Okay, so you don’t have to be circumcised to join the Church. We all know that, but how did the early Church come to this decision? And how can their example help our congregations decide what to do in today’s changing and confusing world?

First, this passage reminds us that differences of opinion, even over very important things, can arise among true Christians of goodwill. For 15:5 makes it clear that it was a group of believers who thought it was necessary to follow God’s Old Testament requirement of circumcision. This was an argument where both sides trusted in Jesus and tried to follow what the Bible says.

But this was also an argument that had to be settled one way or the other. After all, circumcision couldn’t be both required and optional at the same time. In the same way, many congregations have been torn apart recently over how to deal with this COVID pandemic: should we require masks, or should they be optional? Should we hold in-person worship services or stick to online gatherings? In some situations, you simply can’t have it both ways.

And the question that faced the Jerusalem Council was of critical importance, going right to the heart of the gospel – was the death of Christ sufficient to atone for the sins of all mankind, or did human beings have to add to it in some way, by being circumcised, or by performing some other action or ritual? This wasn’t a question that could be ignored.

So, how did the early Church decide what to do? First, all “the apostles and the elders” came together to “consider this matter” (15:6). In other words, instead of each congregation deciding what to do for itself, or instead of letting a single pastor or bishop make all the important decisions, they had a Presbytery meeting. And that’s because they knew how easy it is for any one Christian to be deceived or to make a mistake, no matter how complete his information or how good her intentions might be.

But how did this group end up making the right decision? It wasn’t by the much debating that they did in verse 7. It wasn’t even by hearing about the miracles of God in verses 7-12. No, it was when James stood up and appealed, not to his own apostolic authority, but to the Scriptures of the Old Testament. He quoted Amos chapter 9, verses 11 and 12, and he applied that text to the situation at hand. That is what convinced the apostles and the elders, allowing the whole Church to come to an agreement – an appeal to the inerrant, infallible, inspired Word of God.

And that is how Church government is supposed to work. Wise and godly ruling and teaching elders are supposed to gather around the Word of God, holding each other and the Church as a whole accountable to what God says is true and right. To the extent that we can do that, to the extent that we are faithful to the Word of God in this way, we will be able to pursue the peace, unity and purity of the Church, loving one another as we show and share Christ with the world.

Acts 15:1-29 (ESV)

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question.
3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers.
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them.
5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.
7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us,
9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith.
10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?
11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”
12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.
14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from 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 I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things
18 known from of old.’
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,
20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,
23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions,
25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth.
28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:
29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”