Acts 15:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.

NIV: This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

NASB: And after Paul and Barnabas had a heated argument and debate with them, the brothers determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

CSB: After Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, Paul and Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this issue.

NLT: Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question.

KJV: When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

NKJV: Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.

Paul and Barnabas are enjoying an encouraging break in Syrian Antioch. Then, Pharisee Christians arrive from Judea. They insist the significant number of Gentiles in the church must be circumcised and dedicate themselves to the Mosaic law in order to be saved (Acts 15:1). Paul and Barnabas vehemently disagree. They have spent several months traveling through Cyprus and central modern-day Asia Minor, sharing the good news of salvation through Jesus' sacrifice. They have seen countless Gentiles accept their message and receive the Holy Spirit before baptism and without circumcision (Acts 10). They are convinced that although Jesus of Nazareth is the Jewish Messiah, salvation is through Christ, not Judaism. In fact, Paul knows the Pharisees only want the Gentiles to convert so they can retain their reputation among the non-Christian Jews (Galatians 6:12).

It's worth noting that Paul knows he's right; he is not fawning over the leadership positions held by the twelve apostles and James the half-brother of Jesus (Galatians 2:6). But he sees the value in endorsement from the original leaders of the faith, to protect the believers in the ever-spreading church. In Jerusalem, he will get a letter from James, the apostles, and the elders of the church in Jerusalem stating unequivocally that salvation does not require circumcision or adherence to the Mosaic law (Acts 15:22–29). Armed with this, Paul can fight for the unity of the churches in the Roman Empire. He can oppose legalists who have a hard time accepting how their religious expression has been usurped by grace—as it always was.

Representatives of a church in Syrian Antioch travelled to the first church in Jerusalem to seek clarification from the leadership there. This event has influenced our understanding of church government. Those who espouse an "episcopalian" government, with a strict hierarchy leading to a single leader, such as a bishop or pope, cite James' role in Acts 15:13–29. This is viewed as evidence that Jesus' plan was always a single leader over the entire church. Meanwhile, a "presbyterian" model rests structure on the meeting of representatives, elders, and apostles in the council of Acts 15:6–29.

Acts 15:1–5 finds Paul and Barnabas home in the heavily-Gentile church in Syrian Antioch (Acts 11:19–21). They have been planting several Jewish/Gentile churches in Cyprus and modern-day central Asia Minor (Acts 13—14). Legalistic Jewish Christians from Jerusalem arrive and insist Gentiles cannot be saved unless they are circumcised and follow the Mosaic law. Paul, Barnabas, and the leadership of the church in Antioch do not agree. Paul and Barnabas travel to ask the leadership of the church in Jerusalem for a formal ruling.

Paul and Barnabas are in Syrian Antioch, home from their first missionary journey. Legalistic Christians from Jerusalem arrive and insist Gentiles must convert to Judaism. When negotiations fail, a delegation travels to Jerusalem to request clarification from Jesus' closest students. The leadership in Jerusalem agree with Paul and Barnabas. They write a letter that Gentiles should only make concessions, mostly dietary, which will ensure unity with the Jews in their congregation. After delivering the letter to Antioch, Paul takes Silas and Barnabas takes John Mark to share the letter to other churches they have planted.

Acts chapter 15 resembles Acts 11:1–18, where Peter testified before the leadership of the church in Jerusalem. His subject was how the Holy Spirit had fallen on uncircumcised and unbaptized Gentiles. Here Paul and Barnabas also testify that Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus without being circumcised. The issue the leadership must decide is the extent Gentiles must be responsible to follow the Mosaic law. Their decision is that the Law is in no way required to be saved, but Gentiles should graciously make concessions so their Jewish brothers and sisters feel free to live in community. This forms a partial background to the rest of Paul's missionary journeys as explained in Acts.

The summary of the book of Acts is provided in Jesus' words in Acts 1:8: ''But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'' In Acts 2:1–13, the Christ-followers receive the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:14—7:60 describes the rapid growth of the church in Jerusalem. Chapters 8—12 find Jewish persecution inadvertently spreading the gospel throughout Judea and Samaria. And in chapters 13—28, Paul and his companions spread the good news throughout the Roman Empire.