Lesson 10 8 November 2015 No Difference in God's Sight Saved by Grace Lesson: Acts 15:1-12 Read: Acts 15:1-35 TIME: A.D. 49 PLACE: Antioch; Jerusalem GOLDEN TEXT: "God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:8-9). LESSON AIMS: After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to: 1. State the issues that resulted in the Jerusalem Council. 2. Explain why keeping the Law of Moses is unnecessary for salvation. 3. Role-play a modern situation in which believers meet to resolve differences. LESSON OUTLINE I. CONTROVERSY CONSIDERED Acts 12-1-4 II. CONFERENCE CONVENED Acts 12:5 III. CONVERSIONS CONFIRMED Acts 12:6-11 TODAY'S AIM Facts: to increasse the students' perception of the greatness of God's love. Principle: to have a growing desire to show and tell about God's love to others. Application: to share with an "unlovely" person that God loves him or her. DAILY BIBLE READING A. No Difference in God's Sight Acts 15:1-12 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. 2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them,
should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. 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. 6. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7. 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. 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. 12. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. Introduction A. Lesson Background The Jerusalem Council was convened in about AD 51, some 20 years after the resurrection of Jesus and the birth of the church on the Day of Pentecost. Much had happened in those two decades, and a focus of the book of Acts is the expansion of Christianity beyond the Jewish people. Many Gentiles were at least tolerated by Jews with whom they interacted. Some Gentiles, like the centurion of Luke 7:1-10, had established positive relationships with local synagogues. But while such Gentiles might be seen as friends of the synagogue, and even recognized as devout or God-fearers (see the Lesson Background of lesson 7), they were not considered to be children of the stock of Abraham by Jews (Acts 13:26; contrast Galatians 3:7). There were also Gentiles who chose to convert to Judaism fully; these were proselytes (Acts 6:5; 13:43). Male proselytes were required to be circumcised a painful, even dangerous surgical procedure in the days of rudimentary anesthetics and no antibiotics. They were also expected to
keep the Law of Moses, not least of which were the dietary laws. Both of these were big issues for Gentiles. No adult male would easily agree to be circumcised, and pork was a favorite meat of the Greeks and Romans, preferred by some over beef or mutton (compare Deuteronomy 14:8). The book of Acts records the advance of the church geographically, and this had implications for the nature of its membership. The first Christians the 3,000 baptized on the Day of Pentecost were all Jews and proselytes to Judaism (Acts 2:5, 10). The gospel then spread to Samaria (8:5). The Samaritans were not full-blood Jews and did not worship at the Jerusalem temple (John 4:20-22; also see the Lesson Background to lesson 5), but they practiced circumcision and kept the food laws, so that was not much of a stretch. But then Peter was impelled by the Holy Spirit to preach to and baptize the Roman centurion Cornelius and other Gentiles (Acts 10:9-11:18, lesson 7). After Peter answered criticism in that regard, the church leaders in Jerusalem approved his actions (11:18, lesson 8). Further inclusion of Gentiles happened in Antioch, where the gospel was preached freely to Greeks (11:19-21). This in turn led to the first missionary journey of Paul and Barnabas (12:25-14:28), with many Gentiles coming to faith as a result (13:44-48; 14:1, 27). When Paul s preaching to Gentiles was criticized by the Jews of local synagogues, he made a deliberate move to turn his ministry focus to Gentiles (13:46; compare 18:6). From the perspective of historical hindsight, the divinely directed events recorded in Acts were pushing Jewish Christians to accept Gentiles into full fellowship of the church. But this was not so evident at the time. Yet even as Peter, Paul, and others were winning Gentiles to Christ, a teaching that had to be addressed was that access to Christ and salvation was impossible without first going through the synagogue and the Law of Moses. The need to settle this issue resulted in a gathering of Christian leaders in Jerusalem, the famous Jerusalem Council of today s lesson. I. Conflict Defined (Acts 15:1-3) A. Demand by Hardliners (v. 1) 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. As is often the case in heated controversies, the complexities might be boiled down to a single issue. In this case, it is circumcision. Even so, the single issue of circumcision has profound implications for continued application of other tenets of the Law of Moses. The absolutist group of certain men which came down from Judaea (and therefore from Jerusalem) to Antioch (Acts 14:26-28) demands circumcision for all Gentile men who are part of the church. This demand is reinforced with a threat: no circumcision, no salvation. This group sees Christianity as a type of superlative Judaism. Yes, the Messiah had come. Yes, God had raised Him from the dead. But other than that, nothing had changed much. Christians, like Jews, are to keep the law. After all, Jesus was the Jewish Messiah. If one wants to enjoy the
