The apostles and the presbyters met together to see about this matter. 7 After 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. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness by granting them the holy Spirit just as he did us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for by faith he purified their hearts. 10 Why, 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? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.” 12 The whole assembly fell silent, and they listened while Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles through them.
13 After they had fallen silent, James responded, “My brothers, listen to me. 14 Symeon 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.’ 19 It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood. 21 For Moses, for generations now, has had those who proclaim him in every town, as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”
In Acts 15:7-21, we witness the pivotal moment of the Council of Jerusalem, where the early Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, discerns whether Gentile converts must follow the Mosaic Law, especially the requirement of circumcision, to be saved.
After much debate (v. 7), Peter stands up and reminds the assembly how God chose him to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 10-11). This refers to the conversion of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, whose household received the Holy Spirit without first becoming Jewish (Acts 10:44-48). Peter affirms that “God, who knows the heart” (v. 8), gave the Holy Spirit to them just as to the Jewish believers, making no distinction between them (cf. Rom. 2:11; Gal. 3:28). The implication is profound: faith in Jesus Christ, not adherence to the Mosaic Law, is the means of salvation.
Peter then asks: “Why, 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?” (v. 10). Here, “putting God to the test” echoes Israel's rebellion in the wilderness (cf. Ex. 17:2; Deut. 6:16), where to test God was to doubt His plan. Peter warns that insisting on circumcision and the full Mosaic Law for salvation is not only a rejection of God’s initiative but a denial of the sufficiency of grace. The “yoke” refers to the entire system of legal observances, which even devout Jews struggled to keep in its entirety. It is not the Law’s intrinsic goodness that is questioned (cf. Ps. 19:8-11), but its inability to justify humanity apart from grace (cf. Gal. 2:16; Rom. 3:20).
Peter's declaration in verse 11 is central: “We believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they.” This echoes a core Christian doctrine: salvation is a gift, not earned by works of the law, but received through faith and God's grace (Eph. 2:8-9).
After Barnabas and Paul recount the wonders God has worked among the Gentiles (v. 12), James, the leader of the Jerusalem Church and a relative of Jesus, affirms Peter's position. Citing Amos 9:11-12, he sees the Gentile inclusion as a fulfillment of prophecy: the restored Davidic kingdom would be open to all nations who seek the Lord. This demonstrates the early Church’s belief that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament promises(cf. Luke 24:27).
James proposes a pastoral solution: Gentile believers are not required to be circumcised, but they should abstain from certain practices associated with idolatry and moral impurity (v. 20), drawn from Leviticus 17-18. These prohibitions reflect not merely ceremonial concerns but essential moral teachings and the need for communal harmony between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
Lord Jesus Christ, You have broken down the dividing wall between peoples and made us one in Your Body. Thank You for the gift of salvation, not earned, but given freely by Your grace. Help us to live in the freedom of Your love and to walk in unity with our brothers and sisters, guided always by Your Spirit and the truth of Your Word. Amen.
O Lord, guard and guide all who set their feet on the road of faith
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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