But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Jews and Gentiles alike are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on the same basis and the same terms, as equals sharing the blessings of the gospel. That salvation is not by circumcision, by keeping the ceremonial law and Mosaic ordinances, by Jewish customs, or by painful rites imposed as duty. God had already favored the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit just as to circumcised Jews, their hearts were purified by faith, and the barrier that had been treated as excluding them was broken down so they do not need to be circumcised to be accepted by God. The ruling at Jerusalem freed Gentile converts from adopting Jewish ceremonies to become Christians and was sent to the churches as the standing decision for the work among the Gentiles. Jewish converts could observe Mosaic ordinances if they chose, but those ordinances could not be made obligatory for Gentile converts, so neither group was farther from God.
Council Setting and Ruling
The dispute to which the verse belongs began at Antioch in Syria after the return from the mission in which God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Antioch was then a large and growing church and a center of missionary activity, with members of many classes from among both Jews and Gentiles. Into that setting came certain Jewish believers from Judea, of the sect of the Pharisees, who asserted with great assurance that in order to be saved one must be circumcised and must keep the entire ceremonial law. Their teaching soon produced widespread controversy in the church and brought consternation to the believing Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas met this false doctrine with promptness and opposed introducing the subject to the Gentiles, while many of the believing Jews of Antioch favored the position of the brethren recently come from Judea.
At Jerusalem the apostles and elders took up the questions about circumcision and other rites and customs for Gentile believers. They acted as counselors, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide the decision rather than imposing it by church authority. The witness that God had already favored the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit led the brethren to set aside prejudice and agree with the work among the Gentiles. In following the Spirit's guidance on how Gentile believers should be received, the council united the believers and commended the work of Barnabas and Paul.
The difference of understanding over circumcision, over whether uncircumcised Gentiles should be granted admission to the church, was short-lived. After the resurrection and ascension union had prevailed with the believers all of one heart and one mind, then this question arose, but it was soon settled. Through the divine illumination and sanctification of the Spirit the believers were perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. That restored union, with all again of one heart and one mind, is the fruit that is and always will be borne under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
The council's decision confirmed that Gentile converts did not have to adopt Jewish ceremonies to become Christians, since Jews and Gentiles alike are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus and not by observance of the ceremonial law. That stand affirmed Paul's work among the Gentiles and was sent to the churches. Paul relied on its authority in his work among the Gentiles and complied with that decision. The decision remained in force, although the later advice to Paul to observe a ceremonial custom was inconsistent with it. Not all Jewish Christians zealous for the ceremonial law willingly accepted the decision, for some resisted abandoning those customs, resented the changes associated with Christianity, and regarded Paul as lax toward the Jewish law, so that the same prejudice later had to be confronted again.
Grace Saves All Equally
Jews and Gentiles alike are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on the same basis and on the same terms, as equals sharing the blessings of the gospel. The witness of the Spirit led to setting aside prejudice and agreeing with the work among the Gentiles, affirming that work and sending the decision to the churches. That decision remained in force, even though later advice to observe a ceremonial custom was inconsistent with it and the same prejudice had to be confronted again.
That salvation is not by circumcision, nor by keeping the ceremonial law and Mosaic ordinances. It is not by Jewish customs, by the narrow restrictions of Judaism, or by painful rites imposed as duty. The decision rejected the demand that Gentile converts keep that law and confirmed that they did not have to adopt Jewish ceremonies to become Christians, leaving Gentile believers free from those ceremonial obligations.
God had already favored the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit just as to circumcised Jews. Their hearts were purified by faith, showing that acceptance by God did not require taking on circumcision and the ceremonial law. Christ's death broke down the barrier that had been treated as excluding Gentiles from the gospel, so Gentiles who accept the gospel do not need to be circumcised to be accepted by God.
Jewish converts could observe the Mosaic ordinances if they chose, but those ordinances could not be made obligatory for Gentile converts. On that basis neither group was farther from God than the other. The stand against such burdens brought freedom to the churches, since salvation does not depend on painful rites imposed as a duty.
