ACTS CHAPTER 15:1-12, “Salvation Is By Faith In Jesus Plus Nothing”

Jim Bomkamp

1. INTRO:

1.1. In our last study, we observed Paul and Barnabas on their return trip from the mission field, and we noticed that after winning people to Christ in several of the cities they visited, they now returned to see that churches were planted in those cities

1.1.1. We saw the tremendous courage that Paul and Barnabas had to return to these cities since in each one they had formerly been persecuted, and in Lystra Paul had been stoned and left for dead

1.1.2. We saw how Paul and Barnabas poured their lives into these new converts, teaching them how to apply the Word of God to their lives, and discipling them much as Jesus had discipled the 12 apostles

1.1.3. We saw how that Paul and Barnabas had both a parental and a pastoral love for the ones that they had led to Christ, and we were reminded that we have a responsibility to follow up and disciple those whom we might win to Christ

1.1.4. We saw that Paul and Barnabas very prayerfully and carefully appointed leaders to these new church plants, and then commended these men to the Lord to carry on the work of the ministry which they had begun

1.2. Today, we are going to look at the Church Counsel that occurred in Jerusalem after some Judaisers had come down to Antioch of Syria and told the people that in addition to believing upon Christ for salvation that they also had to be circumcised as a Jew in order to be saved

1.2.1. We are going to look at a supremely important question in response to studying this: What is required for a person to do in order to be saved?

1.2.2. We are going to look at the whole argument about whether a person can be saved by works or just by faith in Christ

2. VS 15:1 - “15:1 And some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”” - Some Judaisers came to Antioch of Pisidia teaching that a person had to be ‘circumcised’ in order to be saved

2.1. This chapter details a crisis in the early church that had a tremendous potential to create a horrible schism in the church that would have affected Christianity for all time. The event was occasioned by some Christian brethren with a Pharisaic background who came unsanctioned from the church in Jerusalem to Antioch of Syria and began to tell the people there that in order to be saved they must be ‘circumcised’.

2.1.1. These brethren, who were part of that group called the “Judaisers”, did not tell the people that it would be good to or that it was important for them to observe the Old Testament laws and circumcision, they told the people that in order to be saved they had to observe them.

2.1.2. Thus, the controversy developed over whether it was necessary for a person to perform any work, or works, in order to have eternal salvation through Christ.

2.2. The Hebrew Christians at this time thought of Christ as simply being the fulfillment of the Jewish religion, and the kingdom of God as being established through the nation of Israel. There was no thought on their part of separating themselves at all from anything in the Old Testament. They could not conceive of Christianity as beginning with Christ, or of the church being established without it being primarily connected with the Old Testament law and scripture.

2.2.1. However, the church in Antioch of Syria had been established by Gentiles without relying upon any of the traditions of the Old Testament. The gospel had been taught as providing salvation to men and women strictly through their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation, apart from having to observe the Hebrew ceremonial laws.

2.3. If you think about it, seeing the tremendous generations of heritage that the Jews descended from, it is only a mighty work of the Spirit of God in the early church that was able to get some Jews to come to the place to where they were willing to accept and understand that salvation was available only through the grace of God, and not as a result of a person’s works.

2.4. In our world today, almost 2,000 years since the writing of the book of Acts, there are many church groups and cults who are teaching that in order for us to truly be God’s people and be saved, that there is something else that we have to do besides trust in Christ for our salvation.

2.4.1. Some groups say that you have to be baptized in order to be saved.

2.4.2. Some groups say that you have to join their church to be saved.

2.4.3. Some groups say that you must keep some or all of the Old Testament Laws in addition to believing in Christ to be saved (just as the Judaisers taught in our study today).

2.4.4. Some groups say that you have to have hands laid on you by their church leaders in order to be saved.

2.4.5. Some groups say that you have to manifest some spiritual gift (in particular “tongues”) in order to be sure that you are saved.

2.4.6. Some groups say that there are certain sacraments or rites that must be observed in order to be saved.

2.4.7. Some groups say that their church has the only correct doctrine or ‘church name’, or that their church is the only one that can be traced back to the early church, and thus in order to be saved you have to join their church, and theirs alone.

2.4.7.1.By the way, you should know that whenever a church claims they are the only Christians you must immediately assume that they are false teachers.

2.4.8. This decision reached by this church council in Jerusalem in Acts 15 should have a tremendous impact upon all of these groups because the decision that was made there has bearing upon all of these church groups. We as Christians need to know that all we need to do in order to know that we have salvation is to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, having repented and turned control of our life over to God.

