One of the interesting facts to note from the Acts 15 Council of Jerusalem is that Peter was not in charge. Peter had been relegated to the status of a bystander. James, the half-brother of Jesus, (not James the brother of John) was running things. This James was not one of the Twelve Apostles. James had only come to believe in Jesus only after Jesus had risen from the dead (1Cor. 15:7).

Thus, we know God’s ‘kingdom program’ had fallen away with the stoning of Stephen as the proverbial ‘third strike and you are out.’ Israel had long before rejected and killed Go the Father’s Prophets that He Sent. He then sent the Son and they crucified Him. Now Stephen was the third strike and Israel was then “fallen” because in rejecting Stephen and man full of the holy Ghost, they rejected the Spirit that draws men to God; this Jesus said would not be forgiven (Matt. 12:32). It is the only unforgiveable sin.

Paul must have certainly taken note of this fact in addition to understanding that God’s program for Israel had now changed due to Jewish unbelief. Because of this, Paul was not impressed with the reputation of the Jews in Jerusalem, including “the Twelve.” Paul noted they could add nothing to what God had given Paul already. Thus, Paul wrote;

“And I went up by revelation [of the Spirit] , and communicated [Gk. anatithemi, set forth, declared, explained) unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.” (Gal. 2:2 (KJV)

“But we [Paul and Barnabas] did NOT yield IN SUBJECTION TO THEM [Israel’s Apostles] for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. ⁶ But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality), those who were of reputation [The Twelve] Contributed Nothing To Me [Paul].

⁹ and recognizing the grace that had been given to me [Paul], James and Cephas [Peter] and John, who were reputed to be pillars, Gave To Me And Barnabas The Right Hand Of Fellowship, So That We Might Go To The Gentiles and They To The Circumcised [To Israel ONLY].” (Gal. 2:5-6, 9)

Again, Paul wrote of his purpose in going to the Jerusalem council meeting; “I [Paul] went up by revelation, and communicated [Gk. anatithemi, set forth, declared, explained) unto them [at the council] that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles…” (Gal. 2:2 KJV)

Here the KJV here uses the word “communicated,” for the Gk. “anatithemi.” The best translation here for the Greek “anatithemi” actually is the word “explained.” The most dangerous and worst doctrinally is the corrupt NASB translation, saying Paul “SUBMITTED his gospel for approval.” The correct text is explicit about this matter (cf. Gal. 2:5 above). This same Greek word happens to have been used by Luke concerning Festus, in his recounting Paul’s case to King Agrippa,’ but it is here translated as “declared” (Acts 25.14).

“And when they had been there many days, Festus declared [Grk. anatithemi, explained] Paul's cause unto the king, saying, There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix:” (Acts 25:14 (KJV)

Peter and the eleven others were Apostles to Israel as Jews, NOT to the Gentiles. 

“(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision [Israel], the same was mighty in me [Paul] toward the Gentiles:)” (Galatians 2:8 (KJV only)

This explains Peter’s initial reluctance to go to Gentile “the house of Cornelius,” even under the direct command of the Lord (cf. Acts 10, especially Acts 10:28 and 11:1-17). By Peter being instructed to go to the house of a Gentile gave Peter a new awareness of God’s work among the Gentiles. Peter then later was helpful to Paul when Peter spoke up in support of Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles (Acts 15:7) at the Jerusalem council meeting.

As a result of Paul’s testimony before the council, “the Twelve” came to understand how Paul’s Gospel Was very Different from “the gospel of the kingdom” that “the Twelve” was to preach to Israel at that time. They recognized Paul’s calling and his new gospel for to the Gentiles.

At that Acts 15 council meeting in Jerusalem, the Jews Formally Agreed that Paul Should Go to Gentiles with His new gospel that he that he had been preaching and explained to the council. The Twelve also agreed that they (The Messianic remnant and 12 Apostles) Would Go to Jews ONLY (read Gal. 2:7-9 below).

