The Jerusalem Council
by Ivan Maddox
Atlanta, GA
The Council at Jerusalem, as recorded in Acts 15, marks a turning point in the history of the Church. Before the Council, most Christians saw themselves as Jews who had found the Messiah; after the Council, it was clear that something very fundamental had changed with the resurrection of Christ and his giving of salvation to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews, that the new church was something very different and distinct from what had gone before. Yet, as we shall see, no one at the Council seemed to be aware of the implications of this change, particularly as it affected those who were born Jews.
There are strong reasons for believing that the record of Paul's visit to Jerusalem in Galatians 2 describes the same visit as recorded in Acts 15. "...in Acts as in Galatians the question which takes Paul to Jerusalem is the relation of the Gentile believers to the law. In Acts as in Galatians the position of Paul is recognized by the leaders in Jerusalem. In Acts as in Galatians nothing is imparted to Paul as regards the terms on which salvation is offered to the Gentiles. In Acts as in Galatians it is assumed that the position of Jewish believers remains unchanged. The decree from Jerusalem, according to Acts, is for Gentile believers; and what Paul contended for in Jerusalem, according to his letter, was the freedom of Gentile believers, not of Jewish believers. These features of agreement are manifestly fundamental, and forbid the separation of [Galatians 2 and Acts 15]." (Dr. George H. Gilbert, "The Student's Life of Paul", The MacMillan Company, New York, 1899, pp. 89-90.)
There are also some apparent differences between the two accounts, but these are not as serious as they might at first appear. In Acts 15, Peter and James are fully supportive of Paul's position from the beginning, while in Galatians it is clear that they disagreed with Paul at first, but changed their minds when they saw that the Gospel of the Uncircumcision had been committed to Paul, just as He had given the Gospel of the Circumcision to Peter, as evidenced by the fact that God worked mightily in Paul toward the Gentiles just as He worked mightily in Peter among the Jews. But this apparent contradiction disappears if we consider that Acts seems to record what happened in public at during this visit to Jerusalem, while Galatians records what happened in private. Another apparent contradiction involves Paul's statement in Galatians that Peter, James and John "added nothing to me" (Galatians 2:6), while in Acts 15 James laid four "necessary things" on the Gentile converts. But a closer look at James' statement makes it clear that these four things were not at all requirements for salvation, but were geared toward making it easier for Jewish and Gentile Christians to live together in harmony. With respect to the question of Gentile salvation, which was the reason for Paul's trip, Acts agrees with Galatians that the church in Jerusalem added nothing to what Paul taught.
The Issue
Acts 13 and 14 describe the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas, beginning and ending in Antioch. While Paul and Barnabas made it a point when they entered a city to preach the Word to the Jews first, they also ministered specifically to the Gentiles; and many Gentiles believed as a result of their preaching.
There was no difference in the Gospel that Paul preached to the Jews and to the Gentiles. His message in Acts 13:16 - 41 gives us a snapshot of what he was teaching. He emphasized the death and resurrection of Jesus, the Messiah, then pointed out briefly the significance of Christ's resurrection to those who believed on him.
Acts 13:38 - 39.
Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins:
And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.
No difference in the message was necessary for Jew or Gentile. The Gentile who believed would be saved. The Jew who refused to believe would perish. What was significant was that he was preaching salvation to the Gentiles without requiring them to become Jews first. Paul and Barnabas were very open about their reasons for doing so, as in their reply to some Jews who objected to their preaching the Gospel to Gentiles.
Acts 13:46 - 47.
Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, "It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.
For so hath the Lord commanded us, [saying], 'I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.'"
When Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch, they reported to the church there that "God... had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (Acts 14:27). After this, they stayed with the believers there for a "long time" (Acts 14:28) without controversy. Clearly, the saints in Antioch had no problem with Gentiles accepting Christ as Lord without first becoming Jews, even though this was clearly something new to them.
The problem began when some saints from Judaea (not necessarily from Jerusalem) came to Antioch and taught that one could not be born again without first becoming a Jew.
Acts 15:1-2.
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.'
When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissent 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.
From our vantage point, it is readily apparent that what these men were teaching was wrong. But at that time, things were not quite so clear. The basis of Paul's work with the Gentiles was the "Great Mystery", which is set forth in Ephesians 3:6:
That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.
Since the time of the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, fellowship with God and access to the promises of God were pretty much limited to Israel, "the Circumcision". Even Jesus Christ, during his ministry, limited his work to "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24), and forbade those who he sent out to preach among the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5-6). The Gentiles received only "the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (Matthew 15:26-27). A Gentile could gain access to the promises of God only by becoming a proselyte. For a man, that meant that he had to be circumcised.
