Sola Gratia

Acts 15:1-21
P. G. Mathew | Sunday, February 07, 1999
Copyright © 1999, P. G. Mathew

How would you react if a minister declared to you, “Unless you are all baptized by me and live the rest of your lives as vegetarians, you cannot be saved”? Something similar happened to the church of Syrian Antioch that we read about in this passage. This church was composed mostly of Gentiles who had converted from paganism to Christianity. Unlike Jewish believers, these Gentile Christians were not circumcised nor were they accustomed to keeping the laws of Moses.

The issue of Gentile believers is seen throughout the early chapters of Acts. At first the apostles did not even believe Gentiles were to be evangelized, but then Philip was led by the Spirit to take the gospel to the Samaritans, as we read in Acts 8. In Acts 10 we read that Peter was led by the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel to the Gentile household of Cornelius. In Acts 11 we read that some Hellenistic Jews were led by the Lord to evangelize the Gentiles of Syrian Antioch. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a thriving Gentile church was formed, which was then instructed by Barnabas and Saul in the apostolic doctrine.

In this passage we read that some men, supposedly sent by James, the leader of the church of Jerusalem, came to the thriving Gentile church of Antioch and began to disturb the believers by teaching that unless they were circumcised, they could not be saved. Their teaching was subversive to the gospel of Jesus Christ which declares that we are saved by Christ alone, by grace alone through faith alone–plus nothing. These doctrines which Paul and Barnabas taught the church of Antioch are the same as those which the Reformed faith calls the solas—solo Christo, sola fide, sola gratia–by Christ alone, by faith alone, by grace alone. In other words, we need nothing beyond Christ, beyond faith, beyond grace to be saved.

Who was sitting in the church of Antioch, listening to these false teachers? The apostle Paul. When he heard what they were speaking, he began to sharply dispute with these men. Calling them false brethren, agitators, mutilators of the flesh, and troublemakers, Paul wrote an account of these people in his epistle to the Galatians. In Galatians 2:4 we read, “This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom,” meaning freedom from circumcision and the ceremonial laws of Moses, “we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves.” And in Galatians 5:10 we read, “I am confident in the Lord that you will take no other view. The one who is throwing you into confusion will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.” In Galatians 5:12 we read, “As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!” And in Galatians 1:8 we read, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!”

In a true church elders like Paul will always be watching. People may come with their own wares to sell, but they cannot succeed. They will be detected and sent away to confuse and agitate someone else. In a true church the elders watch and observe and deal with problems.

Introducing a “Plus” to Christ

These false teachers were not disputing that Gentiles could trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ. But they were asserting that the Gentiles of Antioch who had trusted in Christ were not yet saved because they were not circumcised. In Acts 15:1 we read this bold affirmation of these teachers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” And in Acts 15:5 we read another statement of this false doctrine: “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” In the Greek the word for “must” is dei, which means something is absolutely necessary.

These teachers were teaching against the solas and were saying that Gentiles needed something in addition to faith in Christ for salvation. But by their insistence on the circumcision of Gentile believers, they were stating that Christ was not sufficient to save sinners. They were teaching against the biblical doctrine which says salvation is in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone and were insisting that additional acts such as circumcision and keeping the law of Moses are necessary for true salvation. These teachings brought confusion to the new Gentile Christians of Antioch and challenged their assurance of salvation.

For some time Paul and Barnabas had been teaching in this first Gentile church, but they were not teaching about circumcision and lawkeeping. Paul taught that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved, which is the same doctrine Peter was teaching the household of Cornelius when he said, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Paul wrote the same thing to the church in Rome, as recorded in Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved,” and in Acts 16, when the Philippian jailer cried out, “What must I do to be saved?” Paul told him, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”

In other words, Paul never taught about any other requirement for salvation other than trusting in Jesus Christ alone. He never said that Gentiles should be circumcised and keep the law of Moses before they could be saved; instead, he taught that the gospel alone is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greeks.

Implications of False Teaching

What were the implications of the message of the false teachers? First, this pressure group of the Pharisaic party who prided themselves in their zeal for the law was declaring that Paul was a false apostle. They were the thought police of their day, setting themselves above the apostle Paul, even though he had been teaching the new converts of Antioch for some time.