Jews and Gentiles alike are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on the same basis and the same terms, as equals sharing the blessings of the gospel. That salvation is not by circumcision, by keeping the ceremonial law and Mosaic ordinances, by Jewish customs, or by painful rites imposed as duty. God had already favored the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit just as to circumcised Jews, their hearts were purified by faith, and the barrier that had been treated as excluding them was broken down so they do not need to be circumcised to be accepted by God. The ruling at Jerusalem freed Gentile converts from adopting Jewish ceremonies to become Christians and was sent to the churches as the standing decision for the work among the Gentiles. Jewish converts could observe Mosaic ordinances if they chose, but those ordinances could not be made obligatory for Gentile converts, so neither group was farther from God.
Council Setting and Ruling
The dispute to which the verse belongs began at Antioch in Syria after the return from the mission in which God had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. Antioch was then a large and growing church and a center of missionary activity, with members of many classes from among both Jews and Gentiles. Into that setting came certain Jewish believers from Judea, of the sect of the Pharisees, who asserted with great assurance that in order to be saved one must be circumcised and must keep the entire ceremonial law. Their teaching soon produced widespread controversy in the church and brought consternation to the believing Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas met this false doctrine with promptness and opposed introducing the subject to the Gentiles, while many of the believing Jews of Antioch favored the position of the brethren recently come from Judea.
At Jerusalem the apostles and elders took up the questions about circumcision and other rites and customs for Gentile believers. They acted as counselors, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide the decision rather than imposing it by church authority. The witness that God had already favored the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit led the brethren to set aside prejudice and agree with the work among the Gentiles. In following the Spirit's guidance on how Gentile believers should be received, the council united the believers and commended the work of Barnabas and Paul.
The difference of understanding over circumcision, over whether uncircumcised Gentiles should be granted admission to the church, was short-lived. After the resurrection and ascension union had prevailed with the believers all of one heart and one mind, then this question arose, but it was soon settled. Through the divine illumination and sanctification of the Spirit the believers were perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. That restored union, with all again of one heart and one mind, is the fruit that is and always will be borne under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
The council's decision confirmed that Gentile converts did not have to adopt Jewish ceremonies to become Christians, since Jews and Gentiles alike are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus and not by observance of the ceremonial law. That stand affirmed Paul's work among the Gentiles and was sent to the churches. Paul relied on its authority in his work among the Gentiles and complied with that decision. The decision remained in force, although the later advice to Paul to observe a ceremonial custom was inconsistent with it. Not all Jewish Christians zealous for the ceremonial law willingly accepted the decision, for some resisted abandoning those customs, resented the changes associated with Christianity, and regarded Paul as lax toward the Jewish law, so that the same prejudice later had to be confronted again.
Grace Saves All Equally
Jews and Gentiles alike are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ on the same basis and on the same terms, as equals sharing the blessings of the gospel. The witness of the Spirit led to setting aside prejudice and agreeing with the work among the Gentiles, affirming that work and sending the decision to the churches. That decision remained in force, even though later advice to observe a ceremonial custom was inconsistent with it and the same prejudice had to be confronted again.
That salvation is not by circumcision, nor by keeping the ceremonial law and Mosaic ordinances. It is not by Jewish customs, by the narrow restrictions of Judaism, or by painful rites imposed as duty. The decision rejected the demand that Gentile converts keep that law and confirmed that they did not have to adopt Jewish ceremonies to become Christians, leaving Gentile believers free from those ceremonial obligations.
God had already favored the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit just as to circumcised Jews. Their hearts were purified by faith, showing that acceptance by God did not require taking on circumcision and the ceremonial law. Christ's death broke down the barrier that had been treated as excluding Gentiles from the gospel, so Gentiles who accept the gospel do not need to be circumcised to be accepted by God.
Jewish converts could observe the Mosaic ordinances if they chose, but those ordinances could not be made obligatory for Gentile converts. On that basis neither group was farther from God than the other. The stand against such burdens brought freedom to the churches, since salvation does not depend on painful rites imposed as a duty.