The Jerusalem Council
Acts 15:1–35
The Council of Jerusalem is unquestionably a climactic moment in the history of the Church, for in it the Church’s message is decisively extended to all nations. The council reaches conclusions on two related concerns: first, how Gentiles can be saved by Christ; second, how they are to relate to their Jewish-Christian brothers and sisters. The meeting provides today’s Church with a helpful model for resolving controversies and discerning God’s will as new questions arise.
The need to consult the mother church of Jerusalem arises because of some Judean Christians’ heated arguments with Paul and Barnabas about whether Gentile converts needed to submit to circumcision and the Mosaic law. The church of Antioch appeals to the authority of the Jerusalem apostles and elders. When the council convenes (v. 6), Peter responds to the vigorous opening debate by recounting the conversion of the Gentile Cornelius. Then he presents his conclusion from that experience: salvation is by faith in Jesus rather than through the law (v. 11). Paul and Barnabas then confirm Peter’s theological explanation by witnessing to God’s extraordinary blessing on their ministry to Gentiles.
The argument is settled when James, who by then has become the head of the Jewish-Christian Jerusalem community, accepts Peter’s argument and confirms it with the authority of Scripture: the conversion of Gentiles in God’s saving plan is already foretold in the Old Testament. James then decrees a pastoral application of the principle enunciated by Peter: Gentiles should not be required to be circumcised but should only be asked to abide by the elements of the law necessary to preserve harmonious community life between Jewish and Gentile Christians, including common meals and intermarriage.
The Council of Jerusalem (15:1–12)
1Some who had come down from Judea were instructing the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the Mosaic practice, you cannot be saved.” 2Because there arose no little dissension and debate by Paul and Barnabas with them, it was decided that Paul, Barnabas, and some of the others should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and presbyters about this question. 3They were sent on their journey by the church, and passed through Phoenicia and Samaria telling of the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, as well as by the apostles and the presbyters, and they reported what God had done with them. 5But some from the party of the Pharisees who had become believers stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and direct them to observe the Mosaic law.”
6The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. 7After much debate had taken place, Peter got up and said to them, “My brothers, you are well aware that from early days God made his choice among you that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts. 10Why, then, are you now putting God to the test by placing on the shoulders of the disciples a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.” 12The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles through them.
OT: Isa 42:24; Jer 6:19; Deut 6:16; Ps 95:10–11
NT: Acts 10, especially v. 28; 15:23–29; Rom 2:25–27
Catechism: magisterium, 888–92, 2034; authority of Peter, 880–83
Lectionary: Acts 15:1–2, 22–29: Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)
[15:1]
After Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch, some Jewish Christians from Judea arrive there and begin teaching that Gentile converts must be circumcised according to the Mosaic practice; otherwise they cannot be saved (see Acts 15:24; Gal 1:7). Since in the Old Testament Gentiles became part of God’s people through circumcision, this assertion by the Judeans is not surprising. But these †Judaizing demands threaten the very foundations of the mission to the Gentiles (see Gal 5:1–4; Phil 3:2–3).
[15:2]
Because so much is at stake, the Judeans’ claim causes no little dissension and debate. The local church at Antioch tries unsuccessfully to resolve the dispute. Ultimately it decides that Paul, Barnabas, and some others should go up to Jerusalem to consult the leaders of the mother church, the apostles and †presbyters, to settle this question. Since Jerusalem has confirmed the founding of the Antioch church (Acts 11:19–24), and since the people causing doubts are from Judea, the daughter church appeals to Jerusalem concerning this conflict that threatens the very basis of their doctrine and communal life.
[15:3]
Those in the delegation are sent on their journey by the church. On their way to Jerusalem through Phoenicia and Samaria, regions that have been evangelized earlier (Acts 8–9), they report to Christians the conversion of the Gentiles, causing great joy.
[15:4]
Their enthusiastic reception continues all the way into Jerusalem, where they are welcomed by the church and its leaders. First they report what God had done with them. Paul and Barnabas continue to focus on God’s action through them, not on their own successes. Thus far their point of view about God’s gathering Gentiles into his people seems to be received favorably.
