Alright, here's the text that
I want us to consider, and consider very closely. And certain men,
which came down from Judea, that is, down to Antioch, and taught
the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner
of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When Paul, therefore, and Barnabas
had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that
Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to
Jerusalem under the apostles and elders about this question. And being brought on their way
by the church, they passed through Phoenice, Samaria, declaring
the conversion of the Gentiles And they caused great joy unto
all the brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem,
they were received of the church and of the apostles and elders,
and they declared all things that God had done with them. But there rose up certain of
the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying that it was
needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law
of Moses. The apostles and elders came
together for to consider of this matter. When there had been much
disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren,
you know 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 God which knoweth the hearts,
bear them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did
unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying
their hearts by faith. Why tempt ye God to put a yoke
upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor
we were able to bear? But we believe that through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved even as they."
Now, I want to speak this morning on the subject, the unbearable
yoke. And we find that again in verse
10. Why therefore tempt ye God to
put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our
fathers in time past, nor we at the present are able to bear. Now, the unbearable yoke, we
saw what it is. and shall look at it more. Before
we enter in, let me repeat this, that the fifteenth chapter of
the book of Acts is one of the most important in the book of
Acts and even, I shall say, in the New Testament. Since what
was an issue in that time is now considered a non-issue. We would not hear this type of
contention today based upon the same types of things. That may
be the reason why it is little emphasized and preached in our
present day. Though it is more relevant than
many people realize, even to the church of God under our day. So we need to understand the
issue. And not just the issue, but also
what was at stake in this matter. Because, you see, it concerns
the purity and the truth of the gospel of our God and of our
Savior. The truth of the gospel was at
stake here in this matter in Acts 15, even as it is at stake
in some things in our day. How important, you would say,
is this chapter of the book of Acts? Well, F.F. Bruce, in his
commentary, said that Luke, the author of this book, attaches
the highest importance unto it. as great an event, he said, as
the conversion of Saul and the preaching of the gospel unto
the Gentiles at the house of Carnelius. Now the council here
that we read about was convened in Jerusalem and convened there
for the purpose of considering the question. The question is
this, are the Gentiles who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, required
to keep and take upon themselves the yoke of the ceremonial law. How much, if any, of the ceremonial
law is to be imposed upon the Gentiles who believe the gospel
and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And the question is,
must they, in order to complete their justification, submit unto
the right of circumcision as a condition of their being saved
and of their being admitted into the churches and among the people
of God? Now, certain Judaizers had taught,
not just in Antioch, but all over the area, that Gentiles
must submit to the right of circumcision after the manner of the law of
Moses, or else they could not be saved." Now that's pretty
strong in verse 1. Except they do that, the Judaizers
said they cannot be saved. In other words, As one of my
favorite old-time writers, John Gill, said on this commentary
of this verse, they made the keeping of the law necessary
to salvation, and that in the case of the Gentiles. Especially did they ride heavy
upon circumcision. And as we read in verse 6 of
the chapter, the apostles and elders met together just specifically
to consider this matter. And as they met together, there
were some of the most eminent names and the most eminent persons
in early Christianity that were there in that meeting and that
led the way. And some eminent names. There
was Peter, There was James from Jerusalem. These, Paul said,
seem to be pillars in the church there. He writes in Galatians
2 and verse 6 and verse 9. And of course, Paul was there,
the apostle to the Gentiles, and Barnabas was there from the
church down at Antioch. And certain others also came
up from the church at Antioch with Paul and with Barnabas. And in verse 6, notice they came
together, they convened a solemn assembly, they met together,
quote, to consider this matter. To take up the issue. Or look
into it. Or see about the issue. and therefore
render some sort of a verdict on the matter. They came to hear
it. They came to discuss it. This
was the particular reason for the calling of the great council
there in Jerusalem. Now the matter up for discussion
is this again. Must the Gentile be required
to submit to the Mosaic or the ceremonial law as a necessary
part of their salvation? Is it necessary that Gentiles
who come to Christ and believe the gospel submit unto this? Is it true what the Judaizer
had strongly insisted upon? Is circumcision to become a part
of the Gentiles' justification before our God? Now, most expositors
in dealing with this passage of the Scripture agree that under
the Old Testament economy, under the ceremonial law and the Mosaic
economy, when a Gentile became a proselyte, when he did that,
he submitted also under circumcision and placed himself under the
ceremonial law as well. Now the word proselyte is an
interesting word. The word proselyte, we find it
four times, I believe, all together in our New Testament. A proselyte
is one who arrives as a foreigner. A proselyte is one who is, it's
an arriver. That's the meaning of the word.
