Acts 15:5-13 Bible Teaching

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Okay . . .

Paul and Barnabas have returned to Antioch and reported all that they experienced. And after being there “long time” some Jewish converts to the faith came to them by way of Judea and maintained that the gentile converts needed to conform to the command of circumcision.

And the last verse we read last week was

. 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.

Let’s read on.

Acts 15.5-13
December 18th 2016
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5 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.
6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, 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.
8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10 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?
11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.
13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:

Acts 15:5 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.

Now, we recall from last week that when Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch that certain Jewish converts came to them there.

This passage seems to suggest that once again the complaint or demand was brought up by another or the same set of Jews.

We really don’t know what is going on here – in other words who is bringing the complaint.

Here are our options:

That since the Gospel was going out to the Gentiles the demand they be circumcised was universal issue and this was a group of Pharisees (non believers) that were raising the issue up amidst Paul and the other apostles and elders.
This is interesting because this is why Paul and Barnabas even went to Jerusalem. But its possible.

OR

These were the same Jews that had gone to Antioch and it so happened that they were once Pharisees (which is somewhat unlikely)

Whatever it was the complaint or issue was once again brought up here in Jerusalem. In my estimation Paul and Barnabas were there about this issue and while they were there some Pharisees “rose up” (they had an issue, which could have been brought up by the Jews who had gone to Antioch) and they brought it up causing Paul to probably say or think, “that’s interesting. That’s the very topic we came to discuss with you brethren.”

Verse six

6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.

It’s nice to see that the apostles appeared to have an attitude that said to the chosen elders there in the church, “come join in this discussion,” instead of imposing their authority on them but instead included them.

“to consider this matter.”

We will see that no Elder stood up and spoke – that it was only the Apostles – but the elders were included in the “considerations” – a Greek term that mean to discuss and deliberate and compare views.

This was a grave issue and what was determined had enormous implications on both the relations between the Jews and the Christian converts as well as how Christianity was going to be defined.

Here, today in our text, we are going to hear from four witnesses and their views on the matter of circumcision – Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and James.

Circumcision means “cutting around.”

Some anthropologists believe that other cultures practiced it – I’m uncertain of the validity of this – but God appointed it to the Nation of Israel as a special identifier and sign of their dedication and consecration to Him.

In Genesis 17 it was established as a national ordinance and even though Abraham was ninety-nine years old he was circumcised on that day with Ishmael, who was thirteen.

Males were circumcised as their wives had all of their identity with the Lord in and through their husbands.

The identifier was so important that even slaves, whether owned from birth or purchased were also circumcised. In addition, any and all foreigners were required to all of their males circumcised before they could enjoy the privileges of Jewish citizenship. (that’s Exodus 12:48).

During the time that the Nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness, the practice of circumcision fell into arrears.

Joshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus) instructed all the males (before they entered the Promised Land) to receive the rite. (that’s in Joshua 5:2-9).

Thereafter the practice was always observed among the tribes of Israel, although we don’t read about it expressly from the time of the settlement in Canaan until the time of Christ, about 1,450 years later. We might say that it was a given.

Nevertheless, circumcision was a rite connected to Man and his relationship with God that has been around a long, long, long time.

And ceremonial demands die hard.

This being said we DO KNOW that the Jews prided themselves as being distinct as a result of practicing circumcision among the nations.

It was a covenantal distinction. Remember this terms – a covenantal distinction.

For this reason other groups were often referred to as “the uncircumcised” or the uncircumcised blankety blanks (Philistines).

Under the Jewish dispensation, church and state were identical – this is NOT the case today though many Evangelicals attempt to make it such. But to a Jew no one could be a member of the one without also being a member of the other. Circumcision was a sign and seal of membership in both.

So, in summary, every circumcised person bore evidence that he was one of the chosen people, a member of the church of God as it then existed, and consequently also a member of the Jewish commonwealth.

An historical practice.
A powerful identifier.
A symbol of great unity.

We are about to see that the apostles are going to do away with it as a mandated rite in the New Testament church.

This would be a clear “diakrino” between the heart and ways of those of the Nation of Israel and all who became members of God’s kingdom by faith.

I add by faith because the apostles are putting an end to rites as a means to be right or in harmony with God.

All of them over and done, or as Paul will write later in Colossians chapter 1 verse 10:

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.” And then in the second chapter adding:

Colossians 2:13-14 “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”

See, in the Old Testament there was a spiritual idea is attached to circumcision – whether it was remembered by the Nation in the days of Jesus is another matter.

First, it was the symbol of purity.

Isaiah 52:1 says, “Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.”

Anything and everything that was to be considered unclean was called, uncircumcised including trees (Levitcus 19:23) lips that speak (Exodus 6) ears (Jeremiah 6:10) and of course hearts
(Leviticus 26:41).

Those of the Nation (which was all of them) bore a sign and seal that they were of the covenant of God’s grace and provision because they had been outwardly cleaned through the rites and rituals of the Law – circumcision was the observable symbol for this.

They also bore in their flesh the promise that as member of this group they would be redeemed.

