Acts 15:1 “And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.”
The context of Acts 15:1 was about a group of men who came down from Judea teaching that except the Jews have kept the law, they cannot be saved. Therefore the question is: Do we keep the law in order to be saved? First and foremost, Jesus said in:
John 7:19 “Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?”
There are no uncertain terms in the words of the LORD Jesus Christ: “none of you keepeth the law”, and he was referring to the Jews who claimed to have kept the law of Moses.
Acts 15:5 “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
This verse tells us that the group of men who taught that it is needful to keep the law of Moses was from the sect of the Pharisees which had believed and converted to the faith of Jesus Christ. However, they had also brought their teachings with them into the church.
Acts 15:6 “And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.”
Therefore, the Apostles and elders of the church came together to consider the matter. Then Peter explained:
Acts 15:7-9 “And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”
Peter calls it “the word of the gospel”. The gospel of Jesus Christ is to be heard and believed in the heart. That is the only condition whereby sinful men may be saved: not by keeping the law, but by believing in every word of God.
Acts 15:11 “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
Peter confirmed his words in this verse, that it is only by grace through faith in the “word of the gospel” that men might be saved. This goes along with the teachings of Paul:
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”
It is “not of works” and certainly not by circumcision and keeping the law that we are saved. Salvation has nothing to do with what we do, but has everything to do with what we believe in our hearts.
Acts 15:13 “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:”
James continued from where Peter had ended his speech.
Acts 15:14-17 “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.”
Abraham was taken out of the Gentiles, is it not? God took Abraham out of the Gentiles in order that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles that bear the name of the Lord.
Acts 15:18 “Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.”
These things were already known unto God from the beginning, and that was the will of God from Creation as revealed in Moses and the prophets.
Acts 15:22-24 “Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23 And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia: 24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:”
After Peter and James had expounded by scripture the doctrine concerning salvation and the keeping of the law, it pleased the apostles and elders that they sent out letters to the churches in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia clarifying and informing them of the error by certain Jews of the sect of the Pharisees who taught them that they must be circumcised and that they must keep the law in order to be saved, in an attempt to subvert their souls.
Galatians 2:3-5 “But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: 4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: 5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”
Titus was an example of one such gentile Christian who was compelled by the Jews, certain men from the sect of the Pharisees, to be circumcised. Paul calls these men “false brethren unawares brought in”, which is to say, they had infiltrated into the church. These false brethren had a mission, and their mission was to spy out the church in order to bring the church back to bondage. To such false brethren, Paul commanded: “… To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.” Their aim is to corrupt the gospel of Jesus Christ so that the true gospel might not continue with the church.
Heavenly Father, I give thee thanks for thy word and the time spent in these early morning hours with thee. I thank God that thou hast continued to bless me with knowledge in my Bible study, and hast given me understanding in thy word. In Jesus holy name I give thanks, Amen.
Amen