Jesus is enough. His grace is enough. His mercy is enough.

KEY VERSES

ACTS 15:1-18 (NASB)

The Council at Jerusalem

15 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.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. 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. 4 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. 5 But some 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 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. 7 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 would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, testified 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? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

12 All the people 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.

James’s Judgment

13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name. 

15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

16 ‘After these things I will return,
And I will rebuild the tabernacle of David which has fallen,
And I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will restore it,

17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
And all the Gentiles who are called by My name,’

18 Says the Lord, who makes these things known from long ago.

UNDERSTANDING

• What things did the teachers in this passage say the Gentiles must do?

• If you were a Gentile hearing that these regulations were required, how would you feel about your new faith? As a strict Jew, why would these rules be important to you?

• What were some of the expected, extra-biblical rules you were supposed to follow in the church where you grew up?

• Is there anything in our church that a new believer might view as an extra rule or requirement? If so, what should you do about it?

The significance of the meeting in Jerusalem is hard to overstate. The debate centered around one question: Did Gentiles who believe in Jesus have to become proselyte (converted) Jews to be saved? All the first believers were Jews, and Christianity was a movement which began within Judaism. Jesus Himself, of course, was a Jew. So, some conservative Jewish believers viewed Christianity as an extension of Judaism, thus thinking Judaism was essential to salvation. They were concerned because the Antioch Christians had not entered the process of becoming Jewish proselytes. That process required circumcision of males and obeying the Mosaic laws.

• In your own words, what was at stake here?

• What from verses 3-4 lets you know the common bond and foundational purpose still existed? Why is this important as you determine what issues are worth fighting for or against? Why is it important as you engage in disagreements with other believers?

• How would things be different for Christians today if the people in Acts 15:5 had been successful?

Some things aren’t worth arguing over, but some are. Paul and Barnabas understood that to keep the Mosaic law in the requirements for salvation was to deny that salvation is by faith alone. The conflict described in these verses involved theological as well as practical concerns. The integrity of the gospel and the unity of church fellowship were at stake.

• In your own words, what were Peter’s main points?

• What did Paul and Barnabas emphasize? What point did James add? (v. 15)

• Knowing Paul’s Pharisaic background and Peter’s desire to keep the law, how would their testimonies have made a difference? How much influence does the testimony of another believer have on your opinions? How much influence should it have?

• In verses 12-18, James used Amos 9:11-12 to support his point. Why do you think he chose this passage from the Old Testament?

• Why is familiarity with the Scriptures instrumental in resolving conflicts over essential issues in the church?

After Peter’s speech, the gathering fell silent. Barnabas and Paul recounted their work among the Gentiles, emphasizing what God had done through them. They had performed signs and wonders by God’s power. These miracles impressed the Gentiles and validated the gospel Paul and Barnabas proclaimed. The reports of Barnabas, Paul, and Peter had great impact because they were Jewish Christians who had witnessed God’s grace in action.

• Who is someone who has helped you know and believe the grace of God is enough?

• Why do many believers come to faith in Jesus through grace and then somewhere along the way begin to live as though they have to keep earning their salvation?

• What does it look like to live as though Jesus + nothing = everything?

• What does it look like to live as though you have to do things to gain God’s love?

APPLICATION

• In this week’s message, we learned that legalism happens when what we need to do, not what Jesus has already done, becomes the end game. Is that true of you in any area of life currently—where your life is wrapped up in what you must do instead of what Jesus has already done? How is God speaking to you about that?

• Share your own personal testimony of how realizing you can’t do anything for Jesus compels you to want to do everything for Jesus.

• Regarding verses 16-18, the following two points were made in this week’s message: We are ruins in the process of being repaired and rebuilt by the grace of God, and we are here that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord. Which of those two statements stands out to you the most personally? Why?

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