Acts 15:22-35 meaning

The church in Antioch is grateful for the clarifying message.

In Acts 15:22-35, Luke describes the results of the Council of Jerusalem and the question about Gentiles and the Law. After Peter and James’s speeches, the matter seems settled. Believers from among the Pharisees had been spreading the teaching that Gentile believers ought to fully convert to Judaism,

“Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved,” 

“It is necessary to circumcise the Gentile believers and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”
(Acts 15:2, 5)

Peter dismissed this notion by declaring that the Gentiles are saved just as Jews are, through faith in Jesus and by His grace. Gentiles have received the same Holy Spirit as the Jews without having to be circumcised. Peter points to the fact that he was the first preacher of the gospel to the Gentiles. His argument, summed up, is “I saw the first Gentiles believe. I saw the Spirit speak through them. Why would we ask them to follow the Law? Our ancestors had a difficult time following the Law. The Law does not save. Jesus saves” (Acts 15:7-11)

James, the half-brother of Jesus, agreed with Peter and quoted the prophet Amos to show that God had always intended to save some from among the Gentiles, and bring them into His Kingdom. James reasoned that the only command worth giving the Gentiles would be to stay away from certain activities, to keep themselves free from idolatry or even the hint of idolatry, and to be sexually pure (Acts 15:13-21). This was to remove stumbling blocks for fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers, and to help the Gentiles in their spiritual walk of faith. 

James proposed writing a letter to the Gentiles. The council of elders, apostles, and church assembly seems to have consented to this because that is what they do. Luke, the author of Acts, does not tell us what those from among the believing Pharisees who held a contrasting view thought about this course of action. But it seems likely that not all were satisfied with it since Paul was plagued with this false teaching throughout the rest of his ministry and life. Though it was formally and publicly rebuked by leading authorities, it did not go away. 

This chapter contains the last mention of Peter in the book of Acts. The word “Peter” shows up 58 times in Acts, but after Acts 15:7, he is not mentioned again. Luke was a part of Paul’s team, he is part of this fight (Acts 27:1, Philemon 1:24), and he probably wrote the book of Acts to validate Paul’s apostolic authority and his message. 

Luke reported on the ministry of Peter as a bridge between the Gospel of Luke and the founding of the church—the beginning of the Great Commission. One of the impacts of the first half of Acts focusing on Peter’s ministry is that from the mouth of Peter, the Gentiles came into the fold of God’s family. Paul’s ministry is primarily to the Gentiles. Luke shows that Peter agreed with Paul’s gospel. Peter opened the door to the Gentiles, and Paul walked through that door. Peter also voiced the primary reason why Gentiles should not be circumcised, that all are saved by grace through faith (Acts 15:11). 

Luke’s record also demonstrates that whatever Peter can do in terms of performing miracles, Paul also did. For example, both healed lame men and raised the dead (Acts 3:6-8, 14:9-10, 9:40-41, 20:9-12). At this point in Luke’s account, Peter is no longer needed. Paul’s ministry has been validated. Any reader who considers Peter an authority must now consider Paul’s authority as an apostle to be legitimate and his teaching of grace by faith to the Gentiles as true. The second half of the book of Acts is entirely focused on Paul’s ministry. 

Luke describes the unity between the apostles and the elders and the whole church as they commissioned this letter, and chose who to carry it back to Antioch:

Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren (v. 22).

It seemed good to the apostles and elders, meaning it seemed wise, to send their own representatives. This would fortify the unity of the decision; respected men from both the Jerusalem church and the church of Antioch would present the letter together, so that there would be no doubt that everyone was in agreement. 

The original dispute started when men came from Judea, where their authority was likely inferred (Acts 15:1). Now the dispute will be resolved with messengers from Jerusalem, the capital of Judea, who have a message from the highest human authorities of the church, the apostles of Jesus and the elders of the Jerusalem church.

The apostles and elders, with input and approval from the whole church, pick their representatives to accompany Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch. They choose a man named Judas, who was called Barsabbas. This Judas may have been the brother of Justus Barsabbas, who was the other candidate to replace Judas Iscariot as one of the twelve apostles, losing out to Matthias (Acts 1:23). Both Judas and Justus (or Joseph) have the same surname, Barsabbas—which means “son of Sabbas.” 

