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.” 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.
the apostles and elders - "An examination of the list of those present at the special meeting of 'the apostles and elders' will give us an inkling of the difficulties Paul faced as he defended his apostleship and message the liberty of the Gentiles. First there were probably all of the twelve apostles except James the brother of John, who had been killed by Herod. Then there was also James, the brother of Christ, who was an apostle in the secondary sense, but not one of the twelve. He was strict legalist and a stickler for the letter of the law. It is doubtless for this reason that he came to be called 'James the Just ... A comparison of Acts 15:7 and Gal 2:4-5 reveals that among those present at this meeting there were also 'false brethren, unawares brought in,' working under cover to 'spy out' the liberty which the Gentiles enjoyed in Christ and to bring them into bondage; men secretly brought in to infiltrate the audience and use political persuasion or pressure or other illegitimate means to sway the decision. Then, of course, there were also the subordinate elders of the churches of Judaea (Ver 6). Representing the Gentile believers there were Paul, Barnabas, Titus and several others (Acts 15:2; Gal 2:1). The choice of Barnabas and Titus to accompany Paul on this occasion was, as we have said, particularly wise. Barnabas was a Jew, a Levite, who had formerly belonged to the church at Jerusalem and had sold his property, laying the proceeds at the apostles' feet (Acts 4:36-37). He would well understand their viewpoint. Titus, on the other hand, was a Greek, brought along doubtless as an example of the reality of Gentile conversion and also as a test case in the event of a battle with the legalizers over circumcision, so that the Gentiles might have practical proof that circumcision and the law were not be enforced upon them. What a valuable experience this must have proved to Titus when later he had to stand against the legalizers in the island of Crete! (Titus 1:10-12)." (Stam)
Peter stood up and said to them - This is the last mention of Peter in the Book of Acts.
"The passae we have been considering contains the last mention of Peter—or of any of the twelve—in the record of the Acts. Having confirmed Paul's ministry and apostleship he vanishes from the scene to be replaced entirely by Paul." (Stam)
by my mouth the Gentiles - "A reference to Peter's ministry in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:44)." (Ryrie)
"Mark the words 'my mouth,' for they are most important in connection with this council. God had not commanded all of the twelve to begin going to the Gentiles now, for Israel had not yet received Christ and under the prophetic program salvation was to go to the Gentiles through redeemed Israel. Peter alone had been sent, and he to this one household only. He did not continue to minister to the Gentiles. Indeed, as a result of this council at Jerusalem he and the other apostles agreed to confine their ministry to Israel, recognizing Paul as God's apostle to the Gentiles (Gal 2:9) ... What, then, was God's special purpose in sending Peter alone (of the twelve apostles) to this one household of Gentiles? It was 1.) that Paul's subsequent ministry among the Gentiles might be given full recognition, 2.) that it might be recognized that the Gentiles were to be saved apart from circumcision and the law and, 3.) that the believers at Jerusalem might recognize these Gentile believers as their brethren in Christ. True, Peter had not preached the mystery or the gospel of the grace of God to Cornelius and his household, but he had preached Christ and as he had proclaimed the necessity of faith in Christ for the remission of sins, his hearers had believed and were saved. At that moment the Spirit had interrupted Peter's address and had given these Gentiles that gift whereby Peter and his friends could know that their salvation was genuine ... God had given Peter this experience with Cornelius and his household (significantly after the raising up of Paul) with this very council in view, that he might bear witness to the simple facts he had observed and so confirm Paul's ministry. And why should the Jewish believers complain? Was it not after all circumcision of the heart and its purification by faith that even Israel must experience before she can be saved? (See Jer 4:1,4; 9:26; cf. Acts 7:51; Rom 2:25-29)." (Stam)
a yoke - "I.e., the law, which with its interpretive additions had become a burden, literally almost impossible to keep." (Ryrie)
"Closing his remarks, Peter makes a most remarkable statement: 'But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they' (Ver 11). He does not say: 'they shall be saved even as we' but 'we shall be saved even as they.' So far from the law being necessary to their their salvation, he argues, it is not really that by which we are saved, and this will yet be demonstrated." (Stam)
all the assembly - "It appears that at this point the whole church was again admitted and addressed by Barnabas and Paul, who related what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. This was to confirm to these Jewish hearers the fact that their ministry was indeed of God, for 'the Jews require a sign' (1 Cor 1:22) and this was one of the reasons why Paul was at first given the power to work miracles." (Stam)
Barnabas and Paul - "It is significant that in Ver 2, at Antioch, it is 'Paul and Barnabas,' while in Vers 12, 25, in Jerusalem, it is 'Barnabas and Paul.'" (Stam)