Next, they were saying that faith in Christ alone is not sufficient for salvation. In fact, they were saying that a Gentile Christian who was not circumcised was not saved. To them uncircumcised Gentile Christians were not keeping the whole Mosaic law; thus, Jewish believers should not eat with them or sit with them in the church during the celebration of Holy Communion. Do you see the seriousness of this doctrinal heresy?

According to the Judaizers a Gentile must first become a Jew by circumcision and commitment to keep the whole law of Moses, including the ceremonial law, the moral law, the law of the Sabbath, and all of the 613 commandments they pulled out of the law. Then he could become a Christian by believing in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. But no Gentile could simply believe in Jesus Christ and be saved. He had to come in through Judaism.

Paul vigorously opposed this doctrine because it denied the sufficiency of Christ. These people were teaching a Jesus plus something else way of salvation– Jesus plus Moses, faith plus human merits, the gospel plus the law. This was not a question of whether someone had had the minor surgery of circumcision or not. Paul understood that if circumcision was made a requirement for salvation, then Christianity would be the same as every other religion on earth that seeks salvation through works of human achievement. To require circumcision of believers would be a denial of the sufficiency of Christ, a denial of the facts of the gospel, and a denial of the grace of God.

The True Purpose of the Law

What was the problem of these Judaizers? They did not understand the true purpose of the law of Moses. The truth is, the law of Moses could not save anyone. These Judaizers failed to realize that all are sinners, that there is no one who is righteous, and, therefore, no one can keep the law perfectly enough to be saved.

These Judaizers were very proud of their external lawkeeping. They gloried in their circumcision and thought that everyone else should be circumcised also. They practiced anti-Gentilism, this horrible racial discrimination which said all Gentiles, even Gentile Christians, were unclean dogs unless they also followed the law of Moses.

But what does the gospel say? It tells us that Christ has done everything necessary for our salvation; we only need to believe and be saved. From the cross Jesus said, “Tetelestai–it is finished,” because Christ, God’s unique Son, had accomplished salvation. God’s banquet is ready but we receive it by faith, not works, and even that faith is given to us as a gift from God. Salvation is not accomplished by keeping the law.

Why, then, did God give the law? Because of transgression, Paul says. The law defines sin as sin. Where there is no law, there is no transgression, and, therefore, sin is not seen as sin. Through the law we become conscious of sin. And in Galatians 3:21 Paul tells us that the law cannot impart life. The law can only condemn us and pronounce that we are sinners, full of guilt, and worthy of punishment. The law was given so that it can convict us and then lead us to Christ who alone is the Savior.

The law cannot save us. In fact, in Galatians 3:10 we read, “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse.” These Judaizers were pretending that they were superior Christians because they had been circumcised. I am sure they thought they were much more zealous for the Lord than the uncircumcised Gentiles. But, in fact, they were under a curse, because those who rely on the law are bound to obey it all the time perfectly, which is an absolute impossibility. Only Jesus Christ, God’s Son, could fully obey God’s law.

In Romans 10:4 Paul tells us, “Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” These Judaizers were not superior Christians in any way. In fact, they were not saved, because any addition to the sola principle is a denial of Christ.

In Galatians 5:2 we read: “Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all.” If you say that circumcision is essential to salvation, you have denied Jesus Christ! And in verses 3-4 Paul writes, “Again, I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law. You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” The Judaizers were condemned, under a curse, unforgiven, and unjustified.

The Council of Jerusalem

The church of Antioch sent representatives, led by Paul and Barnabas, to Jerusalem to discuss this serious issue with the Jerusalem church leaders. As they stood before the council, the Judaizers made the case that Gentiles must be circumcised and be required to obey all the law of Moses. Then Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and James spoke.

Praise God, the Holy Spirit was in charge of this first council! In Acts 15:28 we read that after all the parties had spoken, the council sent a letter to the church of Antioch, saying, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements,” which did not include circumcision. The council, in other words, affirmed the sola doctrines.

Jesus Christ spoke about the coming of the Holy Spirit and his ministry in John 13-16. In John 16:13 he said, “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.” This was what the Holy Spirit did at the council of Jerusalem.

Peter’s Sermon

As we said, the Judaizers presented their case first, and then the Holy Spirit guided Peter to stand up and address the assembly. What was the gist of Peter’s sermon? In effect, he was saying, “How can you insist that Gentile Christians be circumcised? God already revealed to us that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone. Remember what happened ten years ago?”