The other man chosen to go with Paul and Barnabas to present this letter was Silas. Silas (sometimes translated Silvanus) will accompany Paul on other missionary journeys, as well as co-write some of Paul’s epistles and act as Peter’s scribe and/or courier (Acts 15:40, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, 1 Peter 5:12). Both Silas and Judas called Barsabbas were chosen because they were trustworthy, mature men in the faith—leading men among the brethren, and they sent this letter by them (vs. 22-23).

Now Luke tells us the precise wording of the letter:

“The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings (v. 23).

It begins with a formal greeting, with the atmosphere of unity right up front. It is the leaders of the Jerusalem church specifically writing this letter, the apostles and the brethren who are elders. The apostles were ten of the original twelve disciples who followed Jesus, plus Matthias who replaced Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:16, 26). One of the apostles, James, son of Zebedee, was put to death some years earlier (Acts 12:2). 

Judas Iscariot’s replacement, the disciple Matthias, had been present for Jesus’s ministry as well. The prerequisite for fulfilling the role as the twelfth apostle was that he had been one of the men who followed Jesus from the start of His ministry when He was baptized by John, until the day Jesus ascended to Heaven (Acts 1:21-22). 

The apostles had known Jesus better than any other disciples, had received special instructions from Jesus, and had their minds opened to understand the Hebrew scriptures (Luke 24:27, 44-45). Other than Himself, it was through them that God primarily worked miracles. 

At one point during Jesus’s ministry, He sent 70 disciples abroad to preach about God’s coming Kingdom and to perform miracles (Luke 10:1). But here in the book of Acts, as far as Luke records it, most of the miracles we see are done by the hands of the apostles (Acts 3:1-11, 5:12-16, 9:34). Through Peter, God raised someone from the dead (Acts 9:36-41). The only other recorded miracles are done by Stephen and Philip, who were deacons (Acts 6:8, 8:6-7)

The first recorded miracles by Paul and Barnabas have only just happened on their first missionary trip (Acts 13:1-3).

That this message was coming from the apostles would mean a great deal to its readers. These men knew Jesus Christ better than anyone, and through them God worked signs and wonders to attest to the truth of the gospel. Additionally, that the brethren who were elders signed off on this letter would also carry great weight. 

The chief of these elders was James, Jesus’s own half-brother. The recipients of the letter would see that this letter came from those who knew Jesus, served alongside him, and shepherded the mother church in Jerusalem. They were not just Jewish elders. They were Jewish brethren who were also elders. That they were brethren meant that they were fellow believers in Jesus. 

There is the curious detail that the letter was sent not only to the brethren (the believers) in Antioch, but also to brethren in Syria and Cilicia. It would seem there were several churches for whom this letter was written, which would imply that the false teachers had also gone to these regions to compel the Gentiles there to become circumcised.

The letter is specifically for the non-Jewish brethren in these churches, those who are from the Gentiles. To these Gentiles, the Jewish apostles and elders send friendly greetings.

The letter goes right to the point:

Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls (v. 24).

The problem is addressed immediately. The apostles and elders have heard that some of our number—misguided yet sincere believers in Jesus—have gone rogue. They are teaching that Gentiles must become Jewish and be circumcised in order to be saved. But the apostles and elders disavow this, full stop: we gave no instruction to these teachers. It is acknowledged that these teachers came from our number. This means they did indeed come from the church in Jerusalem, from Judea (Acts 15:1). But they were not commissioned or sent by the church’s authorities. 

This idea did not come from the leaders in Jerusalem. It was invented. It is not true. The letter acknowledges that these false teachers have disturbed the Gentile believers with their words and that it has led to unsettling the Gentiles’ souls.

Throughout this debate as to whether Gentiles must be circumcised in order to be saved, the idea that Gentiles should follow the Law has been described as testing God, as an unbearable yoke, as a way of troubling the Gentiles (Acts 15:10, 19). In this letter from the church authorities in Jerusalem to the Gentiles, it is described as something that has disturbed and unsettled the very souls of the Gentiles. What the Pharisee believers were teaching was objectively incorrect, but was also deeply disturbing. 

And it is understandable that it would be disturbing and unsettling to Gentile believers in Antioch. These are men and women who have believed in Jesus for years. They turned from their pagan idols when they heard that the God of the universe loved them specifically, and that the Son of God had died for their sins and resurrected to new life. They believed this and received the Holy Spirit of God. They have lived in fellowship with one another, they worship God, and anticipate Jesus’s return and the eternal life promised to them. 

