Peter finishes up by stating a very simple fact! Circumcision does not save! Faith in Our Lord through the grace of God is what does it. Thereby.....he totally repudiates the position of the Pharisees and the false brethren sent from Jerusalem [Galatians 2:4][Galatians 2:12] to Antioch. These are the last words of the Apostle Peter in the book of Acts.
Paul and Barnabas come next and number all the events that have taken place through God's grace in their Antioch ministry....the miracles that proved to them that God was accepting these folks without the rite of circumcision.
[Acts 15:13-18] 13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.
When Paul and Barnabas finish James takes the floor and says some strange things. Remember, he is the leader of the Jerusalem Church....the brother of Our Lord, Himself. He confirms what Peter has said and then he quotes from [Amos 9:8-15] 8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord GOD are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; saving that I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the LORD. 9 For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth. 10 All the sinners of my people shall die by the sword, which say, The evil shall not overtake nor prevent us. 11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: 12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this. 13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt. 14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God. That was the entire prophecy and James was obviously referring to it.
This is clearly a Messianic prophecy speaking of the coming Kingdom of God. Because James is using these words tells us that he has probably identified the converted Gentiles of Antioch as descendants of remnant scattered Israelites from the Assyrian exiles 700 years earlier. What other reason would James have for quoting this prophecy about Lost Israel?
[Acts 15:19-21] 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.
When I continue tomorrow....or the next day I will discuss why the above scripture in no manner refers to the dissolution of God's laws.
St. John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. KJV
- God Bless