Meeting
of the Jerusalem Council – An Important
Event for Christians
In an earlier post (October
2024), I reminded you of the critically important meeting of the “Jerusalem
Council”, as described in Acts Chapter 15, and Galatians Chapter Two. Now
I’d like to revisit the Scriptural account of that meeting because of a number
of current events that I believe have relevance.
As you may recall from your
own study, at the time of that meeting there had been highly contentious
disagreements between the two major groups that believed in and supported our
Lord Jesus Christ. Their respective positions had each been focused on what
they understood the Lord had required of them. The time interval between their
respective encounters with the Lord was relatively brief with respect to our
sense of time today. But that intervening
time period included the most significant events of the Lord Jesus’ impact on
Christianity…His crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection.
The positions of those two
opposing sides were established some
2,000 years ago, but their respective positions have continued to cause misunderstandings
and dissension among Christians even today.
Interestingly enough, at the
time both groups were correct in their sense of understanding and continuing to
follow the instructions they had received from the Lord Jesus. The Bible explains
this apparent inconsistency in Christian
doctrine which has confused many Christians and others. However, through the Holy Spirit, God expects
us to recognize these differences and to be discerning enough to follow the keys
presented…if only we will read the entire Bible.
One such “key” is to recognize
the importance of “time” as a factor in following and
understanding God’s Plan for the salvation of mankind. As we read the first five
chapters of the first Book of the Bible (Genesis), we cannot fail but to notice
the passage of time, even up to and including the passing of the generations
that followed the creation of the first man Adam. This review of events is one
example of what has been called “progressive revelation”.
Another “key” is found
“hidden” early in the Scripture. As Moses was ending his message to the people
of Israel in the Book of Deuteronomy, he made this statement: “The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things
which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29: 29) An example of this “key”
shows how God reveals one of the most important of those Bible “secrets”. It is
found in the closing verses of the Book of Romans (v. 24 – 27), where the
Apostle Paul (the Apostle of the Gentiles) further enlightens Christians. (Please search that reference.) In short, God keeps things
“secret” (or as “mysteries”) until He is ready to reveal them. This is another example
and endorsement of the concept of “progressive revelation”.
Following that same line of
thought, as you were reading the first three chapters of the Book of Genesis, have
you asked yourself: “Why did the Serpent intervene to destroy the idyllic
relationship between the LORD God and His new Creation Man?” The answer doesn’t become apparent until much
later (thousands of years later) in the Scripture. (See Ezekiel 28: 11-17, and Isaiah
14: 12-14) That third “key” factor is the spiritual enemy of God, Satan /
Lucifer. That Enemy has been venting
his anger and aggression against God, and by targeting man who had been created
in the likeness and image of God. (Genesis 1: 26-28; 2: 7)
That is another key to why
we must read the entire Bible to the end…to get answers to important questions.
We learn more and more as we continue reading, especially into the middle and
latter books of the New Testament.
When we review time
as an influencing factor, and look at God’s history of keeping “secrets”,
we should not be surprised when man’s knowledge increases and perspectives
change. The Bible does not dwell on the opposition of the Enemy, but we are to
recognize his influence as “the god of this world” and “the prince of the power
of the air”. He took those positions when Adam sinned and lost dominion. (2 Corinthians 4: 3-4; Ephesians 2: 1-2 ) Fortunately
the Bible instructs Christian believers how we can overcome his negative influences…if
we keep reading and follow the advice offered. (Ephesians 6: 10-18)
These collective factors and
others have led to reactions among Christians ranging from mere confusion to
outright hostility. Even today, many seek to defend their interpretations on the
positions related to what the Lord Jesus would have us believe. That brings us
back to the Bible itself as the ultimate authority, and the conclusions reached
at the meeting of the Jerusalem Council.
On one side, the Apostles
Peter, James and John and the other disciples of Jesus Christ followed Him in
the belief that He was Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. They believed He had come to establish His
Kingdom on Earth as prophesied through their Scriptures (Torah / Pentateuch and
the Prophets). Further, they were to be
key members of His “Nation of Priests”, as followers of the Law of Moses. (Exodus
19: 1-6; Isaiah 11; Ezekiel 36: 24-38; Daniel 2: 44-45; and others) During His Earthly Ministry, they noted
the Lord Jesus’ performance of numerous signs, miracles and wonders. They believed
His words as He announced the Gospel of the Kingdom…His Earthly Kingdom
which would be established on the Earth and centered in Jerusalem. (Matthew 5:
17; 24: 14; Acts 1: 1-8) This was true
then, and remains true today. The “keys”
then were in the “time” at which that would happen, and that God would
keep that a “secret” until He was ready for man to perceive it. Note the Lord’s final words to His disciples
before His Ascension as recorded in the Book of Acts, Chapter One, Verses Six
through Eight.