blessings of being a Christian, then one needs to accept His Jewishness as one s own. It is possible for a Gentile to become a Christian, this group proposes, but the Gentile must first embrace the Law of Moses by converting to Judaism. B. Challenge by Paul and Barnabas (v. 2a) 2a. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them. Paul, never afraid to defend the gospel (compare Galatians 1:6-10), does not let this Judaizing viewpoint go unchallenged. He and Barnabas see in Jesus a path that transcends their own Jewish heritage. They see that the salvation offered by Jesus is not just for Jews and converts to Judaism. As John the Baptist said, Jesus is the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29), not just the sins of the Jews. So Paul and Barnabas see no need for a Gentile to become a Jew before becoming a Christian. C. Journey to Jerusalem (vv. 2b, 3) 2b. They determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. The church in Antioch seems to be thriving by this time. But Jerusalem is home base for the apostles and elders, who are the most influential Christian leaders of the day. So the unidentified leaders in Antioch send there a delegation to get the definitive answer. Paul seems to be writing about this in Galatians 2, where he mentions Titus, being a Greek, as one of the travelers (2:3). This means that the delegation includes a respected Gentile from the Antioch church. Conflict and Resolution A minister accused the chairman of the elders of being divisive and prideful, and the minister asked the board to discipline him. Instead, they put the matter up for a church vote. All those on the ministerial staff said they would resign if the church voted to retain the chairman. The congregation did so, and the staff quit as promised. There has been conflict within the church almost since day one as the apostles found their efforts challenged. We see this in today s text, and it certainly was not to be the last such squabble. One might think that conflict would be less likely in the church because it is ultimately God s endeavor. But given the fact of Satan s opposition, conflict within the church should not surprise us. When conflict comes, the example of the apostles is instructive: they provided an appropriate forum for people to express their opinions. Debate was not suppressed. Then the leaders simply made a decision on the next course of action. There are times and circumstances to encourage discussion, but also times and circumstances that call for the opposite (see Titus 1:10, 11). May we be ready and willing to lead or be led in both cases. D. C. S.
3. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. The distance between Jerusalem and Antioch is about 300 miles, and the group apparently goes overland rather than taking any part of the trip by sea. In so doing, the travelers pass through the territory of Phenice (Phoenicia), which features the well-known cities of Tyre and Sidon (compare Luke 6:17; 10:13). The route also takes them through Samaria, the quasi-jewish region that received the gospel several years earlier (lesson 5). The journey seems not to be taken at a fast pace, since Paul and the others have time to speak along the way of the conversion of the Gentiles. Mention of all the brethren implies the existence of churches, and the message is received very positively in these. It is possible that Paul and Barnabas are collecting more attendees along the way for the meeting in Jerusalem. II. Council Convened (Acts 15:4-6) A. Delegation Proclaims (v. 4) 4. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them. The initial reception of the Antioch delegation is positive, as Paul and Barnabas are given a forum to state their position. They do not do this by doctrinal or scriptural argumentation (contrast Acts 28:23), but by telling their story. The focus is on results (compare 15:12). The direction of God in including the Gentiles into the church is undeniable. The presence of Titus may also be a powerful witness to the appropriateness of the Gentile ministry (see comment on 15:2b, above). B. Pharisees Contend (v. 5) 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. As persuasive as Paul s story is to us today, it does not win over the hardliners in the Jerusalem church. These are not Jewish laymen; they are Pharisees Jewish Christians who retain their identity as defenders of the law of Moses in all its intricacies. There is a certain irony in this, because Paul is also a Pharisee (Acts 23:6; Philippians 3:5). These men demand a requirement to keep the law in general and circumcision in particular. C. Council Considers (v. 6)
6. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. The presentation by Paul and Barnabas and the rebuttal by the Pharisees are preliminary to the main session, for now the apostles and elders convene to consider... this matter. We know the identities of the apostles; they are the original 12 chosen by Jesus, minus Judas Iscariot, plus Matthias (Acts 1:26), minus James, brother of John (12:2), for a total of 11. Paul and Barnabas are called apostles in Acts 14:14, but since they are presenters they might not be included as deciders. We are less certain who the elders are. The James who is the brother of Jesus eventually joins Peter in articulating the decision of the group (Acts 15:13). Some think him to be an additional apostle per Galatians 1:19, but that interpretation is not certain. So he might be seen as the leader of the elder group. It is likely that Judas Barsabas and Silas are part of this eldership (Acts 15:22). The leaders of the Jerusalem church have made organizational adjustments over the two decades since the Day of Pentecost. In Acts 6, a group was appointed to oversee food distribution, probably the beginning of deacons (although that term is not used there). Elders, a feature of the Jewish synagogues, are older and spiritually mature leaders recognized by the community. The continuation of this role can be seen by the appointment of elders by Paul and Barnabas in the churches they already have founded at this point (Acts 14:23). III. Judaizers Overruled (Acts 15:7-12) A. No Difference in People (vv. 7-9) 7. 