The Jerusalem Council

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AStudying God’s Word

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Studying God’s Word

Introduction

Last week we talked about Paul and his first missionary journey. He and Barnabas were sent out by the church in Antioch to go proclaim the gospel to people in Cyprus, Pamphylia, and Galatia.

• Does anyone remember any of the cities Paul stopped in? Allow students to answer. Paul stopped in Salamis, Paphos, Perga, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and Attalia.

  In spite of the persecution Paul faced, his journey was a success. Many people came to believe in Jesus Christ, disciples were strengthened, and elders were appointed. Paul not only took the gospel to these cities, but he also helped them start churches and begin to grow in their faith.

  Today we will pick up as Paul and Barnabas returned home to Antioch after that first journey.

The Apostles and Elders Gather

Let’s start with Acts 14:24–28. We read this last week, but we need to keep our context in mind. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• What was significant about Antioch? Antioch was the city where Paul and Barnabas had begun their journey. It was the church at Antioch that had sent them out as missionaries. Note: Antioch in Syria was the sending church, but there was also a northern Antioch in the region of Pisidia, which Paul and Barnabas visited on their journey (refer to the Paul’s Journeys poster).
• What did they do in Antioch? They gathered the church together and shared with them all that God had done during the journey and how many had come to faith.
• What particular work of God did the apostles share? They told how God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.
• Why might this be significant? Discuss answers. The Jews had thought God was sending salvation for his chosen nation. But Jesus came to offer forgiveness to any who would call on his name. We also saw how God taught Peter that salvation was for the Gentiles as well as the Jews.

Now that we’ve established some context, let’s keep reading in Acts 15:1–21. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• What problem arose while Paul was still in Antioch? Some Jews from Judea came to them, teaching that the Gentiles could not be saved unless they were circumcised.
• What were they basing their teaching on? The men from Judea were pointing to the law of Moses as their authority. In the Old Testament, circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant with Israel, the sign that they were his people.
• So were the Jewish men wrong to think that circumcision was required? Discuss answers.

  We have to remember that at this time, there was little written as the New Testament under the new covenant. James may have been the only book written so far. It’s easy to point to Ephesians 2:8–9 or Romans 10:13 and say that they were wrong. But they didn’t have those passages written yet. The Gospels had not yet been written, either. So it was not an unreasonable conclusion for them to reach, looking to the pattern of the Old Testament and the role of circumcision.

