15:9
Peter now explains that Jews and Gentiles are in the same boat. All have sinned, everyone’s heart needs purifying. The events at Cornelius’s house demonstrated that God was not discriminating between Jews and Gentiles. He purified the Gentiles by faith. Faith was the key ingredient, circumcision had nothing to do with it. So God clearly accepted the Gentiles.
15:10
The Judaisers would claim they were enforcing God’s law, when in fact they were putting God to the test. God had declared that the Gentiles were accepted by faith, yet the Judaisers wanted to impose other burdens on them, burdens that the Jews themselves had been unable to carry. For the Old Testament can be accurately described as a record of the sins and failures of Israel. Note also that this shows that while circumcision was the specific requirement at issue, it represented having to keep the whole Law. For Jews were quite capable of being circumcised in terms of the physical act. This verse reminds us of Jesus’ words in Matt 23, especially verse 4 and 15.
15:11,12
Peter had grasped that we are saved by grace. The Jews were unworthy for they consistently failed to keep the Law, the Gentiles were equally unworthy, but all can be saved through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter’s words were then backed up by Paul and Barnabas giving an account of their missionary journey, including the signs and wonders God had done amongst the Gentiles. So again we see the importance of the actions of God. Actions and doctrine are meant to go together.
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