[15:5]
In Jerusalem, however, their view is quickly challenged. The same objection that has been raised in Antioch is presented by some Pharisees who had become believers. Ironically, they belong to the same Jewish party of which Paul himself is a member (23:6). They insist that it is necessary to circumcise converts; in effect, one must become a Jew in order to become a Christian. In Luke-Acts, the term for “necessary” (Greek dei) often refers to God’s will, so the implication is that circumcision is necessary for salvation in God’s plan. They also argue that these new converts need to be directed to observe the Mosaic law, because circumcision implies acceptance of the entire law (see Gal 5:3).
[15:6–7]
Because this controversy is so critical to the future of the Church, the apostles and the presbyters gather in council to discuss it. The council begins with much debate, in which all participants are able to air their opposing viewpoints. Finally Peter, the head of the apostles (see Matt 16:18; Luke 22:31–32; Acts 1:15), intervenes. He reminds the community that God first chose him, Peter, as his instrument through whom the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. This refers to his role in what had been a surprising new development for the Church, the evangelization of the Gentile Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:1–11:18).
[15:8–9]
Peter further reminds his listeners that only God knows the heart, and that God bore witness that Gentiles could be full members of his people by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. God himself bypassed the need for circumcision by pouring out the Holy Spirit on Cornelius and his friends, just as had happened to the Jewish believers at Pentecost.
This demonstrates that God made no distinction between us and them, for both Jews and Gentiles receive the same divine gift by faith, and not through circumcision or the law. The perceptible outpouring of the Spirit made it evident that God had purified the hearts of these Gentiles from sin. In the Old Covenant, the temple sacrifices had cleansed God’s people from ritual defilement, enabling them to come before him in worship. But now in Christ both Jews and Gentiles are cleansed inwardly by the Holy Spirit and thus are given the ability to worship God as his daughters and sons. As Peter had recognized after his vision, the uncircumcised must no longer be considered unclean (Acts 10:28), or in modern terms, second-class citizens.
[15:10]
Peter gives a remarkably negative assessment of the demand that Gentiles be circumcised. He calls it putting God to the test—what Satan had tried to get Jesus to do (Luke 4:9–12) and had gotten Ananias and Sapphira to do (Acts 5:1–11), and which the Israelites had done in the desert (Deut 6:16; Ps 95:9). In effect, the †Judaizers were challenging God’s authority and clear guidance, for they were ignoring how God himself was treating the Gentiles and were demanding circumcision, from which God had obviously exempted the Gentiles by giving them his Holy Spirit.
Peter further interprets their demands as placing on the shoulders of Gentile disciples a yoke that neither ancient Israelites nor first-century Jews were able to bear. The “yoke of the law” is an expression in both ancient and modern Judaism for the law of Moses, a whole way of life in covenant relationship with God. But this does not mean they were fully able to keep the law, as Paul argues in Rom 3:9–23. Peter’s statement about God’s people not keeping the law has precedents in the Old Testament prophets, who denounced Israel for disobeying the law (see Isa 42:24; Jer 6:19), and is reinforced by Paul’s teaching in Rom 2:25–27.
[15:11]
Peter concludes with the assertion that is at the core of the good news: “We believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.” Both Jews and Gentiles are saved by pure, unmerited grace, the grace won by Jesus’ death and resurrection and God’s free gift of his Holy Spirit.
[15:12]
Peter’s theological demonstration subdues the arguments of the whole assembly. Then Paul and Barnabas further confirm what Peter has declared by reporting the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles, keeping the focus on God’s actions, not their own.
James on Dietary Law (15:13–21)
13After they had fallen silent, James responded, “My brothers, listen to me. 14Symeon has described how God first concerned himself with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name. 15The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written:
16‘After this I shall return
and rebuild the fallen hut of David;
from its ruins I shall rebuild it
and raise it up again,
17so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord,
even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked.
Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things,
18known from of old.’
19It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, 20but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood. 21For Moses, for generations now, has had those who proclaim him in every town, as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”
OT: Lev 17–18; Deut 14:2; Isa 45:21; Jer 12:15; 13:11; Amos 9:11–12
NT: Acts 13:30–37
Catechism: the old law and the new, 1963–64, 1967–68; magisterium 85–88, 890–92, 2034
[15:13]
When Paul and Barnabas finish their testimony, James responds by reinforcing Peter’s argument with a citation from the Old Testament. Like many speeches in Acts, James’s speech begins with a customary rhetorical introduction: “My brothers, listen to me.”