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. We cannot imagine a person with greater moral authority than Simon Peter, whose name is first in all listings of the apostles (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13). This close associate of Jesus preached the first gospel sermon on Pentecost and is surely a dominant personality two decades later. For him to rise to voice his viewpoint is therefore not surprising. We might think of him as first among equals. Peter begins by referring to his experience with Cornelius, a story told in Acts 10 and repeated in chapter 11 (see lessons 7 and 8). This is its third telling, a significant detail since authors emphasize the importance of events by retelling (compare Acts 9:1-19 with 22:1-21 and 26:9-23). Peter lifts up two things from the Cornelius account. First, Peter understands this to have been God s choice, not his own. Indeed, Peter had been sent to Cornelius almost unwillingly. God was
persistent, though, using visionary experiences and coincidences that can be understood only as divine in origin. Second, Peter emphasizes that Cornelius and the other Gentiles came to faith after hearing the gospel preached by himself. Some details of this are given in Acts 10:34-48, with no word concerning circumcision or keeping the Law of Moses. 8, 9. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. The final confirmation came when the Holy Spirit descended on the believing Cornelius and his people in a manner reminiscent of the great outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:4; 10:44-46; 11:15). At that time, Peter interpreted what was happening as fulfillment of prophecy (2:16-18). With Cornelius, Peter understands the phenomenon to have been God s sign that uncircumcised Gentiles are acceptable candidates for baptism and inclusion in the people of God (10:47, 48; 11:16, 17). Peter repeats his conclusion from that day in Caesarea: that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile in the eyes of God (compare Acts 10:34, 35). True cleansing is not by ritual, but internally, in the heart. For both Jew and Gentile, this can be done only by God as a result of faith. B. Salvation Through Grace (vv. 10, 11) 10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? Peter then challenges the Pharisee position directly. He asks, in effect, why they are so eager to burden the Gentiles with a system that the Jews themselves have failed to maintain. Circumcision may be the flash point of the day, but it represents a larger issue: a way of relating to God that the Jews have not been able to bear. The Pharisees are an elitist group that takes pride in adherence to the law. But Jesus criticized the Pharisees for legalistic behavior that lacked hearts of love and faith (see Matthew 23:23-28). 11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. This is one of the most important verses not only in Acts but in the entire Bible. There is only one way of salvation, and that is the way of grace. We cannot earn salvation by keeping the law eating the right foods, circumcising boys and men, etc. Salvation is through grace, the grace extended to all of humanity by the Lord Jesus Christ. It works the same way for Jew and Gentile alike. The letters of Paul, written after the Jerusalem Council, echo this view of salvation in many places (example: Ephesians 2:5-9). Paul bases his argument for salvation by grace through faith
on key texts from the Jewish Scriptures, demonstrating there is only one way to be saved (example: Habakkuk 2:4 quoted in Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11). Both Peter and Paul understand that the demand of these Pharisees has to be defeated, lest Christ s death be rendered valueless (see Galatians 2:21). C. Proof by Miracles (v. 12) 12. Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. Luke does not give the words of Barnabas and Paul at this point. He just offers the impression that they are allowed to speak at length for the whole assembly, telling what happened during their recent missionary journey. Their preaching was accompanied by miracles and wonders that can be understood only as acts of God. Everyone should come to the conclusion that God has approved of the message of salvation to the Gentiles (compare Hebrews 2:4). Once this hurdle is overcome, history tells us that the church grows like wildfire among the Gentiles. Acts 15:13-35 tells us that the argument of Paul, Barnabas, and Peter wins the day. The decision of the council, voiced by James (v. 13), is that Gentiles do not have to be circumcised. The way of salvation does not go through Moses. Becoming a Christian does not require converting to Judaism first. Mergers and Biases The 90-year-old church was graying out and dying. But the leaders were not ready to give up, so they approached another church in a nearby town and asked to merge with