1.
And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Verse 1
Came down from Judea; to Antioch.--Except ye be, circumcised; referring to the Gentile converts. Their meaning was, that they must become Jews as well as Christians, and conform to the Mosaic institutions. They regarded Christianity as only the end and consummation of Judaism,--the exclusive inheritance of those who had been, or who were willing to become, a part of the great family of Abraham.
2.
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
3.
And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
Verse 3
Phenice and Samaria; provinces which will be seen by the map to be intermediate between Antioch and Jerusalem.
4.
And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.
5.
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
Verse 5
Them; the Gentile converts.
6.
And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
Verse 6
The--elders; the leading and influential men. That the assembly was numerous, is shown by allusions in Acts 15:12,Acts 15:22,Acts 15:23. Perhaps these expressions, especially that in Acts 15:23, where the brethren particularly are mentioned, imply that the disciples generally were convened; as there is no evidence that the body of believers was very large at this time in Jerusalem, for a very considerable proportion of the early converts were residents of other places; and of those who belonged to the city, the persecution had driven many away. The account, however, leaves the constitution of the council uncertain, and has led, consequently, to eager discussion between those advocates of the different systems of ecclesiastical polity, who feel bound to discover models in the Acts for the institutions and customs which they find prevailing in their respective communions.
7.
And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
Verse 7
God made choice, &c.; referring to the circumstances related Acts 10:1-48
8.
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9.
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
Verse 9
Faith; that is, simply by faith in Christ, without requiring of them obedience to the ceremonial law.
10.
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11.
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Verse 11
Through the grace, &c.; and not by our Jewish ceremonies.
12.
Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
13.
And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:
14.
Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.
Verse 14
Simeon; Peter.
15.
And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
16.
After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:
17.
That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
18.
Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
19.
Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
Verse 19
My sentence; that is, my judgment.
20.
But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Verse 20
That is, while they were held excused from positive acts of conformity with the Jewish ceremonial law, they were bound to abstain from all those practices of paganism, which were either immoral in themselves, or were held in peculiar abhorrence by Jews. Thus the Jews were not to impose the burdens of their ceremonial law upon the Gentile converts, nor were the Gentile converts to do any thing which should countenance idolatry, or shock the feelings of their Jewish brethren.
21.
For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
Verse 21
The meaning seems to be, "As a Christian church, we neither enjoin nor condemn Judaism. We leave it to its own established means of defence and dissemination."
22.
Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
23.
And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
Verse 23
The apostles, and elders, and brethren. There is no more remarkable trait in the character of the apostles than the scrupulousness with which they refrain from the assumption of ecclesiastical authority over the church. Men were never placed in circumstances more favorable for forming, or for the means of executing, ambitious designs. Notwithstanding the high personal influence which they must necessarily have possessed, they are always very slow to assume the exercise of any great official authority. They call meetings for consultation; they suggest; they propose; but it is the whole body of disciples that decide and act. (Acts 1:15,Acts 1:21,Acts 1:22,Acts 1:23,Acts 1:6:2,Acts 1:3.) In the remarkable case here recorded, they do not assume that they are to decide the question. They call a meeting; they consult; they argue; they state facts; and they admit of counter arguments and statements, and then the decision, when it is made, goes forth in the name of the apostles, and elders, and brethren.
24.
Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
Verse 24
Certain which went out from us; as is related Acts 15:1.
25.
It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26.
Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27.
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
28.
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
Verse 28
To the Holy Ghost, and to us; to us under the guidance of the Holy Ghost.
29.
That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
30.
So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
31.
Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Verse 31
The narrative contained in the Acts 15:1-30 of this chapter, has been the subject of a great deal of discussion, this council being claimed by the advocates of various systems of ecclesiastical polity, as the original model of the institutions which they respectively defend; the arguments on all sides being built on inferences drawn from the few and doubtful intimations given in the account,--and, where these fail on imagination and conjecture If it had been intended as a model, it is impossible to doubt that its constitution and rules of procedure would have been more definitely detailed. He who reads the narrative without a point to carry, will see in it only an informal and an unpremeditated meeting for consultation, arising out of a peculiar and unique emergency,--without any idea, on the part of the actors, that they were establishing any precedent either for themselves or for others; far less that they were founding a system to extend over all the nations of Christendom, and to endure for all periods of time. It seems to have been simply a consultation, conforming, in its arrangements, to the situation of the parties interested, and to the nature of the emergency which called it forth. The apostles laid down no definite system of ecclesiastical organization, but adapted measures to emergencies, and instituted such forms of organization as were suited to their circumstances, and to the ideas of their age. The successive generations of Christians, in all branches of the church, have followed the apostolical example in this respect; and though, in theory, some profess to follow closely the original models, in practice, all agree in modifying their forms as required by the various exigencies of nations, and by the changes resulting from the lapse of time.
32.
And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
Verse 32
Prophets; preachers.
33.
And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.
34.
Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.
35.
Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
36.
And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do.
37.
And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.
38.
But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.
Verse 38
And went not with them; as related Acts 13:13,
39.
And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus;
Verse 39
The contention. The historian leaves us uninformed in regard to the merits of this controversy. It is uncertain whether Paul was unreasonable or Mark unfaithful. Paul was afterwards reconciled to Mark, and sent for him to come to Rome. (2 Timothy 4:11.) The disposition of Barnabas to judge more leniently than Paul, in this case, may have arisen from the fact that Mark was his relative. (Colossians 4:10.)
40.
And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
Verse 40
Silas; one of those who had been sent from Jerusalem with the letter. (Acts 15:27.)
41.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.