Paul's ministry to the Gentiles was a major departure from these precedents. Paul had been told by revelation to do this, but most of the church did not yet know this, or even know that anyone was preaching Christ to the Gentiles, or that Gentiles were being born again.
We are not told anything in Acts about the motives of these believers. In Galatians 2:4, Paul mentions "false brethren" who tried to cause problems for them in Jerusalem. We are not told whether these were false brethren, or sincere believers surprised by the difference in what was being taught and done by the Antioch church. Whichever was the case, these brethren handled the situation wrong. Instead of talking with the leaders in Antioch and confronting them with God's Word, they went directly to the people and started teaching them according to their own beliefs.
Acts tells us that Paul and Barnabas had "no small dissent and disputation" with them about this matter. Both sides in this debate were absolutely sure they were right. This issue was important enough to have become the cause of the first major division in the church; but the believers chose not to handle it that way. Instead, both sides agreed that Paul, Barnabas, and certain other believers from the Antioch area should go to Jerusalem and present this issue to the apostles and elders their, and get their judgment on the matter. Paul said in Galatians 2:1 that he went to Jerusalem "by revelation", so it's quite probable that he's the one that suggested this solution.
It is interesting that none of the saints from Judaea saw any need to accompany them on this trip, to present their side position. They already knew what the church in Judaea taught and believed, and apparently saw no need to reinforce that. The delegation from Antioch would present one side of the question only. They would have the best possible chance to present their case, and whatever response they received would be solely from the Jerusalem church.
Paul, too, did something very interesting. He included in the delegation one living, breathing, born-again Gentile: a man named Titus (Galatians 2:3). And Titus, I'm sure, could speak in tongues. The church at Jerusalem would have to do much more than argue a doctrinal point; they would have to explain Titus.
En route to Jerusalem, the group passed through Phoenicia and Samaria. While in those areas, they stopped and told the believers in those areas what God was doing among the Gentiles. Unlike the brethren who visited them in Antioch, "all the brethren" in these areas responded with "great joy" (Acts 15:3).
Jerusalem: The Conflict
When they arrived in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas found themselves in another conflict, this time over Titus.
Galatians 2:3-5.
But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
While Paul says nothing about the identity of those who sparked the conflict in Antioch (by implication they were Judean believers with a legitimate difference of opinion about what the Word said), he attributes this conflict in Jerusalem to "false brethren unawares brought in". This seems to indicate that these were not born-again Christians at all, but rather Jews who had not accepted Christ as Lord, but had pretended to do so in order to find out what was going on in the "sect of the Nazarene", and to see to it that they adhered strictly to the Law of Moses, especially in terms of their dealings with Gentile converts. It should be noted that legitimate believers who were "zealous for the law" had no reason to be "unawares brought in," nor to come in "privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus," as Paul had come to Jerusalem explicitly to bring this issue before the believers, and to hear them on it.
Paul wasted no time whatsoever trying to reach agreement with these "fake believers." Instead, he flatly refused to give in to their demands that Titus be circumcised, compromising not at all on the revelation God had given him. This is in sharp contrast to what he did with Timothy a short time later.
Acts 16:1-3.
Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheous, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father [was] a Greek:
Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.
Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
In both cases, unbelieving Jews were the reason for the issue. In the case of Titus, unbelieving Jews posing as Jews who had found the Messiah tried to force Paul to "toe the line" regarding circumcision, and he refused absolutely. In Timothy's case, Paul was concerned that unbelieving Jews might refuse to hear God's Word from Timothy because he was not circumcised. Paul removed this unnecessary stumblingblock by having Timothy circumcised. Paul gives some insight as to his reasons for doing this in I Corinthians 9.
I Corinthians 9:19-23.
For though I be free from all [men], yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some.
And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with [you].
Paul's goal was to remove every possible obstacle that might keep anyone from receiving Christ as their Lord.
Jerusalem: The Private Meeting
But taking a stand against false brethren was not the main reason for Paul's visit to Jerusalem. It was those who genuinely believed and followed the Lord Jesus Christ that Paul was most interested in talking with. He approached the saints in Jerusalem the same way he had approached the believers he had met with en route.
Acts 15:4-6.
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.
6 ¶ And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
Here, as in Antioch, there were genuine, born-again Christians of Jewish background who honestly disagreed with Paul's stand on this issue. These made their opposition quite clear. But this conflict did not sink to the level of mudslinging and personal sniping. Instead, the apostles and elders came together to discuss the matter, in order to come to godly agreement.
