Acts 15:19-21 - We should not trouble the Gentiles

15:19

James therefore draws the conclusion that they should not add any extra burdens onto the Gentile converts. God has quite clearly shown that He has accepted them, and this is in accordance with the Scriptures right from the beginning. So we see three things that have played their part in this decision:

• The clear witness of Scripture
• The clear and visible work of the Holy Spirit
• The recognition that the Jews themselves were sinners in need of grace.

These are good principles that we can apply to many decisions that the church needs to make from time to time. If something is against Scripture, then it is not of God. If God is clearly doing something that is a good sign. We also need to be constantly aware that we are recipients of grace. If we start thinking that we are accepted in our own right then our thinking will quickly go askew.

15:20,21

So the general principle was clear, but there were also some practical steps added as well. The Gentile converts would probably want to follow at least most of these things anyway, but it was important to demonstrate to the Judaisers that they were not abandoning God’s ways of living. Hence the instruction to abstain from sexual immorality. This might seem an obvious thing to some of us, but we need to remember how rife sexual immorality was in the Graeco-Roman world. It is also directly applicable today, when sexual immorality and confusion is all pervasive in our society. Avoiding idols is clearly important, but the practical application of this was to cause questions later on, as shown by the sections in 1 Corinthians 8, and Romans 14. Abstaining from food strangled or containing blood is in keeping with the Law, but it is harder to see its relevance for the Gentiles. It was probably given as a compromise. Verse 21 perhaps explains the last injunction, for they would have heard the law read and would know what it said. So not eating certain food containing blood would help with their conscience.

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.

Habakkuk - Complete notes

Complete notes on Habakkuk are now available on Dundee Believer.

Acts 15:13,14 - Brothers, listen to me

15:13

“When they finished ..” What we have here is very much a cut-down version of the debate, we can safely assume that it went on for some time! James appears to have been an important apostle, he was probably considered to be “properly Jewish” and to be a solid person, so his views would carry weight. If we look at the apostles we see a great variety of character types, God uses all types to do His work. We should rejoice in the type of person we are, though this, of course, does not mean we should not seek to get rid of the bad aspects of our characters, but we are not meant to be all the same. In fact it is noticeable how many moves in the church seem to try and cast everyone in the same mould, having the same concerns. This is not God’s way.

15:14

James, following Peter’s lead, puts the emphasis on God’s obvious direction in the matter. He intervened directly in the first place to get Cornelius to contact Peter, and to get Peter to respond aright. Then He poured out His Spirit on Cornelius and his family and friends.

“A people chosen for His name from the Gentiles”. We are chosen for His name. Ie to be like Christ, chosen for God’s purposes.

Jonah 4:9-11 - Should I not pity Nineveh?

4:9-11

God had done all this to get Jonah to examine his own attitudes. We can get so full of ourselves, so self-centred, dominated by what is happening to us and how we feel. Sometimes it is good, and salutary, for us to examine ourselves and our attitudes. God repeats the question asked earlier, “Is it right for you to be angry?” Earlier is had been asked with regard to Jonah’s attitude to Nineveh and God sparing that city. Jonah wasn’t concerned, in modern parlance his answer was “meh”, for he didn’t care about Nineveh at all. This time it is about the loss of the plant, something of far less importance than the thousands of people in Nineveh, but of much greater importance to Jonah, for it had been providing shelter for him. Jonah was convinced that he had every right to be angry. God then points out that Nineveh is far more important, and that God himself has pity on the city. In this book God is posing questions of Jonah, and of Jonah as a representative of Israel. Similar questions can also be addressed to all of us. We need to examine ourselves before God. I can also assure you that you, and I, will fail the test. We all have attitudes that need to change, none of us appreciates the depths or extent of God’s concern for the world. We need the Holy Spirit to work in or hearts and minds.

Acts 15:9-12 - Saved through the grace of God

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.

Jonah 4:4-8 - God appointed a worm

4:4-8

God now questions Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry?” More explanation will come later. Jonah does not answer at this point, but goes out to the east side of the city, watching to see what would happen. He was probably hoping that judgement would indeed come upon the city. The weather was very hot, so he made a shelter to protect himself from the sun. God also made a plant that provided shelter for Jonah. Jonah welcomed the shelter, but the next day God provided a worm that damaged the plant, and Jonah lost his shelter.  God then also made the weather worse so that Jonah would feel the full effects of the heat, and Jonah just wanted to die.