Acts 15.1-41 will tell us about what is called the Jerusalem Council, where the topic was over whether a non-Jew had to be circumcised and become Jewish to be saved. At the heart of the issue is the ongoing debate between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai; the return of Paul and Barnabas to Antioch with the decision; and the contention between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark.
v 1…And some men came down from Judea (believing Pharisees from Beit Shammai) and teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the customs of Moses, you cannot be saved (this concerned the non-Jews; Moses never taught this for Jews and non-Jews, this is what is called a “minhag” or a custom not commanded in the Torah).”
v 2…And when Paul and Silas had great dissension and debate with them, determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them, should go to Jerusalem to the shaliachim and elders concerning this issue (as to whether a non-Jew should be circumcised to become Jewish through ritual circumcision to be saved according to the oral laws of Beit Shammai; they are not discussing Abrahamic circumcision because this was commanded in the Torah for any descendant of Abraham-Gen 17.9-14).
v 3…Therefore being sent on their way by the kahal (in Antioch for a meeting with the kahal in Jerusalem), they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles (without becoming Jews through ritual circumcision), and were bringing great joy to all the brethren (of the assemblies they visited).
v 4…And when they arrived in Jerusalem (from Antioch), they were received by the kahal (assembly) and the shaliachim and the elders (zekanim), and they reported all that God had done with them.
v 5…But certain ones of the sect of the Pharisees (from Beit Shammai) who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them (the non-Jews ritually; becoming Jewish) and observe the Law (Torah) of Moses (just as a Jewish person would observe them).”
v 6…And the shaliachim and the elders (zekanim) came together to look into the matter (to see what caused the dissension; this is called a “beit din” or “house of judgment” following Yeshua’s instruction in Matt 18.18-20).
v 7…And after there had been much debate (examination), Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days (about 15 years ago) God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the basar and believe (Acts 10).
v 8…And God, who knows the heart (intentions, desires, thoughts), bore witness to them, giving them the Ruach Ha Kodesh (manifestations), just as he did with us (Acts 2);
v 9…And he made no distinction between us (Jewish) and them (non-Jews), cleansing their hearts by faith (emunah or action and confidence without becoming Jewish through ritual circumcision).
v 10…Now therefore why do you put God to the test (test his faithfulness) by placing upon the neck of the talmidim a yoke (the “yoke” is imposing on the non-Jews man-made traditions according to the 18 Edicts of Beit Shammai; the whole point of Acts 10 is the man-made legalism of Beit Shammai-Matt 23.1-4; Gal 2.11-19; Eph 2.11-22) which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear (or to “carry out”-they are talking about the man-made traditions the elders of Beit Shammai devised, not the Torah-Matt 23.4)?
v 11…But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Yeshua, in the same way as they are also.”
v 12…And the multitude kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles (they testified that the non-Jews were being saved without being ritually circumcised to become Jewish, a doctrine of Beit Shammai, just like Cornelius and the others were).
v 13…And after they had stopped speaking, James (Jacob, head of the Beit din and “Rosh Knesset” or “Nasi” of the Netzarim, or Nazarene, assembly; he was known as “Ya’akov Ha Tzadik” or Jacob the righteous and a Pharisee from Beit Shammai; he is the son of Alpheus, sometimes called the “brother of the Lord” and one of the twelve-Matt 10.3; but some believe he is the half-brother of Yeshua and the brother of Jude-Matt 13.55; Jude 1) answered and said, saying, “Brethren, listen to me.
v 14…Simon (Peter) has related how God first concerned himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for his name.
v 15…And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written (in Amos 9.1-12);
v 16…’After these things I will return, and I will rebuild the tabernacle of David (an idiom for the kingdom of God) which has fallen (the kingdom/scepter of David had fallen into the hands of Rome), and I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
v 17…in order that the nest of Edom (mankind, the non-Jews) may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name,
v 18…says the Lord (Yehovah), who makes these things known from of old (eternity-it was always God’s plan to include the non-Jews).’
v 19…Therefore it is my judgment (sentence) that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,
v 20…but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols (idolatry) and from fornication (sexual immorality) and from what is strangled (this is understood as “carrion” which was an animal killed by action on the windpipe by big cats, etc-Nahum 2.12; this alludes to the fact that Yeshua had to be killed the proper way in order for him to be our Passover lamb, he could not have died a natural death to be a proper korban shelem; the Pseudo-Clementine Homilies 1.8 says Peter taught that people were to abstain from food sacrificed to idols and dead carcasses from animals which have been strangled or caught by beasts- see the book “James, the Brother of Jesus”, p. 295-296, by Robert Eisenman; Ezek 33.23-26, 44.31) and from blood.
v 21…For Moses (Torah) from ancient generations has in every city those who teach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath (non-Jews could go to any synagogue to learn all the things that applied to them in the Torah, and these four commands have many, many chapters in the Scriptures to learn from; these were not just four commands, but many).”
