And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (2) Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and leaders, about this question.  (22) Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.  (23) They wrote this letter by them:  The apostles, the elders, and the brethren, To the brethren who are of Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:  Greetings.  (24) Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, “You must be circumcised and keep the law”- to whom we gave no such commandment -(25) it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, (26) men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  (27) We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth.  (28) For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than the necessary things:  (29) that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.  If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.

Acts of the Apostles was written by Luke, friend and companion of Paul, physician and historian of the early church. Our verses today record the Jerusalem council – the first church council, probably in 48AD or 49AD — less than 20 years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most of the apostles were still alive; men and women who had seen the risen Christ were alive; there was the extraordinary presence of the Holy Spirit, and still there appeared in the midst of this controversy and dissension that resulted in the Jerusalem Council.

The problem had  do with the doctrine of salvation and there could be no compromise. The church – and Paul and Barnabas –  taught that we are saved through faith in Christ Jesus. But men arrived in Antioch where Paul and Barnabas were preaching and claimed to be sent from the mother church in Jerusalem.  These Judaizers claimed that it was not enough to have faith but also circumcision and adherence to the law of Moses was necessary for salvation.  The arguments were basic to the gospel:  either Jews and Gentiles must keep the law of Moses OR Jews and Gentiles are both saved by faith in Jesus Christ alone.

This doctrine is central to the church. It is Gods choice that all are included in salvation. And, salvation is not earned. There is nothing that man can do to earn heaven. Religious Jews and all their ceremonial law keeping makes no difference. It all hinges on saving faith in Christ.  And the instant of belief is the moment of forgiveness for all sin – this justification is not the beginning of a process; there is nothing to be added

In a letter to the early church from James there is a verse – chapter 2:17 – saying that “Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead”.  In light of today’s verses I interpret this sentence to mean that true faith (which is saving faith) is accompanied by the desire to reflect that faith in actions. We behave as we believe and not to earn heaven as salvation is always of the Lord. And we had better not forget this.