Acts 15:7

And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. AND WHEN THERE HAD BEEN MUCH DISPUTING - the apostles, meanwhile, sitting silent, PETER ROSE UP - the paramount position which he had all along occupied at Jerusalem, and the part assigned him in receiving Cornelius and his Gentile party into the Church, giving him a special claim to be heard on this question. AND SAID UNTO THEM. It has been remarked that this is the last mention of Peter in the Acts of the Apostles; and in this view it is delightful to find him here pronouncing in favour of those enlarged views of the Gospel, to the establishment of which the life-labours of Paul were devoted. Men an...

− 7._And when there had been great disputation. _Though there were choice made of grave men, and such as were public teachers of the Church, yet could not they agree by and by. − (93) Whereby appeareth how the Lord did exercise his Church, even then, by the infirmity of men, that it might learn to be wise with humility. Moreover, he suffered (even in that company and assembly wherein he was chief) the principal point of Christian doctrine to be diversely tossed and handled, lest we should wonder, if at any time it so fall out, that men, who are otherwise learned and godly, do, through unskillfulness, fall into an error. For some were not so quick witted [acute] that they could thoroughly see into the greatness of the matter. So that when they judge that the law ought to be kept, being unadvisedly carried away with the zeal of the law, they see not into how deep a labyrinth they throw the...

7-21 We see from the words "purifying their hearts by faith," and the address of St. Peter, that justification by faith, and sanctification by the Holy Ghost, cannot be separated; and that both are the gift of God. We have great cause to bless God that we have heard the gospel. May we have that faith which the great Searcher of hearts approves, and attests by the seal of the Holy Spirit. Then our hearts and consciences will be purified from the guilt of sin, and we shall be freed from the burdens some try to lay upon the disciples of Christ. Paul and Barnabas showed by plain matters of fact, that God owned the preaching of the pure gospel to the Gentiles without the law of Moses; therefore to press that law upon them, was to undo what God had done. The opinion of James was, that the Gentile converts ought not to be troubled about Jewish rites, but that they should abstain from meats off...

Verse Acts 15:7. _WHEN THERE HAD BEEN MUCH DISPUTING_] By those of the sect of the believing Pharisees; for they strongly contended for circumcision, and at the head of these, tradition tells us, was _Cerinthus_, a name famous in the primitive Church, as one who laboured to unite the law and the Gospel, and to make the salvation promised by the latter dependent on the performance of the rites and ceremonies prescribed by the former. Though the apostles and elders were under the inspiration of the Almighty, and could by this inspiration have immediately determined the question, yet it was highly necessary that the objecting party should be permitted to come forward and allege their reasons for the doctrines they preached, and that these reasons should be fairly met by argument, and the thing proved to be _useless_ in itself, _inexpedient_ in the present case, and unsupported...

MUCH DISPUTING - Or rather, much inquiry or deliberation. With our word disputing we commonly connect the idea of heat and anger. This is not necessarily implied in the word used here. It might have been calm, solemn, deliberate inquiry; and there is no evidence that it was conducted with undue warmth or anger. PETER ROSE UP AND SAID - Peter was probably the most aged, and was most accustomed to speak, Acts 2:14, etc.; Acts 3:6, Acts 3:12. Besides, there was a particular reason for his speaking here, as he had been engaged in similar scenes, and understood the case, and had had evidence that God had converted sinners without the Mosaic rites, and knew that it would have bee

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.;...

AND WHEN THERE HAD BEEN MUCH DISPUTING,.... Pro and con upon this subject; many had spoken; and much had been said, and a great deal of time had been taken up about the thing in controversy: PETER ROSE UP; not only out of respect to this venerable assembly, but to signify that he had something to say; and he stood up that he might be the better heard. Beza's ancient copy reads, "rose up in spirit"; AND SAID UNTO THEM, MEN AND BRETHREN: an usual form of address with the Jews; Acts 7:2 YE KNOW HOW THAT A GOOD WHILE AGO; or "from ancient days"; or "from the beginning", as the Ethiopic version renders it; from the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel, after the ascension of Christ; quickly after the effusion of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost: it is thought, by some, to be ten or eleven, and, by others, to be twenty years ago, or thereabou

MY MOUTH See (Matthew 16:19). Peter used the keys first for the Jews on the day of Pentecost; secondly, in the house of Cornelius for the Gentiles, (Acts 15:14); But Paul was distinctively the apostle to the Gentiles. (Galatians 2:7); (Galatians 2:8)....

ACTS 15:7 avnasta.j Pe,troj {A} In order to enhance the solemnity of the occasion and the authority of the apostle Peter’s speech, 293 several Western witnesses add, before or after Pe,troj, “in the (Holy) Spirit” (evn pneu,mati, D; + a`gi,w| 614 1799 2412 syrhmg); see also the comment on 15.12. The scribe of î45 has amplified the text by repeating information from Acts 15:2. ------------------------- 293 Cf. C. M. Martini, S.J., “Le figura di...

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