Acts - Week 48

Week 48 Acts 15 

Day 1 

READ 

Acts 15:1-2 

1 While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 Paul and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question. 

As Paul and Barnabas were reporting to their sending church, antagonists from Judea came to vigorously contradict their gospel message. This resulted in the church leaders in Antioch deciding to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to talk with the apostles and elders. Paul and Barnabas were accompanied by believers from Antioch. 

REFLECT 

When strong differences arise, it is wise to bring in a third party. This problem is being resolved in a wise, godly manner by the believers in Antioch. Plus, the apostles’ teaching was considered truth directly from God. 

RESPOND 

With your disciple, read Galatians 2:1-5 where Paul seems to be writing about this experience. Even though the leaders in Antioch were sending him and Barnabas to Jerusalem, the Lord revealed that they should go. Paul resisted doing anything if the Lord did not direct. 

Day 2 

READ 

Acts 15:3 

3 The church sent the delegates to Jerusalem, and they stopped along the way in Phoenicia and Samaria to visit the believers. They told them—much to everyone’s joy—that the Gentiles, too, were being converted. 

On the way to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas with other believers stopped at various places to visit believers. They told them about how Gentiles had been converted, which brought delight to believers. Of course, the reason for the need to go to Jerusalem was to decide if they were preaching the right gospel of grace through faith in Jesus apart from the keeping the law. The Judaizers thought converts should have to keep some of the law. 

REFLECT 

Notice how you can also encourage other believers by telling of someone else who trusted Jesus as Savior. You could even tell an unbeliever what you told someone of the need to trust in Jesus for salvation. This would be a way of telling the gospel without being so direct with the individual being addressed. 

RESPOND 

Discuss with your disciple how you can encourage other believers by telling of the salvation of some. Also discuss how you could witness to unbelievers by rehearsing what the others did when they heard the gospel. 

Day 3 

READ 

Acts 15:4-5 

4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, Barnabas and Paul were welcomed by the whole church, including the apostles and elders. They reported everything God had done through them. 5 But then some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees stood up and insisted, “The Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses.” 

Even though the apostles and elders in Jerusalem welcomed Paul and Barnabas objections were raised by the Pharisees. Remember that Paul had been a Pharisee before his conversion to Christ so he knew the beliefs of this group well. The Pharisees who wanted to keep the law did not understand the purpose of the law was not to save but to reveal a person’s need to be saved (see Romans 3:19-20). Now this difference of opinion will have to be addressed by the apostles. 

REFLECT 

Consider that the most important decision in life is how one can become right with God. Paul and Barnabas preached a salvation of grace through faith in Jesus. The Pharisees preached Jesus plus works, which reveals a works-salvation by which no one will be saved. 

RESPOND 

Read Galatians 2:21 and Ephesians 2:8-9. These verses make clear that if one could be saved by the law ( or good works) then Jesus died needlessly. 

Day 4 

READ 

Acts 15:6-8 

6 So the apostles and elders met together to resolve this issue. 7 At the meeting, after a long discussion, Peter stood and addressed them as follows: “Brothers, you all know that God chose me from among you some time ago to preach to the Gentiles so that they could hear the Good News and believe. 8 God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. 

The opposing Pharisees were likely pleased when Peter stood to speak because he was the one whom God chose to preach to the Jews (see Galatians 2:7). Peter, however, reminded them of his taking the gospel to Cornelius and his household—the Gentiles. Peter said that God accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit just as He does Jews. Surely at this point the hearts of the Pharisees were discouraged; Peter was not arguing for them but against them. 

REFLECT 

Is this emphasizing to you the importance of the grace of God apart from works? Good works are to come after salvation to express appreciation for what Jesus has done for you. 

RESPOND 

Read Romans 5:1-2 to see the emphasis Paul placed on salvation being by grace through faith in Jesus. 

Day 5 

READ 

Acts 15:9-11 

9 “He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. 10 So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? 11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” 

Peter continues his message by saying God has made no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. They are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus. Had it also been by good works then it would have been something deserved. Peter rejects this belief. He also tells the opposing Pharisees that neither the Jews nor their ancestors were able to bear the burden of keeping the law.  

REFLECT 

Notice the universal appeal of the gospel: it is to both Jews and Gentiles. No one is restricted from the undeserved grace of God, but it is necessary to believe in Him by faith to benefit from this grace.  

RESPOND 

Read Ephesians 2:15-17 to see that God revealed something not known in the Old Testament; that Jew and Gentile believers would be in one body—the Church.