The Word Made Fresh
1Then some men came from Judea and began to teach the new converts that unless they were circumcised according to the law of Moses, they could not be saved. 2Paul and Barnabas debated with them, and it was decided that they should go to Jerusalem with some others of them to discuss the issue with the apostles and elders. 3So, the church sent them on their way. As they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria they reported the conversion of the Gentiles, and the followers there were overjoyed by the news.
4When they arrived at Jerusalem the church and the apostles and leaders welcomed them, and they reported all that God had done. 5Some of them, who had been Pharisees, said, “They have to be circumcised according to the law of Moses.”
6So the apostles and leaders met to consider this, 7and after a long debate Peter stood and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God chose me to be the one among you through whom the good news would be shared with the Gentiles, that some of them might become believers. 8God knows the human heart, and gave them the Holy Spirit just as he did for us. 9Their hearts were cleansed by faith, and now God makes no distinction between them and us. 10So, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the neck of these new disciples, a yoke we ourselves can hardly bear. 11We believe that we will be saved only through the grace of our Lord Jesus. And so will they.”
12Then they all listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles, 13and when they had finished their story James said, “Brothers, listen to me. 14Simon has told us how God first looked on the Gentiles with favor to set apart from among them a people for his holy name. 15This is what the prophets declared, as it is written,
16‘After this I will return.
I will rebuild the fallen house of David
and raise it from its ruins.
I will do this 17so that all peoples may seek the Lord –
even the Gentiles who have heard my name.
The Lord has been arranging this 18from long, long ago.’
19“So, I have decided that we shouldn’t bother the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20We should ask them only to stay away from things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality. 21For generations, in every city, these things that Moses has forbidden have been acknowledged and have been read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
22Then the whole church agreed that the apostles and other leaders should choose some of them to be sent to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas Barsabbas and Silas, who were leaders among them, 23and they sent this letter with them:
“Our brothers among the apostles and the elders are sending this to our Gentile brothers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
‘Greetings! 24We have heard that some of our people have gone to you without our instructions, and have told you things that have disturbed you. 25We have decided, all of us together, to send representatives to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26who have risked their lives for our Lord Jesus Christ. 27So, we have sent Judas and Silas to tell you face to face 28that it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit that we should not burden you with rules and regulations, but that you should keep these essentials: 29do not partake of animals that have been sacrificed to idols; and abstain from consuming blood and any animal that has been strangled; and that you abstain from sexual sins. If you stay away from these things, you will do well. Farewell.’”
30And so, they were sent off to Antioch. When they had gathered the congregation together, they gave the letter to them. 31When it was read to them, they were overjoyed. 32Judas and Silas, who were prophets, also spoke to them and encouraged them. 33They spent some time there, and then were sent in peace to report back to those who had sent them, 34although Silas wanted to remain there.
35Paul and Barnabas did stay in Antioch and joined the others who taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord. 36But after some days had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go visit the converts in all the cities where we preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are faring.”
37Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them, 38but Paul refused to take with them someone who had left them in Pamphylia and hadn’t participated with them in their work. 39Their disagreement became so heated that they separated. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus. 40Paul chose Silas and left, commended by all the brothers to the Lord’s grace. 41He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches that were there.
Commentary
1-5: The “certain individuals” mentioned in verse 1 are not named, but are identified in verse 5 as Pharisees. Yes, Pharisees can become Christians, too. (Paul himself was a Pharisee — see 23:6.) These Pharisees, though, simply could not give up their strict insistence on adherence to the Law of Moses, and had the idea that circumcision was necessary for salvation. It caused enough turmoil in Antioch that they sent Paul and Barnabas on another mission, this time to Jerusalem to receive guidance on the question of circumcision. On the way they discover that dynamic congregations already exist in Phoenicia and Samaria.
6-11: In Jerusalem a heated argument ensues. Perhaps it is not surprising that Peter is the one who puts forward a motion that circumcision is not required, given his experience in Joppa (chapter 10). The theme of salvation through the grace of the Lord Jesus appears here first, in verse 11.
12-21: James, who was one of the twelve disciples, was killed by Herod Antipas (see12:2). The James mentioned here is thought by most non-Catholic scholars to be the brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3, Galatians 1:19). Catholic tradition, because of the doctrine of the immaculate conception, holds that Mary never conceived another child and that the James mentioned here is James the son of Alphaeus (Matthew 10:2-3) or another follower by that name. Whoever he is, he is clearly now a leader of the church in Jerusalem. He quotes Amos 9:11-12 (with some poetic license) as proof that God intended for the Gentiles to be included in his kingdom. The rebuilding of the temple actually occurred around 515 B.C., but Herod the Great had undertaken a massive rebuilding of the whole temple compound, an undertaking that was still going on after the birth of Jesus. James is taking the liberty of transposing Amos’ prophesy from that first attempt at building the Second Temple to Herod’s efforts, thus linking the prophecy to the present situation. James obviously has the authority to make a decision in the debate and does so. His ruling is that circumcision is not to be imposed, but curiously does impose certain dietary restrictions. He also forbids “fornication,” a broad term referring to various acts of sexual immorality.
22-29: A letter is sent from “the apostles and elders” in the hands of Judas Barsabbas and Silas (who later becomes Paul’s companion) which informs the church in Antioch of their decision. The letter says the Pharisaic believers who created the disturbance were not authorized to do so, and that the decision they are now reporting was arrived at unanimously, although it sounded more unilaterally than unanimously back in verse 19. Barnabas and Paul are praised for their work. The same restrictions mentioned above are reiterated, but this time in a different order that puts the dietary restrictions first.
30-35: Everybody is happy. Judas and Silas go back to Jerusalem, leaving Paul and Barnabas in Antioch. Some ancient authorities have Judas returning to Jerusalem without Silas, which makes sense given the following paragraph.
36-41: Paul and Barnabas have a falling out over whether to take John (his Jewish name) Mark (his Greek name) with them. Paul chooses Silas as a travel companion (see note above) and Barnabas chooses Mark.
Takeaway
Arguments arise in every congregation, and sometimes result in a separation of the different sides of the debate. This is always a painful thing, but it also is one way God has for spreading the gospel into communities that need to hear it. When this happens, the best thing to do is simply embrace the change and the challenge and pray for one another’s success.