The Jerusalem Counsel

Call to Worship

Psalm 117 LSB

Praise Yahweh, all nations; Laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness prevails over us, And the truth of Yahweh is everlasting. Praise Yah!

Elder: The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you!

Reading of Scripture

Jeremiah 31:27-34

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

Introduction to the Jerusalem Counsel

Remember the illustration? Getting into the nice warm house. Baptism as a means of entrance into the house.

Following breadcrumbs - trying to solve a mystery. You need to look at the evidence and see where it leads you.

Exposition

Debate in the Church

Acts 14:27–15:6 LSB

And when they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. And they spent not a little time with the disciples. Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And when Paul and Barnabas had not a little dissension and debate with them, the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brothers. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.” Both the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.

Notice the flow:

They gather the church and report the opened door of faith to the Gentiles

Judaizers teach false doctrine

Debate

Sent by the church

Joy over the Gentile conversion

The church is gathered with a report

Judaizers stand for their false doctrine

Debate (even into verse 7)

This is chiastic

A - You can see how they gather and report before Judaizers come causing debate. This pattern happens in 14:27-15:2 and again in 15:4-6.

B - Then notice that they are sent by the church and received by the church. And don’t think about the church as the institution. This is the assembly. They were sent by the congregation, the assembly in Antioch, and they are being received by the congregation in Jerusalem, not just the elders, not just the Apostles, but the church.

C - So if A is the gathering of the church, report, and Judaizers, and B is the sending and receiving of the church, what is the center? Well, look at verse 3:

Acts 15:3 “Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, recounting in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brothers.”

The center of the chiasm is the great joy that the conversion of the Gentiles brought to “the brothers.” If you have been paying attention up to the this point, you will have recognized that Luke has been building a case of evidence which will be leading to the adjudication of this counsel.

He demonstrated the falling of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius, and Peter’s defense of that phenomenon.

Then the church in Antioch starts getting filled up with Gentiles as well as Jews.

Then Paul and Barnabas are set apart by the Holy Spirit to go to the Gentiles and they do signs and wonders on their missionary journey.

And now, even in the midst of controversy, the conversion of the Jews is bringing the assembly of God’s people joy. Fruit of the Spirit’s work. - If a teaching is bringing angst or depression, or the work of an elder or deacon is “not conducive to the health of the body,” then those are indications (not the only ones), that this may not be of the Lord.

James 3:17 “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruits, without doubting, without hypocrisy.”

Galatians 5:22–23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”

So, Luke has set up the question which we addressed last week: must the Gentiles become Jewish in order to be fully brought into God’s covenant? And it seems even in this that Luke is telling us the answer: The church has joy over the conversion of the Gentiles.

Witness Testimony

Acts 15:7–12 LSB

And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.” 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.

This is the testimony of the witnesses. Luke has recounted these experiences for us in the text, but now, these men are bearing witness to their experience:

Peter says, “giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us...” talking about the Gentile Pentecost. And notice the emphasis on faith, “cleansing their hearts by faith,” and grace, “we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus...” - Our hearts are cleansed by faith, which is a gift of God’s grace, and confirmed by the Spirit of God.

Then Paul and Barnabas recount all of the amazing things that God was doing in the midst of the Gentiles: the conversion of the Proconsul of Cyprus, the many believers in Pisidian Antioch, the “large number of people” who believed in Iconium, the healing of the lame man followed by the stoning and resurrection of Paul in Lystra.

Witness testimony to the work of God’s Spirit.

James’ Judgement

Acts 15:13–21 LSB

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 in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

James here is the brother of Jesus (this is roughly 17 years after Jesus’ ascension). James the brother of John was martyred by Herod in Acts 12:1-2. James is seen by some to be operating as the “presiding” elder over the meeting. He gets the last word and is the one who proposes the decree. He is also called a “pillar” of the faith by Paul in Galatians 2:9, and later, in Acts 21:18, Paul is going to report to James particularly. So, all of that to say that James had a very prominent role in this first-century church, even though he was not one of the 12.

He does not say, “by the power vested in me...” He says, this is what is written, and then he quotes from Amos 9. Then he says, so let’s do this...God’s Word says that God is going to make all mankind his people, so I judge that we do not trouble the Gentiles with our wall of partition. We’re all God’s people now in Christ. BUT. We will tell them to avoid some things that will particular harm them in our time.