the apostles and elders - "An examination of the list of those present at the special meeting of 'the apostles and elders' will give us an inkling of the difficulties Paul faced as he defended his apostleship and message the liberty of the Gentiles. First there were probably all of the twelve apostles except James the brother of John, who had been killed by Herod. Then there was also James, the brother of Christ, who was an apostle in the secondary sense, but not one of the twelve. He was strict legalist and a stickler for the letter of the law. It is doubtless for this reason that he came to be called 'James the Just ... A comparison of Acts 15:7 and Gal 2:4-5 reveals that among those present at this meeting there were also 'false brethren, unawares brought in,' working under cover to 'spy out' the liberty which the Gentiles enjoyed in Christ and to bring them into bondage; men secretly brought in to infiltrate the audience and use political persuasion or pressure or other illegitimate means to sway the decision. Then, of course, there were also the subordinate elders of the churches of Judaea (Ver 6). Representing the Gentile believers there were Paul, Barnabas, Titus and several others (Acts 15:2; Gal 2:1). The choice of Barnabas and Titus to accompany Paul on this occasion was, as we have said, particularly wise. Barnabas was a Jew, a Levite, who had formerly belonged to the church at Jerusalem and had sold his property, laying the proceeds at the apostles' feet (Acts 4:36-37). He would well understand their viewpoint. Titus, on the other hand, was a Greek, brought along doubtless as an example of the reality of Gentile conversion and also as a test case in the event of a battle with the legalizers over circumcision, so that the Gentiles might have practical proof that circumcision and the law were not be enforced upon them. What a valuable experience this must have proved to Titus when later he had to stand against the legalizers in the island of Crete! (Titus 1:10-12)." (Stam)
Peter stood up and said to them - This is the last mention of Peter in the Book of Acts.
"The passae we have been considering contains the last mention of Peter—or of any of the twelve—in the record of the Acts. Having confirmed Paul's ministry and apostleship he vanishes from the scene to be replaced entirely by Paul." (Stam)
by my mouth the Gentiles - "A reference to Peter's ministry in the house of Cornelius (Acts 10:44)." (Ryrie)
"Mark the words 'my mouth,' for they are most important in connection with this council. God had not commanded all of the twelve to begin going to the Gentiles now, for Israel had not yet received Christ and under the prophetic program salvation was to go to the Gentiles through redeemed Israel. Peter alone had been sent, and he to this one household only. He did not continue to minister to the Gentiles. Indeed, as a result of this council at Jerusalem he and the other apostles agreed to confine their ministry to Israel, recognizing Paul as God's apostle to the Gentiles (Gal 2:9) ... What, then, was God's special purpose in sending Peter alone (of the twelve apostles) to this one household of Gentiles? It was 1.) that Paul's subsequent ministry among the Gentiles might be given full recognition, 2.) that it might be recognized that the Gentiles were to be saved apart from circumcision and the law and, 3.) that the believers at Jerusalem might recognize these Gentile believers as their brethren in Christ. True, Peter had not preached the mystery or the gospel of the grace of God to Cornelius and his household, but he had preached Christ and as he had proclaimed the necessity of faith in Christ for the remission of sins, his hearers had believed and were saved. At that moment the Spirit had interrupted Peter's address and had given these Gentiles that gift whereby Peter and his friends could know that their salvation was genuine ... God had given Peter this experience with Cornelius and his household (significantly after the raising up of Paul) with this very council in view, that he might bear witness to the simple facts he had observed and so confirm Paul's ministry. And why should the Jewish believers complain? Was it not after all circumcision of the heart and its purification by faith that even Israel must experience before she can be saved? (See Jer 4:1,4; 9:26; cf. Acts 7:51; Rom 2:25-29)." (Stam)
a yoke - "I.e., the law, which with its interpretive additions had become a burden, literally almost impossible to keep." (Ryrie)
"Closing his remarks, Peter makes a most remarkable statement: 'But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they' (Ver 11). He does not say: 'they shall be saved even as we' but 'we shall be saved even as they.' So far from the law being necessary to their their salvation, he argues, it is not really that by which we are saved, and this will yet be demonstrated." (Stam)
all the assembly - "It appears that at this point the whole church was again admitted and addressed by Barnabas and Paul, who related what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. This was to confirm to these Jewish hearers the fact that their ministry was indeed of God, for 'the Jews require a sign' (1 Cor 1:22) and this was one of the reasons why Paul was at first given the power to work miracles." (Stam)
Barnabas and Paul - "It is significant that in Ver 2, at Antioch, it is 'Paul and Barnabas,' while in Vers 12, 25, in Jerusalem, it is 'Barnabas and Paul.'" (Stam)
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