• Did Paul agree with them? No. Paul and Barnabas intensely disagreed with them and confronted their teaching.
• How did the church at Antioch decide to handle this dispute? They sent Paul and Barnabas and some others to take the question to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. They would ask the ones who had lived with Jesus, who had learned directly from him, and who held authority as the chosen apostles.
• Why did Paul’s words as an apostle not end the debate? It is likely that Paul was not yet seen as having apostolic authority. According to his testimony in Galatians, he had only met Peter and James in Jerusalem before leaving to serve in the regions of Syria and Cilicia (Antioch was in Syria and Tarsus was in Cilicia). When he came to Jerusalem to settle this debate, he asked the apostles to verify that he was preaching the gospel correctly (i.e., not running in vain). It seems that it was at this point that Peter, James, and John validated his apostleship, granting that he had been given grace to go to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:9).
• What did Paul and Barnabas do during the journey to Jerusalem? As they traveled, they shared about all God was doing among the Gentiles, encouraging the believers.
• What did they say to the apostles when they arrived in Jerusalem? They shared about all God had done among the Gentiles.
• How did the response in Jerusalem differ from the response during the travels? Those throughout Phoenicia and Samaria were filled with joy when they heard of the Gentile conversions. We are not told that the apostles in Jerusalem rejoiced, though surely many did, but those who were of the party of the Pharisees objected.
• What objection did they bring? They believed it was necessary for the converts to be circumcised and to keep the law of Moses.
• Do you think it was an easy decision? Discuss answers. Although the discussion is not detailed, Luke recorded that there was much debate (v. 7).
• Who was present for this discussion? The apostles and elders gathered together. It is unclear whether those of the Pharisees’ party were elders or just believers who were making a case. It may be that Paul and Barnabas were there to make the case for the Gentiles, those of the party of the Pharisees were making the case for the Jewish law, and the apostles and elders were considering the matter. We know that Peter, James, Paul, and Barnabas were present. It is also most likely that the men chosen as messengers in verse 22 were also present for the discussion (i.e., Judas and Silas).
• Finally, Peter stood up to address the assembly. What event did he recall? He reminded them of the time God sent him to Cornelius, the Roman centurion. You may remember that Cornelius and many others with him were saved. The account is found in Acts 10.
• What had happened to Cornelius and the Gentile converts that amazed the Jews? The Holy Spirit was poured out on them, just as he had been on the Jewish believers.
• What did Peter mean when he spoke of a yoke that neither their fathers nor they had been able to bear? Discuss answers. Circumcision was the sign of the old covenant of the law. If circumcision is required by law for salvation, then one is obligated to keep the whole law (Galatians 5:3). This was the burden given to the Old Testament Jews, the very burden that was so impossible that it pointed them to their need for the Messiah.
• What point was Peter making? Peter made the point that we are saved through the grace of Jesus. God sent Peter to the Gentiles, saved them, gave them the Holy Spirit, and required nothing more of them. Therefore, the disciples should require nothing more, especially not by placing them back under the same yoke that no one but Jesus had been able to perfectly carry.
• How did the assembly respond to Peter? They fell silent.
• Who spoke next? Paul and Barnabas told them about all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
• How did recounting those signs help the discussion? As we have seen before, God gave the apostles the power to do signs and wonders to validate their work. God was proving that he was working through them. If he was doing such signs among the Gentiles, clearly it was his desire that the gospel be delivered to them. Also, by validating Paul’s ministry, he was validating the message, which did not include instructions for circumcision.
• Who concluded the discussion? James. This was the brother of Jesus, a pillar of the church in Jerusalem, who wrote the letter we now call the book of James.
• Whom did James refer to in verse 14? He refers to Simeon. This is a variant spelling of Simon, Peter’s Jewish name. Peter used this spelling to refer to himself in 2 Peter 1:1.
• What Old Testament passage did James quote from? He quoted from Amos 9:11–12. This should be evident by looking at the cross-references in the margin or footnotes.
• What conclusion did James draw? He concluded that the Gentiles should not be troubled with the burden of keeping the law, but they should be taught to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what has been strangled, and from consuming blood.

  After much debate, the apostles and elders agreed that salvation comes by grace through faith, not through obedience to the law or Jewish customs. The Gentiles had been saved if they repented and confessed Jesus as Lord. They had received the Holy Spirit. They were brothers in the faith, having no distinction between them. Justification comes through faith, not the law.

Let’s keep reading in Acts 15:22–35 to see what they did once they reached their conclusion. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• What did the apostles decide to do about their decision? They decided to write a letter to send back to Antioch.
• Who agreed to the decision? The apostles, elders, and the whole church agreed that they should communicate the results in this way.
• Who were Judas and Silas? They were leading men in the church of Jerusalem who were chosen to deliver the letter to Antioch.
• Why do you think they didn’t just send the letter back with Paul and Barnabas? Discuss answers. Paul and Barnabas were the ones who brought the dispute to the church at Jerusalem and the outcome was as they had hoped. By sending men from Jerusalem, the apostles ensured that the Judaizers (who taught circumcision was necessary) could claim no falsehood in the message.

  Sending Judas and Silas also had an additional purpose. They were prophets themselves (Acts 15:32), and they encouraged and strengthened the church in Antioch. So they validated the testimony of Paul and Barnabas, delivered the letter from the assembly in Jerusalem, and discipled the church in Antioch.

• Whom was the letter from? From the brothers, both apostles and elders. Although this is not printed in the format we expect when we read the New Testament epistles, you should recognize the basic structure of the letter.
• Whom was the letter to? To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Although it was the church at Antioch that sought the answer, the conclusion affected new believers throughout the region. It is likely that this letter was circulated among the Gentile believers after it had been read in Antioch.
• Before revealing the conclusion of the assembly, what did the apostles clarify? First, they explained that the troubling commands had not come from the apostles. Second, they validated Paul and Barnabas’ ministry, recognizing their service to the Lord Jesus Christ. Third, they introduced Judas and Silas as witnesses to the truthfulness of the letter and the conclusion of the assembly of church leaders.
• Who was listed as having been responsible for the conclusion? Although the apostles and elders are writing of their decision, they pointed to the Holy Spirit as their authority. The apostles and elders did not come to this conclusion on their own but were guided by the Holy Spirit.

