Acts 15:5-21

The people who were demanding circumcision belonged to the Pharisees. This shows how far the gospel was reaching within Judaism, but also that when we get saved we still carry a lot of "baggage" from our past. As noted in the previous post, we need to appreciate how deep and strong was the attachment to Moses. The Mosaic Law was central to Judaism, and so it is no surprise that many still considered it central. We should also remember that the Law was given to Moses by God.

After long discussions Peter addresses the people. See now how crucial it was that Peter had his revelation and experience with Cornelius. Although Paul was going to be the primary instrument in taking the gospel to the Gentiles, Peter had a crucial role as well. Peter refers back to the Cornelius incident. He then points out that the Jews themselves were not particularly good at keeping the Law, so why burden the Gentiles with something they themselves could not carry? In his letters Paul would put this in a theological context. Peter declares that it is by grace and faith that people are saved, and we are saved "just as we are".

Paul and Barnabas then give testimony of the many things they had seen and experienced during their missionary journeys.

Next James stands up, and puts things in a Biblical context quoting from Amos 9:11,12. He agrees with Peter and Paul, but does say that the Gentiles should abstain from sexual immorality, and eating some forbidden foods. The first of these makes perfect sense to us (though not to the world!), but the food stuff seems a bit unnecessary, and indeed Paul does address this issue in some of his letters.

See how the debate went. A key theological issue was being decided, but an awful lot of the argument centred around experience, the experience of Peter and of Paul. James then supplied a little theology, and in time Paul would supply a whole lot more. But note also that the experience was largely the experience of what God had done and was doing, not someone's subjective view of what happened. Theology and experience must go together.

We might even say that the food requirements were not really necessary and only muddied the waters, but there was a need to both welcome the Gentiles and to allow for the sensibilities of the Jews. Compromise itself is not bad, it is a matter of knowing what to compromise on.