Council of Jerusalam

1
The Council of Jerusalem
2
Year 48 A.D.

• In this year in Antioch, many Christians who were
  former Jews, demanded that all Christians be
  circumcised as was required in Jewish law.
• They believed that all things required of Jews in
  the Old Testament should still be required of all
  Christians.

3
Controversy

• The community decided to consult the Apostles and
  Elders of Jerusalem. Thus, it sent Paul and
  Barnabas together with Titus, their Greek
  companion, as well as a delegation to accompany
  them to Jerusalem.

4
Two Sides

• Up to that point, Peter had been in charge of
  the circumcised(Jewish converts) and Paul had
  been in charge of the uncircumcised(non-Jewish,
  or pagan converts).
• It really was about whether Christians had to
  keep Mosaic Law
• As a result, John, Cephas and James were sent to
  the Jewish areas and Paul and Barnabas to the
  non-Jews.

5
The Antioch Incident

• . What happened?
• When Peter visited Antioch a situation occurred.
  At that time, a circumcised Jewish Christian
  could not sit at the same table with a Gentile
  Christian without falling into impurity. Peter,
  had always testified to the supreme power of
  faith in Christ which gathers together within
  itself all human beings had no problem sitting
  with the former pagans, until the Jewish group
  came to Antioch . Then Peter stopped socializing
  with the former pagans. He hid what he truly
  felt out of fear

6
Paul vs. Peter

• Therefore Paul became angry at Peter and said, I
  opposed him to his face because he clearly was
  wrong
• Paul argued that Jesus sacrifice freed us from
  the old laws of Moses
• Peter agreed with Paul, but sided with the Jewish
  Christians who wanted the Gentiles to follow the
  Mosaic laws as well as the ones set forth and
  supported by Christ

7
The Decision

• In Acts Chapter 15, the decision is written
• They(gentile Christians) should abstain from what
  has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and
  from what has been strangled, and from
  immorality