Discover the Truth

The dispute at Antioch was a serious one. This was no debate over the color of the carpet; this was a question of soteriology (i.e., theology of salvation). The Judaizers (also called those of the circumcision party and those of the party of the Pharisees) were teaching that circumcision was required for salvation. Paul and Barnabas knew this was a problem. This false teaching undermined the grace of God and cheapened the sacrifice of Jesus.

In order to settle the dispute, the church at Antioch decided to appeal to the authority of the apostles. At this time, the New Testament had not been written. Without the fullness of Scripture to look to, the church took the matter to the apostles—the ones who had walked with Jesus, witnessed his resurrection, and been chosen by God as leaders of the church. Led by the Holy Spirit, the apostles concluded that justification comes through faith, not works. Circumcision was not necessary for salvation.

This account establishes the doctrine of justification by faith, but there are several other principles we can glean. We know Paul to be an apostle of Jesus, and yet, here we see the humility of one who is willing to convene with others. We also see an example of unity and peace within the brotherhood. Paul and Barnabas could have pressed the issue in Antioch, but the dispute could easily have turned violent or divisive. Paul and Barnabas weren’t interested in winning the argument; they were interested in the wellbeing of all converts, Greek or Jew. By taking the question to the elders in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas turned a dispute into an opportunity for growth and correction. Not only were the Gentiles freed from the expectation of circumcision, but also the Jews learned that God makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile (Acts 15:9).

Foolish Galatians Activity

Not long after the Jerusalem decision had been delivered to Antioch, Paul discovered that the churches in Galatia were being deceived by false teaching. His concern was so great that he wrote to them, “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?” (Galatians 3:1), as he called them to return to the truth of the gospel. We will talk more next week about the purpose of the biblical epistles, but as we examine how this epistle relates to the Jerusalem council, it will be helpful to understand the basic purpose and flow of the letter.

In your Student Guide you will find the Foolish Galatians activity. Work in small groups to examine Paul’s message to the churches of Galatia. We will review your findings in a few minutes. Have students work in pairs or small groups to complete the activity.

Connect to the Truth

Let’s look at what you found.

The letter to the Galatians may be the first of Paul’s scriptural epistles. We can’t be sure whether he wrote this letter from Antioch before beginning his second missionary journey or from another city during his journey. However, we do know that Paul’s second journey led him back through Galatia and that he delivered the news from the Jerusalem council as he went. Either way, Paul had preached to them a gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. But the Judaizers had snuck in with the message of circumcision, perverting the gospel into a works-based salvation.

• Who was the author (Galatians 1:1)? Paul
• Who was the audience (Galatians 1:2)? Galatian believers. Galatia was a region northwest of Syria. Refer to the Paul’s Journeys poster. You will remember that in his first missionary journey, Paul visited several Galatian churches, including Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. Interestingly, of his 13 scriptural epistles, this is the only time Paul addressed his letter to a region rather than a specific church.
• What concern led Paul to write this letter (Galatians 1:6)? The Galatians were being led astray by “a different gospel.”
• For each of the following, read the verses and identify the theme or teaching point.
• Galatians 1:1, 1:11–12, 2:8 — Paul defended his apostleship, explaining that his calling and message had been given to him directly by Jesus.
• Galatians 1:7–9 — Paul declared that there is only one gospel and anyone who preaches something different is accursed.
• Galatians 2:16, 2:21, 3:2, 3:10–12 — Paul taught that justification does not come from works of the law, but through faith in Christ.
• Galatians 3:19, 3:23–24 — Paul explained that the law had been given as a guardian, not to give life but to imprison everything under sin until faith had come. In other words, the law was given to demonstrate the futility of seeking justification by works and to point us instead to the promise to come (i.e., Jesus).
• Galatians 4:4–5, 5:1, 5:13 — Paul contrasted the law with the freedom that is found in Christ. Jesus, through his sacrifice, has set us free from the law.
• Galatians 5:16–24 — Paul instructed the Galatians to walk according to the Spirit rather than the flesh. He gave specific examples of fleshly works contrasted with the fruit of the Spirit.
• Galatians 6:1–3 — Paul exhorted the Galatians to restore a brother caught in transgression and to bear one another’s burdens but to refrain from thinking too highly of self.
• In a few sentences, summarize Paul’s progression of thought through his letter to the Galatians. Paul defended his apostleship in order to defend the authority of the gospel he had shared with the Galatians, a gospel of justification by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works. The law cannot give life—it only imprisons those in sin—but Christ has set us free, not to fall again under the yoke of slavery or to gratify the desires of the flesh, but to walk by the Spirit, producing spiritual fruit and exhorting one another to hold to the true faith.