v 22…Then it seemed good to the shaliachim (apostles) and the zekanim (elders), with the whole assembly, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas-Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,
v 23…and they sent this letter by them (their marching orders), “The shaliachim and the brethren who are zekanim (elders), to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.
v 24…since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you (by their teachings) with their words, unsettling your souls (these teachers were believers from Beit Shammai, and the same thing will happen in the book of Galatians),
v 25…it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
v 26…men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
v 27…Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.
v 28…For it seemed good to the Ruach Ha Kodesh and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials (there are many chapters associated with these four “essentials” and they were to go to the synagogues and learn the rest that applied to them in the Torah; these essentials were derived from the instructions also given to the Jews in Ezek 33.25-26, 44.31);
v 29…that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication (forbidden marriage relationships, etc); if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell (these instructions also made it possible for Jews and non-Jews to have table fellowship together).”
v 30…So, when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.
v 31…And when they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
v 32…And Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.
v 33…And after they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out.
v 34…But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.
v 35…But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching, with many others also the word of the Lord (that non-Jews were to obey the Torah as it applied to them, and they were clarifying this aspect to their listeners-Lev 18.5; Acts 7.31.38; Exo 20.8-10; Isa 52.1-8; Deut 16.13-17; Lev 16.29-31; Num 15.14-16; acts 13.16, 17.1-4, 18.7; Col 2.16-17; Eph 2.11-22; 1 Cor 11.1-2; 2 Thes 2.15, 3.6; 1 Cor 7.17-19. As we have said before, the contention in Acts 15 is part of an ongoing contention between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel. There was no such thing as “Judaism” in the first century, but more like “Judaisms.” There were different “sects” and they would have their own “halakah” or how to walk in the Torah. First, you had the Pharisees, with two main sects. Beit Hillel were students of the sage Hillel. One from this sect was the Nasi of the Sanhedrin at times, and the people followed their halakha for the most part, and they looked at the “spirit” of the Law and were less strict than Beit Shammai. They were very eschatological. Opposed to Beit Hillel we have Beit Shammai, which followed the sage Shammai. They were very strict to the letter of the Torah and authored the 18 Edicts of Shammai, which was opposed by Yeshua in Matt 23 and other places, Paul, and the early believers. They were the Pharisees who you see opposing Yeshua for the most part, and did not like non-Jews. Often, a member of Beit Shammai was the Av Beit Din, or vice-president, of the Sanhedrin. They were eschatological. Then we have the Sadducees, who were priests and the opposite of the Pharisees. They believed very little except what was found in the Torah, and were not eschatological. The Boethusians were rich Sadducees, and many were high priests, but not eschatological either. They believed only what was written in the Torah. The Zealots were politically opposed to Rome and were aligned with the Sicarii and Beit Shammai at times. They were Torah observant and could belong to other groups. One of the original twelve was Simon the Zealot in Luke 6.15. The Sicarii were the most radical, and the name means “assassins.” They disliked the non-Jews, especially Romans, whom they opposed. They were Torah observant, and some believe Judas was a member of this group. The Chasidim were in the north and meant “pious ones,” but they were not like the Pharisees. They were eschatological. The Essenes were a mysterious group, fed up with the corruption in Jerusalem and the Temple priesthood, and they were eschatological. The Theraputae were “healers” and may be related to the Essenes and were eschatological. The Am Ha Eretz were the “people of the land” and followed the halakah of the Pharisees. The Judeans were not Torah observant or eschatological. The Jews of Asia Minor were observant but influenced by Greek culture. The Babylonian Jews were Torah observant, living in the largest Jewish population in the world in Babylon. They will not be influenced by any of the other groups. The sage Hillel came from Babylon. The Alexandrian Jews were Torah observant and were influenced by Greek culture. Most of these groups can be divided into two groups: the Traditional (orthodox) Jews and the Hellenistic Jews. There was contempt and contention between these two groups going back to the time of the Maccabees. You can see a glimpse into this contention in Acts 6.1. Shaul’s (Paul) contention with believers in Yeshua centered around his animosity for Hellenistic believers, because he was a Traditional (orthodox) Jew. You can see this in Acts 8:1, where persecution arose against the community in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered, except the apostles. It’s because the apostles were traditional Jews. Why would Shaul/Paul go all the way to Damascus to arrest believers when there were traditional believers right there in Jerusalem? Stephen was a Hellenistic Jew (Acts 6.1-5), and Shaul/Paul, a traditional Jew (Phil 3.5), was in hearty agreement with his murder. (Acts 8.1). The heart of the matter in the Acts 15 debate was part of an ongoing controversy between Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai. As you can see, there is much more going on in the Brit Chadasha Scriptures than meets the eye).
v 36…And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.”
v 37…And Barnabas was desirous of taking John, called Mark, along with them also.
v 38…But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia (Acts 13.13) and had not gone with them to the work.
v 39…And there arose such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus (John Mark will show that he has changed and Paul will change his attitude him later-Col 4.10; 2 Tim 4.11) .
v 40…But Paul chose Silas and departed, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.
v 41…And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies (they went to establish these believing communities in a Torah-based faith in Yeshua).
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