2.5. There are errant groups today that teach that one must work their way to heaven. They believe that it is not enough just to believe in Jesus Christ, you must do certain works in order to be saved. However, the decision reached by the council in Jerusalem in this chapter should teach us all that salvation is not going to be earned by works, it is by faith alone. For instance:

2.5.1. The Mormon Church teaches that a person is saved by grace and works, however these two means to salvation are diametrically opposed to one another and mutually exclusive.

2.5.2. The Jehovah Witnesses teach salvation is by works, and that you have to join their church and then be committed to going door to door every Saturday if you want to be saved.

2.6. Before we begin studying what the Word of God teaches concerning whether salvation is by faith or by works, I want us to take a minute and reflect upon how we are to receive the Word of God in our lives. To illustrate this point:

2.6.1. In 2 Chron. 16:1-13, is the story of King Asa of Judah. King Asa was a righteous man and immediately upon his being made king, he got rid of all of the idolatrous altars of worship throughout Judah (with the exception of the high places which most of the righteous kings also did not remove), and for thirty-nine years he worshipped and sought the Lord faithfully in Judah. However, when Baasha, King of Israel, came against Judah for battle, he relied upon the King of Aram instead of the Lord to give him victory. As a result of Asa’s disobedience, the Lord sent him Hanani the prophet to rebuke him of his sin in this, however instead of receiving this word from the Lord he became angry and threw the prophet in prison. Then, the rest of his life Asa did not seek the Lord, even when he became severely ill with an infection in his feet that after several years took his life, “16:1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and fortified Ramah in order to prevent anyone from going out or coming in to Asa king of Judah. 2 Then Asa brought out silver and gold from the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the king’s house, and sent them to Ben-hadad king of Aram, who lived in Damascus, saying, 3 “Let there be a treaty between you and me, as between my father and your father. Behold, I have sent you silver and gold; go, break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so that he will withdraw from me.” 4 So Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel, and they conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-maim, and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 And it came about when Baasha heard of it that he ceased fortifying Ramah and stopped his work. 6 Then King Asa brought all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber with which Baasha had been building, and with them he fortified Geba and Mizpah. 7 At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him, “Because you have relied on the king of Aram and have not relied on the Lord your God, therefore the army of the king of Aram has escaped out of your hand. 8 “Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubim an immense army with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because you relied on the Lord, He delivered them into your hand. 9 “For the eyes of the Lord move to and fro throughout the earth that He may strongly support those whose heart is completely His. You have acted foolishly in this. Indeed, from now on you will surely have wars.” 10 Then Asa was angry with the seer and put him in prison, for he was enraged at him for this. And Asa oppressed some of the people at the same time. 11 And now, the acts of Asa from first to last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 And in the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the Lord, but the physicians. 13 So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign.”

2.6.1.1.I share this tragic story of King Asa only as a warning for us because I have seen it the case many times in the church that those who claim to be God’s people have their hearts set on serving and following the Lord for a time, sometimes even many years, however when they hear something from God’s Word that they don’t like or that cuts against the quick in their life, they leave the church and fall away from the Lord.

2.6.2. In these verses in chapter 15 of Acts, we see that the Jews stumbled over the Word of God, having known the scriptures and followed the Lord in their lives, and we see from the gospels’ account of Jesus’ dialog with the Jews, that the Old Testament scriptures prophesied that the Jews would reject their Messiah, as it said that the builders would reject the chief corner stone.

2.6.3. You see, what stumbled the Jews was that the gospel that was preached by the apostles and brethren of the early church cut against the quick in people’s lives, especially those who thought that they were spiritually enlightened and already had a relationship with God, for it taught them that there was nothing that they could do to merit salvation.

2.6.3.1.There is no work or works that we can do, no resolve of our will, no promise or commitment we might make, and no righteousness of our own which would cause us to deserve to receive salvation.

2.6.3.2.More pertinently, the gospel message tells us that we are sinful people and that the very motives and desires of our heart are wrong and evil. However, though we as people may not think too highly of many other people, we tend to think that deep down we ourselves are really wonderful people, however nothing could be farther from the truth.

2.6.3.2.1.The gospel cuts to the quick because it tells us that we have all fallen short of the glory of God and that salvation comes only by God’s grace.

2.7. The book of Galatians was written for the purpose of refuting the false gospel which the Judaisers were teaching in the Galatian church. Paul wrote in Galatians chapter 1 that anybody who taught any other gospel but the true one should be “accursed”- kicked out of the church, and separated from God for eternity.

2.7.1. In the book of Galatians, Paul tells those in the church there that the Judaisers who came to their region were actually preaching another gospel which is not the true gospel, for they were teaching salvation based upon works. The entire book of Galatians then deals with many issues regarding this same heresy:

2.7.1.1.Paul wrote that no man would ever be justified by the works of the law in Gal. 2:16, “16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified”.

