Acts 15:26

Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. MEN THAT HAVE HAZARDED [ paradedookosin (G3860)] - literally, 'rendered up,' as in will they did, THEIR LIVES FOR THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. Noble testimony to those beloved men! It was doubtless prompted more immediately by the thrilling narrative to which they had just listened from their own lips (Acts 15:12); but such a reference to the sacrifices they had made for Christ was judiciously inserted in this Letter, in order to give them, along with their own deputies, the highest weight with those to whom they wrote....

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 15:26. _MEN THAT HAVE HAZARDED THEIR LIVES_] This was a high character of Paul and Barnabas: they had already suffered much in the cause of Christ, and exposed their lives to the most imminent danger, and were intent on the same work, notwithstanding the increasing dangers in the way....

MEN THAT HAVE HAZARDED THEIR LIVES ... - See Acts 14: This was a noble testimony to the character of Barnabas and Paul. It was a commendation of them to the confidence of the churches, and an implied expression that they wished their authority to be regarded in the establishment and organization of the church. FOR THE NAME - In the cause of the Lord Jesus....

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.;...

MEN THAT HAVE HAZARDED THEIR LIVES,.... As at Antioch, in Pisidia, where a persecution was raised against them, and they were expelled out of the coasts of that place; and at Lystra, where Paul was stoned, and left for dead, Acts 13:50 and this they did, not for any sinister and selfish ends, for any worldly gain, or vain glory, and popular applause, but FOR THE NAME OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST; for the sake of his Gospel, and the enlargement of his interest, and kingdom in the world; and therefore were worthy of esteem, and ought to be regarded and attended to, and greatly to be preferred to false teachers; who only sought themselves, their worldly honour, and ease, and would sacrifice nothing, nor hazard anything, for the sake of Christ....

ACTS 15:26 At the close of the verse the Western text (D E 614 1799 2412 syrhmg) adds eivj pa,nta peirasmo,n (“they risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ _in every trial_”). The addition was probably prompted, as Lake and Cadbury remark (_ad loc._), by the fact that paradou/nai th.n yuch,n is not usually applied to a man who is still alive. The gloss may be a reminiscence of Acts 20:19 (so B. Weiss) 305 or of Sirach 2.1 e`toi,mason th.n yuch,n sou eivj peirasmo,n (so J. Rendel Harris)....

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 ...

THE CRUCIAL PROBLEM (Acts 15:1-5) The influx of Gentiles into the Church produced a problem which had to be solved. The mental background of the Jew was founded on the fact that he belonged to the chosen people. In effect they believed that not only were the Jews the peculiar possession of God but also that God was the peculiar possession of the Jews. The problem was this. Before a Gentile became a member of the Christian Church was it necessary that he should be circumcised and take upon himself the Law of Moses? In other words--must the Gentile, before he became a Christian, first become a Jew? Or, could a Gentile be received into the Church as such? Even were that question settled there arose another problem. The strict Jew could have no intercourse with a Gentile. He could not have him as guest nor be his guest. He would not, as far as possible, even do business with him. So