SUMMARY
At a meeting in Jerusalem, “the apostles and the eldersElders are leaders who exercise wisdom or leadership by virtue of their age and experience. In the New Testament elders, along with the chief priests and scribes, constituted the primary opposition to Jesus when he taught in Jerusalem., with the consent of the whole church” (15:22) comes to understand that God calls Gentiles to saving faith in Christ without requiring them to be circumcised and keep all Jewish laws.
ANALYSIS
The issue of the mission to Gentiles is first raised in Acts 10 and Acts 11:1-18, when Peter’s report about his vision and encounter with CorneliusAn early Gentile convert to the Christian faith. convinces believers in the Jerusalem community, not least because of the Spirit’s legitimation. But in Acts 15 the issue must be reconsidered. Some believers from Judea insist that God requires that baptized Gentiles be circumcised (and probably keep food laws). A council is held in which PeterPeter (also known as Cephas, Simon Peter) was the disciple who denied Jesus during his trial but later became a leader in proclaiming Jesus. again testifies to God’s plan of salvationSalvation can mean saved from something (deliverance) or for something (redemption). Paul preached that salvation comes through the death of Christ on the cross which redeemed sinners from death and for a grace-filled life. for GentileA gentile is anyone who is not Jewish. The term, which is derived from words that the Bible uses to denote the "nations" of the world, reflects beliefs that God had designated Israel as a nation that would be distinct from others, and a blessing...s through faith in Christ, without the necessity of receiving circumcisionCircumcision is an act of cutting off part of a male (or female) sex organ for religious or health reasons. In the Bible circumcision was performed on males to indicate inclusion into the Jewish religious community. Some church calendars commemorate January 1 as the Circumcision... or adhering to all Jewish laws. For the sake of harmony in mixed Jewish-Gentile congregations, however, the council recommends that Gentile believers abstain from some “essential” Jewish taboos, namely: “things polluted by idols . . . fornication . . . whatever has been strangled . . . and from blood” (15:20, 28‒29). These forbidden elements were associated with idolatrous practices, such as consuming meat offered to false gods in pagan templeThe Jerusalem temple, unlike the tabernacle, was a permanent structure, although (like the tabernacle) it was a place of worship and religious activity. On one occasion Jesus felt such activity was unacceptable and, as reported in all four Gospels, drove from the temple those engaged... ceremonies (the animals would have also been butchered by strangulation and other methods retaining blood, in violation of kosher practices).
The Jerusalem council’s decision to welcome Gentile believers apart from circumcision is certified as the will of God directed by the HolyHoly is a term that originally meant set apart for the worship or service of God. While the term may refer to people, objects, time, or places, holiness in Judaism and Christianity primarily denotes the realm of the divine Spirit (Acts 15:8-9, 28). At the same time, suspicion about the Gentiles’ lack of adherence to the TorahThe Torah is the law of Moses, also known as the first five books of the Bible. To many the Torah is a combination of history, theology, and a legal or ritual guide. (Jewish law) continues to be an issue. Suspicion later dogs Paul’s footsteps, as he discovers when he returns to Jerusalem (21:20-25).
