Transcript Class 8 ~ Church Council

Class 8 ~
Church Council
Dissension, Discussion, Decision
HOMEWORK
True or False:
Paul and Titus went to the
Council of Jerusalem.
True
Galatians 2:1
Acts 14:28 -15:4
• Acts 14:28 “And they spent a considerable
time with the disciples”
• From autumn 46 AD to 49 AD –three years
Paul spent with the church in Antioch
• Transition from the conflicts of the
disciples with the unbelieving world to one
as serious amongst themselves.
Saul, the Hebrew of Hebrews
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Born Saul in the City of Tarsus around 2-5 AD
Tribe of Benjamin
Father a Pharisee and a Roman citizen.
Saul was his Hebrew name –also given the Latin name Paul.
Circumcised on the 8th day (Phil 3:5)
• Went to Pharisaic Rabbinical school in Jerusalem to become a
Rabbi (a minister, teacher AND lawyer all in one) about 15 AD.
Personally taught by Gamaliel and Saul became a Pharisee.
• When Jesus began his ministry, Saul was in his early 20’s (uncertain
where he was –back in Tarsus? staying in Jerusalem? –we DO
know that he was in Jerusalem as a prominent Pharisee when
Stephen was martyred around 32 AD (He would have been in his
late 20’s, wreaking havoc on the church)
Saul’s autobiography
• Galatians 1:11 -24
• Converted in Damascus, 33 AD
• Went to Arabia immediately –taught and trained by
Jesus? Keep in mind that three years in Arabia mirrors
the time frame Jesus taught and trained with the 12
disciples
• 36 AD, went to Jerusalem and visited with Peter for 15
days (Acts 9:26-30)
• Sent home by the Leaders (Acts 9:30 –who else would
the leaders have seen sent home by their Lord?)
• Advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own
age
• Extremely Zealous of the traditions of my fathers
Jewish Outlook on Zeal ~Heroes of
Zeal
• Phineas
• Elijah –I Kings 18
• Maccabean Revolt –spirit of Elijah and
Phinehas, violence as a demonstration of
zeal for the Lord -168 BC against Syrian
Atrocities –Mattathias and his sons,
nicknamed the Maccabees.
Phinehas
Numbers 25:1
• The nation was under a plague
until Phinehas, grandson of
Aaron, acted.
• “Phinehas has turned back My
wrath from the Israelites
because he was zealous for
My zeal, so that I did not
destroy the Israelites in My
zeal. Therefore declare: I
grant him my covenant of
peace.” Numbers 25:11-12
• Pretty messy scene…to have
zeal…
• But, zeal was an atoning
action.
Elijah
I Kings 18
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The tribe of Gad
The Mount Carmel
Showdown, Elijah
vs. 450 prophets of
Baal and 400
prophets of Asherah
After God’s victory,
Elijah slaughters the
prophets of Baal 450 people! (maybe
850 unless the 400
prophets of Asherah
escaped back to
Jezebel)
At the Wadi Kishon
–the spring ran red
with blood.
Jewish Outlook on Zeal ~
Deuteronomy 13:1-5
• If a prophet or someone who has dreams
arises among you…
• That prophet or dreamer must be put to
death, because he has urged rebellion
against the LORD your God …
• Arguably, they had more Scriptural basis for persecuting the
Nazarene sect than they did for the Maccabean Revolt (against the
Syrian Empire in 168 BC, not from among you).
Saul ~ from Pharisee Zealot to
Apostle to the Gentiles
• Galatians 1:14 –extremely zealous for the traditions of my
ancestors.
• Surely Saul remembered the scroll of Deuteronomy when he viewed
the Nazarene sect before his conversion.
