The Letter To The Gentile Churches

When I ended the message last time we gathered the apostle James made his judgment that they were not to make it difficult for the Gentiles who turn to God by insisting that they become Jewish converts by circumcision according to the law of Moses in order to be saved as the Judaizers had argued, but instead we need write a letter to the Gentile believers telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood, and do not commit acts of sexual immorality (fornication) such as orgies with priestesses which was tied to their former pagan temple worship. This command from James was to warn them that their former cultic pagan practices must be done away with so that they didn’t offend their Jewish Christian brothers, and not to ruin their gospel witness to unbelieving Jews. Now this brings us to the first point in my outline.

The Unity In The Jerusalem Church

After James had finished speaking we are told in v. 22 “That the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, both leading men among the brothers.”

We don’t read that there were any disagreements among the apostles, elders, and the whole church. This is because they were unified in their decision after hearing what Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and James had said from the Word of God. That Gentile believers didn’t need to be circumcised and convert to Judaism to obtain salvation. The Gentiles were saved solely by God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. This unified agreement among the Jerusalem church led them to a decision to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas which means “son of the sabbath,” and Silas whose full name is Silvanus, Peter mentions him in 1 Peter 5:12 as a “faithful brother.”

Silas would later travel along with Paul on his missionary journeys after Barnabas departed with John Mark. In the last clause of v.22 of our text we learn about both Judas and Silas is that they were leading men among the brothers, and according to v.26 they had both risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in v.32 they were called prophets. The Jerusalem church were unified in their decision to send their best men to deliver this important letter to the Gentile churches.

The Cities Where The Letter Was Sent

Acts 15:23“They wrote: “From the apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.”

The letter would first go to Antioch. This is where the Judaizer began to falsely teach the Gentiles that unless you are circumcised according to the custom prescribed by Moses, you cannot be saved. Then the letter needed to go to the surrounding cities of Syria and Cilicia, this was done to stop the spread of this false teaching. This would ensure that no unnecessary burdens would be placed on Gentiles to be saved; it would establish that all the churches would be on one accord that both Jews and Gentiles are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

It is imperative that believers are warn about false doctrines that can potentially be introduced into the church. Today there are churches that are placing unnecessary burdens on people that they must do to earn salvation, false teaching that says they need to belong to a particular church, they need worship on the sabbath, they cannot eat certain foods, they must pray toward the east five times a day, and the list goes on. Salvation by works is a false doctrine.

Galatians 2:16“and yet because we know that a person is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we ourselves have believed in Christ Jesus. This was so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.” No one can be justified by works, we can only be justified by faith in Christ.

The Letter Revealed The Problem

Acts 15:24“Since we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,”

The letter informed the Gentile believers that the Judaizers had went out from the Jerusalem church without their authorization and began to trouble the Gentiles with false teaching and it unsettled (an-ask-yoo-ad-zo/ anaskeuazo/ to cause inward distress) to their hearts. You can imagine how unsettling it was for the Gentiles to hear that they couldn’t be saved unless they become circumcised according to the law of Moses as opposed to what they had first initially believed that they were saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ. This shows you how damaging false teaching will do to those who are undiscerning about the Word of God.

The Letter’s Solution To The Problem

Acts 15:25–27“we have unanimously decided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth.”

Since there had been confusion between salvation by works and salvation by grace through faith in Christ this matter needed to be stopped immediately. The Jerusalem council collectively agreed that Gentiles didn’t need to be circumcised according to the law of Moses. And they sent Judas and Silas along with Barnabas and Paul with this letter to the various churches detailing their decision on this matter.

Judas and Silas would personally report the same things by word of mouth, Sending them along with Barnabas and Paul would establish fact to their testimony according to Deut 19:15“A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.” This meant that what they would tell the Gentiles is trustworthy that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

The Gentile churches would know from this letter that “it was the Holy Spirit’s decision and the apostles, elders, and the whole church at Jerusalem were on one accord not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements:

Acts 15:29“that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, this was a reminder to the Gentiles how they needed to conduct themselves by not offending their Jewish brothers and sisters, and not to ruin any opportunity to be a witness to unsaved Jews, then they need to abstain from sexual immorality. Sexual immorality was prevalent in their pagan culture (1 Thess 4:3-5). Much like it is in today’s culture. People don’t think it is wrong to have sex outside of marriage, but it is sinfully wrong in the eyes of God and those who willing practice it will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor 6:9). This is why the close of the letter said this You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things. Farewell.”” You will do well if you abstain from practicing sinful behaviors, turn from those things that are not pleasing to God.

The Letter Brought Great Joy and Encouragement

Acts 15:30–35 “So they were sent off and went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters and strengthened them with a long message. After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.”

When Judas and Silas gathered the assembly, they delivered the letter and read it and it brought tremendous joy because of the encouraging message that came from the apostles, elders, and the whole church at Jerusalem. The burden that had once troubled and unsettled the Gentile believers’ heart has been removed and was replaced with joy and encouragement, by knowing that they were saved by faith in Christ alone apart from needing to be circumcised and convert to Judaism by keeping their rituals. Salvation isn’t contingent on keeping religious rituals, it is contingent on faith in Christ.

It is encouraging for us to know that we don’t need to earn our salvation; that they we are saved by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

We are told that Judas and Silas, who were prophets continued giving their own message of encouragement after the letter was read. And after some time staying with the Gentile church, they were sent back to the Jerusalem church in peace by the brothers and sisters.

Acts 15:35“But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord,” ensuring that both Jews and Gentiles know that salvation is not by works, but rather salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. And this Biblical truth is what we must hold to and teach and proclaim to others.