2.7.1.2.Paul wrote that the purpose of the law was to show people that they could not keep the law but needed faith in Christ in order to be saved, “24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. 26 For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus”.

2.7.1.3.Paul wrote the stern warning that if we try in any way to do any work in order to gain favor with God, then we are severing ourselves from Christ, Gal. 5:1-6, “5:1 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love”.

2.7.1.3.1.I have discovered that sometimes Christians can begin to think that though the Lord had initially forgiven them for all of their sins because of His grace, that now they must gain His favor through their own works. However, this error in thinking (and really Theology) is very destructive since none of us will ever measure up to the righteousness of God, and we shall always be under condemnation if we are trying to live in a works relationship with the Lord.

2.8. Every false religion and cult has one thing in common, they teach works righteousness, or the necessity of doing works in order to be accepted by God. Christianity, that is the real gospel message, is the only one which teaches that a person is saved based upon his faith in Christ, plus nothing.

3. VS 15:2 - “2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.” - The church in Antioch of Syria debated whether or not a Christian also had to keep the ceremonial laws of Moses and decided to send Paul and Barnabas to the mother church in Jerusalem concerning this issue

3.1. The debate that ensued after these ones came up from Jerusalem brought up many important doctrinal issues that needed to be discussed and agreed upon.

3.1.1. In the book of Acts, one thing that we discover is that in the early church many doctrinal issues were discussed and decided upon because of circumstances that occurred. The understanding of theology and doctrine of the early church leaders grew as a result of the inception into the church of people with ungodly practices and doctrinal errors.

3.2. It seems clear from Acts chapter 15 that Paul and Barnabas themselves never wavered from their understanding of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, plus nothing.

3.3. The church in Antioch decided that Paul and Barnabas and a few others in the church should be the faithful ones to go to the church in Jerusalem and to consult with the elders there as to what should be determined concerning whether or not a person who came to faith in Christ also had to keep the ceremonial laws of Moses.

4. VS 15:3 - “3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.” - Paul, Barnabas, and the other faithful men from Antioch of Syria traveled back to Jerusalem

4.1. Luke mentions how that Paul and Barnabas were describing the fruits of their ministry to the Gentiles churches as they met with them in stop offs in Galatia and Phoenicia during their journey to Jerusalem, and the people in these churches rejoiced in hearing how God was working among the Gentiles.

5. VS 15:4 - “4 And when they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.” - Paul, Barnabas, and the others with them were received by the church in Jerusalem

5.1. In Galatians 2:1-10, Paul writes about an event that occurred just before the events declared in this verse, when Paul and Barnabas initially arrived in Jerusalem, “2:1 Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also. 2 And it was because of a revelation that I went up; and I submitted to them the gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but I did so in private to those who were of reputation, for fear that I might be running, or had run, in vain. 3 But not even Titus who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. 4 But it was because of the false brethren who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. 5 But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you. 6 But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)—well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. 7 But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised 8 (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), 9 and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised. 10 They only asked us to remember the poor—the very thing I also was eager to do”.

5.1.1. When Paul, Barnabas, and those with them came to Jerusalem they first of all had a private meeting with just the leaders at the church, and Paul related in these verses in Galatians 2, that he had received this revelation of the gospel (also mentioned in Gal. 1:12) through Jesus Christ (and not from men: Gal. 1:12).

5.1.1.1.Privately, the church leaders in Jerusalem wanted to ascertain what it was that Paul was teaching and doing in his ministry to the Gentiles.

5.1.1.2.Paul says also in these verses that the apostles and leaders in the church all heartily received his doctrine and rejoiced in what he had been called to do.

5.1.2. It was after this private meeting with leadership only, that Paul had the meeting in Acts 15:4 which was with the church at large in Jerusalem. They began the meeting by giving a testimonial description of all that the Lord had been doing through their lives in reaching the Gentiles with the gospel.

6. VS 15:5-6 - “5 But certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed, stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.” 6 And the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.” - A group of Pharisees who had believed in Christ stood up during this church meeting and said that it would be necessary to circumcise Paul, Barnabas, and their traveling companions and direct them to observe the law of Moses

6.1. Some of the converted Pharisees, men who were not among the leadership in the church, stood up during this meeting and declared to the assembly that the Gentiles must be directed to observe the Law of Moses.

6.2. Luke records then that the apostles and the elders decided to investigate the issues brought up by the Judaisers more thoroughly and thus they, ‘came together to look into this matter’.

6.3. The scary thing about this church council in Jerusalem was that the dissension which this debate created had the potential for splitting the early church into two groups, Jew and gentile, and this would have had devastating effects lasting for all generations, affecting the spread of the gospel and the development of the church.