• Now he would leave the Pharisaic influences of Zeal for the gospel
of Christ Gal 4:18 “Zeal is fine, if the purpose is good”
• Also I Tim 1:13 –”I acted in ignorance and unbelief”
• He had the advantage of empathy and the gravitas of his
background to justify his mission and conviction –IMO a Gentile (or
even a nominal Jew –Peter, James?) would not have been able to
stand up to these elements and still maintain a unity (however
shaky, as we’ll see when he returns to Jerusalem later in Acts)
• But not everybody would leave these convictions?
State of the Movement, 49 AD
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19 years since Pentecost
9 years since Cornelius
5 years since the First Missionary Journey
–Gentile converts coming into the church
The Judean churches between Antioch and
Jerusalem were very positive about the
conversion of Gentiles
Acts 15:5 ~The position of the believers
who belonged to the “party of the
Pharisees” There was an element in the
church who supported strict adherence to
the Law of Moses within this new Jewish
sect –It’s where they wanted the movement
to go
This created the sharp dispute with Paul –
this was probably the time when Paul had
the showdown with Peter as outlined in
Galatians 2:11 –between 46 and 49 AD
Fear of Change –Who would know that this
would happen when they were converted in
Acts 2 or Acts 5?…When we’re baptized
the only thing that matters is “Jesus is
Lord”, but do we count the costs of where
that might “lead us” in our relationships and
our faith?
Church Council -2 Accounts
• Acts 15:6-21
• Galatians 2:1-10
Acts 15:6-21 Emphasis
• Peter –repeats his testimony from Acts 11:1-18
• James quotes the prophet Amos to establish the
legitimacy of a Gentile ministry
• James suggests the solution –the elder arguably
most sympathetic to the Pharisee position…
• Note the Pharisees were not rebuked nor motive
impugned by the Council
James’ 3 Prohibitions
• Sexual Immorality –wrong before the law of
Moses (Sodom & Gommorah, Joseph &
Potiphar’s wife)
• Idols –wrong before the law of Moses (Pharoah
and the golden calf in the desert)
• Food with the blood of strangled animals (Gen
9:4)
• Not the slightest extension of the law of Moses
• It was now up to the Pharisee party to
obey/support the decision –Would they?
Galatians 2:1-10 Emphasis
• Paul sent in response to a REVELATION –God “called
the council”
• Discussed privately with James, Peter and John.
• From the perspective of four years later –Galatians
written 53 AD (after 2nd Missionary Journey), the
Pharisee party, in whole or in part, were proven to be
“false brothers”
• Also called “the circumcision group” (Gal 2:12)
• Titus 2:10 –this group had devolved into a group of
several under the category of “rebellious” -“mere talkers
and deceivers,” “dishonest gain”, minds and consciences
“corrupted,” detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing
anything good” -63 AD
False Brothers
• If it was possible to have a Simon Magus converted, certainly there
were those converts who were the Judaizing version of Simon (a
hidden agenda) –consider the Parable of the Weeds (Matthew
13:25)
• Ironically, circumcision is not a covenant of the Mosaic Law = false
doctrine
• It is a covenant of the Abrahamic relationship with God (Gen 17)
Abraham
Ishmael
(Age 13)
Isaac
(8 days)
Keturah’s Sons
Zimran, Jokshan, Medan
Midian, Ishbak and Shuah
Jerusalem to Antioch
• Acts 15:22 -35
• Judas
Barsabbas and
Silas, leaders
and prophets,
join Paul,
Barnabas (and
Titus!)
Peer Pressure
• In their deepest religious sentiments and
cultivated in their devotions was a national
antipathy by the Jews toward the Gentile world.
They were taught to be holy, set apart
• However, after the dispersion of the 12 tribes,
the most successful Jews played offense with
their faith, not defense.
• On offense, you are holy and an ambassador for
Christ (2 Cor 5)
• On defense, you are a separatist, a hermit
• Galatians 2:11 -14
Affect of the Circumcision Group
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To the Jews –hypocrisy and separatism
To the Gentiles –false doctrines (all hail J!)
CONCLUSION ~Galatians 2:15-20
HOMEWORK –Read Acts 16