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This sermon by Bruce covers Acts 15, focusing on the Jerusalem Council’s pivotal decision regarding Gentile believers. The central issue was whether Gentile converts needed to be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses to be saved. The council, through a process of testimony and consensus, determined that salvation is by grace through faith alone, establishing key guidelines for fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
[00:00:00]The sermon continues through the book of Acts, picking up at the end of Acts 14 where Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch after their first missionary journey, reporting how God had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.[00:02:44]Bruce provides historical backdrop, explaining that Jewish communities were scattered throughout the Roman Empire, which became a springboard for the spread of the gospel as Jewish believers returned to their hometowns after Pentecost.[00:08:19]In Acts 15, men from Judea arrive in Antioch teaching that Gentile believers must be circumcised according to the Law of Moses to be saved, sparking a significant debate.[00:09:21]Paul and Barnabas are appointed to go to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles and elders to settle this question.[00:11:20]At the council in Jerusalem, after much debate, Peter argues against imposing the law, stating that God cleansed the Gentiles’ hearts by faith and that Jews and Gentiles are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.[00:13:46]Barnabas and Paul then testify about the signs and wonders God performed among the Gentiles during their missionary journey.[00:14:27]James concludes the matter, citing the prophets and giving his judgment that they should not trouble Gentile converts.[00:15:11]James proposes a letter instructing Gentile believers to abstain from four things: food polluted by idols, sexual immorality, the meat of strangled animals, and blood.[00:17:15]The letter, agreed upon by the apostles, elders, and the whole church, is sent, stating it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to them to lay no greater burden on the Gentiles.[00:17:58]The church in Antioch rejoices upon receiving the letter, preventing a potential split in the body of Christ.[00:20:12]Bruce explains the origin of the four prohibitions, tracing them back to universal laws given to Noah in Genesis 9 and reiterated in Leviticus 17-18 for both Jews and foreigners.[00:21:58]The prohibitions against blood and strangled animals come from Genesis 9, where God forbids eating meat with its lifeblood and establishes the sanctity of human life.[00:23:34]The prohibition against sexual immorality is rooted in Leviticus 18, which applies to all people.
[00:24:49]These rules were chosen so that Gentile believers, coming from an ungodly culture, would not offend their Jewish brothers, enabling fellowship.[00:26:50]Bruce emphasizes that the early church stood in stark contrast to its surrounding culture, refusing to conform on issues like idolatry and immorality, and the modern church must do the same.[00:28:02]Two key observations from the Jerusalem Council are highlighted:[00:28:02]The decision was reached through consensus, not by a single leader’s decree.[00:28:45]The church stood against the culture, upholding God’s truth.
[00:28:53]Bruce examines how various cultures (Noah’s day, Babel, Sodom, pre-exile Israel, Greco-Roman world) violated these universal laws.[00:31:46]The sermon concludes by applying this to modern culture, noting widespread violations such as abortion (shedding of blood), sexual immorality, and blasphemy, and calls for heartfelt prayer and repentance for society.
Scripture References
- Acts 14:21-28
- Acts 15
- Genesis 9:1-7
- Leviticus 17
- Leviticus 18
- Psalm 106:36-39
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