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The '''Council at Jerusalem''' was the first council of the Christian Church. It was held at Jerusalem to consider the matter of [[circumcision]] in about 49 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 Paul Silas are identified as being present.
Some men had come down from Judaea who said, "Unless you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved."<ref>Acts 15:1.</ref> (This was the circumcision party, now known as ''Judaizers''.)
==Letter to the Gentiles==
James wrote:
<blockquote>
Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
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>Acts 15:14-29.</ref>
</blockquote>
The goal of the letter was that the Jews should not offend the Gentiles by requiring circumcision and the Gentiles should not offend the Jews by certain practices, described above.
Judas (not Judas Iscariot) and Silas were then dispatched to the Church at Antioch with the letter to the Gentile believers.<ref>Acts 15:30-32.</ref>
The doctrine of the Christian church with regard to circumcision was thus established and remains unchanged in the 21st Century.
{{SEEALSO}}
* [[Catholics Against Circumcision]]
{{REF}}
[[Category:Christian]]