And then certain teachers arrive to town and tell them that the male Gentiles need to perform surgery on their bodies in the Jewish manner, and that they need to submit to the ancient Jewish laws concerning diet, worship, sojourns to Jerusalem for festivals, sacrifices made in the Temple, and much more in order to have eternal life. This would certainly cause doubt and disturbance for the Gentile believers. It would distress their souls. The Greek word translated souls is “psyche” and is translated “life” about half the time. It refers to the essence of the person. This false message affected the very identity of these believing Gentiles. 

This was not the message of the Gospel that the Gentiles had first received. They had received a message that God had freely given them salvation from their sins, and that righteousness in God’s sight had been granted to them who had received this gift by faith. They had believed and gained eternal life. Now they were being told they had additional work to do in order to be saved. This welcome letter now was sent out, explaining that the teaching about circumcision had not come from the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. Thus, it should be utterly disregarded. 

The letter continues, 

it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (vs. 25-26).

The elders and apostles affirm that after talking the matter through, they have become of one mind. It was obviously not something they were teaching, but they still gave the teaching some consideration at this Council. The result was that they unanimously rejected it. The leadership of the church are unified on this matter. There is no reason for Gentiles to become circumcised and follow the Mosaic Law in order to be saved from their sins. 

Whether or not those from “the sect of the Pharisees” (Acts 15:5) had changed their minds is not explicitly stated here. But this letter gives the sense of unity across the board, of having become of one mind after the arguments were given on both sides, after the matter was considered, and after Peter and James’s judgement seemed to settle it. However, the false teaching that circumcision was a necessity would plague Paul’s ministry to Gentiles for the rest of his life. 

Obviously there were Jewish believers who disagreed with this letter and decision, and made it their aim to turn the Gentiles into Jewish proselytes. 

In any case, the leadership was of one mind, and it seemed a good idea to them to select men from the Jerusalem church to go spend time at the churches of Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. This was a gesture of friendship, harmony between churches, and a way to safeguard against future false teaching. 

The letter states that these men are being sent in the company of Barnabas and Paul. The elders and apostles describe the two missionaries with praiseworthy language: our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

This is a massive endorsement for Barnabas and Paul, who had already battled against the circumcision message in Antioch before this Council assembled (Acts 15:2). It is a loud and clear validation that, “We are on their side. Listen to them. We love these men. They have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 

This also contrasts with the believers from “our number” who were spreading the false teaching that circumcision was necessary to be saved. These false teachers had done nothing for the spread of the Gospel as far as we are told. They may have put themselves at risk from the fury of the Sanhedrin by believing in Jesus. But the Jewish leadership has largely left the Christian believers alone in Jerusalem since Herod died (Acts 12:21-24). 

Barnabas and Paul truly risked their lives in Cyprus and the region of Galatia (part of modern-day Turkey). There was an attempt upon Paul’s life specifically, and he miraculously survived (Acts 14:19). The elders and apostles fully support these men. 

And together with Paul and Barnabas, they are sending two others from Jerusalem:

Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth (v. 27).

Judas and Silas would act as witnesses to confirm the events and decision of this Council, so that there would be no suspicion of deception or misrepresentation. They themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth, meaning they will uphold the decision that Gentiles should not become circumcised or follow the Law. The sending of two additional witnesses is in keeping with the principle from the law of Moses that two or three witnesses were necessary to confirm a matter (Deuteronomy 17:6). 

These two witnesses will avow the only necessary suggestions distilled from the Law, made as follows:

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell” (vs. 28-29).

It seemed good not only to the apostles and elders to encourage these prohibitions, but to the Holy Spirit. They are appealing to God’s authority, not just their own. James and Peter did not simply speak from their own preferences, but were in prayerful submission to the Holy Spirit in this matter. 

The Holy Spirit and messengers from God have spoken audibly to Peter on many occasions (Acts 1:10-11, 5:3, 10:19-20, 12:7-11). While he is not infallible, Peter exhibited strong intimacy with God and His will. As Jesus promised to the apostles, the Spirit would tell them what to say when they needed help (Luke 12:11-12, John 14:26). 

The message, then, is that none of these Gentile believers need to become circumcised or follow the Law of Moses in order to be saved. But, it seemed good both to the leaders and to the Spirit, that the Gentiles should abstain from a few specific pagan snares which would poison their spiritual growth and place a stumbling block to fellowship with Jewish believers. 

The apostles and elders describe the instruction to abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from fornication as essentials. This is what is needed in order to do well. These essentials are fundamental to living apart from the sinful pagan world in which these Gentiles exist. The Gentiles are surrounded by idolatry, so the elders and apostles feel obligated to, as they describe it, lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials. 

