The Apostle Paul has arrived in Jerusalem bearing a controversy that has been stirred up by Jewish converts to Christianity. The controversy, as was introduced in chapter 15, concerned 1) CIRCUMCISION and 2) THE SACRIFICIAL LAW relative to Gentile converts. Keep in mind that God forced the sacrificial/ceremonial law upon Israel because they would not obey the Ten Commandments. This is made clear in Galatians 3:19 where we are told that “the (sacrificial/ceremonial) law was ADDED because of (Israel’s) transgressions” (sins–the breaking of the Ten Commandments–1 Jn. 3:4). Jesus did away with the sacrificial (added) law by His death. Not so the moral (Ten Commandment) Law as He makes abundantly clear in His Word. See God’s Royal Law.

Verses nineteen through twenty-five: Paul and His companions have traveled to Jerusalem for a meeting of the prime movers of the new religion. Their purpose was to determine if Gentiles must be circumcised and obey the added law in order to become part of the Church of God. James and the Jerusalem church elders met with the contingent and discussed the issue of circumcision and the added law. But first, Paul needed to clarify to the Jews his attitude toward their circumcising their sons and keeping the Ten Commandment Law. Word had spread that he was telling Jews to do neither. It will be noted that both of these rumors were false. James asked Paul to clarify to the Jews his stand on those two issues so that “all (Jews) may know that those things they have heard about you are not true, and that you yourself …  KEEP THE (10 Commandment) LAW” (vs. 24).

Professing Christians either ignore or reject the conclusions rendered by the Jerusalem meeting. They also fail to connect this passage to Acts 15:1-29. Let us return to that passage in order to present a second “witness” relative to the circumcision/law question as it relates to Gentile converts. In 15:1-11 we find some converted Jews insisting that Gentiles be circumcised and keep the sacrificial (added) law. Peter described the sacrificial/ceremonial law as a “yoke placed upon the disciples which neither they nor their fathers were able to bear” (15:10). At this point let us remember that Jesus’ said His “yoke is easy” and His “burden is light” (Mat. 10:30). Let us also remember that He told the rich man and the lawyer that salvation is possible only for those who keep the Law–the Ten Commandments (Mk. 10:17-22; Lk. 10:25-28). In 15:19-21 Peter addressed the Gentile circumcision/sacrificial question, stating that that Gentiles need not be circumcised, but that they must hear what Moses wrote (the Tora–the first five books of the Bible): “For Moses of old time has in every city them that preach him (his writings), being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day.” Note that though the Gentiles need not be circumcised, they MUST HEAR THE WORDS OF MOSES by standing outside the synagogue and listening to him being read inside. Gentiles were not allowed inside the synagogues. These, Peter concluded in verse 28, are the “necessary things” the Gentiles must do to be part of the Church of God.

Now let us return to Acts 21:24 where James has asked Paul to assure the Jews that he did indeed “keep the Law,” meaning the Ten Commandments as Jesus commanded in the Mark 10 and Luke 10 references referenced above. Remember that the Lord said that in Him there was neither male nor female, slave nor free, JEW NOR GENTILE (Gal. 3:28). All must, as Jesus said, OBEY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS–THE LAW, which is found in the Tora. He said nothing about circumcision. Neither did Paul. Paul did say that the (Ten Commandment) Law IS (PRESENT TENSE) “HOLY, JUST AND GOOD” (Rom. 7:12), and that without that Law he would not have known what sin was (Rom. 7:7), and that without the Law there is no sin (Rom. 3:30; 4:15). The ancient church understood the difference between the sacrificial law and the moral Law, which explains why Paul and others could use the word “law” in two totally different ways and not need to explain which law they were referring to. We, on the other hand, must study the Word “precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little” in order to receive knowledge and understanding from the Lord (Isa. 28:9,10,13). Only those who do so will learn the Truth. In summary, all (Israelites and Gentiles) who would enter the Kingdom of God must keep His Ten Commandment Law with faith in Jesus Christ. Circumcision is a matter of choice. L.J.