Acts 15:6-12
6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.
7 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;
9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.”
10 “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?”
11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are. ”
12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.
Jerusalem Council (5)
Peter’s statement (v 7-9)
After both sides had expressed their opinions, Peter stood up and said, “Brothers, 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.” (1) Once the debate had settled down, Peter stood up. The fact that Peter had refrained from speaking up until this point is remarkable. He did not want to give the impression that the conclusion had been predetermined from the start. (2) Peter began to talk about the salvation of Cornelius. This was something that everyone present was already aware of. In the past, there had been a major debate within the Jerusalem church regarding the salvation of Cornelius (Acts 10:24–11:18). Even at that time, it was the Judaizers who had criticized Peter. (3) The main points of Peter’s statement are as follows: (a) The salvation of the Gentiles came from God. (b) I (Peter) was used for that purpose. Peter was aware that he had been given the keys to the kingdom. (c) The salvation of the Gentiles was not an idea that originated from the Antioch church. (d) It was accomplished through Peter, the leader of the Jerusalem church. (e) The phrase “in the early days” indicates that the salvation of the Gentiles was not a new concept. The salvation of Cornelius occurred about 10 years earlier. “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as Halso did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.” (1) God knows the heart of every person. When God saves someone, His judgment is never in error. (2) The sign that God has saved a person is the baptism by the Holy Spirit. The baptism by the Holy Spirit was given to Jewish believers in Acts 2 and to Samaritan believers in Acts 8. In the same way, the Gentiles also experienced the baptism by the Holy Spirit accompanied by speaking in tongues (Acts 10:44–46a). (3) The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the sign of being made a child of God. This aligns with Pauls teaching (Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:9). (4) Salvation by grace and through faith is the same for both Jews and Gentiles. There is no discrimination (distinction) between Jews and Gentiles. The Gentiles were cleansed not by rituals, but by faith. We who believe in the Lord Jesus as our Savior are completely saved. Let us praise the name of the Lord!
Today's prayer
Heavenly Father, salvation comes by grace and faith alone. I thank You that in Jesus I am completely saved. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.