The third element of the gospel, Acts 15: 1-34

Last week as we looked at the previous chapter, we talked about the miraculous power of the gospel to save.  Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to every one that believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

And the way I illustrated that power of God, if you will remember, was to say that God’s power is so great it is incomprehensible.  God not only made the earth and the sea and all that is in them, but He also by His invisible power suspends in space the earth which weighs trillions and trillions of tons.  And by His power he then spins the earth on it’s axis at 1000mph, and by His power He shoots it into orbit around the sun at just the right distance to keep life from either freezing or burning up, at a speed of 67000 mph.  That is just a taste of the tremendous power of God.

Yet here is the amazing thing.  Though we are spinning at 1000 mph and orbiting the sun at 67000mph, yet we sit here right now without being aware of it at all.  Our hair is not even being blown by the force of that power.  If you were to try to tell that to a person 100 years ago, they would tell you that you were crazy.  There is no way the earth is moving that fast and we cannot feel it. But science has since proven that it is so.

Yet here is the ironic thing.  If we tell people today that God’s power is working in the world, they will say you are crazy.  They will say that there is absolutely no evidence of God.  But on the other hand they accept science which tells them things for which we experience no evidence.  I would suggest that the power of God is an invisible power, but that it has tangible results.  And I would rather trust in God than in my experience.

Now that trust in God’s power is what is called in the Bible faith.  Believing that God is who He says He is and that He is able to save those that come to Him.  That is faith. I said last week that faith and repentance are the twin pillars of the gospel.  They are the means by which the truth of God, the power of God is made efficacious for us.  But faith and repentance are not works that we do to earn our salvation.  In fact, repentance is recognizing that you are spiritually bankrupt, without merit, without a leg to stand on before a just and Almighty God.  And faith is believing that God can and will save you, based on His power and His character and His promises.  So there is nothing there for you to brag about.  Your faith is not a means of earning salvation, but a means of receiving salvation.

But there is a third element to our salvation as well.  Repentance and faith are the visible pillars so to speak of the gospel for they come out of us, but there is a third element which is invisible, without which not even faith and repentance could stand.  And that is grace.  Grace is the gift of God.  Grace is the power of God towards us.  Faith and repentance are our response towards God.

So the transaction of salvation is initiated by God as a result of grace.  Grace is simply stated the gift of God, all the gifts of God.  It is the gift of salvation which was purchased for us by Christ.  It is the inheritance of heaven, the gift of eternal life.  Whatever goodness or righteousness or works that we might try to do, could never come close to paying for forgiveness of sins, eternal salvation, and being made an heir of God and a co heir of Christ.  So God has ordained that what is impossible for men  would be achieved by Christ, so it is by grace and not dependent upon our works.

Now the lame man we looked at last week who was healed illustrates beautifully, not only the power of God, but the grace of God.  Remember what the author Luke said about the lame man?  He said he  had no strength in his feet, he was lame from his mother’s womb, and he had never walked.  You can’t get more lame than that.  Three different ways Luke describes his lameness in order to conclusively show that the man was powerless, helpless, and hopeless.  He is a picture of mankind before salvation.  Not having the strength to be righteous.  Being born unrighteous.  Never having been unrighteous.  We were helplessly, hopelessly lost.

But in the example of the lame man the grace of God supplied what was impossible for him to achieve, the power of God for healing.  Paul seeing the man’s faith to be saved, said, “Stand upright on your feet!”  And immediately the man leaped up and began to walk.  Now that demonstrates not only the miraculous power of the gospel, but it illustrates the grace of God.  The lame man was unable to walk, to even move his legs, had no strength in his legs, but God was able to give him instant strength, even to the ability to leap and walk.  It was a gift from God.

So we learn from that example that the power of salvation is able to save, to save from the penalty of sin and the power of sin, but we also learn as it says in Ephesians 2:8  that salvation is by grace through faith, and not of ourselves, it is the gift of God.

Now remember Romans 1:16 which we looked at in the beginning? At first glance there would seem to be no mention of grace in that verse;  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God unto salvation, to the Jews first and also to the Greek.”  But I would suggest that the last section, to the Jews first and also to the Greek teaches the grace of God as we shall see in the passage we are looking at today.

Our text addresses the  issue of whether or not salvation is given only to Jews or also to the Gentiles or Greeks or Romans or Americans for that matter.  Is it necessary to become a Jew in order to receive salvation?  That is a question that was extremely relevant in Paul’s day, and it is still important for us to consider today.

And as we begin this chapter we see that very principle being debated in the early church which had started in Antioch.  At this very beginning of the Gentile church, there is an insidious attack on the church, and it comes from within it’s own ranks.  Notice it says that certain men from Judea came down and started teaching the new Christians at Antioch that they needed to be circumcised in order to be saved.  We saw the same tactic used in Jerusalem when that church was first established.  There were attacks from without, which were to be expected.  But then came the attacks from within which were more difficult to discern.  But attacks of Satan nonetheless which were designed to undermine the doctrine of salvation and thus dilute and ultimately destroy the power of the gospel.

