Bible Commentaries
Acts 15

Verse 1

1 Act 15:1. This chapter introduces what is commonly called Judaism. The term is not to be found in the New Testament, but the doctrine is reported at various places. It was the principal error that afflicted the church in the first century, and whole chapters and books had to be written to expose it, which will be commented upon as we come to them in the COMMENTARY. The doctrine is that people under the Christian Dispensation must keep the Jewish law also in order to please God. The men who taught that doctrine are called Judaizers. These certain men who came to Antioch with this agitation did not truly represent the church at Jerusalem. (See verse 24.)

Verse 2

2 Act 15:2. Paul and Barnabas understood the subject but could not satisfy the brethren. It was decided that they should go to Jerusalem about the matter, that being the first church, and the place where the other apostles were making their headquarters. Certain brethren from Antioch were to go with Paul and Barnabas.

Verse 3

3 Act 15:3. Being brought on their way was done by an escort of honor, similar to the circumstance in chapter 21:5. Phenice and Samaria lay between Antioch and Jerusalem, and in passing through those regions Paul and Barnabas informed the brethren of the Gentile conversions, which was good news and caused much rejoicing.

Verse 5

5 Act 15:5. Which believed is said to denote that these Pharisees had accepted the Gospel. These were the kind of brethren who had caused the disturbance at Antioch, and they were agitating the same heresy before the group from that city.

Verse 6

6 Act 15:6. The authority of the twelve apostles was universal (Mat 19:28 Mat 28:19-20), but they were then working especially with the Jerusalem church; at the same time they respected the elders of the congregation and worked with them. It should be noted that this whole matter was in the hands of the church at Jerusalem, and it was thus not a "church council" as Rome uses that term.

Verse 7

7 Act 15:7. After the discussion had gone on for some time, Peter "took the floor" to make a fundamental report touching the issue involved, referring to his own personal experience. The choice that God made is recorded in chapter 10:5, 6, which made it fitting that Peter should "speak up" at the turn of the discussion.

Verse 8

8 Act 15:8. Knoweth the hearts. God would not have chosen the household of Cornelius for this initial work of offering the Gospel to the Gentiles, had He not seen in them a heart that was worthy of the great epoch.

Verse 9

9 Act 15:9. He put no difference in that both Jew and Gentile could become pure in heart by accepting the faith of the Gospel and not by the law of Moses.

Verse 10

0 Act 15:10. Nor we were able to bear. The last word is defined in the lexicon by "endure," and the term able does not refer to physical strength, but that it was more than they felt prepared to endure. God never intended the ritualistic yoke of the law to be perpetual, but these Judaizers would have made it permanent.

Verse 11

1 Act 15:11. Instead of that formal, severe yoke of the law, Peter declared that he and the Gentiles could be saved by the grace of God through Christ.

Verse 12

2 Act 15:12. The disturbers of verse 5 were quieted by the speech of Peter, which gave Paul and Barnabas an uninterrupted opportunity to report their work among the Gentiles. They proved the righteousness of their work by detailing the miracles God enabled them to perform among the people.

Verse 13

3 Act 15:13. This James was not one of the twelve apostles, but he was a very outstanding man in the church at Jerusalem. (See the notes and references on the subject at chapter 12:17.) He was the next spokesman and his advice will be respected.

Verse 14

4 Act 15:14. Simeon means Simon Peter, and James is referring to what he declared in verse 7. A people for his name means that the Gentiles were to become a part of God's people and wear His name.

Verse 15

5 Verses 15-17. James not only endorsed the statement of Peter, but quoted the prophecy that foretold it. (See the prediction in Amo 9:11-12).

Verse 18

8 Act 15:18. All of this was according to what God always knew he was going to do. With Him all dates are the same as "now" (Isa 46:10).

Verse 19

9 Act 15:19. Sentence is from KRINO, and Thayer's definition at this place is, "To be of opinion, deem, think." But we must bear in mind that this opinion was inspired by the Holy Ghost. (See verse 28.) That opinion was that the Gentiles converted to Christ were not to be troubled with the Jewish ordinances.