Let us examine Peter’s sermon. In verse 7 we read, “After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: ‘Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe.'” In other words, God took the initiative to preach the gospel to the Gentiles through Peter that they may be saved by simply believing in the gospel without any other precondition. What was the gospel Peter preached to these Gentiles? That Christ died for their sins, Christ was buried, Christ was raised from the dead, Christ was seen of many, Christ ascended, Christ is seated on the right hand of God the Father, and that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. There was no mention of circumcision or lawkeeping.

By citing the example of the Cornelius and his household, Peter was letting the Judaizers know that their fight was with God, not with Peter. And in verse 8 Peter began, “God, who knows the heart. . .” asserting that man’s heart, not his external acts of piety, are what God is interested in. These Pharisees were interested in externalities, such as washing their hands religiously. But Peter remembered what Jesus Christ said about the human heart in Matthew 15:16-20. There Jesus declared that man is not made unclean by what he touches or the food he eats. The problem is man’s heart–his rotten, impure, corrupt heart–and the corrupt thoughts, words, and decisions that come from the rottenness and twistedness of the human heart. Jesus Christ came to purify our hearts.

“You hypocrites!” Peter was saying. “You think the problem is external, but it is internal. The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it? The only one who knows the depth of our corruption is God; therefore, he has given us a way of salvation through Jesus Christ that deals with the depths of our corruption by purifying our hearts.”

So Peter told the assembly, “God, who knows the heart,” by which Peter meant that while he was preaching to the household of Cornelius, God looked into their hearts and saw that they had faith. “God . . . showed that he accepted them,” meaning the Gentiles in Caesarea, “by giving the Holy Spirit to them.” What is the proof of salvation? Is it the minor surgery of circumcision, of which the Judaizers were very proud? Is it one’s baptism or membership in a particular denomination? No. The proof of salvation God gave to Peter at the home of Cornelius was that the Holy Ghost was sent from heaven into the hearts of Cornelius and his household.

Peter reminded the assembly that when God saved Cornelius and his household, he was declaring that he accepts Gentiles without requiring them to be circumcised or keep the law. He who knows the heart demonstrated his acceptance of these Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit. (PGM) Filled with the Holy Spirit, the believers began to speak in other tongues and prophesy. Peter himself was shocked by this manifestation of God among the Gentile believers. At that point Peter realized there was no difference, no distinction, between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. Jews were not superior and Gentiles are not inferior. All are sinners and everyone who trusts in the gospel is saved and given the Holy Spirit.

Paul mentioned this proof also in the book of Galatians. In Galatians 3:2 we read, “Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?” What is the answer? By believing the gospel. That is the point Peter was making before the council of Jerusalem.

No Distinction with God

Peter told the assembly that God made a choice to give the Gentiles the gospel, God accepted the Gentiles and God gave them the Holy Spirit. He was emphasizing God’s role in initiating and accomplishing salvation. And in verse 9 we read, “[God] made no distinction between us and them,” meaning between Jews and Gentiles. Oh, that was a big blow to the Judaizers!

God is not worried about whether a person is tall or small, big or not, white or black. He doesn’t make any distinction between poor or rich, educated or uneducated, men or women, beautiful or not beautiful, Jew or Gentile. No distinction. That is a big blow for people who are baptized with a superiority complex. There is no difference, Paul says in Romans 3. All have sinned and all can be saved by faith in the gospel.

God does not pay any attention to externalities. In 1 Samuel 16 we see him teaching that to the prophet Samuel. Samuel was about to anoint the oldest, tallest son of Jesse as king of Israel, but God said, “No, he is not the one. I look at the heart, not outside things.” With God there is no racism such as that practiced by the Pharisees. We all are one in Christ Jesus–Jew, Gentile, man, woman, bond, free.

In verse 9 Peter said, “For he purified their hearts by faith.” As we said before, man’s problem is not whether he is circumcised externally or not. The problem is the human heart–the corrupt, twisted, unclean human heart. The Jewish people were calling the Gentiles unclean and saying they were clean when, in fact, they were as unclean as the Gentiles. There is only one who can truly clean us up, and that one is God. He purified the hearts of the Gentiles by their faith in the gospel. The blood of Jesus Christ cleansed their consciences when they trusted in him and his death in their place. Only God can cleanse us, in other words, because only Christ died for our sins.