[15:14]
James uses Peter’s original name in its more Semitic form, Symeon. As James summarizes the Cornelius story, he focuses solely on God’s action: “God first concerned himself with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name.” The same biblical language that described God’s formation of the Israelites as his chosen people (Deut 14:2) is now used for Gentiles. God is granting the privileged status of being his people not only to Jews but also to believers from among the nations. They, too, can now belong to a “people for his name.” As the Israelites had represented and honored God’s name before unbelieving peoples, so now converted Gentiles can also give witness to God’s holy name before unbelievers.
[15:15]
James argues that the words of the prophets agree with this. That is, the Scriptures confirm that God had always intended to gather the Gentiles into his people. The words he cites are mostly from Amos 9:11–12, but with elements from Jer 12:15 and Isa 45:21.
[15:16]
In its original context, after this I shall return (Jer 12:15) meant that God would have mercy on his people after punishing them. The next line, from Amos, foretold that God would rebuild the fallen hut of David, that is, God would restore the Davidic dynasty, which was defunct since the Babylonian exile. God would raise it up again. Though the word here refers to restoring a fallen building, readers are meant to recall Paul’s earlier argument that it was David’s descendant, Jesus, who was literally raised up from the dead to rule without end (13:30–37).
[15:17–18]
God’s intended result for Jesus’ resurrection is so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord. In the Old Testament “the LORD” refers to God, but here “the Lord” seems to apply to Jesus, now risen and exalted as Lord. “The rest of humanity” are all the Gentiles on whom God’s name is invoked. Such Gentiles include Cornelius and the converts at Antioch who were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (see Acts 11:20–21). The ancient prophecy takes on new meaning as it is now interpreted in light of Christ: Thus says the Lord Jesus, who accomplishes these things, that is, the inclusion of Gentiles into God’s people that had been foretold from of old (Isa 45:21).
[15:19]
Based on Peter’s testimony and its biblical confirmation, James, the leading spokesperson of the Jerusalem church, expresses agreement with Peter: “It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God.” The essential question, whether Gentile converts need to submit to circumcision and the Mosaic law in order to become members of God’s people, has been decisively answered.
[15:20]
However, there is a second, pastoral concern that James now addresses. Devout Jews did not associate with Gentiles, especially at table, because of what Jewish law regarded as their unclean practices (see Acts 10:28). If uncircumcised Gentiles can now join Jewish believers as fellow members of the Church, how can the two groups relate to each other, especially in table fellowship, which is central to Christian life (Acts 2:42)? James provides a way by stipulating that Gentile converts must avoid four sources of defilement: pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.
These four conditions have biblical precedent. They are drawn from those stipulations in the law of Moses that applied not only to Israelites but also to the Gentile resident aliens who lived among them (Lev 17:8–18:30). Pollution from idols refers to eating meat that had been sacrificed to pagan gods—a common affair in the ancient pagan world, even for meat sold in the marketplace, and something that remained a temptation even for Christian converts (see 1 Cor 8:1–13; 10:18–33; Rom 14). It may also allude to immoral practices in pagan temple worship. Blood refers to consuming anything with blood in it (such as blood sausage), strictly forbidden in the law of Moses because blood, as the seat of life, is sacred (Gen 9:4; Lev 17:13–14; 19:26). The meat of strangled animals refers, similarly, to meat from animals not properly drained of blood (Lev 17:13–14).
The NAB translates the fourth item as unlawful marriage, interpreting the Greek porneia as referring to intermarriage within closer degrees of kinship than was allowed by the law of Moses (see Lev 18:6–18). But porneia, literally, sexual immorality, can also refer more broadly to the various forms of sexual immorality mentioned in Lev 18:6–23.
If Gentile Christians break from their pagan past by avoiding these four kinds of defilement, Jews and Gentiles together will be able to enjoy fellowship in one community and share in a single Eucharist.