On the other side of the
dispute was the Apostle Paul, who had previously been a staunch enemy of all
those who supported the Lord’s Earthly Ministry. But the Ascended Lord Jesus had converted him
(then called Saul of Tarsus) during the dramatic encounter on the “Road to
Damascus”. (Acts 9: 1-31) Paul was
accompanied at the Jerusalem Council meeting by Barnabas and Titus. Paul had converted
and influenced them to believe his revelation from the Ascended Lord. That revelation
was that through the Lord’s shedding of His blood, His death, burial and
resurrection, He had paid the sin-debt of eternal death for mankind, dating
back to Adam’s sin in the Garden of Eden. (Genesis 2: 15-17; Chapter Three) Further, this message of salvation / eternal
life should be preached directly to the Gentiles aside from the Nation of
Israel having to serve as intermediaries as a “Nation of Priests”. (Exodus 19:
5-6) Gentiles could receive this ultimate
blessing of eternal life if they would have faith in / believe this Gospel
of God’s Grace. (1 Corinthians 15: 1-4; Romans 10: 9-13)
As noted above, one major
factor in explaining the differences of opinion was that time had overtaken
the message of the Disciples and others who were a part of the Lord’s Earthly
ministry. That included those who
had come to believe in Jesus and the Gospel of the Kingdom sometime later. Israel
had adamantly refused to accept the Lord Jesus as their Messiah, even when
given another opportunity after His Ascension. Note how the Nation’s leadership
ultimately martyred the disciple Stephen who made that final plea while under
the influence of the Holy Spirit. (Acts Chapters Six and Seven)
After the dispute in the
Council Meeting seemed to be at an impasse, the Holy Spirit prompted Peter to speak up. His recollection of his own encounter with
the Gentiles at the house of the Centurion Cornelius many years earlier had
resulted in their salvation after hearing the Gospel. (Acts Chapter Ten) That momentous
event led to the similarly momentous outcome of the meeting.
The resolution was that
Peter and the other Jews representing the Church at Jerusalem would evangelize
only other Jews under the Gospel of the Kingdom. That was consistent with the Lord’s
commands to His Disciples in Matthew 10: 5 – 6.
Further, Paul and his followers would be authorized to go to the
Gentiles with the Gospel of God’s Grace without interference from the Jerusalem
Church. There is nothing in the Scripture that suggests either side broke the
agreement reached.
[As an aside, it is probably
not a coincidence that this meeting of the Jerusalem Council was documented in
the Bible approximately half-way through the Book of Acts, which is also called
the “Book of Transition”. From this point on, the Apostle Peter is no longer
mentioned, and the focus moved to the Apostle Paul. Further, the narrative
moved from the Gospel of the Kingdom with its focus on the coming Earthly
Kingdom, to Paul’s focus on the broader “Kingdom of God”. (Acts 19: 8; 20:
25; 28: 23 and 31) More will be discussed
on that difference in a future post.]
Unfortunately, from the time
that the Jerusalem Council’s agreement was reached many Gentiles have since
then been led to follow the precepts of Israel’s Gospel of the Kingdom, rather
than the Gospel of God’s Grace as revealed to Paul by the Ascended Lord Jesus. In
fact, many “Christian churches” have not addressed the differences between the
two lines of doctrine, further leading to confusion, misunderstandings, and
even dissension. That feeds directly into the strategy of the Enemy who
would undermine the sacrifices made by the Lord Jesus to redeem mankind through
His Crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection.
To confirm my point, note
how many of our “Christian” colleagues are even aware of the Gospel of Grace as
revealed to the Apostle Paul by the Ascended Lord Jesus. (1 Corinthians 15:
1-4; Romans 10: 9-13) God kept it “secret / a mystery”, until He
chose to reveal it, as He advised Moses earlier in the Bible as noted above.
(Deuteronomy 29: 29) Since we have
access to the Word of God through the Holy Bible, we are expected to be able to
differentiate between what was revealed to gifted men through the Holy Spirit those
2,000 years ago (2 Timothy Chapter Three, especially Verses 14-17), in contrast
to what has been taught by many as adulterated doctrine since then.
Finally, for those who believe
in the Lord Jesus but are reluctant to move away from Peter’s teachings, we should
remember what Peter himself advised. That
advice came In his last letter to the members of the Jerusalem Church who had
been “scattered” due to persecution for their following the Lord Jesus. (1
Peter 1: 1) (Soon afterwards, in approximately
67 – 68 AD, he would be martyred, and in 70 AD, Rome would destroy Israel’s
Temple and kill or disperse the remaining Jews from Jerusalem.) It is evident that Peter respected Paul’s relationship
with the Ascended Lord Jesus, even though he didn’t have a full understanding
of Paul’s doctrine. The Scripture says Peter wanted his followers to follow Paul,
when he said:
“And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even
as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath
written unto you;
16 As
also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some
things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest,
as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction.
17 Ye
therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also,
being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.
18 But
grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To
him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (2 Peter 3: 15-18)
Dr. W. A. (Bill) Robinson
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