Paul Writes to the Galatians

Now that we’ve got an idea of what Paul was trying to communicate to the Galatians, let’s zoom in on the ideas of justification and freedom.

Let’s read Galatians 2:15–21 together. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• Paul contrasted the Jews with the Gentile sinners. How would the readers have understood this? The Jews were God’s chosen people, and God had given them the covenant of the law. The Gentiles were pagans who did not worship the true God or live according to God’s laws.
• How did Paul undermine the false idea that Gentiles could not be part of God’s chosen people? Paul explained that it is not the law that justifies, but faith in Jesus Christ. In this way, the Jew has no benefit over the Gentile.
• Does anyone have a footnote in verse 16? What does it say? In ESV, there is likely a footnote after the word justified. It explains that “justified” here means “counted righteous.”
• With this in mind, what is biblical justification? To be justified is to be counted righteous. In other words, a justified person is seen as blameless and innocent before God. Biblically, a person is counted righteous because of faith in Jesus Christ, not through works of the law.

  Notice how Paul emphasized these truths. In verse 16 alone, he wrote three times that justification comes through faith and not the law. Paul pointed to the role of the law in revealing sin, explaining that if one returns to the law after being justified in Christ, the law merely demonstrates him to be a sinner. In fact, this is the opposite of justification. Through the law comes death; through Jesus comes life.

• You may be familiar with Galatians 2:20. How does understanding the context in which Paul wrote this familiar verse help you to grasp its full meaning? Discuss answers. This is a familiar verse that most people know as a reference to dying to self and living to Christ. While that is an accurate interpretation of the verse, it misses the surrounding context of the futility of the law. It is being crucified with Christ that sets us free from the bondage of the law, free to live in Christ.

  Notice that last verse. Paul wrapped up the major problem with returning to the law: if righteousness comes through the law, Christ died for no purpose.

Paul’s treatise goes on to discuss much about the law and its purpose, but we’re going to skip ahead to connect to the idea of freedom. Let’s read Galatians 5:1–6. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• Why has Christ set us free? For freedom.

  This is an odd construction and sounds somewhat redundant. But Paul was emphasizing the fact that Christ has set us free from the bondage of the law and of sin. He did not set us free so that we would turn again to enslave ourselves. He set us free so we might be free.

• If Christ has set us free, what action should follow? Paul wrote that the believer should therefore stand firm, not submitting again to a yoke of slavery. Submitting willingly to a yoke of slavery would nullify the grace of God (Galatians 2:21) and undermine the reason he set us free.
• What specific issue did Paul point to as returning to bondage? He pointed to circumcision.
• How does this relate to the decision at Jerusalem? The requirement of circumcision was the conversation that warranted the Jerusalem council. They concluded that circumcision was not necessary for salvation and should not be required of the Gentile converts. Apparently, there were still Judaizers teaching that circumcision was necessary.
• Paul clearly explained the folly of this teaching. Why is circumcision not necessary for salvation? If circumcision is necessary, Christ’s sacrifice is useless. If one submits to one aspect of the law (in this case, circumcision), he is obligated to keep the entire law. The impossibility of this is the very reason for Christ’s sacrifice. Submitting to circumcision is rejecting grace.

  In Christ, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything. But this legalistic rule of circumcision was not the only danger to the doctrine of justification by faith.

Let’s read Galatians 5:13–26 to see Paul’s rebuke of another issue. Have someone read the passage aloud.