Don’t be surprised that Satan’s most effective strategies often come from within the church, oftentimes from the very leaders themselves who purport to be teaching the gospel.  Paul would say later in 2Cor. 11:14 that Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.

And furthermore, be aware that Satan is a much better theologian than you.  He is the doctor of all doctors of theology.  He studied under the feet of God Himself.  He has seen and heard the Word of God made manifest and he knows every law, every ordinance completely.  So if there is an area in the law of God which is obscure or difficult to understand, then we can be sure that Satan will attack in that area, where the church is weakest.  And since God is invisible, requiring faith to know Him, count on Satan to attack at this principle point; faith.  Because he knows that faith is the fundamental principle of our salvation, and so he will attempt to add to it, or detract from it, in order to steer us away from the true faith which was handed down by the apostles from the mouth of Christ.

Now notice that just as God uses common men such as the apostles to proclaim His gospel, so also Satan uses his messengers to spread deceit and fraud.  And such come through the church no less. These men from the church in Judea, are identified in vs. 5 as Pharisees from  Jerusalem who came down to Antioch and started teaching the Gentile believers there that they could not be saved unless they observed the customs of the Jews taught by Moses, particularly the rite of circumcision.

Now that these Gentiles had already been saved was testified by the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the household of Cornelius when Peter preached the gospel to them.  And from that first attestation by the Spirit confirming Gentile salvation had emerged Greek speaking Christians who fled the persecution and had come to the region of Galatia, and to the town of Antioch preaching  the gospel of Christ.  And the people of Antioch had accepted the gospel happily and many were saved, and a thriving church sprung up there from which was sent missionaries such as Paul and Barnabas to go to even further regions.  So that now the Gentiles everywhere were coming to Christ with even greater eagerness than the Jews.

So we can infer that when some Jews from Judea heard of this great revival happening in the lands of the Gentiles, that jealousy arose in their hearts, so that they tried to tone down the revival so to speak, by saying that while it was good that the Gentiles were desiring to turn to God, yet it was necessary that they become like the Jews, and accept and follow all the ceremonial prescriptions that had been given to the Jews through Moses in order to be saved.  Notice in vs. 1 they are not adding circumcision to salvation, but they say you cannot be saved without it.

Now circumcision was the primary means that the Jews were distinguished from the rest of the world. One could not worship in the temple without being circumcised.  One could not participate in the blessings of the Jews without being circumcised.  In fact, the Jews would go so far as to say that one could not know or be accepted by God without being circumcised.  Their rabbis in Judaism even taught that Abraham was stationed by the gate of hell to make sure that no one that was circumcised would enter into hell.  So without question, their belief was that circumcision was the rite of the flesh which placed you into the family of the Jews, which they believed was God’s chosen people.  In effect, they were teaching that one had to become a Jew in all manners and customs if they were to be saved.

So the question of whether or not believers had to be circumcised like a Jew and observe the rituals of the Mosaic law like the Jews was a question that caused a great dissension in the church in Antioch.  And it got to such a heated discussion between Paul and Barnabas and the Judaisers, that the church decided that they should go to Jerusalem to confer with the apostles and elders of the church there in order to work it out.

When they arrive in Jerusalem, they are received by the church and the apostles and elders and Paul and Barnabas related all that God had been doing among the Gentiles through them.  But then the Judaisers from the sect of the Pharisees who had now believed and were part of the church rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”  So that was the formal charge brought before the church.  That Gentiles must be circumcised and observe the laws of Moses.  And what they are talking about specifically is the ceremonial laws of Moses.  There is no doubt on the part of Paul and Barnabas or anyone for that matter that they should obey the moral law of God.  But specifically the ceremonial laws which distinguished the Jews from the rest of the world, notably circumcision, but it would also include dietary laws.

So when the apostles and elders gathered together to discuss this, there were three arguments presented to defend the doctrine of grace.  And the first one to speak was Peter.  Peter basically reiterates what he had already presented to them earlier, that is the vision that he had from God who directed him to go to the house of a Gentile centurion named Cornelius.  And the Spirit of God directed him to preach the gospel to them without reservation.  When Peter preached, they believed in Christ by faith and they were saved.  And the Holy Spirit fell upon them that believed just as he had upon the disciples at Pentecost which testified that God had accepted them in salvation, without having to become Jews, but while they were still Gentiles.  And Peter wraps up his presentation saying, “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."  And what is interesting in what he says is that he turns the proof of salvation around.  Rather than saying, they are saved the same way we are saved, he says, we are saved the same way they are.  So he is saying not only are they saved without having to become Jews, but we are saved in spite of our Jewishness, in the same manner as they were saved, by grace through faith.  So there is not a Jewish salvation and a Gentile salvation, but as Paul would say later, “one God, one faith, one baptism.”

