(མཛད་པ། 15:6-11)

 

The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” (Acts 15:6-11)

 

Peter spoke up to support Paul and Barbabas. “Remember”, he said, “how God gave special sign of accepting non-Jews when I also preached to them and they believed (Acts 10:44-46), just as He had done when Jews believed (Acts 2:1-41). So how can we now force God, as it were, to differentiate through our heavy traditional Jewish rules between who is , and who is not, saved! Of course not! He knew and showed that their faith was true faith; therefore their belief in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ was and is quite sufficient for salvation.”

(མཛད་པ། 15:12-21)

 

And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,

“‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things known from of old.’

Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” (Acts 15:12-21)

 

After Peter’s words – silence! Then Barnabas and Paul were allowed to tell their story in full, and how God had shown his acceptance of their preaching by granting signs (as at Iconium, see Acts 14:3).

Finally James, respected leader of the Jewish Church, spoke up to give his judgment: ‘This story is both exactly like that first occasion which Peter, one of us, has just described, and, further, it agrees with the  prophecy which says that God would act to restore salvation to us Jewish people, and as a result also call out a people for himself from those seeking him in the rest of the world.’

And he suggested writing just four rules for Gentile membership of the church, and that circumcision should not be needed. 

(མཛད་པ། 15:22-35)

 

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”

So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. (Acts 15:22-35)

 

It was agreed not to force new Gentile believers in Jesus to become Jews. But the rules chosen were such as to avoid habits that would be very offensive to the consciences of Jews and Jewish Christians; for many in their towns did strictly observe the Mosaic laws about idols and blood.

All Christians would agree, of course, on the basic laws like ‘no killing’ , but, as to sexual matters, the need for purity was given emphasis. This was because sexual immorality was so widespread in the Gentile culture, and even formed part of temple worship.

In most parts of our modern world too it would seem that a special rule of sexual purity is needed.