These essentials are only necessary in order to do well. They are not essential to be saved from the penalty of sin and be justified in God’s sight. Justification-salvation only comes by grace, received through faith (Acts 15:11). Earlier, Peter described the Mosaic Law as an unbearable yoke (Acts 15:10). The law shows us sin, but cannot save. Only the death and resurrection of Jesus saves from the penalty of sin (Romans 3:21-24, 5:20, 7:13). 

This letter from the church authorities in Jerusalem countered and overturned the message given to the Gentile believers that they must follow the Mosaic law in order to be saved. This was something that had disturbed and troubled the Gentiles, but now has been corrected. Now the gospel of grace as taught by Paul and Barnabas had been confirmed and the Gentiles have been freed from living under the burden of having to keep a set of rules (that no one can keep) in order to be saved. 

The Law as considered by Jews of that time included the Ten Commandments as well as the entire Law of Moses, as contained in the first five books of the Bible. This shaped the entirety of Jewish culture, society, identity, and rituals. However, the Jewish leaders had twisted the laws into a system of control and exploitation rather than learning the law in a manner that changed their heart (Matthew 23:23). 

Without the Spirit, the Law is an unbearable yoke that the Jews themselves did not fully keep (Galatians 6:12-13, Romans 2:21-24). Further, the law is an unbearable yoke that the Apostle Peter does not wish to put upon the Gentiles. In fact, we can infer that Peter believed the Jews themselves had been freed of the yoke, for he said they were saved by grace themselves (Acts 15:11). 

So in contrast, these four essentials are a light burden, and there is nothing greater from Jewish Law to be added to them. They are for fellowship and sanctification, not for being saved from the penalty of sin (being justified in God’s sight). 

The four essentials are:

• that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols 
• and from blood 
• and from things strangled 
• and from fornication

Taken together, they add up to a general warning about staying away from pagan Greek/Roman idolatrous worship practices. The Gentiles should abstain from and avoid eating animals that were strangled and sacrificed to idols. They should avoid blood from any sacrifice, and from fornication. This was important both for their sanctification (1 Thessalonians 4:3-4) as well as avoiding a stumbling block for fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers. 

The world, then as well as now, encourages the pursuit of sex in whatever way we desire. A review of sexual practices common to both Egypt and Canaan during the time of Moses shows that incest, adultery and twisted practices were common to both. In terms of pagan idol worship, fornication was an integral part of the ritual. Prostitutes worked for pagan temples and sold sex as a way of making transactions with the gods. Thus, paganism held that sexual exploitation was not only okay, but worshipful. 

But God created life and the way to propagate life. He designed sex to the benefit of married couples. He created moral laws that work just as surely as physical laws. And sexual sin is particularly self-destructive (1 Corinthians 6:18). For one, gaining pleasure through exploiting another person trains our heart to exploit, which tarnishes our God-given design to have harmony with others. 

The Gentiles of Antioch and beyond were having to unlearn the exploitative, manipulative use of sex in their culture. Such sexual carelessness only enforces the most self-centered instincts in people and leaves a wake of ruined relationships and victims. As believers in Jesus, the Gentiles were introduced to sex as God created it to be, between husband and wife. In its proper place, sexual intercourse is a great gift and a thing of beauty (1 Corinthians 7:5, Hebrews 13:4). Two becoming one reflects God’s image. 

The apostles and elders conclude this list by explaining the outcome of avoiding these old idolatrous patterns: if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. 

It will bring freedom and wellness into their lives. All sin is slavery, and its result is death. Death is separation, and sin is living apart from God’s (good) design. When we live apart from God’s design, we lose the benefits God intended. Living as we were designed to live, in faith and obedience to God, leads to spiritual health and peace. 

The implicit benefit to the Gentile believers abstaining from sexual sin and certain unclean practices is that they would not estrange their fellowship with believing Jews. The Jewish believers would have no ceremonial reasons to avoid fellowship with the Gentiles, and the Gentiles would show cleanliness and holiness set apart from worldly practices, which would be greatly to their benefit, saving them from the adverse consequences of sin.

The Jerusalem authors, apostles and elders, sign off, Farewell. 

The Council of Jerusalem ends, and the bearers of the letter embark. 

So when they (Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas) were sent away, they went down to Antioch (v. 30). 

Though Antioch is in Syria 300 miles north of Jerusalem, the phrase went down signifies the descent from the Judean hills to lower elevation. The messengers were sent away from Jerusalem to return to Syrian Antioch.