Verse 20

0 Act 15:20. The law against eating blood is older than the law of Moses, having been given in Gen 9:4. And that against fornication is still older, being implied by the statement in Gen 2:24. For if this union makes them one flesh, then no other person can have relations with one of this pair without committing fornication. Hence these two laws are permanent regardless of what Dispensation is in force. But the subject of eating meat that had been offered to idols is a later one, and the law against it is based on special conditions that are more or less local. The Gentiles had practiced it so much that the Jews had an abhorrence for it. For that reason these Gentile Christians were told to abstain from it because of the Jews who were already somewhat prejudiced against the Gentiles; otherwise there would not have been any wrong in itself for them to eat it. That is the reason Paul taught as he did in 1 Corinthians 8, 10 on this subject. Things strangled were forbidden because the blood would not have been all removed from the beast.

Verse 21

1 Act 15:21. Because this law of Moses was known wherever there was a synagogue of the Jews, it was not expedient to offend them unnecessarily by eating this meat.

Verse 22

2 Act 15:22. The judgment of James was accepted by the entire group, the apostles, elders and the whole church. Paul and Barnabas were not left to return to Antioch and expect the church there to rely solely on their word for the decision of the Jerusalem church. They selected two chief men among the brethren to go with them, carrying a written document backed up by the apostles and elders.

Verse 23

3 Act 15:23. This document began as a greeting to the Gentile brethren, not only those in Antioch, but also those in the whole provinces of Syria and Cilicia.

Verse 24

4 Act 15:24. We have heard . . . went out from us. This shows that the disturbers were acting without the knowledge and consent of the church in. Jerusalem. The original word for subverting is defined by Thayer, "to unsettle." The agitation of these Juda-izers confused the minds of the Gentile Christians.

Verse 25

5 Act 15:25. The chosen men were Judas and Silas (verse 22).

Verse 26

6 Act 15:26. Hazarded their lives means they had risked their lives for the sake of the Gospel. One notable case was that of Paul at Lystra, chapter 14:19.

Verse 27

7 Act 15:27. The main purpose of sending Judas and Silas was to confirm the letter by their oral testimony. That would prove the document was genuine as from the church.

Verse 28

8 Act 15:28. This denotes that the letter was inspired by the Holy Ghost.

Verse 29

9 Act 15:29. This is the same as verse 20, with a friendly closing additional.

Verse 30

0 Act 15:30. When Paul and his group reached Antioch, they assembled the multitude to which the epistle was delivered, since all were interested.

Verse 31

1 Act 15:31. Consolation is properly translated, for a part of Thayer's definition of the original word is "encouragement." It was reassuring to these Gentile brethren to know they did not have to take up the burdensome ordinances of the Jewish system. They also looked favorably upon the exhortation to abstain from the evils named in the letter.

Verse 32

2 Act 15:32. Judas and Silas being prophets. Those were the days of spiritual gifts and these brethren possessed that of prophecy. That was doubtless the reason they were named as chief men and sent along with Paul and Barnabas to confirm the letter.

Verse 33

4 Act 15:33-34. They were let go. Silas and Judas were given friendly release so that they could return to Jerusalem, but Silas preferred to remain at Antioch longer.

Verse 35

5 Act 15:35. Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch for the time, since that was their regular headquarters. They employed their time teaching and preaching the word. The italicized words are used interchangeably all through the New Testament because the distinction is slight. The second has special reference to the first announcement of the Gospel, and the first meaning to give further instruction concerning the things preached.

Verse 36

6 Act 15:36. The term "missionary" is commonly used to mean a worker in new fields, but the present verse says they were to revisit the places where they had been. Hence the "second missionary journey" of Paul does not start until chapter 16, verse 10.

Verse 37

7 Act 15:37. Mark was a cousin to Barnabas (Col 4:10). I do not know whether that influenced him in this contention or not.

Verse 38

8 Act 15:38. Paul mistrusted Mark's stability on account of his desertion of the work at Pamphylia. (See chapter 13:13 for the account of this circumstance.)

Verse 39

9 Act 15:39. The original for contention is defined in Thayer's lexicon by the one word "irritation." Robinson defines it, "A paroxysm, sharp contention." It should be noted that no "doctrinal" difference came up between these brethren; it was only a matter of judgment. And after they each went his own way, they preached the same Gospel; neither was there ever any personal ill feeling between them. Instead, Paul made favorable mention of Barnabas afterward (1Co 9:6; Galations 2:9).

Verse 40

0 Act 15:40. Silas had come with Judas from Jerusalem (verses 22, 34) and had remained. That made him available for the work with Paul on the next journey. Being recommended means they started on this journey with the good wishes of the brethren. Nothing is said on that subject about Barnabas, either for or against him. That is because the writer is continuing only with his report of Paul's work.

Verse 41

1 Act 15:41. Confirming the churches means to strengthen and establish them.