The Spirit Transcends Instructions

MEMORY VERSE: “For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition.” —Ephesians 2:14

ACTS 15:1-12

ONE OF the issues which confronted the Early Church was what attitude should be taken toward the Gentiles who were accepting the Gospel of Christ and coming in among them to fellowship. The Jews had been schooled in the thought that they alone were God’s chosen people, and that the Law given at Mt. Sinai was God’s provision of salvation. God had said to this people, “You only have I known of all the families of the earth.”—Amos 3:2

When Jesus sent his disciples into the ministry he commanded them, saying, “Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matt. 10:5,6) It is true that later Jesus broadened the scope of this commission, commanding that his disciples go into all the world and preach the Gospel. But the transition from one viewpoint to the other was not easy for them. Apparently no Gentile was refused admittance into the church because of this, but there were certain ones who insisted that these Gentile converts be circumcised after the manner of Moses, otherwise they could not be saved.

Paul and Barnabas did not share this viewpoint. God had especially appointed Paul to be an apostle to the Gentiles, which included a clear revelation of the fact that they could, upon the basis of faith, accept Christ, dedicate themselves to him, and not be burdened by the Jewish Law. At the time of our lesson Barnabas was working with Paul, and as verse 2 states, “had no small dissension and disputation” with those who were insisting that Gentile converts should be circumcised.

However, all concerned seemed to maintain a good spirit in this discussion and agreed that they “should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.” “They passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.”—vss. 3-6

The Apostle Peter was on hand to attend this conference. His testimony was, “Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the Gospel, and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”—vss. 7-11

In Peter’s speech he states that God had chosen him to first convey the Gospel message to the Gentiles. This refers to the conversion of Cornelius, who was the first Gentile to become a Christian. The record of this event is recorded in Acts, chapter 10. This is not out of harmony with other scriptures which indicate that Paul was chosen to be the apostle to the Gentiles. There is no indication in the Scriptures that Peter continued a special ministry to the Gentiles.

After listening to Peter’s speech, those attending the conference “kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.” And it was true. As Paul and Barnabas continued their missionary work, witnessing to both Jews and Gentiles, they had remarkable evidence of God’s blessing upon the incoming Gentile converts.

The brethren at the conference arrived at a conclusion as to how to deal with the issue discussed. They decided to dispatch a letter to the many Gentile converts. In that letter they said, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden that these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye Shall do well. Fare ye well”—Acts 15:28,29

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