[15:21]
James appeals to the precedent that for generations now the law of Moses has been preached in every city throughout the Greco-Roman world, having been read every sabbath in the synagogues. For a long time, Gentile †God-fearers who have attended synagogues have been asked to avoid these practices, which violate the law of their Jewish hosts. James is simply requesting the same conditions of Gentile Christians. The key theological point is that these requests do not concern how Gentiles are to be saved, which was the original argument (Acts 15:1), but only how to facilitate Gentiles and Jews’ living peacefully together in Christian community. Whereas Peter’s pronouncement in verse 11 about how Gentiles are saved is a doctrinal matter, James’s pronouncement in verse 20 is a disciplinary matter.
Letter of the Apostles (15:22–29)
22Then the apostles and presbyters, in agreement with the whole church, decided to choose representatives and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. The ones chosen were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers. 23This is the letter delivered by them: “The apostles and the presbyters, your brothers, to the brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia of Gentile origin: greetings. 24Since we have heard that some of our number [who went out] without any mandate from us have upset you with their teachings and disturbed your peace of mind, 25we have with one accord decided to choose representatives and to send them to you along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27So we are sending Judas and Silas who will also convey this same message by word of mouth: 28‘It is the decision of the holy Spirit and of us not to place on you any burden beyond these necessities, 29namely, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage. If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right. Farewell.’”
OT: Lev 17–18
NT: 1 Cor 8–10; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1; 1 Pet 5:12; Rev 2:14, 20
Catechism: Holy Spirit guides the Church, 768, 890–92; Jews and Gentiles made one, 781; handing down faith in formulas, 186
Lectionary: Acts 15:1–2, 22–29: Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C)
[15:22]
Following James’s speech, the apostles and presbyters arrive at a consensus decision in agreement with the whole church: they will choose representatives and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, who are representing the Antioch church at Jerusalem (v. 2). The chosen delegates are Judas, who was called Barsabbas, possibly a brother of “Joseph called Barsabbas,” who had been a candidate to replace the fallen-away Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:23); and Silas, who will later replace Barnabas as Paul’s missionary companion (15:40). These two men are leaders among the brothers in the Jerusalem church, although their precise leadership role is not indicated; later they are identified as Christian prophets (Acts 15:32).
[15:23]
The letter that the delegation is to deliver follows standard Hellenistic letter-writing patterns. It begins by identifying the senders, the Jerusalem apostles and the presbyters. It then specifies the letter recipients, the Gentile Christians of Antioch, where the problem was acute, and the entire provinces of Syria (where Antioch was located) and Cilicia. The identification of both senders and recipients of the letter as brothers emphasizes their common identity as children of God the Father. By first stressing their unity in the family of God, the Council seeks to win over Gentile readers, before the letter goes on to request that they make a few concessions, abandoning some of their previous practices.
[15:24]
The letter states that some of our number, Jewish Christians from Judea, had no authority to teach what they did but were acting on their own without any mandate from the mother church of Jerusalem. It acknowledges that these individuals have upset the Gentile converts of Antioch and disturbed their peace of mind by teaching that they cannot be saved without circumcision (15:1). Paul uses similar strong language in Gal 1:7.
[15:25–26]
The Jerusalem leaders emphasize that their decision was made with one accord, an expression Luke often uses for unity of heart and mind in the Church. They have decided to correct the error by choosing representatives to accompany Barnabas and Paul back to Antioch. Calling these men “beloved” conveys Jerusalem’s solidarity with them. They are honored as men who have dedicated their lives to, or “risked their lives for,” the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[15:27]
Judas and Silas will carry the letter and also convey this same message by word of mouth. It was common for the bearer of a letter to authenticate it by repeating orally at least the substance of its contents. Judas and Silas, evidently esteemed leaders among the early Christians, will unambiguously corroborate the council’s decision concerning the controversy, in which Paul and Barnabas had represented only one side.
[15:28–29]
Strikingly, the apostles and elders describe the conclusion of their deliberations as the decision of the holy Spirit and of us: they are confident that their decision was guided by the Holy Spirit, as Jesus had promised (John 16:13; see Matt 18:18). This union of divine guidance and human discernment is similar to the decision by the Antioch church to set apart Barnabas and Saul for mission in Acts 13:1–3.
The letter repeats the council’s judgment not to impose on Gentiles any burden, particularly circumcision and the Mosaic law, beyond what is necessary for communal life shared by Gentile and Jewish Christians. The essential requirements are, with slight variations, the four conditions already mentioned by James (v. 20).
