Day #327

Sermon - Audio
Acts 15-16 - Reading
Acts 15-16 - Audio

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Acts 15-16

Chapter 15

v. 2 – The dispute seems to center around the “easy” faith proclaimed by Paul and the “hard” faith proclaimed by these teachers. The idea is that Christianity calls for little to no commitment, only easy belief, while Judaism called for a fully committed life. This, however, simply does not reflect the life and words of Jesus. While the ceremonial requirements of the Jewish faith are more stringent than those of Christianity, Jesus’ call for a life of obedience is just as rigorous.

v. 8 – Peter’s implied argument here is ingenious. He is saying that the Gentiles are in fact already circumcised, only their circumcision is the kind that God had intended all along, it is a circumcision of the heart.

v. 12-21 – When some apostles had begun to leave Jerusalem for a wider witness, the Jerusalem leadership was assumed by others with Jesus’ brother James in a prominent role. At the Jerusalem Council, James endorsed Peter’s conclusions about a “circumcision-free” Gentile mission and offered a suggestion for establishing fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians.

v. 20 – The Jerusalem Council doesn’t really directly deal with the issue of circumcision and following the Law of Moses. Instead, it is implied in their answer that the Gentiles are already circumcised and what is needed is not regulations about following Jewish laws, but grace on the part of the Gentiles to do certain things that will keep their stricter Jewish brothers from being offended. Each of these requirements makes it possible to keep the Pharisees from being offended and at the same time allows Jews and Gentiles to share table fellowship – especially the Lords’ Supper.

Chapter 16

v. 5 – These concluding words tell us that the decision of the Jerusalem Council built up the church and caused it to grow. If the council had demanded that Gentiles become Jews, the movement of the gospel would have stalled.

v. 13 – It took ten men to form a synagogue. Apparently there were not a sufficient number in Philippi to form a synagogue. When no synagogue could be formed, it was the practice to meet by the nearest water source for prayer and teaching. The reason for choosing a water source may be connected to the idea that “living water” symbolized life and cleansing.

v. 15 – Family connections have always been important in the Bible. Covenant extends to the entire family.

v. 38 – It was no small thing to beat a Roman citizen without a trial. It could lead to the loss of an official’s office or even the revoking of the city’s charter. Paul’s announcement of his Roman citizenship could have led to a trial and his exoneration; instead he agrees to leave quietly. In doing so he provides protection for the new Christian community because the officials would not dare go after them knowing that their own wrong doing could be exposed.