Acts 15
The “Charter” of Christian Liberty*
January 16, 2022
Note: The idea of the sermon title and the word “Charter” are from a sub-title from the MacLaren Commentary. See Bibliography for source.
- Title: The “Charter” of Christian Liberty
- The first century was challenging for the Church in numerous ways.
- Doctrinal issues
- We take much of our foundational doctrine for granted, …
- … but the early Church had to figure much doctrine out.
- 325 AD the Nicean Council decided and decreed–finally–that Jesus Christ was equal to God the Father.
- The increasing number of Gentiles who were becoming Christians raised theological problems
- This exact issue came to a head in Acts 15.
- What was the relationship of the Gentile Christians to Judaism?
- Some believed that, Christianity rightly was nested inside Judaism. (Constable, 309)
- No trouble with Jesus was the true Messiah,
- but that the Jews had not been released from the Law nor should the Gentiles be excused from adopting it.
- No small matter of theology.
- Centuries of cultural division had to be bridged.
- Jews and Gentiles don’t mix.
- Acts 15 built one of the biggest bridges for the Church
- This was no issue; this was no small meeting.
- Fortunately, it is a foundation for us today.
- The chapter has much to say regarding the Law.
- It was the road map on how to overcome legalism for both the 1st and 21st century churches.
- Constable noted that, there are “not a few students of Acts believe that chapter 15 is the most crucial chapter in the entire book” of Acts. [cf. Conzelmann, … Witherington …] (Constable, 309)
- Marshall said, “15 was structurally and theologically central to Acts.” [Marshall, The Acts …, p. 242.] (Constable, 309)
- FF Bruce when further and said, "This is one of the key events in all of the New Testament regarding the Law." … he attached “the highest importance” to this event. (Bruce, 282; emphasis mine)
- I would go further than all of these fine men:
- most important chapters in all of the Bible–bar none.
- It is a chapter that churches across the world need to read and understand well!
PRAY
1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them,
- First century:
- False teachers among the Believers ranks.
- Mostly, very poor students of the Word—talking a lot.
- False doctrine in the early Church was prevalent—variety of reasons.
- “But” again … There were two Jewish groups that aligned themselves against Christianity
-
- The Judaizers
- Ones who wanted to synchronize Judaism with Christianity
- You cannot be saved. You are not saved.
-
- Jewish Christians
- These were trying to work theological issues out.
- The first group was and stayed emphatic about the Law
- The second, were listing and paying attention
- The Gentiles responding to Jesus presented both of these groups with a dilemma.
- Paul and Barnabas had razor clarity on the matter.
- v. 2 “no small dissension and debate”
- The debate had no standing with them.
- They opposed the circumcision teachers.
- Paul tired greatly of this ongoing problem in the Church.
- He did not mince his words later when writing to the church at Galatia “I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!” (Gal. 5:12)
- Paul did the right thing:
- there are some things that need strong argumentation.
- Did Adam have a belly button? vs
- Obeying the Law to be saved
- This doctrine of synchronizing the Law with Jesus had the potential to corrupt the Gospel completely.
TRANSITION: We see that there was a major disagreement of doctrine in the Church. Let look at what the church did about the problem.
2b Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.
[Bruce wrote,] It was not enough to indulge in dissension and questioning at Antioch: the whole issue had to be debated and decided at the highest level. Otherwise, there was grave danger of a complete cleavage between the churches of Jerusalem and Judaea on the one hand and the church of Antioch and her daughter-churches on the other. (287)
- One sees leadership authority in the early Church.
- Ministry breaks down fast without leadership.
- The early Church had leadership in place and we see a plurality of leaders.
- The Antioch church should be applauded by seeking the ruling of others at Jerusalem.
- “Up to Jerusalem”
- I had made a note: I had seen something bad here with “describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles.”
- But later, Bruce’s point seemed good to me:
-
[v.3] As the churches of Samaria and Phoenicia were themselves the fruit of Hellenistic mission which followed the death of Stephen, they would have naturally rejoice at the news, without being troubled by the misgivings which were felt by so many of the believers in Jerusalem. (Bruce, 288)
The men did not want to get this wrong.
- I would be like, “Can you believe we have to go all the way to Jerusalem?!”
- 300 mile journey as a crow flies. 3 weeks of travel.
- Missionary testimonies about “what God was doing” were common.
- They are a source of real encouragement, perseverance and strength.
ILLUSTRATION: Ken Bugh, sharing with donors.
APPLICATION: We need to share the victories with one another “praise report”
TRANSITION: We see that Barnabas and Paul were encouraging the Church along the way as they seemed to have confidence that God would work all of these difficult issues out. Let’s take a look at what happened in Jerusalem.