Written Dogma

Acts 15:22–29 LSB

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers—to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brothers who are elders, to the brothers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. Since we have heard that some of us, to whom we gave no instruction, have gone out and disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they themselves will report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, you will do well. Farewell.”

four things that will particularly involve them in idolatry and ostracize them from God’s covenant community: Avoiding meat offered to idols, things strangled, consuming blood, and sexual immorality. All of which were activities associated with the Greek pagan rituals.

Does this mean that the Gentiles did not need to follow the moral law? No! Of course they did. It just means that the ceremonial laws, and the laws of separation of Jew and Gentile were no more. The symbol of separation, circumcision, was no more. They no longer had to become Jewish. But they still could not steal, kill, etc...They still must worship God.

The list of things that James gave these believers to avoid would be like someone in our time telling a new believer: We are so pleased that you have accepted Jesus Christ! Praise God! Our only advice to you now is to not use pornography and avoid excessively using drugs and alcohol. If you can steer clear of these particular cultural sins, then you’ll be ok (there are probably better illustrations).

It is a kingly application of God’s law in light of the context of what God’s Spirit was doing. We are always looking for easy answers, but God calls us to be filled with wisdom from above. The answer may not be exactly the same in every situation. And I, therefore, take the position on this text, that the things listed here are not in their specifics things that must be observed in all time, but are in their general principles. We can safely say that sexual immorality and idolatry are wrong in every era, but in the first century, temple prostitution and blood rituals were particularly prominent. So naturally, the counsel would address these particular things so that these people would not prohibit the growth of the New Testament church.

Received with Joy

Acts 15:30–35 LSB

So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And both Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a lengthy message. And after they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brothers in peace to those who had sent them. [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.] But Paul and Barnabas spent a long time in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.

And so the news that the Gentiles were true members of the community was received with joy. You are legitimate members of the people of Israel without the necessity of circumcision. Just avoid these pagan rituals and you’ll be fine. And this was very encouraging to them and brought them joy.

There was joy in the church over the conversion of the Gentiles, and there was joy among the Gentiles over their own acceptance into the church.

Having Come to One Accord

Everything happened in the church.

The battlelines were drawn in the church - the church will help us discern the truth.

The debate was in the church - the church will help us defend the truth.

And the judgment was in the church - and the church will help us continue in the truth.

2. Duty, not dependence.

“We are all accountable to someone and for someone.” George Grant

Communion

Hebrews 10:19–25 LSB

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

“Let us consider...”

This is dutiful thinking. What is my responsibility? What can I contribute to the fight? How can I encourage my brothers and sisters to fight on and pray on as we gain ground for Christ our King?

As we consider how to do so, I want us to consider that in this supper, Christ is encouraging you. He has won the victory, He has inaugurated a new and living way for us through the veil, that is, His flesh. We have a great priest over the house of God. Because of all these things we can draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith. This is Christ encouraging you to keep fighting, keep building, keep teaching, keep encouraging.

Do not forsake the assembly, but draw near, be present in the body, for in so doing we will know the truth, we will be equipped to defend it, and we will keep it to the end. AMEN.

If you are baptized and in good standing with the body of Christ, harboring no sin in your heart toward God or your neighbor, then we invite you to eat and drink with us in remembrance of Christ.

If you are not baptized, or if you are harboring sin in your heart toward God or your neighbor, then we would ask you to refrain from the supper, repent of your sins, and accept an invitation to membership in Christ’s household.

The Bread

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 LSB

...the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.”

Read during distribution:

Psalm 119:97-104

The Cup

Give thanks

1 Corinthians 11:25 LSB

In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.

Read during distribution:

Luke 18:1-8

1 Corinthians 11:26 LSB

For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.

The Lord’s Prayer

Matthew 6:9–13 LSB

“...Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ‘Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”

Matthew 6:14–15 LSB

“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. “But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.

The Commission

Matthew 28:18–20 LSB

And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to keep all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Numbers 6:24–26 LSB

Yahweh bless you, and keep you; Yahweh make His face shine on you, And be gracious to you; Yahweh lift up His face on you, And give you peace.’