Galatians 2 indicates that before this meeting was held, another meeting took place privately. Paul and Barnabas met privately with the key men in the church at Jerusalem.
Galatians 2:2.
2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Paul already knew that what he was doing was in accordance with God's instructions to him; he was not pulling new doctrine out of his hat, or making things up as he went along. He had received his instructions from Jesus Christ, and he was following them faithfully.
But Paul had the good sense not to antagonize people unnecessarily. It was not his desire or intention to make the apostles at Jerusalem look bad, even though he had gone beyond them in teaching and ministering God's grace to the Gentiles. To avoid this potential problem, he met privately with the key men in the Jerusalem church, and explained to them what he had been doing.
Galatians 2:6-10.
6 But of these who seemed to be somewhat, (whatsoever they were, it maketh no matter to me: God accepteth no man's person:) for they who seemed [to be somewhat] in conference added nothing to me:
7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as [the gospel] of the circumcision [was] unto Peter;
8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:)
9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we [should go] unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
10 Only [they would] that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
The critical thing accomplished at this meeting was the recognition by Peter, James and John of the genuineness of Paulís ministry from God. Once this was determined, everything else followed, including their recognition of the distinctiveness of Paulís ministry to the Gentiles. This meeting ended with agreement and fellowship between these men, with the understanding that Peter and the apostles at Jerusalem would concentrate on ministering to the Jews, while Paul and Barnabas ministered primarily to the Gentiles.
This agreement was reached without any compromise on the part of Paul and Barnabas. They were required to make no changes at all to their doctrine in order to gain the support of these key apostles. Having secured this support, Paul and Barnabas were now ready to meet publicly with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. Their struggle was far from over, but with these key men supporting them, they stood a much stronger chance of obtaining the support of the whole church.
The Public Meeting
Acts 15:6-7a.
6 ¶ And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up...
The purpose of the public meeting was to ìconsider of this matterî, that is, to take an honest look at this question and come to a godly agreement about what should be done. While both sides held strong opinions and convictions on this matter, there appears to have been a sincere desire on the part of all involved to determine honestly what the will of God was in this matter, and to come to agreement with Him on it.
The meeting began with ìmuch disputingî on the subject. There was a great deal of pointed discussion, and both sides had the chance to lay out their case openly and honestly, and to point out the flaws and weaknesses they saw in the opposite position.
Finally, Peter stood up to speak. No doubt those who were on the side of circumcision before salvation expected Peter to champion their cause, because Peter, as apostle to the circumcision, was of necessity a strong proponent of adherence to the Law after salvation. For Jews living among and ministering to other Jews, this was an absolute necessity; and Peter was faithful to the Law both in his teaching and in his manner of living.
But Peter surprised the group by reminding them of something that most of them had no doubt forgotten: it was Peter, not Paul, who first received revelation that the way of salvation was now open to Gentiles as well as Jews, and it was Peter who first ministered salvation to a Gentile.
Acts 15:7-11.
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.
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.
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
Peterís presentation was straightforward and clear, and, coming as it did from the foremost apostle of Jesus Christ, carried great weight with the assembly. Peter made several critical points to the group.
ï In the case of Cornelius and his household and friends, God gave them the holy spirit as they were when they believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, without requiring either circumcision or conversion to Judaism. Only faith in Christ was required.
ï Neither the Jews nor the Gentiles are able to fulfill the Law. To require adherence to the Law as a condition of salvation would be requiring something that neither Jew nor Gentile was able, in truth, to carry out.
ï Both Jew and Gentile are saved in exactly the same way: by the grace of Jesus Christ, not by works.
When Peter finished, Paul and Barnabas came forward to speak to the group. Peterís presentation gave a weight to the words of Paul and Barnabas that they never would have had on their own toward this crowd.
Acts 15:12.
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.
Paul and Barnabas shared with the saints the wonderful things God had been doing among the Gentiles. This is the same thing they had been sharing with the Christians they had met with on their way to Jerusalem, and the same thing they had shared with the church upon their arrival at Jerusalem. What had been met with joy in other cities had met with opposition and contention here; but now, in light of what Peter had shared, the believers were ready to listen to the apostles to the Gentiles.
There was no further argument after this. The matter had been decided and agreed upon. James, the brother of Jesus, who seems to have been in charge of the assembly, concluded the matter.
Acts 15:13-21.
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.
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:
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood.