In Antioch, the messengers from Jerusalem call together a church meeting: and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter (v. 30).

When they (the Antioch congregation) had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. (v. 31). They were pleased, they rejoiced because of the answer given by the elders and apostles. There was no compulsion to become circumcised or submit to the Mosaic Law. Faith in Jesus’s death and resurrection is what saves from the penalty of sin. 

They found encouragement in this letter. Perhaps they understood what Peter had said, that following the law was like a yoke that was too heavy to bear. Now they could bask in the grace of Christ, knowing that they are set free from the penalty of sin and death (Romans 8:1). 

Judas and Silas give a sermon after the message is read. They, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message (v. 32). We are not told what the message was about, but it could very well have been on the same topic of grace alone through faith alone in Jesus. Both men were prophets, gifted by the Holy Spirit to speak God’s truth. It would be a reasonable guess to speculate that their lengthy message was consistent with the messages recorded in Paul’s letters. Silas, also called Silvanus, is cited as a co-author with Paul in 2 Corinthians, and 1 and 2 Thessalonians. 

After they (Judas and Silas) had spent time there in Antioch, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out (v. 33). It was with a peaceful, unified spirit that the Antiochians told Judas and Silas that they could return home to Jerusalem, to those who had sent them out, that is, the elders and the apostles. 

However, we are then told that Silas felt like he was still needed in Antioch: [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there] (v. 34). 

The reason that this verse is in brackets is because it is not found in every manuscript of Acts 15. It was either a later addition by a scribe to clarify that Silas decided to stay (because he will go with Paul on his second missionary journey in verse 40), or it was in the original Acts manuscript and was for some reason omitted in other copies. 

It could be that the Antiochian believers told Judas and Silas that they did not need to feel obligated to stay in Antioch any longer, and could return to Jerusalem—they were sent away from the brethren in peace—but Silas felt convicted that he was needed right where he was, in Antioch. Maybe he did go some distance from Antioch before turning back. His decision to remain in Antioch would prove to be for the good, because in a few verses he will accompany Paul back to Galatia to check up on the churches planted there. Thus, Silas will be Paul’s partner on his second missionary journey. 

Luke makes it clear that Paul and Barnabas were not compelled to go back to Jerusalem, since they had already made report of their mission trip at the Council and had helped settle the question of whether or not Gentiles needed to become circumcised. He writes,

But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord (v. 35).

For a time, the church in Antioch continues as it was, with Paul and Barnabas faithfully teaching and preaching the Lord’s word to the believers there. 

The Jerusalem Council did not negate the power or significance of the Law. The word of God does not return void (Isaiah 55:11). The Jerusalem Council properly positioned the Law as a reflection of God’s life-giving word. When New Testament believers walk in the Spirit, we fulfill the Law (Romans 8:4). God’s law is good (Romans 7:12). Walking in fulfillment of the Law gives us liberty, freeing us from the negative consequences of sin and death (James 1:25). 

But it was not only Paul and Barnabas teaching; many others taught and preached the word of the Lord as well. Some of these men were probably those who first sent Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journey, such as Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen (Acts 13:1-3). The church of Antioch had a team of gifted preachers and teachers, rather than relying on one man. 

Although Paul and Barnabas were filled with the Spirit and were messengers of Jesus, they were not the only ones in the church at Antioch who preached and taught. There were many others also preaching and teaching the word of the Lord. The church was gifted with many who preached and taught God’s word. 

At that point in time, the written word of God would have been mainly (if not completely) the Old Testament. The foundation of the Old Testament is the Law. But if we look at Paul’s letters, they are full of exposition of Old Testament passages. For example, the theme verse of Paul’s letter to the Romans is a quote from Habakkuk 2:4, that the righteous man is the one that lives by faith (Romans 1:17). And in Romans 3:10-18, Paul quotes from the Psalms to demonstrate that every person is sinful and in need of God’s grace in order to be saved. 

As Paul writes in his last epistle, just prior to his death:

“All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness”
(2 Timothy 3:16). 

The phrase “All Scripture” would include the Old Testament. The Law is of great benefit. It shows us principles on how to live in a manner most beneficial to ourselves and to others. But Paul also points out that it is the resurrection power of Jesus working through us and the power of His Spirit that enables us to walk in a manner that fulfills the Law (Romans 8:4). 

These teachers in Antioch were also surely teaching what Jesus had taught during His three years of ministry on earth.