15,773
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Improve footnotes
The '''Council at Jerusalem''' was the first council of the Christian Church. It was held at Jerusalem to consider the matter of [[circumcision]] sometime in 48-50 A. D., after Paul's first missionary journey with Barnabas and before his second missionary journey with Silas. The Council included apostles and elders of the Church. James, the half-brother of Jesus, Peter, Paul, Barnabas and Silas are identified as being present, among others.
Some men had come down from Judaea who said, "Unless you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved."<ref>{{REFweb |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+15%3A1&version=KJV |title=Acts 15:1. |trans-title= |language= |last= |first= |author-link= |publisher=KJV |website=Bible Gateway |date=1611 |accessdate=2020-02-29 |format= |quote=}}</ref> (This was the circumcision party, now known as ''Judaizers''.)
Paul and Barnabas had a massive disagreement and argument with them, so it was decided to go up to Jerusalem to settle the question.<ref>{{REFweb |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+15%3A2&version=KJV |title=Acts 15:2. |trans-title= |language= |last= |first= |author-link= |publisher=KJV |website=Bible Gateway |date=1611 |accessdate=2020-02-29 |format= |quote=}}</ref>
The apostles and elders met to consider the matter. Peter said,
"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?
"But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they."<ref>{{REFweb |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+15%3A7-11&version=KJV |title=Acts 15:7-11. |trans-title= |language= |last= |first= |author-link= |publisher=KJV |website=Bible Gateway |date=1611 |accessdate=2020-02-29 |format= |quote=}}</ref>
</blockquote>
For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.<ref>{{REFweb |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+15%3A14-29&version=KJV |title=Acts 15:14-29. |trans-title= |language= |last= |first= |author-link= |publisher=KJV |website=Bible Gateway |date=1611 |accessdate=2020-02-29 |format= |quote=}}</ref>
</blockquote>
The goal of the letter was to obtain harmony by ensuring that Jews should not offend the Gentiles by requiring circumcision and the Gentiles should not offend the Jews by certain practices offensive to Jews, described above.
Judas Barsabbas and Silas were then dispatched to the Church at Antioch with the letter to the Gentile believers.<ref>{{REFweb |url=https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+15%3A30-32&version=KJV |title=Acts 15:30-32. |trans-title= |language= |last= |first= |author-link= |publisher=KJV |website=Bible Gateway |date=1611 |accessdate=2020-02-29 |format= |quote=}}</ref>
The doctrine of the Christian church with regard to the lack of necessity of circumcision was thus established and remains unchanged in the 21st Century.