them as a satellite campus. After six months of prayer and respectful dialogue, the two churches voted unanimously to merge. Today the once-dying congregation has young families filling the pews, with most of those older, graying folks holding their babies. The first-century church experienced a type of merger between established Jewish Christians and new Gentile believers. This was the great mystery that Paul wrote about in Ephesians 3 that God would exclude no one, regardless of ethnic heritage, who desired to be reconciled with Him. Even so, the merger was not a smooth process. Peter, who explained his own support for Gentile inclusion, still had his own biases to overcome, biases that Paul confronted publicly (Galatians 2:11-21). God continues to call us to purposeful inclusion. James, brother of Jesus, later warned against exercising favoritism in the church (James 2:1-12). When we sense an old prejudice rising to the surface, it s time to reflect and repent. D. C. S. Conclusion
A. Lasting Impact of the Jerusalem Council Ever since the Jerusalem Council in AD 51, there still have been those within the church who have tried to make salvation contingent on rules that must be kept. It cannot be that way. Just like Peter and Paul, we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. This truth we live! B. Thought to Remember Embrace grace! Additional Notes Great dissension arises over circumcision Acts 15 Notes For Verse 1 a [certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren] Disavowed by the apostles (Acts 14:24). b [Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved] First doctrinal controversy. This was settled at the conference in this chapter, but despite that many Christians, then as now, were drawn away from the simple Christian faith by the "law" fallacy. The whole church at Galatia went back under the law and were condemned by Paul (Gal. 1:6; 3:1-5; 5:4). Even Peter, Barnabas, and others were carried away with this false doctrine for awhile (Gal. 2:11-21). The law of Moses has been abolished and done away (2Cor. 3:6-15); cast out (Gal. 4:21-31); abolished (Eph. 2:15); blotted out; taken out of the way (Col. 2:14-17); changed (Heb. 7:12); disannulled (Heb. 7:18); replaced; has vanished (Heb. 8:6-13; 10:9). Notes For Verse 2 a [they] The disciples at Antioch (Acts 15:3). b [determined] Greek: tasso (GSN-<G5021>), appointed (note, Acts 13:48). Notes For Verse 3 a [And being brought on their way by the church] The church paid their way as delegates. b [declaring the conversion of the Gentiles] Relating the conversion of Gentiles on their first missionary journey. c [conversion] Greek: epistrophe (GSN-<G1995>), conversion. Only here. Conversion 1. What it is: a wheeling about to the charge; to go in the opposite direction to what one was going; a return to God 2. Possibility: human nature is so constituted that it is capable of a complete change at once to hate the things of sin and the world (2Cor. 5:17-18) 3. How effected: (1) Not by eloquence, argument or reasoning, but by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:7-11) (2) By the Word of God (Jn. 15:3; Jas. 1:18; 1Pet. 1:23; Heb. 4:1 (3) By repentance (Lk. 13:1-5; 2Cor. 7:10; 1Jn. 1:9; Lk. 18:13; Acts 3:19) (4) By faith in the name of Jesus and His atonement (Mt. 1:21; Acts 4:12; 4. Hindrances: (1) Self-love, unwillingness to acknowledge lost condition
(2) Half-heartedness, unwillingness to make a clean surrender to God from sin (3) Procrastination, putting it off (4) Various excuses of unbelief. Failure to be open to God and truth 5. Evidences: (1) Changed person; made a new creature (2Cor. 5:17-18) (2) Witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:16) (3) No condemnation (Rom. 8:1-4) (4) Cleansing from sin (1Jn. 1:7-9) (5) Victory over sin (Jn. 8:31-36; 1Jn. 2:29; 3:5-10; 5:1-4,18; Rom. 6) (6) Sonship (Jn. 1:12; 2Tim. 1:7) (7) Crucifixion of flesh (Gal. 5:24) (8) Salvation (1Cor. 6:11) 6. Not to be Delayed: (1) Perilous; today is the day of salvation (2Cor. 6:2) (2) Delay multiplies difficulties and late conversions are rare 7. Only the beginning of a Christian life (Col. 2:6-7; 2Pet. 3:18) Notes For Verse 4 a [with them] God being with one guarantees success. Notes For Verse 5 a [sect of the Pharisees] See note, Acts 5:17. b [believed] They believed but were lawkeepers. c [That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses] This is not needful, as proved by the settlement of this question (Acts 15:19-28). The apostles consult about circumcision Notes For Verse 6 a [elders came together] See note, Acts 14:23. This was the first general conference of the church and the third time Paul visited Jerusalem (Acts 9:26; 11:30). Notes For Verse 7 a [disputing] Same as disputation (Acts 15:2). Tradition says that Cerinthus was leader of the law-party and strove hard to unite the law and the gospel, and make the salvation promised by the gospel dependent upon the ceremonies of the law. The apostles and elders could have settled this question without so much disputing, but it was good to permit the objecting party free speech and to answer the arguments by proving such bondage useless, unscriptural, and impractical for Gentiles. b [a good while ago] About 10 to 12 years before (Acts 10:20). c [that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe] This proves that Gentiles before Acts 10 had not been given the gospel (Acts 10:6,22,32-33; 11:13-14). Notes For Verse 8 a [knoweth the hearts] God the heart-searcher (Jer. 17:10).