Even though the sign was outwardly bore there was always, always associated with it the expectation to be inwardly pure or “circumcised of the heart.”

By the time Jesus came around the Nation was certain to practice and bear the sign of outward circumcision but their hearts were far from soft and pure.

Additionally, where the rite sealed the promises made to Abraham of identification with the Living God, His grace upon them and their promised redemption, in the New Testament Paul writes:

Galatians 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Now all the promises made to Abraham are passed on to all who believe by faith!

All.

Promises of His grace, promises of redemption – all of them – are passed on to all people . . . by His grace through faith.

Where the identifying mark of a Jews was circumcision in the flesh the New Testament symbol of identification (remember the times and circumstances) was . . . water baptism.

To be identified with Christ through water baptism in that day was akin to dropping your trousers in the Old Covenant days amidst a pack of Philistines and saying, “See, I belong to the true and living God.”

That’s was water baptism is – an identifier – really an industrial term from the textile industry meaning to take one color fabric and immerse it in another, bringing it up and out with a completely new hue and shade.

But here’s the key – circumcision no more made a Jew a Jew than water baptism makes a person a Christian. They were identifying acts used to bind the Nation and then the Church (amidst that Nation).

LISTEN – IN BOTH CASES – with the Nation of Israel and the Christians in the apostolic church, the expectation, and the real sign that a person was God’s, was a circumcised heart.

Under the law, circumcised flesh was mandatory. But water baptism was merely an outward indication of an inward faith and is incapable of saving anyone.

Here, the question was, “Could these gentiles be SAVED without circumcision. It was an Old Covenant mindset seeking to find a home in the Covenant of Grace.

Paul helps clear the matter up relative to who is God’s and circumcision when He says (in Romans 2:28-29):

Romans 2:28 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Again, Paul says in Colossians 2:10-12, speaking of us and Christ:

“And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”

This leads us to two final points about circumcision – of the heart.

In the dispensation of grace, this final age, there is no difference between male and female and so circumcision is obviously an internal experience by the Spirit – which is what it was always intended to exhibit or represent.

All, therefore are constantly commanded, by the Spirit, to walk humbly before our God and to be of a broken heart and a contrite spirit in response to the faith we place in Christ who makes us clean.

Additionally, where water baptism was certainly the identifier for believers in the apostolic church the true identifier of the Christian emanates from the heart – this is how we are truly known throughout the world today – not whether we have been baptized in water (which is a wonderful expression but has little application in our world because few know whether a person has been baptized or not) but all we come in contact with are able to readily discern our love.

Okay. So, there’s the circumcision issue. Let’s read what happens here as these Pharisees are attempting to make it mandatory on their Christian converts.
(verse 7)

7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, “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.

The word “disputing,” is not a good one from the Greek because it better means in our language, deliberation.

After much deliberation Peter throws his hat in and stands to speak.

Since he was the one who opened the door to the uncircumcised Gentiles receiving what had before been limited to the Jews he had something to say:

“A good while ago,” (long time) “God made choice,”

I love how Peter puts this – God made a choice (through Peter, we remember) “
“that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.”

This, of course, was referring to Cornelius and his whole house coming to faith.
(verse 8)

8 “And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us.”

We are given a key here to a question that often plagues us. What does Peter say the justification is (if you will) for extending the Gospel to Cornelius?

He said, “And God, which knoweth the hearts.”

Our “hearts” which I think are used in scripture to describe the overall tenor of an individual – the mind, the will, the emotions – perhaps the soul, perhaps in conjunction with the human mind – the tenderness and humility, the openness and willingness toward something – “And God which KNOWETH the hearts.”

Just as I wrote this out a man I met over a decade ago approached me in an Einstein’s Bagels.

He is a very intelligent professional here in town – an attorney – and he asked if he could sit with me and catch up – which we did – for over an hour.

This man is a former Latter-day Saint who served a two year mission and gave his all toward the cause – only to discover the realities of the religion.

And he got scorched. I mean more than scorched. As we talked he mocked the Bible (which was sitting on my table) and “Bible-men” (which upon saying this I reminded him that I was a Bible man) and he ranted on against all things – all things spiritual.

“There is no afterlife.
There is no God.
There is nothing but a life we are resigned to live and the best that we can do is stay free from the vultures who will use us.”

His heart was hardened perhaps more than almost anyone I have ever met.

His visit could not have been timed better nor evinced a living example of all we are talking about here – hearts that are circumcised, God knowing them, and providing His spirit and Gospel to those whose heart ground is prepared.

Psalm 51:17 says “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

He will respond and reach into such. But the hardened, the uncircumcised heart, He will allow to continue to harden until it is beyond feeling.

This point of no return is described in scripture in ways that can appear to be God doing it to us when in reality and in context He is merely allowing those who choose this course to have callused hardened hearts.

This is what we encounter in Psalm 81:8-13 where God says:

8 “Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;
9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
10 I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.
11 But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.
12 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.
13 Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!”

Isaiah 57:15 adds “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.”

In the case of Cornelius God knew they were of circumcised hearts – and bestowed His Spirit upon them. I tend to think this is generally the case with all who receive Him – its all a matter of the heart.

