild the dwelling of David, which has fallen; from its ruins I will rebuild it, and I will set it up, this is referring to Israel, so that the rest of mankind (those who are not Jews) may seek the Lord- and all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord, God has decreed this, who makes these things known from long ago. What James is telling the assembly is according to the OT prophets God’s chosen people will consist of both Jews and Gentiles, and what they are seeing now Gentiles being God’s chosen people and sharing in the messianic blessings without converting to Jews by circumcision and keeping the Law was happening just as the OT prophets had prophesied in Scripture.

James brilliantly draws from Scripture to back up what God was doing in His redemptive plan of the Gentiles. Unlike the Judaizers who were teaching that Gentiles were not saved until they were circumcised and kept the law, without providing one shred of evidence from Scripture. Jame quoted Scripture to prove his point. This is a lesson I’ve stated more times than I can count, you must rely on Scripture, book, chapter and verse when you are presenting the truth about God and His word, because your opinion and my opinion don’t mean anything. What the Bible says does!

James final Judgement

Acts 15:19–20““Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood.”

The matter has been settled for James God has done a work in drawing Gentiles by grace and faith in Jesus Christ without the need of circumcision and keeping the law and its rituals.

James tells those Judaizers and Pharisee believers “do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles. In other words, mind your business and step aside when God is at work in the lives of those whom He has chosen for salvation.

But James wasn’t finished he gives a word of admonition to the Gentiles that their former pagan cultic practices be done away with so that they don’t offend their Jewish Christian brothers by eating food that was sacrificed to idols, those meats that were strangled animals, or their blood. As well as sexual immorality (fornication) that was tied to their pagan temple worship.

These warnings must be obeyed to protect the purity of God’s church. The church today would do well to warn believers to abstain from things that are not pleasing to God, especially engaging in sexual immoral acts of sex between the same sex and engaging in sex before marriage. Weak pastors with no backbone refuse to issue warnings against sexual immorality such as sex before marriage, adultery, and same sex relationships because some are engaging in those acts, while others are fearful will lose members of the church if they warn them to abstain from sexual immoral lifestyles. I care more about God and His Word than worrying about what people think about what I say from the Word of God. I care about the souls of people who God has entrusted me to pastor and teach. I will warn those that being involved in sexual immoral lifestyles will bring God’s judgment upon them if they don’t abstain from it.

1 Corinthians 6:9“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals,”

Ephesians 5:5“For this you know with certainty, that no one sexually immoral or impure or greedy, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”

Acts 15:21““For from ancient generations, Moses has those who preach him in every city, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.””

James reminds the Gentile Christians that in every city their Jews who hold the law of Moses in high regard and they should be sensitive to their beliefs and practices and don’t offend them in these ritual things, so that your good Christian conduct may reached them with the gospel of Christ.

You need to watch your Christian conduct as well around those who are not Christian so that you do not destroy your gospel witness.

Matthew 5:16““Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”