NLT Illustrated Study Bible - Book of Acts - Flipbook - Page 46
A cts 1 5 : 1 8
2002
Barsabbas) and Silas. 23 This is the letter they
The Lord has spoken—
he who made these things known so
took with them:
long ago.’*
“This letter is from the apostles and
19 “And so my judgment is that we should
elders, your brothers in Jerusalem.
not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are
It is written to the Gentile believers
turning to God. 20 Instead, we should write
in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.
and tell them to abstain from eating food of
Greetings!
24 “We understand that some men
fered to idols, from sexual immorality, from
eating the meat of strangled animals, and
from here have troubled you and upset
from consuming blood. 21 For these laws of
you with their teaching, but we did not
Moses have been preached in Jewish syna
send them! 25 So we decided, having
gogues in every city on every Sabbath for
come to complete agreement, to send
many generations.”
you official representatives, along
with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
The Decision of the Council
26 who have risked their lives for the
22 Then the apostles and elders together
name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We
with the whole church in Jerusalem chose
are sending Judas and Silas to confirm
delegates, and they sent them to Antioch
what we have decided concerning your
of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report
question.
on this decision. The men chosen were two
28 “For it seemed good to the Holy
of the church leaders*—Judas (also called
18
15:18
Isa 45:21
15:20
Gen 9:4
Exod 20:34
Lev 3:17
Deut 12:16
1 Cor 8:7; 10:7
15:21
Acts 13:15
15:22
Acts 15:27; 16:19
1 Pet 5:12
15:24
Gal 1:7; 5:10
15:26
Acts 14:19
1 Cor 15:30
15:1618 Amos 9:1112 (Greek version); Isa 45:21. 15:22 Greek were leaders among the brothers.
PROFILE
JAMES Jesus’ Brother, Wise Leader
Acts 15:1321
Matt 13:55
Mark 6:3
Acts 12:17;
21:1825
1 Cor 15:7
Gal 2:9, 12
Jas 1:1–5:20
Jude 1:1
James, one of Jesus’ brothers (Matt 13:55; Mark 6:3; Gal 1:19; cp. Jude 1:1), became the rec
ognized leader of the church in Jerusalem shortly after Jesus’ resurrection. He is traditionally
recognized as the author of the book of James.
Though Jesus’ brothers were initially skeptical of his claims (John 7:35), they later became
believers (Acts 1:14). James’s personal encounter with the resurrected Jesus (1 Cor 15:7) might
have helped convince him. Two of Jesus’ brothers (James and Jude) are known to have played
significant roles in the early Christian community. James quickly rose to the position of leader
of the church in Jerusalem. At the council in Jerusalem, James was instrumental in getting the
Jewish church leaders to accept Gentile believers without requiring that they be c ircumcised—
a decision of major importance for Paul and the early mission to Gentiles (Acts 15:1321). Paul
visited James in Jerusalem after his third missionary trip (21:18), just as he had done earlier,
following his conversion (Gal 1:19).
Like most Jewish Christians, James continued to observe the law of Moses. He emphasized
the need for believers to observe certain key laws when among Jews (Acts 15:2021; 21:1825).
James acknowledged the validity of Paul’s missionary calling and emphasis on salvation by
faith alone (Gal 2:69), but many Jewish Christians did not. These Jewish believers demanded
that Gentile converts be circumcised and observe the law of Moses in order to be saved.
James’s Jewish background is reflected in his letter, which is full of wise practical advice for
living, much of it in line with the traditional wisdom teaching of Jewish Scripture. One para
graph of his letter (Jas 5:16) reads very much like the work of the OT prophets (e.g., cp. Amos
5:2124; 6:17).
James, titled “the Just” by his contemporaries, was apparently put to death for his
faith by Jewish priests in Jerusalem (Josephus, Antiquities 20.9; Eusebius, Church History
2.23.4–18).
15:20 Eating food offered to idols is
sinful if it involves knowingly partaking
of an idolatrous sacrifice (see Exod 20:4;
Deut 5:8; 1 Cor 8:413; 10:1430; Rev
2:14, 20). • Sexual immorality was com
mon in the Greek world but is always
sinful (Exod 20:14; Deut 5:18; Gal 5:19).
• eating the meat of strangled animals:
T H E P E N TAT E U C H
God’s law prohibits eating meat that has
blood in it (Lev 17:1314) or consuming blood (Lev 17:1012), “for the life
of every creature is in its blood” (Lev
17:14). Also, “It is the blood, given in
exchange for a life, that makes purifica
tion possible” (see Lev 17:11 and note).
This command was first given to Noah,
ISRAEL’S HISTORY
the ancestor of Gentiles as well as Jews
(Gen 9:4).
15:2229 The Jerusalem church chose
two of the church leaders to report its
decision. They took with them a let
ter from the apostles and elders . . . in
Jerusalem explaining the terms of the
agreement.
POETRY & WISDOM