And so Peter says here, in relation to Cornelius:

That God, who knew their hearts, Gave them the holy Ghost (ready – verse 9)

9 “And put no difference between us (the nation of Israel) and them (the pagan heathen Gentile uncircumcised Nations), purifying their hearts by faith.”

Though they had not been circumcised, and though they did not conform to the law of Moses in what they ate, or wore, or observed, God purified their HEARTS by faith and not through any sort of observance or rites.

“No difference between us for God has purified their hearts by FAITH!”

Faith in what? Faith in His Son. God has given them the best evidence of purification and it was in and through Him bestowing upon them the Holy Spirit!

This proves that their hearts were cleansed by the blood and a proper receptacle (once and for all) for the Holy Spirit to reside.

All by faith, not by external rites and ceremonies but one where faith is the only condition of acceptance.

What we have here is proof that when the heart is right (according to God and His knowledge) and faith is present, the human heart is circumcised – and the recipient receives the same assurances that the Nation of Israel received in and through being those of the circumcision –
God’s Grace, His provisions and protection, and an assurance of being redeemed!

At this point Peter asks a very important question:

10 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?

“Why, after God has done all of this to simplify and assure the softened heart, why are you provoke him to displeasure?”

Why, since God has obviously shown a determination to accept them without these outward rites, do you provoke him by attempting to impose on those whom He has made “his own” a yoke – religious demands.

Those who understand farming and the like might understand the term yoke better than us city-slickers, but throughout scripture a “yoke” (which is a wood cross piece (interesting huh, a wooden cross piece) which is fitted over the necks of two oxen that is used to control their actions) is used to illustrate oppression, burdens and bondage.

Galatians 5:1 refers to the Law as “a yoke of bondage.” How do laws and ceremonies produce bondage?

They infringe on Christian freedom. The Gospel is designed to set people free from rites and ceremonies (not the moral law) that were endless for the Jews .

How endless?

I’m going to quickly paraphrase just one chapter from Leviticus to give ourselves just a taste of this Law that neither the Jews in the days of Peter nor their forefathers could bear. Now I’ve removed the moral elements of the law presented here and have just retained the civil, governing elements for your consideration.

Leviticus 19:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.

3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.
4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
5 And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.
6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if ought remain until the third day, it shall be burnt in the fire.
7 And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.
8 Therefore every one that eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD: and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

9 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.
10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the

11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
12 And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.
13 Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.
14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.
16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour: I am the LORD.

17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.
18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.

19 Ye shall keep my statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind: thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed: neither shall a garment mingled of linen and woollen come upon thee.
20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that is a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death, because she was not free.
21 And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, even a ram for a trespass offering.
22 And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done: and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

23 And when ye shall come into the land, and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised: three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you: it shall not be eaten of.
24 But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy to praise the LORD withal.
25 And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.

26 Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood: neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe times.

27 Ye shall not round the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.
28 Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

29 Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

30 Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD.

31 Regard not them that have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.
35 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure.
36 Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37 Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.

So endless and inapplicable was all this (plus much much more) Peter says:

“Which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”

Now, even today, there are people who are always willing to try and justify and apply yokes upon others – especially in matters of religion.

But for the Jews the yoke was especially burdensome – all one needs to do is read the Book of Leviticus and it becomes apparent how heavy the Law could be.

The Jews who came to Antioch were teaching that these Gentiles could not be saved unless they were circumcised but Peter makes the matter clear when he says (at verse 11)

11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.

We, who were once under the burden of the Law, we who could not bear the requirements of the Law, “we believe that THROUGHT THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST we (who were once under the Law) shall be saved, even as they.”

In other words the Law was finished at the cross, nailed with all its ordinances and dying a death along with the death of Jesus.

The way the King James translates this, though it is a common translation in other Bibles, “we shall be saved even as they,” is a poor one.

That we shall be saved is in the Greek “first aorist passive infinitive” and since it is in an “indirect discourse after pisteuomen” it means best “We believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus in like manner as they also.”

So that was Peter. (Verse 12)

12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

So while the gathering pondered silently what Peter had to say Barnabas and Paul, who had returned from Paul’s first missionary journey to the Gentiles added their witness – of what? Of the miracles that had occurred among the Gentiles they shared the Gospel with.

The argument seems to be, “hey, God did this miracle and that miracle among people where were NOT circumcised, therefore what need is there for them to have this done?

And then we come to our final witness, James, as we read:

13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:

The presence of James and Paul and Barnabas as speakers shows that Peter was not the authority in the church as the Catholics maintain for if it was Peter would have spoken and “the thinking would have been done.”

We will talk about what James has to say on the matter in two weeks as next week I am going to do something I have never done on a recognized holiday – I am going to deliver a present all who want to receive it – a gift, if you will.

Now, this will sound really arrogant once you see the gift I am going to give you. But in the end it is a gift that was given to me.

If you want it come next week. I can’t guarantee you’ll get or appreciate its value, but it’s all I’ve got to give on the subject.

And as an FYI, I am giving the gift in Meat too and then on Heart of the Matter the following Tuesday.

It’s worth giving over and over.

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