Acts 15:18-39

18 James does not refer to the report of Barnabas and Paul, when he quotes Amo_9:11-12, but to Peter's address. The prophet, speaking of the time when the kingdom will be set up, refers to those among the nations, who, like Cornelius, invoked the name of the Lord, and are blessed with His people Israel. It has no reference to the present economy of God's grace.

19 Notice the emphatic I. This was James' own solution. The object of the decrees seems to have been to make it possible for the Jews to have social intercourse with the believers among the nations without offending Jewish prejudices. A Jew, even if a believer, could not eat at the same table with a gentile if he should serve an idol sacrifice, or strangled meat, or blood. Had Peter's advice been followed, they would have cast off the yoke of the law, which they never were able to bear, and so could have had free and joyful fellowship with the Uncircumcision. James' plan keeps the Jews under the divine law and puts the nations under a human law. Instead of loosing all from bondage, he binds both.

24 The great object of the conference was definitely settled, and never again do we hear that circumcision and law keeping are essential to salvation. The Judaisers now change to the teaching that, though these may not be necessary for salvation, they are essential to progress and perfection. Paul refutes this in Galatians.

29 Strictly speaking, these decrees were binding only on the believers in Syria and Cilicia, though they must have influenced all the saints among the nations. Paul practically repeals them when he makes the eating of meats offered to idols a matter of individual conscience

(1Co.8) The revelation of the new humanity (Eph_2:15) in which all physical distinctions disappear, so that there is no Jew or Greek, nullifies this "law of precepts in decrees." They were based on a distinction which no longer exists for those who are in Christ Jesus. Speaking of this to the Colossians, the apostle boldly cancels them by "erasing the handwriting of the decrees against us, which was hostile to us, and has taken it away out of the midst..." How far has Jerusalem fallen! Instead of bringing blessing to the nations, they use this opportunity of burdening them with a law of their own devising; No wonder, when Paul comes again, he finds James in full charge, and all the tens of thousands of believing Jews zealous of the law and hostile to him and his ministry.

35 It was during this period that Peter came to Antioch and lived at first in unrestrained intercourse with the gentiles, eating with them in consistency with his speech at the conference and with the decrees, also with his own conduct in the case of Cornelius. In the presence of "certain from James" Peter began to vacillate and complied with their prejudices. If Peter, through consideration for the weak conscience, had been yielding a non-essential point, Paul would approve. But his motive was the fear of man. His example not only sanctioned the heresies of the Judaizers but also carried away such believers as Barnabas, and well merited Paul's rebuke.

37 Barnabas had already provoked Paul's indignation by weakly yielding to the influence of Peter and the Judaizers. Possibly he was still smarting under Paul's public rebuke. Paul, on the other hand, always revolted against anything that looked like compromise and weakness.

Though it was impossible for them to longer work together, they evidently make amicable arrangement to divide between them the territory of their former journey.