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
James pointed out to the assembly that the scriptures had foretold that there would be Gentiles whom God would call by His name. He saw the giving of salvation to the Gentiles by grace alone, without the Law, as the fulfillment of this prophecy. His statement, ìKnown unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world,î may sound cryptic to us, but he was making a very important statement: The salvation of the Gentiles by faith was Godís plan from the beginning, as witnessed by His words in scripture on the subject. The teaching of Paul and Barnabas -- and now Peter -- on Gentile salvation was no novelty, no strange new revelation, but rather a fulfillment of a promise God had made in writing centuries before.
James recommended that certain restrictions be placed on the Gentiles. These were not offered as conditions for salvation, but rather to keep Christians from a Gentile background from becoming a stumblingblock to those Jews who might one day consider believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. Even in this James came down on the side of grace toward the Gentile Christians. The rabbis had a list of seven items which were recommended for peaceful coexistence between Jews and Gentiles; James cut the list to four. Each of these items was tied to idolatry among the Gentiles, and their prohibition would make good sense to the Gentiles to whom they were given.
The church at Jerusalem concluded the matter by choosing two highly respected men to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch and confirm the decision of the church in this matter. Then they drafted a letter for these men to carry with them, explaining what had been done.
Acts 15:22-35.
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:
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:
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;
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.
32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed [them].
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.
Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch completely vindicated, having received everything they had hoped for from the saints at Jerusalem. Paulís work among the Gentiles was clearly seen by the church to be genuine and godly, and Paulís gospel of salvation by faith in Christ, without the works of the law, was now the teaching of the church at Jerusalem also. The matter was now closed. All that remained was to see how Paulís gospel worked in practice. But no one seems to have thought this part through, except possibly Paul.
Peterís Visit to Antioch
Galatians 2:11.
11 ¶ But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
Paul wrote the book of Galatians to a Gentile church he himself had planted which was trying to voluntarily place itself under the Law of Moses. Paul confronted them in no uncertain terms for this change, and it is in this context that he describes to them his trip to Jerusalem and the events that followed. His key focus in this narrative is Peterís visit to Antioch following the council at Jerusalem, for it was during this visit that the same issue came up with Peter as with the Galatians. Paulís response was the same in each case: he boldly confronted the error he perceived with the truth of Godís Word.
Peterís visit to the saints at Antioch was a very special event. Peter was almost a legend in Christian circles, the greatest of the original twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. The Gentile Christians were excited by the opportunity to meet Peter in the flesh, and Peter was excited to see what God was doing among the Gentiles. He spent time with them. He fellowshipped with them. He ate with them.
Then something unexpected happened. Some other Jewish Christians came to Antioch, representing James, the brother of Jesus. There is no indication that they said anything wrong, or caused any sort of controversy. They were just there, like Peter, to observe the work being done among the Gentiles. But their appearance had a sudden chilling effect on Peter.
Galatians 2:12-13.
12 For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
13 And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
The problem was that the council at Jerusalem had dealt only with the status of Gentile believers in relation to the Law. Obviously, if God saved them independent of the Law, they were not required by God to keep the Law. But what about the Jewish believer? Was he still bound by the law?
Peter had been eating with the Gentile believers -- and thus breaking the Law of Moses -- without thinking about it. But when the believers from Jerusalem showed up, he realized that what he was doing was contrary to the Law of Moses; so he stopped. When they saw what Peter was doing, the other Jews were likewise convicted, and they, too, began to fall in line with the teaching of the Law on this matter.
Suddenly there were two ìseparate but equalî Christian communities in Antioch. The Jewish believers segregated themselves, as required by the Law, and the Gentile Christians were left to themselves. While the Gentile Christians were no doubt hurt and confused by this sudden change, there was no controversy surrounding it. The Jewish Christians were behaving the way Jews were required by the Law to behave around Gentiles. So long as this was the case, true unity and fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians was impossible.
When Paul saw what was going on, he went straight to the source of the problem: Peter. The problem Paul addressed was not the question of whether or not Jewish and Gentile Christians should fellowship together. Instead, he addressed the specific sin that he saw on Peter's part that was at the root of this crisis. Peter was "faking it" in front of the Jews from Jerusalem. By their actions, he and the other Jewish Christians had already made it clear that they understood -- instinctively if not doctrinally -- that the need for fellowship and loving brotherhood between Jewish and Gentile Christians required that the portion of the Law requiring that Jews not fellowship with Gentiles be set aside.
Galatians 2:14-16.
14 But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before [them] all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
15 We [who are] Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Paul had to do something that no doubt broke his heart: he had to confront Peter with his error, and, because of the magnitude of the effect it was having on other Jewish Christians, he had to do it publicly.
