The Holy Spirit's Clarifying Ministry
Paul and Barnabas continued their travels and eventually ended up back in Jerusalem, where they met with the believers, the elders, as well as the apostles. A discussion followed whether or not Gentile believers were required to obey the law of Moses, as we can read in Acts 15:4-6
When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.” The apostles and elders met to consider their question.
Peter spoke up and shared with them his experience at the house of Cornelius, where he had learned that God accepted Jewish believers as well Gentile believers, as we can read in Acts 15:7-11
Peter got up and addressed them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the Gospel and believe. God who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Based on Peter’s words the church decided not to make it difficult for Gentiles to become believers. Led by the Holy Spirit they proposed the following guidelines, which we can read in Acts 15:20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.
A letter was prepared with these guidelines in mind, and this letter was sent to the church at Antioch, as we can read in Acts 15:30
The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Question 1. Where did Paul and Barnabas eventually end up?
Answer: Paul and Barnabas eventually ended up back in Jerusalem.
Question 2a. According to Acts 15:4-6, who welcomed Paul and Barnabas?
Answer: According to Acts 15:4-6, the church, the apostles and the elders welcomed Paul and Barnabas.
Question 2b. According to Acts 15:4-6, what did some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisee say?
Answer: According to Acts 15:4-6, some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees said that the Gentile believers must be circumcised and be required to obey the law of Moses.
Question 2c. According to Acts 15:4-6, what did the apostles and elders do in response to the words of some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees?
Answer: According to Acts 15:4-6, the apostles and elders met to consider their question in response to the words of some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees.
Question 3. Who spoke up to share his experience in the house of Cornelius?
Answer: Peter spoke up and shared his experience in the house of Cornelius.
Question 4. What had Peter learned when he was in the house of Cornelius?
Answer: Peter had learned that God accepted Jewish believers as well as Gentile believers when he was in the house of Cornelius.
Question 5a. According to Acts 15:7-11, what did Peter say to the church, the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem?
Answer: According to Acts 15:7-11, Peter said to the church, the apostles and the elders in Jerusalem that God had chosen him from among the Jewish believers that the Gentile believers might hear from his lips the message of the Gospel and believe. And that God, who knows the hearts, had shown him that He accepted these Gentile believers by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He had given the Holy Spirit to the Jewish believers. God, therefore, made no distinction between the Gentile believers and the Jewish believers for He purified the hearts of these Gentile believers by faith just as
He had purified the hearts of the Jewish believers by faith.
Question 5b. According to Acts 15:7-11, Who did Peter say these Jewish believers were trying to test?
Answer: According to Acts 15:7-11, Peter said that these Jewish believers were trying to test God.
Question 5c. According to Acts 15:7-11, in what way were these Jewish believers trying to test God?
Answer: According to Acts 15:7-11, these Jewish believers were trying to test God by putting on the necks of the Gentile believers or Gentile disciples a yoke that neither the Jewish believers nor their forefathers had been able to bear.
Question 5d. According to Acts 15:7-11, what did Peter say as to how Jewish believers as well as Gentile believers are saved?
Answer: According to Acts 15:7-11, Peter said that Jewish believers as well as Gentile believers are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus.
Question 6. What was the church’s decision based on Peter’s words?
Answer: Based on Peter’s words the church decided not to make it difficult for Gentiles to become believers.
Question 7. Who led the church to put together some guidelines?
Answer: The Holy Spirit led the church to put together some guidelines.
Question 8. According to Acts 15:20, what were these guidelines?
Answer: According to Acts 15:20, the guidelines were:
a. The Gentile believers should abstain from food polluted by idols.
b. The Gentile believers should abstain from sexual immorality.
c. The Gentile believers should abstain from the meat of strangled animals.
d. The Gentile believers should abstain from blood.
Question 9. According to Acts 15:30, to which city were men sent to deliver the letter with these guidelines?
Answer: According to Acts 15:30, men were sent to Antioch to deliver the letter with these guidelines.