“But contrariwise, when they [the twelve] saw that the gospel of the UNcircumcision [non-Jews] was committed unto me [Paul], as the gospel of the circumcision [Jews] was unto Peter; ⁸  (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles:) ⁹ And when James, Cephas [Peter], and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we [Paul and company] should go unto the heathen [non-believing Gentiles], and they [the twelve] unto the circumcision [Israel only]. (Galatians 2:7-9 (KJV)

It is for sure that “The Twelve” had not yet gone to Gentiles (cf. Matt. 10:23b) and now they Formally Recognized and Accepted God’s ‘Limit Upon Their Ministry … was to Israel ONLY’ during the age of Pauls’ “dispensation of the grace of God.” The doctrine Paul had received from the risen Christ was that the believers of his “gospel of the grace of God” “are NOT UNDER THE LAW” (Rom. 6:14). This freedom from “the Law” was the basis of Paul’s letter to the Galatians because some Jewish legalist had come from Judea to Galatia to put Paul Gentile converts “under the Law” and to be circumcised.  With regard to ‘circumcision,’ Paul’s test case proving justification without the Law was Abraham, who was ‘justified by faith in God apart before Jewish circumcision had even been instituted.’

“¹ What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? ² For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.³ For what saith the scripture? Abraham BELIEVED God, and It Was Counted Unto Him For Righteousness. ⁴ Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. ⁵ But to him that WORKETH NOT, BUT BELIEVETH on him that justifieth the ungodly, HIS FAITH IS COUNTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” (Romans (4:1-5 (KJV)

Paul’s experience with the Jews at the Messianic Jerusalem Council provides particular insight into why he wrote what he did in the epistles of Romans as doctrine, and to the Galatians as reproof or correction in accord with Romans doctrine where we find Abraham discussed in chapter 4.

So, after having listened to the council’s debate a while, Peter weighed in. Peter recounted the story of his visit to the house of Cornelius, a Gentile Roman centurion, years before (cf. Acts 10). In Peter’s encounter, Cornelius and his house (family and servants) were all saved even BEFORE Peter said or did anything. Luke records Peter’s testimony this way,

“After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us [at Pentecost]; ⁹ and He made no distinction between us [Jews] and them [Gentiles], cleansing their hearts BY FAITH. (Acts 15:7-9 (KJV)

Peter knew Paul’s testimony from Paul’s earlier visit to Jerusalem, but Peter did not at that time fully understand the implications of Paul’s gospel. Then 14 years had lapsed and it was clearly a time when the Apostate unbelieving Jews of National Israel continued to reject the King and His kingdom while the Gentiles had been responding to Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God.” So, Paul’s defense and argument that Gentiles were not under the Mosaic Law resonated with Peter’s own experience seeing Gentiles saved in Acts 10. Thus, Peter declared in Acts 15:10; “therefore why do you [Jews] put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples [Paul’s Gentiles] a yoke [Law] which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?” (Acts 15.10)

Peter knew that Israel had failed to “keep the Law” referring to it as a “heavy yoke.” He declared that, to put Paul’s converts under such a demand was to “put God to the test” for He had already given these Gentiles the Holy Spirit. Peter’s statement was forceful. It went against all that had been argued by the Jews in Jerusalem. Note Peter’s most radical statement here in Acts 15:11: “But we [Jews of Jesus’ ‘little flock’ Lk 12:32] believe that we are saved through the GRACE of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they [the Gentiles] also are.”

Just how revolutionary Peter’s statement was to his audience is difficult to appreciate. God began to implement His redemptive plan by creating the Nation Israel with His call of Abraham. 500 years later God gave Israel “the Law to Moses” as a “peculiar people” in the world. The Law governed Jewish life for 1,500 years. But now Peter said; “we believe that we [Messianic Jews] are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they [of Cornelius’ house] also are.” (Acts 15.11, above)