6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” 12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; 17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things.’ 18 “Known to God from eternity are all His works. 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Commentary
Vs. 6-11 6 Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.”
Given all the implications of circumcising the Gentiles and putting them back under Law according to Moses, the Apostles and elders came together to consider this matter (vs. 6). And so, only after there was a vigorous debate, (i.e., dispute, vs. 7). The Apostle Peter rose up to speak to them all and began by reminding them that it was God who chose him to be the one who would first preach the Gospel to the Gentiles and bring them into the house of faith (see Acts 10). Now this he did by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He had given Him to the Apostles during Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out into the world (see Acts 2). And so, when God gave the Gentiles who believed in His Son the Lord Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit just as He gave it to Peter and the other Apostles and those Jews who were believers with them at Pentecost, He forever made it clear that He is now receiving all Gentiles who believe In His Son the Lord Jesus Christ by His Works and Righteousness and nothing else. Therefore, since God Himself requires neither circumcision, nor keeping of the Law by them to save them, and bring them to Himself, since He is purifying our hearts by faith. Who then are they to now try to put the Gentiles back under the burden of Law, by putting a yoke on their necks, (antithesis Matt. 11:28-30), which Peter himself says neither they, nor their fathers were ever able to bear (vs. 10). Therefore, in concluding, the Apostle Peter now states that he and all the Apostles believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they (vs. 11). Thus, making no distinction between themselves and the Gentiles who believe. This then is the tenure of the entire N.T. Scripture, and so to now try to argue otherwise is only to show oneself as an unbeliever, who “loves” Moses and the Law (which cannot save them by their own obedience to it) more than they do the Lord.
Vs. 12-21 12 Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. 13 And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, “Men and brethren, listen to me: 14 Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written: 16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; 17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things.’ 18 “Known to God from eternity are all His works. 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
When the Apostle Peter finished giving His defense of the Gospel of the grace of God, which comes just as freely to the Gentiles as it does to the Jews, the assembly kept silent, as now both Barnabas and Saul began declaring how many wonders and miracles God had worked through them amongst the Gentiles, thus verifying all that Peter himself had just said (vs. 12). No when they had become silent the Apostle James (Jesus’ half brother the one who penned the Epistles of James) began addressing the assembly. And so he begins by reaffirming what the Apostle Peter has already stated, that God has chosen to take a people for Himself out of the Gentiles; that is every Gentile who believes in His Son is also one of His chosen people (vs. 14), elect according to the foreknowledge of God (1 Peter 1:2). Therefore, the Apostle James says with this the words of prophets agree, therefore to verify this to them he cites the Scripture from Amos 9:11-12 where it says: 16 ‘After this I will return And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, And I will set it up; 17 So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, Says the Lord who does all these things.’ vs. 16-17
Therefore, the Apostle James in citing this Scripture in this context is seeing beyond the literal Temple in Jerusalem but to the heart of the matter which is the body of the Lord Jesus Christ Risen from the dead, for Jesus Himself said: “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up” (see John 2:19-21). Thus, in rebuilding the Tabernacle of David, God has restored faith and trust in His Person through His Son Jesus Christ whom David Himself believed in (Psalm 110:1-2). Therefore, this is what God has done by raising His Son from the dead so that the Jews and the Gentiles who are called by His Name will seek Him through His Son, for everyone who now does will be received by Him! Therefore, I urge you to do the same, seek God’s salvation by faith in His Son Jesus Christ and you will find Him!
Vs. 18-21 18 “Known to God from eternity are all His works. 19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
The Apostle James then in decisively settling the matter, now says that it is God alone who knows and foresees all that He is going to do (vs. 18), and so to go against His Will, when it has been clearly revealed to us, is only the greatest of folly. Therefore, in concluding the matter the Apostles James sees no grounds for putting the Gentiles who are turning to God back under Moses and Law, thereby troubling them with a burden that no one can carry (vs. 19). Rather he says that in seeking to disciple them in the Lord Jesus Christ they as a collective leadership body, who have fully considered and settled this matter, should write to them, “….to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” Vs. 20-21
In essence believers are to then seek spiritual and moral purification, spiritual purity by first shunning all idols and all of the demonic powers and elements that belong to that, and forward that (and every false worship practice). For it is by idolatry that one is given over by God to a debased mind (see Rom. 1:18-32). Moral purification by abstaining from all forms of sexual immorality, whether this be fornication or adultery or homosexuality etc. Now as to not eating things strangled and eating of blood this seems to go to the heart of some of the pagan worship practices back then, and so by abstaining from eating of those things one was keeping oneself from them (for more on this read 1 Cor. 10:14-22, 23-33; Rev. 18:1-5; 2 Cor. 6:15-16 etc.). Therefore, in concluding the Apostle James says that “Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.” Thus, we are not preachers and ministers of Moses and the Law, but the Lord Jesus Christ and the New Covenant which is made plain to us through the Gospel (2 Cor. 3:5-6, 7-11, 12-18; Book of Hebrews 1-10).
New King James (1982):Thomas Nelson.
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