• To what were the brothers called? To freedom. Paul reemphasized the freedom to which they were called.
• What caution did Paul include here? This time, Paul’s caution was against taking freedom as an opportunity for the flesh.
• What did Paul call the brothers to instead? He called them to serve one another in love and thus fulfill the law.
• Well, that’s interesting. Wasn’t Paul just saying we were free from the law? Discuss responses.

  Paul had been teaching that we were free from the bondage of the law. He taught that justification comes through faith; righteousness cannot be earned through keeping the law. However, the doctrine of grace does not mean that there is no law to keep. Under the freedom of Christ, the law can be fulfilled in one command: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” This command was given by Jesus himself (John 13:34). In other words, we are to use our freedom from the law to live like Jesus.

• How did Paul suggest refraining from abusing our freedom? He told the Galatians to walk by the Spirit, which would keep them from gratifying the desires of the flesh. The flesh and the Spirit are opposed.
• Paul then listed works of the flesh and contrasted them with fruit of the Spirit. What are the things of the flesh? Have someone read verses 19–21.
• What is the fruit of the Spirit? Have someone read verses 22–23.
• How does verse 24 connect to Galatians 2:20? Paul spoke of being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), and here he claimed that whoever belongs to Jesus has crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Discover the Truth

The Galatians were dealing with the same issue that led to the meeting in Jerusalem. Some of the Jews were teaching that the Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved. It seems that these false teachers had also been undermining Paul’s authority and the truthfulness of the gospel he had preached. This led Paul to strongly defend his apostleship and the validity of the gospel he preached—the only gospel.

However, legalism was not the only danger of a false doctrine of justification. Justification from the law nullifies the grace of God, but so does Hedonism (i.e., living for the desires of the flesh). The doctrine of justification by faith leads neither to legalism nor fleshly indulgence. A true understanding of grace and biblical justification leads to walking in freedom by the Spirit.

Application

As the gospel spread quickly throughout the regions beyond Judea, false ideas crept into the fledgling churches. When Paul and Barnabas encountered the legalism of the circumcision party, they let their disagreement be known. The church at Antioch then sent them to Jerusalem to bring the issue before the apostles and elders there. The Holy Spirit guided them to the conclusion that justification comes through faith, not through works of the law. Therefore, they declared that Gentile converts should not be required to be circumcised; they were saved by grace through faith, just as the Jewish Christians were.

Shortly after this matter was settled, Paul found himself writing passionately to the Galatians, who had perverted the doctrine of justification. Some were adding circumcision so that salvation came by faith plus works. Others argued that if they had been set free from the law, there was no law to keep, and, therefore, the desires of the flesh prevailed. Paul warned against both extremes, explaining in depth the connection between the law and grace, pointing to the freedom in Christ and the responsibility to walk in the Spirit.

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  How has this lesson helped you to understand the importance of correct doctrine? Discuss answers. It is important that we understand doctrines correctly so that we are not led astray by false teachers. There are many subtle dangers in a less than clear understanding of doctrines. Additionally, misunderstanding a doctrine can lead to other issues, doctrinally and practically.
• How have you seen the danger of legalism or abusing freedom from the law in your life? Discuss answers. Be prepared with an example of your own.
• Based on the actions of Paul and the church at Antioch, how could you respond when you encounter false teaching or a misunderstanding of doctrine? Discuss answers. Unlike the church at Antioch, we have the divinely inspired words of the New Testament to help us discern truth from error. We can first go to the Word of God to find and communicate truth. However, the church at Antioch had the words of Paul, and they still sent him to Jerusalem. In this we can find the wisdom of discernment. Especially if we are not confident in our interpretations, it may be wise to seek out elders in the faith who can help us to discern the truth.
• Paul told the Galatians to walk by the Spirit and they would not gratify the desires of their flesh. What is an area that you need to walk by the Spirit rather than the flesh? Discuss answers, pointing students to the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22–23. As appropriate, encourage students to identify specific trouble areas and set up plans of accountability for dealing with those areas.

Group Prayer

Be sure to pray with your class before you dismiss them.

• Praise God for his perfect Word.
• Ask God for wisdom in discerning the truth.
• Thank God for setting us free from the bondage of the law.