b [bare them witness] God is the one who considered the Gentiles fit to be saved. For God to bear witness is simply approving and setting His seal upon a thing. In this case, God gave the Gentiles the same Spirit baptism that He gave at Pentecost and made no difference between Jews and Gentiles in Christ (1Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). He did this without the Gentiles being circumcised or without keeping the law or sabbath. c [giving them the Holy Ghost] See note, Acts 10:46. [For they heard them speak with tongues] This is why they knew the Gentiles had received the same Spirit baptism that they had received about eight years before at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-11; 10:44-48; 19:1-7). This experience proves that the Holy Spirit baptism may be given to men at the time of their conversion, as in the case of Paul (Acts 9:17-18). It also can be received long after conversion as in the case of the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-11), the Samaritans (Acts 8:12-23), and the Ephesians (Acts 19:1-7). This also proves that it can be received before water baptism, as in the case of Jesus (Mt. 3:16-17), the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-11), the Samaritans (Acts 8:4-23), and the Ephesians (Acts 19:1-7). Notes For Verse 9 a [purifying their hearts by faith] This purifying the heart was immediate and took place "while Peter yet spake these words" (Acts 10:44-48). It always takes place at the new birth (2Cor. 5:17-18; 2Th. 2:13; 1Jn. 1:9; 2:29; 3:5-10; 5:1-4,18). There can be no such thing as becoming a new creature without heart purifying. The disciples had heart purity long before receiving the Spirit baptism at Pentecost (see note, Jn. 13:11; 15:3; 17:14-16). This is done by faith (Rom. 10:9-10; Eph. 2:8-9). Notes For Verse 10 a [why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?] Question 47. Next, Acts 16:30. b [tempt] Greek: peirazo (GSN-<G3985>), try, put to the test. Translated "tempt" 27 times (Mt. 4:1; 16:1; 19:3; 22:18,35; Mk. 1:13; 8:11; 10:2; 12:15; Lk. 4:2; 11:16; 22:23; Jn. 8:6; Acts 5:9; 15:10; 1Cor. 7:5; 10:9,13; Gal. 6:1; 1Th. 3:5; Heb. 2:18; 3:9; 4:15; 11:37; Jas. 1:13-14); "tempter" (Mt. 4:3; 1Th. 3:5); try (Heb. 11:17; Rev. 2:2,10; 3:10); "assay" (Acts 16:7); "go about" (Acts 24:6); "examine" (2Cor. 13:5); and "prove" (Jn. 6:6). Since God is the one who saved and baptized the Gentiles with the Spirit without demanding of them to be circumcised and keep the law, then it is evident that He does not plan this for them -- making them debtors to do the whole law (Gal. 5:3). Why will you insult God and provoke Him to judge you for resisting His will, ignoring His work, and denying the salvation of the Gentiles whom He has already saved without keeping the law? Are you going to undo what God has done? c [yoke upon the neck] Not circumcision only, but the whole of the law that God did not give the Gentiles for 1,800 years (Rom. 2:12-16). It was a yoke of bondage that no man was able to bear (Acts 15:10; Gal. 5:1). This is the thing that some people want today instead of the liberty in Christ (2Cor. 3:6-17; Gal. 2:4; 5:1,13). Notes For Verse 11 a [grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved] This is why salvation cannot be of works (Rom. 3:23-31; 4:2,6; 9:11; 11:6; Gal. 2:16; 3:2-14; Eph. 2:8-9; Tit. 3:5). This does not, however, mean that grace will remit sins without repentance and faith (Lk. 13:1-5; Eph. 2:8-9), or keep one automatically justified without walking and living in the Spirit (Rom. 6:14-23;
8:1-13; Gal. 5:16-26; Col. 1:6-7; 3:5-10; 1Jn. 1:7). Neither does this mean that Jews are saved by the law and Gentiles by grace (Acts 15:11; Rom. 10:9-17; 1Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11). These are the last words of Peter in Acts. See them used against him in Gal. 2:14-21. b [even as they] Even as Gentiles, not the fathers of Acts 15:10. Notes For Verse 12 a [multitude kept silence] Peter's arguments were unanswerable because they were so simple, clear, and God-confirmed. b [gave audience to Barnabas and Paul] These apostles came forward as the next speakers to corroborate what Peter had said, by showing what God did for Gentiles without keeping the law.