Acts 15:15-18 - As it is written

15:15-17

James then uses scripture to back up or explain the decision, quoting from Amos 9:11,12, James quotes from the Septuagint, and says in v17:

that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’

The Hebrew versions says in Amos 9:12

so that they may possess the remnant of Edom  and all the nations that bear my name,”
declares the Lord, who will do these things.

In translating the Hebrew into Greek they sometimes amended the text to give it its fuller meaning, and they read Edom as representing the whole of mankind, ie as if it were Adam. And “possess” is not seen as Israel being dominant, but as in belonging to the Lord.

So how does James see things? Israel was under Roman domination, it was also in a sinful state. God’s purpose has always been to restore Israel (at the heart of which is dealing with her sin, as it is for you and me) and to bring people from all over the world into His kingdom.

The end of the quote says:

Says the Lord who does all these things

The obvious giving of the Holy Spirit demonstrated that it was indeed the Lord who was doing these things. The taking of the gospel to the Gentiles was the natural and prophesied progression of God’s plans.

15:18

“Known to God from eternity are all his works” (NKJV) or “known from of old” (ESV). ESV has it as part of the Scriptural quotation, NKJV as separate. Not quite sure why the ESV has it as part of the quotation. Anyway, the point is that God’s works are consistent throughout history. In reaching out to the Gentiles God was not making a surprise move, but something which had always been part of His plan, and had been declared as so from long ago. As Amos says, the Lord makes known his plans through the prophets.