7. VS 15:7-10 - “7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 “And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” - Peter recounts to the brethren there at the Jerusalem Counsel how the Gentiles had first received the gospel when God led him to the house of Cornelius (see Acts 10)

7.1. Wisely, Peter sat there quietly and listened to the argument of the Pharisaic Christians before He stood up and gave his insights which he had received from the Lord.

7.1.1. We are wise as Christians when we are good listeners and hear people out before we give them our opinions or answers. The writer of Proverbs wrote in Prov. 18:13: “13 He who gives an answer before he hears, It is folly and shame to him”.

7.2. Peter recounts the following concerning the story of the household of Cornelius coming to salvation, as he says:

7.2.1. It was the Lord who prompted him to go to the house of Cornelius and preach the gospel.

7.2.2. It was also the Lord who demonstrated His acceptance of the Gentiles, as he says that the Lord, ‘bore witness to them, giving them the Holy Spirit’.

7.2.3. God demonstrated that there was no distinction between Jew and gentile when it came to the gospel, for He would save all men through faith in Jesus Christ for salvation.

7.2.3.1.It was Christ who actually had set free the Jewish Christians who had been under the bondage of the law, seeking in vain to be justified before God on the basis of works.

7.2.4. The Gentiles had their ‘hearts cleansed’ by God through faith, not through their keeping of the Mosaic Law, and the evidence of this is that they received the Holy Spirit, and we know that the Holy Spirit does not come into unclean hearts. Peter’s argument then is that if these ones have already had their hearts cleansed by God through their faith, how can they and why should they try to clean them up by trying to keep the law, since no one had ever been able to keep the Law consistently and thus it was a yoke that neither they nor their forefathers were truly able to bear.

7.2.4.1.Remember, in Matt. 11:28-30 Jesus told us in contrast that His yoke is easy and His burden light, “28 “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 “Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls. 30 “For My yoke is easy, and My load is light.””

7.2.4.2.Peter tells them that they better not ‘put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples the yoke of the Mosaic Law.

7.2.4.3.Christians who seek to impose upon believers any work which they must perform in addition to trusting in Jesus Christ alone for salvation, need to realize that they also are ‘putting God to the test’ by adding to His word and requiring something additional besides faith which they must perform in order to be saved or have assurance of their salvation.

7.2.4.4.Rev. 22:18 reveals the curse that is upon anyone who “adds to God’s words” something additional.

7.3. Peter had gained wisdom from observing the Lord’s actions in accepting the Gentiles by faith in Jesus Christ. We are wise if we follow Peter’s example and watch carefully the things that the Lord does so that we also can learn from them.

8. VS 15:11 - “11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”” - Peter tells the counsel assembled in Jerusalem that they believe that it is only by grace that any man is saved

8.1. In this verse, when Peter says ‘we’ believe, he is referring to all of the apostles and leaders in the church in Jerusalem, for they all were in agreement that salvation comes about through the grace of God alone.

8.2. Peter and the apostles preached the same gospel as the apostle Paul, salvation by ‘grace’ through faith (see Eph. 2:8-9), and now Peter tells those who were present at this council that the Jews themselves were ‘saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are’.

8.2.1. We might have expected Peter to say that the Gentiles were saved in the same way as the Jews, however to make his point more clearly, Peter turns this around and tells the brethren gathered in Jerusalem that the Jews are saved in the same way as the Gentiles, by ‘grace’ through faith, and not of works.

8.3. Again, there is nothing that we could do in order to gain God’s acceptance of us or favor, for as the scriptures teach us, none of us are righteous, and all have come short of the glory of God (see Rom. 3:23).

9. VS 15:12 - “12 And all the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.” - Paul and Barnabas related to the group present all of the great things that God had done through them on their first missionary journey

9.1. After Peter’s speaking out of His opinion, Barnabas and Paul began to relate all of the many ‘signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles’.

9.2. During all of Paul’s and Barnabas’ ministry and first missionary journey, God had continued to show His acceptance of the Gentiles on the basis of their faith in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.

9.2.1. This recounting of what God had done through the gospel message Paul and Barnabas preached amongst the Gentiles just served to prove to a greater extent that the gospel they preached was ‘God ordained’.

10. CONCLUSION:

10.1. I don’t want to mislead anyone, for there is a repentence that is required for anyone to come to salvation, and thus repentence is almost always mentioned in any of the gospel sermons found in the New Testament. A person must acknowledge his sin before God and be willing to turn from his life of sin and walk in obedience to God as he is trusting in Christ alone for salvation, if he indeed is to be saved. The reason why so many have prayed a prayer to receive Christ and yet have fallen away later is because there was never any genuine repentence in the first place, no grieving over and conviction of sin, and thus the person did not enter into a relationship with Christ. Repent, and trust in Christ alone for salvation, and you shall be saved!

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