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
- Welcomed by church, apostles, elders
- BUT some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up against the idea of Christ without Moses.
- NOTICE: Believers who were Pharisees
- Poor theology was not always malicious.
- Difficult time of transition.
- Some struggled with what to do with their millennium and a half of religious observations, culture, and customs.
- These were honest debates here.
The Church seems to stay in need of theological clarity.
ILLUSTRATION:
- No Bible Atlas
- Never fear the “interweb” is here.
Miles from Antioch to Jerusalem
- 7396.1 miles (4.6 out of 5 stars)
- 300 miles
- 500 miles
- CAUTION: stay away from internet doctrine sites! Study the Bible.
- The church is filled with poor Bible students.
APPLICATION:
- Calvin, “We live in the mist of errors.”
- We have errors in our theologies.
- We may even have a heresy or two or 10.
- 1 Timothy 4:16, “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
- We must work at doctrine.
- Time, energy, first to care.
- We too often spend too much time on other things and on doctrine.
- Don’t have time to study?
- Free solid doctrine lectures from our website.
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 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. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 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? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
- Speaks to wisdom
- People need to be heard.
- Leaders need to listen.
- Peter’s points
- #1
- Peter’s main thesis’ foundation was the fact that the Holy Spirit indwelt the Gentiles Believers.
- God gave them the Holy Spirit, though uncircumcised,
- just as he had given it to us who were circumcised:
- proof that circumcision was not necessary as a preparatory work. (cf., Clarke)
- Clarke great quote here: "the Holy Spirit was the grand object of the religion of God, … ."
- The Holy Spirit’s indwelling is what saves a person.
- Man’s exercise of faith is necessary (cf., Acts 16:31) AND is not a work (cf., Romans 4).
- It’s a footnote … an endnote … a footnote on an endnote
- #2
- God chose me (Peter) to lead many Gentiles to God.
- He appealed to his God given mandate as authoritative.
- Peter understood that all people were saved the same way–including Jews! He said, "But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
- #3
- Furthermore, The Law seemed unworkable to Peter.
- Bruce wrote, “Peter spoke as a representative of the rank and file of Galilaean Jews.” (Bruce, 291)
- Not all Jews thought of the law was over bearing. (Bruce, 291)
- “Those who had been of the sect of the Pharisees brought a good share of Pharisaic tendencies with them into the church … .” (Spurgeon)
ILLUSTRATION:
- FOHC and the Hebraic Roots Movement
- According to Dunning, “Stephen Katz summarizes HR’s common beliefs this way: The Hebraic Roots or Jewish Roots movement refers to various organizations with a common emphasis on recovering the original Jewishness of Christianity. This recovery comes through studying the Bible in its Jewish context, observing the Torah, keeping the Sabbath and festivals, avoiding the ‘paganism’ of Christianity, … .” (Dunning)
APPLICATION:
- All Dispensations: People of faith are under grace the entire time of human history.
Man and woman created with an untested righteousness
- 1 command ➡️ Adam = FAIL
- 0 commands (conscience only) ➡️ Adam - Moses = FAIL
- 613 commands ➡️ Moses and the Nation - Right before Jesus = FAIL
- MANY commands ➡️ The mind = FAIL
- Grace: Focus minimum = Love God; Love people = FAIL
- Conscience (natural law) the entire time = FAIL
Jesus = 100% Success!
- Bible
- James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”
- Galatians 5:3, “I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law.”
- In the Gospel, there is Zero Law
- Galatians 5:14, For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
- Romans 13:9, For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
- James 2:8, If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.
LOVE REMAINS
Bibliography
Bruce, F. F. The Book of Acts: The New International Commentary on the New Testament, ed. Gordon D. Fee, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmanns Publishing Company, 1988.
Calvin, John. Institutes of Christian Religion. 1509-1564, translated by Henry Beveridge, 2008 ed., IV, 6, 7.
Clarke, Adam. “Commentary on Acts 15.” “The Adam Clarke Commentary,” 1832, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/acc/acts-15.html.
Constable, Thomas. "Notes on Acts.” 2021 ed., https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/acts.pdf
Craig A. Dunning. “Hebrew Roots Movement.” Watchman Fellowship, Inc., https://www.watchman.org/hr.pdf.
MacLaren, Alexander. “Commentary on Acts 15.” MacLaren’s Expositions of Holy Scripture, https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/mac/acts-15.html.
Scofield, C. I. “Scofield Reference Notes on Acts 15.” “Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition),” https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/srn/acts-15.html.
Spurgeon, Charles H. “Faith Purifying the Heart.” Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Volume 23, April 15, 1877. /).
Note:
Distance Antioch to Jerusalem :
- 7396.1 miles (4.6 out of 5 stars)
- 300 miles
- 500 miles