Acts 15:13-21 - Is Salvation by Law or Grace (Part 2)

Is Salvation by Law or by Grace? – Acts 15 : 13-21

Part 2 – Lesson 52

In Acts 15 : 1-12 the Jerusalem Council heard eyewitness testimony from Peter, Paul, and Barnabas proving that Gentiles receive salvation and the Holy Spirit apart from the Law of Moses. Beginning in verse 13 the moderator of the council, James (the half-brother of Jesus Christ and recognized leader of the church in Jerusalem), offers a sixth and final line of evidence and then proposes a solution that preserves both the purity of the gospel and the unity of a diverse church.

I. Context Recap

– The conflict was never whether Gentiles could be saved (the Old Testament repeatedly promises their salvation) – The conflict was how they are saved:   Grace + Nothing   or  Grace + Law – Legalists insisted on circumcision and full Torah observance. – Peter countered with four proofs of grace alone: past revelation (Cornelius), the gift of the Holy Spirit, cleansing from sin, and the utter inability of the Law to save.

II. James’s Speech – The Sixth Proof (vv. 13-18)

1. Appeal to God’s Saving Initiative (v. 14)

James reminds the assembly that God Himself “visited” the Gentiles—beginning with Cornelius—to “take from them a people for His name.” The verb “visited” (Greek episkeptomai) stresses that salvation is God’s work, not human effort.

2. Appeal to Prophetic Scripture (vv. 15-17)

“With this the words of the prophets agree…”

James quotes Amos 9 : 11-12 (Septuagint form) and weaves in explanatory phrases. Three observations:

– Restoration of David’s fallen tent (v. 16) – a promise that the Messianic kingdom will indeed restore Israel; therefore Gentile inclusion does not erase Israel. – Calling of Gentiles “who bear My name” (v. 17) – God welcomes Gentiles directly, not through a Jewish “detour.” – Because God will one day save Gentiles as Gentiles in the millennial kingdom, it is perfectly consistent for Him to do so in advance during the church age.

3. Appeal to God’s Eternal Plan (v. 18)

“Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.”

Salvation by grace is not Plan B; it is the outworking of an eternal design. Human additions therefore constitute an assault on divine wisdom.

III. The Council’s Decision (vv. 19-21)

1. Authoritative Verdict (v. 19)

“Therefore I judge…” – James speaks with decisive pastoral authority:  → Stop troubling the Gentiles who are turning to God. Salvation is by grace through faith alone.

2. Pastoral Directives for Fellowship (v. 20)

For the sake of table-fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers, four practices must be avoided:

Food polluted by idols – meat ritually dedicated to pagan gods (1 Corinthians 8 : 1-7).

Sexual immorality – especially the cultic prostitution common in Gentile temples; the moral law never changes (Leviticus 18).

Meat of strangled animals – the blood has not been drained.

Blood itself – drinking blood or eating meat still containing blood, abhorrent to Jews (Genesis 9 : 4; Leviticus 17 : 10-14).

These are not new conditions for salvation. They are voluntary limitations of Christian liberty so that:

– Jewish believers are not repulsed. – Gentile believers abandon pagan associations. – The church enjoys unity around one table.

3. Rationale from Synagogue Witness (v. 21)

Because Moses is read in synagogues every Sabbath, Gentile believers who wish to evangelize Jews should avoid practices that Jews consider abhorrent. Love dictates sensitivity.

IV. Theological Significance

– Grace safeguarded – The gospel remains unpolluted: Jesus Christ’s atoning work plus nothing. – Law relativized – The Mosaic code cannot justify; it serves now as moral instruction, not covenant obligation. – Unity protected – A multi-ethnic church learns to exercise liberty with charity, avoiding needless offense (Romans 14 : 13-21).

V. Contemporary Application

– Reject any teaching—ancient or modern—that smuggles works, rituals, or human merit into the doorway of salvation. – Exercise your freedom in Jesus Christ, yet willingly limit that freedom out of love for weaker brothers and sisters. – Remember the missionary pattern: proclaim grace alone, disciple new believers into holiness, and preserve fellowship across cultural lines.

Key Takeaway

“We believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” (Acts 15 : 11)

Salvation is a free, unearned, irreversible gift. The proper response is grateful obedience and sacrificial love—never an attempt to repay God, but a life that magnifies His grace.