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Published: Nov. 3, 2020, 4:04 a.m.

We can’t stay here anymore. 

Week 11

“A skeptic is transformed”

Acts 15. 

 

Takeaways 

We tent to drift from....

1)GRACE back to law

2)INTERNAL transformation to external conformity

3)MISSIONAL to comfortable 

ACTS 15 The Jerusalem Council 1 ver. 24 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching ver. 3, 22, 23, 36, 40; See John 21:23 the brothers, “Unless you are ver. 5; Gal. 5:2; [1 Cor. 7:18; Gal. 2:11, 14] circumcised ch. 6:14; Lev. 12:3according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and ver. 7 debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and [Gal. 2:1, 2] some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to ver. 4, 6, 22, 23; ch. 16:4; See ch. 5:12; 11:30the apostles and the elders about this question. 3So, ch. 21:5; Rom. 15:24; 1 Cor. 16:6, 11; 2 Cor. 1:16; Titus 3:13; 3 John 6; [ch. 17:15] being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, See ch. 14:27 describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and ch. 11:18 brought great joy to all ver. 1the brothers.15:3 Or brothers and sisters; also verse 22 4[ch. 21:17] When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and ver. 2 the apostles and the elders, and [See ver. 3 above]they declared all that God had done with them. 5But some believers who belonged to See ch. 24:5 the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, ver. 1 “It is necessary Gal. 5:3to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.” 6 [ver. 12, 25] The [See ver. 4 above]apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7And after there had been much ver. 2 debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, ch. 10:20 that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear [Eph. 1:13; Col. 1:5; 1 Thess. 1:5] the word of ch. 20:24the gospel and believe. 8And God, ch. 1:24 who knows the heart, ch. 14:3 bore witness to them, ch. 10:44, 47; 11:15, 17; [ver. 28; Gal. 3:2]by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9and ch. 11:12; Rom. 3:22-24; Eph. 3:6; [ch. 10:28, 34] he made no distinction between us and them, Ps. 51:10; [ch. 26:18; 2 Cor. 7:1; 1 Pet. 1:22] having cleansed their hearts See ch. 10:43by faith. 10Now, therefore, why Ps. 106:14; Isa. 7:12 are you putting God to the test Gal. 5:1; [ver. 28] by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples [Matt. 11:28; 23:4; Luke 11:46]that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11But we [ch. 16:31] believe that we will be Eph. 2:5, 8; 2 Tim. 1:9; Titus 2:11; 3:7; [Rom. 3:24; 1 Thess. 5:9] saved through Rom. 5:15 the grace of the Lord Jesus, [See ver. 9 above]just as they will.” 12And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul ver. 4; See ch. 14:27as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13After they finished speaking, See ch. 12:17James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14[ver. 7] Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them [ch. 18:10; Deut. 7:6; Isa. 43:21; Rom. 9:24-26]a people for his name. 15And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,   16 Cited from Amos 9:11, 12; [Jer. 12:15] “‘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, 17that the remnant15:17 Or rest of mankind [ch. 17:27] may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles Isa. 43:7; Jer. 14:9; Dan. 9:19who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18[Isa. 45:21]known from of old.’   19Therefore [ver. 28] my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who See ch. 14:15turn to God, 20but should write to them ch. 21:25 to abstain from [ver. 29; Ezek. 4:13, 14; Dan. 1:8; Mal. 1:7, 12] the things polluted by idols, and from 1 Cor. 10:7, 8; Rev. 2:14, 20; See 1 Cor. 6:18 sexual immorality, and from See Lev. 3:17what has been strangled, and from See Lev. 3:17blood. 21For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, ch. 13:15; 2 Cor. 3:14, 15; [ch. 13:27]for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers 22Then it seemed good to ver. 2 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 [ch. 1:23] Barsabbas, and See 1 Pet. 5:12 Silas, leading men among ver. 1the brothers, 23with the following letter: [See ver. 22 above] “The brothers, both [See ver. 22 above] the apostles and the elders, to the brothers15:23 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 32, 33, 36 who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, ch. 23:26; James 1:1; [2 John 10, 11]greetings. 24Since we have heard that ver. 1; [Gal. 2:4; 5:12; Titus 1:10] some persons have gone out from us and Gal. 1:7; 5:10troubled you15:24 Some manuscripts some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25it has seemed good to us, having come See ch. 1:14 to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our [2 Pet. 3:15]beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26ch. 9:23-25; 14:19 men who have [ch. 20:24; 21:13; 2 Cor. 4:11; 1 John 3:16]risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27We have therefore sent ver. 22, 32Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28For it has seemed good [ver. 8; ch. 5:32; John 16:13; 1 Cor. 7:40] to the Holy Spirit and [ver. 19] to us [ver. 10; Rev. 2:24]to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29See ver. 20 that you abstain from ch. 21:25; 1 Cor. 8:1, 4, 7, 10; 10:19; Rev. 2:14, 20what 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.” 30So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32And Judas and Silas, who were themselves See ch. 13:1 prophets, encouraged and See ch. 14:22 strengthened ver. 1the brothers with many words. 33And after they had spent some time, they were sent off Gen. 26:29; Heb. 11:31; [1 Cor. 16:11] in peace by [See ver. 32 above]the brothers to those who had sent them.15:33 Some manuscripts insert verse 34: But it seemed good to Silas to remain there 35But ch. 13:1Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.