An arriver. One who arrives over. In other words, one who converts. And under the old system, a Gentile
would convert from paganism unto Judaism. And all four instances
of the word proselyte in our New Testament, in all of them,
it refers to a Gentile, one who went over or crossed over unto
Judaism. This they did as a free choice
crossing over and assuming that religion. And among the Gentiles,
in the time of our Lord's appearing, the ministry of the apostles
upon the earth, there were two degrees or sorts of proselyte
that one might find attending a synagogue or a gospel meeting. Now the most numerous type of
proselyte were those who espoused the Jewish monotheism. Monotheism as opposed to their
former polytheism. One God as opposed unto many. They came to believe in the one
God and were this sort of a proselyte and attended the Jewish synagogue
worship. They observed certain parts of
the Mosaic Law as for example, In Acts 2, verse 10, it says
there were Jews and proselytes that were present there in Jerusalem
when the Spirit of the Lord came. And again in Acts 13, verse 43,
we read of Jews and religious proselytes who followed Paul
as he was preaching the gospel. So this was the larger kind. many Jews who had espoused monotheism. Secondly, there were another
sort of Gentile proselyte, and that were those who had fully
embraced Judaism, including the submitting of themselves under
circumcision, and these were said when they did that by the
Jews to be born again. It was the way that the Jews
described a Gentile who proselyted or crossed over, submitted a
circumcision, and the law that they had been born again. And these did then embrace or
accept and submit to the whole law as that that was required
by the Jew. And here is the point on all
of this for us to keep in mind. These were Gentiles embracing
Judaism. These were Gentiles crossing
over from their paganism onto Judaism. Worshipping then as
a Jew and living as a Jew. Now, the Gentiles at Antioch,
however, in Acts chapter 15, were embracing not Judaism, but Christ and the
Christian gospel. They were embracing the preaching
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And we read that not a few Gentiles
received the Word of God concerning Christ and became believers. Now, let's take a minute to see
the background of this blessing toward the Gentiles beginning
with a Gentile Pentecost in the tenth chapter of the book of
Acts. It was there that God began in
earnest His work among the Gentiles in calling and in saving them
and taking out of them, what Peter says, a people for His
name. So that in Acts 11 and verse
18, God had granted to the Gentiles repentance unto life. God had
given them repentance. They had turned from their ways. They had changed their mind and
their direction. Again, in Acts 14 and 27, it
was said God has opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. And then we read in Acts 15 and
verse 1, that certain men from Judea, some a number, unnamed
number, and men came down and troubled the Gentiles that were
at Antioch, teaching them that they absolutely must submit to
circumcision in order to be saved. Now please note that verse 1
calls these Gentiles brethren. They taught the brethren, believers,
those that Peter considers and Luke considers and Paul would
consider as brethren. Now, please note that. Also note
in verse 5, that rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees. Now, when we think of these people,
this group, this sect, we do not think much of them. They
were the worst self-righteous of their day. They opposed our
Lord more, perhaps, than any other. But notice something about
them in verse 5, nonetheless. They are called believers. They were certain of the sect
of the Pharisees that believed. They are identified as belonging
to that branch of Judaism known as Pharisees, which, by the way,
was the strictest and the narrowest and the most constricted of all
of the sects of the jury. They belonged to that particular
branch that proudly answered to the title Pharisee. F. F. Bruce calls them Christian
Pharisees, quote unquote. And then he says of them, that
they had remained legalists at their heart. Even if they had
believed, they had remained legalists at their heart. This was true
of many first century Jews who lived in that transition period
before the gospel clearly went fully under the Gentile. Now,
unlike Saul, a fellow Pharisee, and thank God for Saul, who was
immediately separated and was radically reoriented at his conversion
at the hands of Christ. These Pharisees had added the
belief that Christ was the Jewish Messiah, these Pharisees in our
text, while retaining those tenets of Judaism that in Paul died
and fell off like scales as soon as He was converted. Thus, they
did not deny the Messiahship of the Lord Jesus Christ, but
they did request a double requirement. Verse 5 again, needful, necessary,
literally the word could be said, it behooved them to submit to
circumcision and the Mosaic law. Now let's see the strength of
the word used in verse 5. The word needful, as we would
see it in our King James Version. It is the same word that the
Lord used back in Luke chapter 24 and verse 46. It behooved
Christ to suffer. It was necessary. It was to be
done. It must be accomplished. And
the word is variously translated in other places in the New Testament. It is translated, must. It is
translated, should. It is translated, ought. It is translated, was meet that
