Acts 15:24

Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: FORASMUCH AS WE HAVE HEARD, THAT CERTAIN WHICH WENT OUT FROM US - without the authority or even the knowledge of the church at Jerusalem, though they belonged to it, and probably pretended to represent its views, SUBVERTING (OR 'UNSETTLING') YOUR SOULS, [ anaskeuazontes (G384)]. Such strong language is evidently designed to express indignation at this attempt, by an unauthorized party, to bring the whole Christian Church under Judaical and legal bondage. [SAYING, YE MUST BE CIRCUMCISED, AND KEEP THE LAW]: TO WHOM WE GAVE NO [SUCH] COMMANDMENT. The bracketed words are of very...

− 24._Certain which went out from us. _We see that there was no respect of persons among these holy men, which doth always corrupt sound and right judgments. They confess that there were knaves of their own company; and yet they do no whit flatter them, or, through corrupt favor, incline to cover their error; yea, rather in condemning them freely, they spare not even themselves. And, first, they pluck from their faces that visure [mask] which they had abused, to deceive withal. They boasted that they were privy to the meaning of the apostles. − (144) The apostles reprove them, and condemn them of and for lying in that false pretense, when they utterly deny that they did command any such thing. Again, they accuse them far more sharply, that they troubled the Church and subverted souls. For by this means they bring them in contempt and detestation with the godly, because they cannot be adm...

22-35 Being warranted to declare themselves directed by the immediate influence of the Holy Ghost, the apostles and disciples were assured that it seemed good unto God the Holy Spirit, as well as to them, to lay upon the converts no other burden than the things before mentioned, which were necessary, either on their own account, or from present circumstances. It was a comfort to hear that carnal ordinances were no longer imposed on them, which perplexed the conscience, but could not purify or pacify it; and that those who troubled their minds were silenced, so that the peace of the church was restored, and that which threatened division was removed. All this was consolation for which they blessed God. Many others were at Antioch. Where many labour in the word and doctrine, yet there may be opportunity for us: the zeal and usefulness of others should stir us up, not lay us asleep....

Verse Acts 15:24. _CERTAIN WHICH WENT OUT FROM US_] So the persons who produced these doubtful disputations at Antioch, c., had gone out from the apostles at Jerusalem, and were of that Church: persons zealous for the law, and yet, strange to tell, so conscientiously attached to the Gospel that they risked their personal safety by professing it. _TO WHOM WE GAVE NO SUCH COMMANDMENT_] As, therefore, they went out from that Church, they should have taught nothing which was not owned and taught by it much less should they have taught in opposition to it....

FORASMUCH - Since we have heard. THAT CERTAIN - That some, Acts 15:1. HAVE TROUBLED YOU WITH WORDS - With doctrines. They have disturbed your minds, and produced contentions. SUBVERTING YOUR SOULS - The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New Testament ἀνασκευάζοντες anaskeuazontes. It properly means “to collect together the vessels used in a house the household furniture - for the purpose of removing it.” It is applied to marauders, robbers, and enemies who remove and bear off property, thus producing distress, confusion, and disorder. It is thus used in the sense of disturbing or destroying, and here denotes that they “unsettled their minds” - that they produced anxiety, dist

EXPOSITION ACTS 15:1 _Came down … and taught _for _which came down_ …_ taught, _A.V.; _saying _for _and said, _A.V._; custom _(ἔθος) for _manner, _A.V. EXCEPT YE BE CIRCUMCISED, etc. The question thus raised nearly effected the disruption of the Church, and was the most serious controversy that had yet arisen. If the views broached by these Judaean Christians had prevailed, the whole character of Christianity would have been changed, and its existence probably cut short. How great the danger was appears from even Peter and Barnabas having wavered in their opinion. (For St. Paul's treatment of the subject, see Romans 2:25, etc.; 4.;...

FORASMUCH AS WE HAVE HEARD,.... By the report of Paul and Barnabas, who were sent by the church at Antioch to Jerusalem, to acquaint them with the state of their case: THAT CERTAIN WHICH WENT OUT FROM US; Acts 15:1 HAVE TROUBLED YOU WITH WORDS, or doctrines: SUBVERTING YOUR SOULS; removing them from the doctrine of grace to another Gospel, and which deserved not the name of a Gospel; and was very destructive to their souls, at least to the peace and com fort of them: this shows what an opinion the apostles, and elders, and members of the church at Jerusalem had of these "judaizing" preachers, and their tenets; they looked upon them as troublers of God's Israel, and upon their doctrines as subversive of spiritual joy and comfort. SAYING, YE MUST BE CIRCUMCISED AND KEEP THE LAW; the ceremonial law; the Alexandrian copy, a

ACTS 15:24 @evxelqo,ntej# {C} Despite the possibility that evxelqo,ntej was added, either under the influence of Galatians 2:12 or “to guard against the appearances that tine.j evx h`mw/n belonged to the senders of the letter” (Knowling, _ad loc._), a majority of the Committee was impressed by the weight of external evidence in support of its inclusion in the text. To represent the equivocal evidence, however, it was thought best to enclose the word within square brackets....

CHAPTER 15 _ 1. The false teachers from Judea. Paul and Barnabas sent to Jerusalem (Acts 15:1)._ 2. The Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:6). 3. The Result made known (Acts 15:22). 4. The Consolation brought to Antioch (Acts 15:30). 5. Paul and Barnabas separate (Acts 15:36). A very critical time had now arrived for the church. An important question had to be settled. That Gentiles can be saved and salvation must be extended to the Gentiles had been fully demonstrated. The Apostle of the circumcision, Peter, had been used to prea

THE LETTER IS SENT. The apostles and elders have never in this chapter acted alone (see Acts 15:6); the action is that of the whole Church. Silas does not stand for Silvanus, but is a Semitic name, the Aramaic form of Saul (Schmiedel in EBi. 4519); in Ac. he is the companion of Paul. Judas and Silas are leading men in the Jerusalem church; in Acts 15:32 they are prophets, men holding official position. The letter they carry is addressed to Gentile believers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. Why not also in Pisidia and Lycaonia, the regions visited by Paul and Barnabas in chs. 13 f.? This verse is the strongest, though as we have seen not the only, evidence, that the Jerusalem meeting is in Acts misplaced. Its historical position is before Acts 13 f., when, as Paul tells us ...