There are four key points to be drawn from the ‘Jerusalem Council Meeting’ of Acts 15.

1. In that meeting Paul was right, and what most of the Messianic Jewish leaders in Jerusalem who opposed Paul put forth was wrong but not Peter. Peter recognized God was using Paul in this new and different way with his new “gospel of the grace of God” for the Gentiles.

Peter had had his own experience to guide him. Recall how that Peter originally had resisted the Lord’s instruction for him to go to ‘the house of the Gentile Cornelius,’ but he did go. The result of Peter’s trip was that saw how that Cornelius and his Gentile household had been ‘saved’ and how that they ‘received the Holy Spirit just as the Jews had at Pentecost,’ and just as importantly these Gentiles Had NOT Been Circumcised or Brought Under the Mosaic Law (read Acts 10:1-48).

Peter recounted his story in the Council Meeting’ of Acts 15. This demonstrates how that God in His foreknowledge had foreseen Paul’s future conflict with the Messianic church in this meeting and He used Peter’s experience to rally him to Paul’s defense years later, in the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council meeting.

2. AFTER the ‘Jerusalem Council Meeting’ of Acts 15 any unbelieving (heathen) Jews would be seen as unbelieving (heathen) Gentiles and now have to believe and be ‘saved as unbelieving (heathen) Gentiles.’

For 2,000 years under “the Law,” Gentiles had to be saved as a Jews under “the Law.” It was by implementing “the Law” and circumcision that God had made Israel a unique people, separating them from among the nations, declaring the Nation Israel as ‘a peculiar treasure unto Me’ (Exo. 19:5-6; Deut. 32:8). At that time, if a Gentile wished to be blessed of God, they had to be blessed through Israel’s ‘kingdom / Law program.’ No other way existed for Gentiles. God had established this arrangement initially with the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:1-3). With the Acts 15 meeting James, Cephas [Peter], and John’s declaration, as seen in Paul’s Galatians 2:9 (KJV only, below), formally ENDED this requirement for Gentiles. Gentiles now had their own apostle, Paul (Rom. 11:13), and his grace gospel. Paul wrote of this new arrangement;

“(For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision [Israel], the same was mighty in me [Paul] toward the GENTILES:) ⁹ And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me [Paul], They Gave To Me And Barnabas The Right Hands of Fellowship; that We Should Go Unto The Heathen [the unbelieving Jews and unbelieving Gentiles], and they [Peter and company would now go] unto the circumcision [the believing Israelites only]. (Galatians 2:8-9 (KJV)

So, from Act 15 onward, any unsaved Jews had to Be Saved as unsaved Gentiles, that is “by grace through faith” in Jesus Christ … this now was the only God-sanctioned way of salvation. That is to say, Jews from then on would have to be saved through Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God.” No longer could any man be saved under Israel’s “gospel of the kingdom.” The significance of this was and is staggering. It also explains Paul’s strong words to the Galatians (Gal. 1:6-9, below) which he could not have written prior to the Acts 15 Council of Jerusalem pronouncement. To the Galatians Paul wrote;

“…  there be some [Jews] that trouble you [Gentiles], and would pervert the gospel of Christ. ⁸ But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we [Paul and company] have preached unto you, let him be accursed [banned]. ⁹ As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach ANY OTHER GOSPEL [including the ‘kingdom gospel’] unto you than that ye have received [from Paul], let him Be ACCURSED [banned].” (Galatians 1:6-9 (KJV)

So, from the time of Acts 15 forward ONLY Paul’s ‘gospel of pure grace’ was valid. God’s turn of the age had occurred – turning from Israel to the Gentiles, which now includes “all men.” both unbelieving Jews and unbelieving Gentiles were to be seen as unbelieving lost Gentiles. The word preached of Jesus continued only with the saved Jews at Jerusalem.

Now, faith alone in Paul’s grace gospel, without works, was that “Christ died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead” (1Cor. 15:1-4).

This was valid for BOTH unsaved Jews and unsaved Gentiles… to believe and be saved. Paul in Gal 1:6-9 says “Any Other Gospel” than the one Paul preached was now ‘banned.’ The only ‘salvation plan’ available was to “ALL Men” and to be acquired … “by grace through faith” in ‘Christ ALONE.’ Only Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) was to be preached.

Thus, the decision of the Acts 15 Council Meeting at Jerusalem meeting was formally established concerning both Jews and Gentiles as recounted by Paul in Gal. 2:9 (KJV only).

3. It is clear that from the outcome of the account of the Acts 15 Council Meeting, as seen in Gal. 2:8-9, that Peter used “the keys of the kingdom” that Jesus gave him (Matt. 16:19, below). Jesus gave Peter “the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” not the keys to heaven.

“And I [Jesus] will give unto thee [Peter] the Keys of The Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou Shalt BIND On Earth shall be bound in heaven: and Whatsoever Thou Shalt LOOSE On Earth shall be loosed in heaven. (Matthew 16:19 (KJV).

More importantly, as result of the decision of the Acts 15 Council Meeting, … Peter used those keys to “bind” or limit his ministry unto the already saved ‘Jews only,’ while ‘loosing’ Paul with his gospel for “all men,” meaning ALL the unsaved (heathen) of mankind…  both the unbelieving (heathen) Jews and unbelieving (heathen) Gentiles.

Peter had first used those keys Christ gave him to open the door to the Jews to salvation under “the Gospel of the Kingdom” on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), to the Samaritans after the preaching of Philip (Acts 8:14-17). Now Peter was binding or limiting his ministry. Hence after Acts 15, Peter and the Twelve did not ‘go into all the world’ preaching ‘the gospel of the kingdom,’ according to Jesus’ so-called ‘Great Commission.’ In fact, Jesus had prophesied in Matt. 10:23 of the Jewish remnant’s limited short-term outreach saying; “Ye will not have gone over the cities of Israel until the Son of Man be come” at the close of the Tribulation. Jesus’ Great Commission for Israel will one day be fulfilled in the Tribulation period and the in Millennial Kingdom.