such be done. And translated, behooved, which
means that it was necessary. And by the way, it is the same
word which the Lord used to tell Nicodemus, you must be born again. It is absolutely necessary that
one be born again to see the Kingdom of Heaven. So it was
not a charitable suggestion on the part of the Jews, but it
was a demand or requirement. Not an act of charity in order
to appease and pacify the Jews, but a necessary thing that they
had required. Note what is added in the end
of verse 5 of our chapter. And, not only to be circumcised,
and to command them, to charge them, to direct them, because
the word command here is three ways rendered. Command or commanded,
and secondly, charge or charge them that this they must do. To charge them, to keep the law
of Moses in addition to their circumcision. Now, are we to
view these as two separate requirements or as one merged together? To be circumcised and to keep
the law of Moses. And does the last phrase, to
keep the law of Moses, simply expand on or extend? explain
the first clause to circumcise them. Actually, though circumcision
predated the Mosaic law and Moses, yet it was inculcated or included
in the Mosaic law when it was given. You'll find that in Exodus
12. You'll find it again in Leviticus
12. And verse 2, that this was inculcated
into the Mosaic law. Now, looking back at verse 1,
except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, that is,
after the institution of Moses and the rule that Moses gave.
Now hear the words of Moses. These words which are written
up in Leviticus chapter 12, And verses 1 through 3, if you'd
like to take them down or to chase them down. It speaks before
the people, Moses does, having received these words at the mouth
of God to be given unto the people. Quote, And the Lord spoke unto
Moses, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If
any woman hath conceived seed, and born a man-child, she shall
be unclean seven days. According to the days of the
separation of her infirmity shall she be unclean. And in the eighth
day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised." Now that's
put into the Mosaic Law. Paul makes this connection. In
Galatians 5 and verse 3, he said to those Jews and Gentiles who
were in a dispute about this, he said to them, I testify to
every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do or
to keep the whole law. Thus we should probably conclude
that the Jews who came down to Antioch, and by the way, Antioch
was predominantly a Gentile church and the center of Paul's missionary
activity among the Gentiles. So that the Jews who came down
to Antioch and those in Jerusalem were calling for the same thing
as a ground of admitting the Gentiles into the fellowship
of the church. So here is the question that
settled in this conference. Was it necessary that the Gentiles
submit themselves to these rights in order that they might be saved
and be considered as having a right to enter into the church? Must
they be put under the Mosaic Law, including the right of circumcision? Now, with that in mind, here
is a point for us to ponder. Can Paul and the contingent from
Antioch get a fair hearing in Jerusalem, the center and core
of the Gentile religion. Should they ask for the change
of venue? Let's go somewhere else to settle
this matter. After all, they were evidently
greatly outnumbered by those that were in Jerusalem. And that
was the stronghold of the Jewish church at that time. Those who
were there to help decide the matter, such as Peter and James,
were pillars there in that church, and they held a divine commission
toward the Gentiles. We read in Galatians 2, verses
6-9. But as the record reflects, the
Holy Spirit of God led the matter and oversaw the matter. And the
truth of God prevailed in this council. And the gospel of salvation
was spared from the corruption that was wanted to be put upon
it. Gospel liberty was preserved. And Paul and Barnabas and the
brethren went home with the blessed liberty of the gospel toward
the Gentiles in their very hand, put down on paper in an encyclical
letter. So let's put our focus on 7 through
verse 11, and the words, first of all, of the Apostle Peter. It is fitting, I think, that
the Apostle Peter be first heard on this matter of the Gentiles,
and that because of his experience. It was he that God used to open
the door of faith to the Gentiles at the house of Cornelius in
Acts chapter 10. For in verse 7, if we notice,
it was he that God had chosen to send the gospel that the Gentiles
might hear and believe. Again, he refers to that in Acts
chapter 10. Peter does not mention that it
took a special vision from God toward him to convince him to
go in Acts 10 and verse 9 through 16. So powerful was that effect
of that vision upon Peter, remember, upon the housetop. So powerful
was it that he protested and said, nothing common or unclean
has ever entered my mouth. He protested to his critics. Some of the Jews took him to
task for doing that. And in Acts 11 and 17, Peter's
reply is, Who was I that I could withstand God? Then in Acts 15,
verse 8, verse 9, and verse 11, Peter shows how the work of God
toward the Gentiles closely paralleled the work of God among the Jews. How was that? Well, look at verse
8. He gave them the Holy Spirit just as He had given it unto
us at the beginning. He says, the heart knowing God. The God who knows all hearts.