The first, to abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, which James had referred to as “pollution from idols” (v. 20), persisted as a serious concern among mixed Jewish-Gentile Christian communities and is addressed at length by Paul in 1 Cor 8–10. Even though sacrificed meat was sometimes the readiest source of meat for poor people, the fact that it had first been offered to idols made it problematic not only for Jews but particularly also for Christians who understood that what is offered to idols is really offered to demons (1 Cor 10:20–21). Eating such meat was also liable to mislead new Christians into relapsing into their previous idolatrous practices. The other three stipulations, to refrain from blood, from meats of strangled animals, and from unlawful marriage, are explained in the commentary on verse 20 above.
The letter makes it easier for the recipients to accept these requirements by addressing a gracious exhortation to their free will: “If you keep free of these, you will be doing what is right.” Finally, the letter ends with a typical closing salutation, “Farewell.”
Delegates at Antioch (15:30–35)
30And so they were sent on their journey. Upon their arrival in Antioch they called the assembly together and delivered the letter. 31When the people read it, they were delighted with the exhortation. 32Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, exhorted and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33After they had spent some time there, they were sent off with greetings of peace from the brothers to those who had commissioned them. [34] 35But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming with many others the word of the Lord.
OT: 1 Kings 13:32; Jer 11:6
NT: Acts 13:15
Catechism: handing down the faith in formulas, 186
[15:30–32]
The response of the church in Antioch to the letter is quite positive. By emphasizing that the people are delighted with the exhortation, Luke signals both acceptance of the decision and a strengthened bond of unity between the churches of Jerusalem and Antioch. The Greek word for exhortation, paraklēsis, can also mean consolation or comfort. The context suggests both meanings: the letter was an exhortation to keep the requirements of verse 29 and a consolation in its clear affirmation that uncircumcised believers are full members of the Church.
The Jerusalem delegates, Judas and Silas, remained for some time in Antioch, where they exhorted and strengthened the believers to fidelity to Christ. These men were prophets, that is, they were endowed by the Holy Spirit with the charism of prophecy so that their words had a divine power to encourage and strengthen the believers (see Paul’s description of prophecy in 1 Cor 14:3).
[15:33]
Their mission completed, the delegates are sent off with greetings of peace to the leaders in Jerusalem who had sent them. Luke emphasizes the peace and harmony between the churches at Antioch and Jerusalem.
[15:34–35]
Some ancient manuscripts and translations of Acts add, in various wordings, verse 34: “But Silas decided to remain there.” This statement prepares for verse 40, where Paul departs from Antioch with Silas on a missionary journey. Meanwhile Paul and Barnabas remain in Antioch, the home church that commissions their missionary journeys. Not unexpectedly, they are teaching and proclaiming, along with other teachers, the word of the Lord, the good news about Jesus and practical instruction about how to live as his disciples.
Reflection and Application (15:1–35)
The controversy over circumcising Gentiles and its resolution in the Jerusalem Council is a paradigm for settling later controversies in the Church. First, it illustrates the importance of not being afraid honestly to express one’s opinions on questions that are not yet settled. Both sides need to be willing to listen respectfully and evaluate the opposing arguments. The issues need to be adequately discussed to arrive at as much clarity and consensus as possible. People from varied backgrounds may well have complementary perspectives, although sometimes, as in Acts 15, one position will be found to be true and the other mistaken.
Those responsible to decide on ecclesial questions are not self-selected individuals seeking to promote a particular agenda, but properly appointed church leaders who are accountable to Christ. Nor can the resulting decrees contradict previous doctrine on faith or morals. Ultimately, God’s revelation, handed down in Scripture and tradition, provides the foundation for all discernment.
Acts 15 illustrates the importance of divine guidance as well as human reasoning for resolving even the deepest differences. From the first, the matter needs to be submitted prayerfully to the Holy Spirit. Earnest prayer together provides the setting for a sound and peaceful resolution.
When the apostolic example of Acts 15 is not followed, arguments can easily lead to polarization. Sometimes they result in actual schisms, as in the many Protestant denominations that have split from one another over competing interpretations of Scripture. At other times they lead to dissenting subgroups that reject Church authority in regard to liturgical or moral questions. Dissent from what has been solemnly decided by the universal Church undermines Christian unity.