4. The last point to note with regard to the decision of the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council (~AD51) is that ALL of Paul’s letters date from AFTER the Acts 15. There are no Pauline letters dated from before Acts 15. Now, since Paul’s grace gospel was irrefutably established as the ONLY Way of Salvation, Paul could then also disclose ALL the other teachings that the Lord of Heaven had revealed to him for the Gentile church that Paul called “the body of Christ.”

ALL Christian doctrine for today’s dispensational age of “the grace of God” come from Paul’s thirteen letters, all being dated AFTER this momentous decision of the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council Meeting.

CONCLUSION:

Now we can see why intelligized students of the Bible refer to The Book of Acts is as the ‘fulcrum,’ or ‘the hinge,’ or the ‘Turning Point,’ or the ‘transitional book” of the Bible, going from the dispensational age of “the Law” and promise for Israel to … the “dispensation of the Grace of God” for ‘All Men.’

Luke wrote the Book of Acts to explain to the Jews … WHY the promised kingdom of God had not yet come to Israel on earth. What Luke recorded in Acts 15 fits with his primary purpose of the book, that is to provide a record of the Acts 7 stoning of Stephen and the “fall of Israel” with the temporary ‘setting aside’ of the Nation Israel and her prophetic program.

Paul’s Book of Romans explains the core doctrines of this age of the pure grace of God. Much of what we read in Paul’s other epistles may be seen more in terms of further explanation and encouragement in the knowledge of the formerly secret and hidden relational ‘mystery of Christ’ rather than doctrine. Paul wrote the Book of Romans around the time of Acts 20, saying;

“I am not ashamed of the gospel [of pure grace], for it is the ‘power of God for salvation’ to EVERYONE [both lost unbelieving Gentiles and lost Jews alike] who BELIEVES, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Rom. 1:16 (KJV).

Note how that Paul went to the “Jew first” during the Acts period but not after Acts 28. In that time, with each Jewish synagogue’s rejection of Paul’s message, Paul said, “lo, we turned to the Gentiles.” So, Luke confirms that Paul went to “the Jew first,” to those who consistently rejected his grace gospel message toward All Men. But they, the nation of Israel, rejected Paul’s word beginning with Acts 13:46, and then after Acts 15 in Acts 18:5-6 and 28:28-29.

It’s clear that today, during this age of “the dispensation of the grace of God,” Paul’s pure grace gospel is the sole basis of relationship with God. But, from the time that Jesus saved Paul, revealing to him “the gospel of the grace of God” … UNTIL … THE ACTS 15 JERUSALEM COUNCIL MEETING, and during the remainder of Acts period, Jews could be saved by believing EITHER of the two gospels;

• Jews could be saved under Jesus’ “the gospel of the Kingdom,” as did the Jesus’ “little flock.”
• OR under Paul’s grace gospel for “all men” (Gal. 3:28).

But after Acts 15 it was clear that only One Gospel was in force. Only Paul’s “my gospel” could save “All men” of All races. In other words, for a relatively brief period of time, from the time of Paul’s conversion until the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council meeting, it appears that there were Two different but Valid Gospels being preached to God’s Two People Groups; one for Jews and … one for the Gentiles. Now, after the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council meeting and to this day… Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” for ‘All Men’ stands alone.

1. Jesus of Nazareth’s “gospel of the kingdom” was only offered in His earthly ministry to his earthly people of the Nation Israel, those who have an earthly destiny – to “reign on earth” with Christ for eternity (Rev. 5:10, 20:6). It was also then offered to Jews by the Twelve Apostles during the EARLY Acts period, but only until the decision of the Acts 15 Jerusalem Council meeting. The faithful saved of Israel will one day reign on earth in the Millennial Kingdom, and the forever.
2. The “the gospel of the grace of God” was revealed to Paul by Christ … in Jesus’ HEAVENLY ministry … for God’s HEAVEN-bound people, the Gentile “body of Christ.” So now, after the Acts 15 Council meeting at Jerusalem, ALL Men of ALL Races can be saved ONLY by believing Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God.” All Men, including Jews, are now seen by God as being ‘Gentiles.’ All who are saved through faith in Paul’s “gospel of the grace of God” are destined to be Raptured to HEAVEN … to co-reign with Jesus forever (2Tim. 2:12), “eternal in the HEAVENS” (2Cor 5:1b).

It was only after Christ and His Kingdom were again rejected by Israel with the stoning of Stephen that God interrupted Israel’s prophetic program. He then saved and sent Paul forth proclaiming “the preaching of the cross” and “the gospel of the grace of God.” In 2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Paul proclaims “the love of Christ” who “died for all” and to instructs us as to our assigned ministry and work of love.

“And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath Given To Us The Ministry of Reconciliation; ¹⁹ To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and Hath Committed Unto Us The Word Of Reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (KJV)

As members of “the body of Christ” during today’s Gentile age of “the grace of God,” it is for us;

“… To Make All Men See What Is The Fellowship of [the unification of Jew and Gentile in Christ Body according to] The Mystery [the formerly secret plan of God concerning ‘the body of Christ’], which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:” (Ephesians 3:9 (KJV)

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Portions of this Study Series were adapted from Don Samdahl’s “The Hinge”  

“©2012 Don Samdahl. Anyone is free to reproduce this material and distribute it, but it may not be sold.”