Paul's record of this incident ends with this confrontation. The implication is that not only Peter, but the other Jewish Christians present, received this reproof meekly and corrected their behavior. But Paul closes here, and focuses instead on the implications of this incident. Those implications were staggering.
First, Paul pointed out that the Gentile Christians were not required by God to live like Jews. The issue of circumcision made this clear. Circumcision was no mere ceremony. It was an act required by God for entrance into the covenant made between God and Abraham. Failure to be circumcised placed an individual outside this covenant relationship with God. But when the Jerusalem Council recognized that God saved men through Christ without requiring that they first be circumcised, the lesser issue of keeping the law was also settled. The Gentile Christians could hardly be required to keep the Law of Moses if they had been accepted by God without first being required to become a part of Godís covenant with Abraham.
In practice, this meant that there was no difference within the Church between those who were circumcised and those who were not. Equally important, there was no difference, as far as the Church was concerned, between circumcised non-Christians and uncircumcised non-Christians. Both were in need of salvation through Jesus Christ.
Second, Paul pointed out that Jewish Christians, including Peter, had already stopped living like Jews, and were instead living like Gentiles. While Paul was specifically talking about Jews who were interacting with Gentiles as part of the same Christian church, it is very probable that notable changes were taking place in the lifestyles of Jewish Christians independent of this, due to their increasing understanding of what Christ had accomplished for them by his death and resurrection. In particular, we might ask:
ï Was a Jewish Christian required to sacrifice in the Temple when he sinned, or when he wished to offer thanks or commit himself to God? Under the Law this was the required way to approach God. Christís work, however, made animal sacrifices, for whatever reason, redundant. Those living in Jerusalem might find it necessary to do so; those in outlying areas would probably find it increasingly difficult to justify doing this.
ï Was the Jewish Christian required to tithe to the priests and Levites, as the Law commanded? If so, how did he balance this with giving within the Church?
ï Was the Christian Jew required to present himself before the Lord three times a year, as the Law required? Even non-Christian Jews who did not live close to Jerusalem were excused from this duty.
ï Were Christian Jews bound by the Lawís dietary regulations? Once God revealed to Peter that separation from unclean meats was analogous to separation from the Gentiles, and pointed out that what He had cleaned was not to be regarded as unclean, it would have been increasingly difficult to justify continuation of the dietary restrictions outside of Judaea.
ï Was the Christian Jew bound by the Sabbath laws? The Council at Jerusalem had agreed that the Gentile Christians were NOT bound by the Sabbath laws, or anything else other than the four items on their list. Where Gentile Christians regularly violated the Sabbath without any effect on their relationship to God, it would be hard to keep Jewish Christians from doing likewise.
Third, Paul pointed out that Jewish Christians living like Jews affected not only themselves, but Gentile Christians as well. The Lawís restrictions against fellowship with Gentiles meant that within churches composed of both Jews and Gentiles, true fellowship would only be possible if the Gentile Christians placed themselves under the Law of Moses. This hardly seemed fair when Jewish Christians were in the process of getting themselves out from under the restrictions of the Law.
Fourth, Paul made the critical point that no one, whether Jew or Gentile, is made righteous by doing the works of the Law. Everyone, whether Jew or Gentile, is made righteous by faith in Jesus Christ. This has some very important implications.
ï If keeping the Law did not make you righteous before you received Christ as your Lord, how can keeping the Law make you righteous AFTER you receive Christ as your Lord?
ï If obedience to the Law does not make you righteous, disobedience to the Law does not make you unrighteous.
It might seem at first that the Christian has received a license to sin by means of the grace God has given him. Paul makes it clear elsewhere that he has not. The Christian is under the Law of Christ, or the Law of Love, which, when understood, is far more comprehensive and demanding than the Law ever was. God still does not tolerate sin, even within the Church, but He handles it independent of the Law.
Paul closes this chapter by making two powerful points.
Galatians 2:17-21.
17 But if, while we seek to be justified by Christ, we ourselves also are found sinners, [is] therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid.
18 For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.
19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
21 I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness [come] by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.
First, Paul points out that the Law only has authority over an individual until that individual dies. But, Paul adds, when we received Christ as our Lord, we were crucified with him. We died legally at that time, and at that point, the Lawís authority over us ended.
Finally, Paul notes that if righteousness is given on the basis of oneís obedience to the Law, Jesus died for nothing.
The church today is still debating some of the issues raised in these two chapters; but Paulís stand is clear: the Christian, whether Jew or Gentile in background, is no longer under the Law of Moses, but is made righteous by the finished work of Christ apart from the Law.
Galatians 5:1.
1 ¶ Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
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