Peter’s Conclusion

In conclusion, Peter challenged the Judaizers: “Now, then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?” In other words, he was saying, “By your insistence on circumcising the Gentile believers, you are provoking God. You are doing the same thing our forefathers did in the wilderness and throughout the history of Israel by going counter to his revelation. This is unbelief! You are provoking God, who took the initiative to save the Gentiles through my preaching on the basis of faith alone by grace alone in Christ alone. Stop doubting God’s way of doing things. Stop perpetuating these ideas of racial hatred and racial superiority!”

Peter may have been remembering Jesus’ own words in Matthew 23:4 when he denounced such Pharisaic thought police who put crushing burdens on others, pretending to be clean and examining the conduct of others while they themselves were under a curse and not saved.

In Acts 15:11 we find the glorious conclusion of Peter’s sermon in which he affirmed the solas, the doctrines of grace. Peter spoke: “We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” In other words, Jew or Gentile–there is no difference. All are sinners, and all are saved only on the basis of trusting in Jesus Christ alone. This was a great affirmation of the apostolic doctrine of salvation by grace. And we must note this is the last time the words of Peter are recorded in the book of Acts.

Paul and Barnabas Speak

In verse 12 we read that the next speakers were Paul and Barnabas. They emphasized the signs and wonders God had performed in their ministry. Why do you think they did that? To demonstrate to this council that God was endorsing their ministry to the Gentiles through the actions of the mighty Holy Spirit.

We find reference to this also in Galatians 3:5 where Paul asked the Galatians, “”Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?” In other words, Paul was saying that in his ministry the Holy Spirit was already working mightily, converting Gentiles, and performing signs and wonders in their midst. God was accepting the Gentile believers and the council should not put any other burden upon them.

James Speaks

After Paul and Barnabas finished, James stood up. James originally was an unbeliever even though he was the Lord’s brother. But in 1 Corinthians 15 we read that Jesus Christ, after his resurrection, appeared to James who then believed. Later, James became a leader of the Jerusalem church, and in Acts 12:17 we find Peter instructing the disciples to tell James and the brothers about his release from prison, implying James was in leadership.

James was probably the president of the Nazarene Sanhedrin. At that time there was a Jewish Sanhedrin, but there was also a type of Sanhedrin called the Nazarene Sanhedrin, of which James was probably the president. Being a Jew, he was very zealous for the law. It was he who wrote the epistle of James, we believe. No doubt the Pharisaic party was looking to him to support their cause.

But this council was under the chairmanship of the Holy Spirit. James stood up and everyone present waited in anticipation to see what the president would say. The Holy Spirit took control of James and he began to speak, declaring, in essence, “Brothers, what God did through Simon Peter is the fulfillment of what God had revealed through his prophets in regard to his plan for the salvation of the Gentiles. Yes, these apostles are preaching the gospel without any condition of circumcision or submission to the Mosaic law for the Gentiles’ salvation, but this is already prophesied in the Bible in so many places.” Then he quoted Amos 9:11-12: “‘And after this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things’ that have been known for ages.”

“Do you see what the Holy Spirit is doing?” James was saying. “What he is doing through Peter, Paul and Barnabas is in fulfillment of what he spoke through the prophets long before, that he loves Gentiles as well as Jews. Do you understand what I am saying?”

James quoted from Amos, who spoke of David’s fallen tent being in ruins. The tent of the royal house of David had been in ruins since 586 B.C. when the people of Judah went into captivity to Babylon. From that time on there was no king of Israel. Israel was in ruins and there was great hopelessness. But in Isaiah 11:1 we read, “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. . . .” Isaiah was prophesying, along with Amos and every other prophet, that one day God would return and rebuild the house of David, and God would save his people from Gentiles as well as from Jews.

In Luke 1 we read that God did rebuild the house of David by sending Jesus Christ, son of David and son of Abraham. The throne of his father David was given to Jesus Christ and his kingdom will last forever and ever. Of the increase of his government there shall be no end, we read in Isaiah 9, and he shall save his people from all the peoples of the world.

The people of God, therefore, consists of Jews and Gentiles–one people, saved by faith in Jesus Christ. There is no difference. Jews are not superior to Gentiles nor are Gentiles superior to Jews. We are all leveled—all sinners–all saved by faith in Christ.

God’s Plan for Gentiles

Thus, James confirmed Peter’s and Paul’s sermons, affirming the salvation of the Gentiles was in fulfillment of what God had promised some time ago.”

Some people think that the salvation of Gentiles was an afterthought for God. They maintain that God offered Jesus Christ as King of the Jews, but when the Jews didn’t receive him, God sent Jesus to the cross to die and save some Gentiles. But when you read Genesis 12:1-3 we read that God chose Abraham so that in him all the families of the earth would be blessed, including Gentiles.

