The Jerusalem Council and The Epistle of Galatians

The Jerusalem Council (Acts 15)

The Council was prompted by false teaching at Antioch of Syria.

1. Jewish teachers from Judea propagated a wrong message to the believers at Antioch – that circumcision was required for salvation
2. Paul and Barnabas confronted this erroneous idea publicly
3. Afterwards they decided to meet with the church leaders in Jerusalem to discuss the problem together.
4. Some men saved out of Pharisaism recommended that Gentile converts be required to keep the law of Moses and be circumcised.

At this point in time, the churches at Jerusalem and at Antioch of Syria were the primary churches. Missionary expansion was minimal at best. The church at Jerusalem was predominantly Jewish, and the church at Antioch was largely Gentile.

The Council discussed the appropriate perspective on the relationship of Gentiles to the Old Testament law.

• Peter rehearsed the testimony of those saved in the household of Cornelius.
• Paul and Barnabas reported on the conversion of Gentiles at Antioch of Syria.
• James, the church leader at Jerusalem, provided a summary and conclusion to the discussion. He concluded that:
  • The Old Testament foreshadowed the conversion of people who were not Jews.
  • Gentile converts should not be required to undergo circumcision and adhere to the Old Testament ceremonial law.
  • Instead, they should be expected to end idolatry, fornication, strangling animals, and eating blood.

With apostolic authority, the Council formally published its conclusion.

• They wrote a formal summary report.
• They sent two leaders to Antioch from Jerusalem, Judas (Barsabas) and Silas, with Paul and Barnabas.
  • These men propagated the Council’s conclusion at Antioch.
  • Silas stayed at Antioch

This scenario does not provide a pattern for modern day church conventions, as some suggest. The epistles do not support such a conclusion, and such a council is not possible without apostolic authority. However, the decision made by the council is reiterated later in Acts and also in the epistles, indicating that the conclusion that they published should be accepted as timeless truth. (Acts 21:25; 1 Cor 8:1-13; 10:14-33)

The Epistle of Galatians

Background Information

• This letter was written by Paul, probably from Antioch of Syria, just after his first missionary journey.
• The audience was the churches (1:2) from the region that Paul covered during his first missionary journey, the Roman province in southern Asia Minor called Galatia.

Some say that Paul wrote to a small region farther north, also called Galatia, which he visited during his second journey (Acts 16:6-8) after attending the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). However, this conclusion is unlikely for at least two reasons. First, the New Testament provides no evidence that Paul engaged in meaningful ministry in that location. Second, the Galatian churches struggled with the same Judaizer influence as Antioch. Yet, Paul never mentions the Council in the epistle as a solution to their problem.

The overarching theme of this book is “Christian Liberty.”

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (5:1)

Paul wrote this epistle with three related purposes in mind.

First, he endeavored to verify his authority as an apostle.

“…it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles…” (1:15-16)

Second, he wrote to confirm that God provides salvation by faith alone.

“But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for ‘the just shall live by faith’…” (3:11)

Third, he wrote to counteract the influences of legalism.

“They zealously court you, but for no good; yes, they want to exclude you, that you may be zealous for them.” (4:17)

Outline of the Book

• A Defense of Paul’s Apostleship (1-2)
• A Defense of Justification by Faith (3-4)
  • Both New Testament Galatian believers and Old Testament Abraham were justified by faith. (3:1-18)
  • The law points us to Christ and Christ fulfilled the law for us, laying the foundation for faith. (3:10-29)
  • Two analogies that support the faith:
    • The cultural analogy—a Jewish father recognizing his adult son as a legal representative and heir of his family name (4:1-20)
    • The Old Testament analogy—Abraham and his two wives, Sarah and Hagar (4:21-31)
• Practical Application (5-6:10)
• Warnings against fleshly liberties (5:1-26)
  • Instructions for ministering to erring Christians (6:1-5)
  • Instructions for meeting the needs of full-time ministers (6:6-10)
• Conclusion (6:11-18)