New Testament Commentary - Acts 15

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 15 Great dissension arises at Antioch concerning circumcision—Apostles at Jerusalem decide the issue—Paul chooses Silas as his companion.
1 AND certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren^a, and said, Except ye be ^acircumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and ^adisputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the ^bapostles and elders about this question.	1^a certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren The first thing that is 'wrong' is that 'certain men', presumably of positional Jewish authority such as the learned Pharisees, came to teach the 'brethren'. Now the brethren here were the apostle Barnabas and his companion Paul which were of authority of the church of Jesus Christ. One should ask why are these men taking upon themselves to teach an apostle? In this alone they have usurped their authority and later it will be found that the chief apostles of Jerusalem did not send them with any such teachings to be taught (verse 24). Thus we are left to the fact that they are teaching according to their own minds and opinions. Even today we are so confronted with this situation where men take it upon themselves to teach as 'doctrine' that which is not. And thus we must understand both the importance of not only teaching 'true doctrine' but also that which is so authorized as such from the Apostles and Prophets, and not just of the learned men of the church who think and supose that they know of themselves. Such things as declaring oneself to know the geography of the Book of Mormon when the General Authorities state it is not known and to state of one's own scholarship that Joseph Smith is Messiah ben Joseph come to mind as to such as is being taught but without offical sanction.
3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the ^aconversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 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 ^alaw of Moses.
6 ¶ And the ^aapostles and ^belders came together for to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had been much ^adisputing, ^bPeter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the ^cGentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the ^dgospel, and believe.
8 And God, which ^aknoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no ^adifference between us and them, ^bpurifying their hearts by faith.
10 Now therefore why ^atempt 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 ^agrace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
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 ^aGentiles, to take out of them a people for his ^bname.
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 ^atabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the ^aresidue 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 ^aKnown 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 ^aabstain from ^bpollutions of idols, and from ^cfornication, and from things strangled, and from ^dblood.
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him^a, being ^aread in the synagogues every sabbath day. 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 ^awrote ^bletters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren^a send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:	21^a Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him James' point is well taken that the traditional Jews would continue to use their synagogues rights to teach, read and promote the Law of Moses, and since Christianity had used the general 'Jewish' right to the towns synagogues to teach and spred Christianity also, it was inevidible that the two would have to find some common grounds of tolerance toward each other. Such had been the facts of the matter in the Jewish communities forever as there were many sects of belief in Judeaism, Christianty in one sense merely being one of the latest of these. Yet this was the new wine in the old bottles which would eventually burst the bottles. 23^a The apostles and elders and brethren This unique leadin into the written response to the problem at hand seems informative of itself that included in the 'midst' of the apostles and brethren that the 'elders' of the Jewish legal system would be also included. Now the Pharisees would seem to be the more tollerant of the new Jewish Christians as evidence later at the trial of Paul before them, but that fact is that both 'new Christian' and 'traditional Jew' were using the structures of the synagogues seemed to impose such a joint grouping of the Jewish 'elders' with the Christian apostles and brethren. Even James had pointed out that such traditional Jews would continue to hold their traditional synagogue readings of the Law of Moses in the jointly used synagogues of the Jews (see verse 21). For of necessity the early Christian church so associated strongly with the Jews, would have continued to be in part governed by the Laws of the Jews, the Sanhedrin elders of the Jewish communities who governed the word of God upon the Jewish population as so sanctioned even by the ruling government of Roman. And with joint membership with the 'Jews' in the law and in the use of the synagogue, the new Christians would have been so exposed to and in part subject to such Jewish law. And it ought to be obvious that certain points of contention would naturally arise and that some compromise with the 'elders' of the Jews being a part would have to be made in order to attempt to perpetuation their side by side existence.
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 ^acircumcised, and keep the law: to whom *we gave no such* commandment^a**: 25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with ^aone accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 Men that have ^ahazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.	*24^a we gave no such* commandment** The First Presidency and General Authorities of the Church had given no such commandment that the Gentiles were to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in conjunction to them being members of Christ's Church. Those 'certain men' (verse 1) had taken it upon themselves to teach such to Paul, Barnabas and the Gentile Christians. Now as Paul and Barnabas did exercise their ministry within the Jewish system of 'synogogues', the traditions of the Jews did persist in their Sabbath day readings of the Law of Moses side by side with the Christianity also being so taught in the synagogues. If fact all the various 'sects' of Judeaism do so jointly use the structure of the synagogue and so hold community meetings there, which while providing a ready place to preach Christianity, did also provide the means to continue to teach the traditional beliefs of the Jews and the Law of Moses.
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 ^aidols, 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 ^aconsolation. 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 ^aSilas 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 ^avisit our ^bbrethren 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 ^aJohn, whose surname was ^bMark. 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.
39 And the ^acontention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; 40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, ^aconfirming the churches.