In the book of Romans Paul adduces many scriptures to prove that God is interested in the salvation of Gentiles. We find a number of them in Romans 15, beginning with verse 9-12: “‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name.’ Again, it says, ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.’ And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples.’ And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.” There is no afterthought on God’s part. God from all eternity chose Jews and Gentiles alike to become one people of God. Thus, there is no superiority or inferiority. God can save Gentiles without their first becoming Jews, without circumcision and without keeping of the Law.

The Conclusion of the Council

In verse 19 James, as president, makes the final statement to the council: “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” In other words, “Do not trouble them by adding to the gospel.” Here James was affirming the solas. He was confirming what Peter had said in verse 11. James, like Paul and Peter, opposed the “plus” doctrine of the Judaizers.

This is the true gospel. Let me assure you, our salvation is based one hundred percent on what Christ did and does and zero percent on what you and I do. Just think about the glorious pictures of heaven we find in the book of Revelation. Do we see the saints congratulating themselves on having achieved salvation and eternal life? Not at all. They are giving all praise to the triune God who is the author and finisher of our faith.

Suppose you say, “I love Jesus Christ and what he did and is doing. Yes, I worship him and all that. But I am going to grant him credit for ninety-nine percent of my salvation and take credit for only one percent, based on my merits.” If one percent of your salvation depends on your merit, according to the Bible, you are not saved at all. If you try to be saved by keeping God’s law, you have nothing to do with Christ and grace, and you remain accursed with the wrath of God upon you.

The Decisions of the Council

What were the final decisions of this historic council of Jerusalem? First, the council affirmed that Christians are free from all slavery to the Mosaic law. “But Pastor,” you may ask, “don’t you teach that we should obey God, live holy lives, and keep God’s moral law, especially the Ten Commandments?” Yes, I teach these things and demand them. But whatever obedience I render to God’s moral law is simply derivative of my salvation. My keeping of God’s law is the evidence that I have been saved, not the basis of my salvation.

Second, the council denounced the idea of racial superiority and discrimination in the kingdom of God. “Remove the crushing yoke of Judaism and the religion of human achievement,” the council said, deciding in favor of the liberating and rest-giving yoke of Jesus who said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. . . .For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Don’t you think coming and eating at God’s great banquet is easy? We find rest in God’s word and his ways. Read Psalm 1. There it says the godly man’s delight is “in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.” He is eating it up, in other words, and discovering that God’s yoke is easy and light.

Third, the council decided in favor of the equality of all believers. When you understand this, you can truly enjoy your salvation. In Galatians 3:26-29 Paul wrote, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” Some churches organized by specific ethnic groups or social groups try to make me feel inferior for not being a part of their group, but I resist such groupings. There is no distinction in the church of Jesus Christ. Jews or Gentiles, we are all Abraham’s seed, part of the new Israel of God.

We read about this equality in Ephesians 2:18 also: “For through him we both,” meaning Jews and Gentiles, “have access to the Father by one Spirit.” We have access to God through Jesus Christ, not through circumcision. And in verse 19 we read, “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household. . . .” And in Ephesians 3:6 we read, “This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.”

This is the gospel, isn’t it? This is the great Reformation doctrine that Martin Luther, John Calvin and John Knox and many others fought for: salvation through Christ by grace alone through faith alone.

What About You?

Have you been saved by Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone? Jesus Christ did not tell his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations, circumcising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. What did he say? “Go into all the world. . . baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

From first to last, salvation is of God. As I said, we have two needs: the need for righteousness, because God demands perfect righteousness, and the need for forgiveness of all sins. By his active obedience Jesus Christ gives us the gift of perfect righteousness and on the basis of his death on the cross Jesus Christ forgives all our sins. Every need we have is met in Jesus Christ .

Aren’t you glad there was a council of Jerusalem, and that Holy Spirit took control of that council? Aren’t you glad for this chapter in which we are given this glorious doctrine of Christian liberty? If you are already a Christian, I urge you to stand fast in the liberty we have in Christ! And if you have never trusted in Jesus Christ, let me assure you that you don’t have to go to Jerusalem or be circumcised to be saved. You can call upon the name of the Lord wherever you are in whatever physical state you are. What must you do to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. May God grant you his salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. Amen.