Then the second argument is presented by Paul and Barnabas.  They tell the church the miraculous signs and wonders that came through them as they ministered to the Gentiles.  Just as Peter appealed to the testimony of the Holy Spirit coming upon the household of Cornelius, Paul appeals to the testimony of the Holy Spirit by signs and wonders such as the healing of the lame man.  The testimony of the Holy Spirit confirming the salvation of the Gentiles.

And then the final argument is presented by James.  This is James the Just, sometimes called Camel Knees in tradition, which indicated that he spent so many hours on his knees in prayer that he wore out his robe.  That reminds me of how surfers used to have this badge of honor back in the sixties because they paddled their surfboards on their knees rather than prone like we do today.  The result of all that time on their knees produced these big ugly bumps on their knees and sometimes on their feet.  They were called “surfer knots”.  During the Vietnam War some surfers were able to be disqualified from the draft because of them.   I wonder if any Christians have any “prayer knots” on their knees?  I wish that would be a badge of honor for Christians today.  I believe the church would be a different place if we spent time on our knees before God in prayer.

So anyhow, James presents his argument.  By the way, this in not James the brother of John who was one of the original apostles.  He was martyred by Herod.  But this James was the half brother of Jesus, who had not believed He was the Christ originally, but after the resurrection believed and became a leader of the church in Jerusalem.  Tradition says he would later be martyred as well by being thrown from the temple wall and then clubbed to death.

James starts his argument by agreeing with Simon Peter who had said that God had taken from among the Gentiles a people for His name and offering a scripture from Amos 9:11-12 to back it up.  And this principle is so important, ladies and gentlemen.  Our doctrine must not be based merely on experience, but it must be in accordance with the word of God.  James places his authority on the word of God, which in the passage in Amos God says He has taken Gentiles who are called by His name.  He did not say He called Gentiles to become Jews, but Gentiles who are called by my name.  Remember, these Gentiles in Antioch were the first to be called Christians.  So James relies upon the authority of scripture.

So there is a three fold argument, the argument of history, as given by Peter, the argument of experience given by Paul and Barnabas, and the argument of scripture as given by James.  And in all three there is agreement, that the Gentiles are saved while still being Gentiles, without conforming to the ordinances of Judaism.

Therefore, James says, it is my judgment, or I resolve, indicating that James, not Peter had the deciding position in the church at Jerusalem.  That is important to note.  We won’t take the time to go into it here, but there is ample evidence in Galatians that this was the incident by which Paul had rebuked Peter for not eating with the Gentiles when the Judaisers came to visit from Jerusalem.  So there is not much evidence to support the idea that Peter is the first Pope.  Peter is an apostle, and a key apostle and a missionary, but so is Paul and God used elders such as James to lead the church at Jerusalem.

So then in closing, let’s consider the judgment that James gives.  It seems at first glance a rather odd assortment of injunctions that are written down to be given to the Gentiles who have been saved.  On the one hand, they have just determined and declared that Gentiles are saved by grace through faith, and now they seem to be adding a few ordinances and commandments as instructions to the Gentile church.

So it is important that we clear up any misconceptions as to this statement.  First of all, James says that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God. James essentially says, "Let them alone. They are turning to God, and we should not add unnecessary burdens on them."

But then he adds four injunctions which are; “But that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.”  Now we might think we understand the first couple of injunctions, but what do we make of the last two, things strangled, and from blood?

Well first of all I suggest to you that these are not the only commandments that we are obliged to keep in the new covenant.  That is not what James is referring to at all.  Some commentators have tried to say that this is a short list of the most vile sins, ie, idolatry, adultery, and murder.  But I would say that is not the case.  If you want a list of vile sins, the New Testament in Galatians 5, or 1 Timothy 1, or 1 Cor. 6 gives many such lists of sins that are not to be named among Christians.

But rather I would suggest that the principle thing that James was concerned about was restoring the fellowship of the church in Antioch from this dissension.  The church at Antioch, as in most Gentile cites, was made up of a mixed congregation, both Jews and Gentiles who had been saved by grace.  And that salvation is by grace alone has just been established by three testimonies of the apostles and elders.  Salvation by grace is not what he is addressing now.  What he is addressing is the need to come together in fellowship, that there would be no more dissension, but rather unity in the church.

That is what Paul addresses also in Ephesians 2.  We all are familiar with Eph.2:8 which says “For by grace are you saved by faith, and that not of yourselves it is a gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.”  That is the famous proof text of grace.  But less attention is usually given to the rest of the passage.  It continues in the next verse; “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  So the point being is there is a place for works in the life of a believer.  We were created FOR good works.  We were given grace and power so that we might walk in good works.  Grace is never given as a license to sin, that grace might abound.  God forbid!

But then read on in Ephesians 2: 11, “Therefore remember that formerly you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called "Uncircumcision" by the so-called "Circumcision," which is performed in the flesh by human hands-- remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.”

See, what Paul is teaching is that the wall of separation between the Jews and Gentiles has been broken down at the cross.  Christ fulfilled all the law, and His death reconciled the two groups into one body, which is the church.  Christ has made peace between Jew and Gentile.  That we might become one.  That we who were far away from the promises to the Israelites might be drawn near, and that the Jews who were under the yoke of the laws of Moses might be made free from that burden which Peter said they could not bear.  That both entities being made one body, might have fellowship with one another in Christ.

So that is the basis for the injunctions that James instructs to be written to the church.  Because in order for there to be fellowship in the church, the members of the body need to be mindful of the needs of each other more than their own freedoms.  So James list four things which he wants the Gentiles to be mindful of lest they cause a stumbling block to the Jews who are fellowshipping with them in the church.  And all of these really have to do with the Gentile temples of false gods or idols.

In the Gentile society, the temple was not just a place of occasional worship, but it was a primary part of their culture and it affected much of daily life. Weddings, birthdays and all sorts of celebrations were commonly observed in the pagan temple. And many pagan temples practiced prostitution as a means of offering worship.  There were temple prostitutes that were part of the fabric of the community and it was considered normal to have those kinds of sexual encounters as part of their religious practice.  And so what James is warning against is that Jews would find any association with those pagan practices offensive.

So the first thing James tells the Gentiles is to abstain from things contaminated by idols.  He is not saying don’t worship idols.  Of course they knew that they must turn away from idol worship.  Paul preached that very thing in the last chapter.  The Gentile Christians understood that.  What James means is to avoid anything contaminated by idol worship. Particularly I think he is saying avoid food that was offered to idols.  There were markets in these Gentile cities that offered meat at wholesale prices which had been offered to idols in sacrifice.  There was nothing wrong with the meat, it was cheap and fresh.  And many people would have been used to buying their meat from those markets. But this would have been a great hindrance to fellowship when you invite a Jewish believer to your house for Sunday dinner.

And the second is associated with idolatry as well.  The word used there for immorality is porneia.  That is the root word from which we get pornography.  Now it includes all sorts of immoral behavior, but I think James is specifically referring to objects associated with immorality which they could see.  Objects like art, jewelry.   For instance it was customary to wear in these Gentile countries jewelry depicting certain immoral goddesses or things associated with immorality.  So James is saying, get rid of those things on your person or in your home which are associated with immorality.  They are offensive, and will cause others to stumble.

And the third and fourth are speaking of virtually the same thing.  The Jews found it offensive to eat anything with blood or in it’s blood.  There were several injunctions in the OT concerning avoiding the contamination of blood.  And so James is saying, avoid blood, for the sake of causing your Jewish brother to stumble.  I think science today has shown the wisdom of scripture in avoiding blood.  Most restaurants are required to put on their menus that it is dangerous to eat meat that is raw.  But while no longer under the Mosaic law to not eat raw meat, it would have been offensive to a Jew to be served that if he were a guest in your house, or you had a fellowship meal in the church.  So for the sake of fellowship, avoid those things which can cause offense to others, especially your Jewish brothers.

So that is the extent of James decision.  Not to put a burden on the Gentiles who were coming to God, but that they would be mindful of their brethren from the Jews who were coming out of Judaism.  And Paul would later make a similar argument in 1Cor.8, speaking about meat offered to idols, “Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.” He is talking about meat offered to idols that would offend other Christians.

So then in conclusion, there is two lessons here that is made.  One is that we are saved by grace through faith.  We don’t have to add any ritual or ceremony as a basis for our salvation.  It is a gift of God.  He does for us what we cannot do for ourselves, namely; purchase our salvation by His sacrifice, bestowing it upon those who repent of their sins and believe in Him, and then giving them an inheritance in heaven that will never fade away, eternal life with Christ.  Such an extravagant gift to us who did nothing to deserve it.  But then the other lesson is the though the grace of God gives us freedom in Christ, yet we dare not use it for selfish gain, but rather instead be mindful of one another, putting their needs above our own, even if we have to restrain our freedom for the sake of a brother.  As we have received grace, let us be gracious to others, treating them as we would like to be treated.  Giving preference to one another in love that the body of Christ may be united.

Vs. 32 concludes by saying that after presenting this decision from Jerusalem to the church, Silas and Judas encouraged and strengthened the church with a lengthy message.  I have tried to do the same.  I hope that you are encouraged and strengthened as you respond in repentance and faith to the grace of our God, and His power towards us in salvation.  Let us pray.