The heart knowing God, He said, has given them the Spirit exactly
as He did us. This was a testimony towards
them that God was looking upon the Gentiles with favor. And
it consisted in giving them or pouring out the effusion of the
Spirit, or John Gill said, bestowing upon them the regenerating and
sanctifying effect of the Spirit of grace, as well as giving unto
them spiritual gifts, and get this, causing them to speak in
other languages, in Acts 10, exactly as the Jews had done. Then look at verse 9. Here's
another proof. God made no difference between
the Jew and the Gentile in the manner of their justification,
purifying their hearts by faith when they believed without works
of law and without circumcision, cleansing their hearts by faith. He does not say their hearts
were cleansed by adherence or practice of the law. or a personal
sanctification or a virtuous life. None of those things brought
them this great, great blessing. But it was by faith which consisted
or is consistent with grace. You should read Romans 4.16.
It is a faith that it might be by grace. For the Gentiles had
believed by grace." Acts 18 and verse 27. Then look at verse
11, the third verse. Both Jew and Gentile alike are
saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. This we believe. And this Peter declared in that
council. Now what Peter is saying is that
God by His sovereign and inscrutable action had already decided the
matter that they were discussing. God had already rendered the
verdict about what the Gentiles are to do. He had already decided
the matter. By the way, most expositors believe
that it had been at least ten years, and some say more, since
the experience at the house of Cornelius and the Gentile. Thus, here's a summation of the
evidence presented in the Council. Number one, there is the experience
of the Apostle Peter at the Gentile Pentecost. That's in v. 7-11. Here's Peter's own personal
experience of how it happened and what happened. Secondly,
if we look at v. 12, there's the testimony of
Paul and of Barnabas how God had used them to work great and
mighty works among the Gentiles in many places. How, by their
ministry, God had favored the pagans with seeing mighty works,
confirming the truth of the gospel as in Christ. Thirdly, if we
look at verse 13 through 18, the words of James, who many
believe was in charge of the council there, Be that as it
may, James rises to speak to the council. He shows them all. He says to them what Peter has
seen, what Peter has described, what was done with Paul and Barnabas
in their ministry is according to the words of the prophecy
of the word of the prophets of God of old, that God would work
a mighty work among the Gentiles was declared by the prophets
of God of old. Now to the question in verse
10, asked by Peter. And he asks the question in light
of the strong, strong evidence that has been presented in favor
of Gentile salvation. For what they were proposing
was a double wrong. If you look at verse 10, it was
doubly wrong. First, it was against God. Secondly, it was against the
liberty of the Gentiles. Look what Peter said. Why tempt
you God? Why are you testing God in this
matter? Who are you putting God to the
test regarding this issue? Again, he had already settled
it. That's the point. How were they tempting God? Why
does Peter charge that upon them? Well, the answer is by opposing
and by resisting and questioning what God Himself had done in
regard and toward the Gentiles. So clear and so plain had God
worked in their behalf. He had poured out His Spirit
upon them. He had saved them without either circumcision or
keeping the law. He had saved them without requiring
them to become Jews. So it was clear this was a work
of God. After all, their great patriarch
Abraham was saved prior to circumcision. Abraham was justified before
God before circumcision was ever instituted. And Abraham is the
grand prototype or model of their own. Abraham justified before
circumcision was given. Also, the requirement they sought
to impose upon the Gentiles, Peter calls it an unbearable
yoke, which they shaped under year after year after year. Verse 10, he calls it a yoke. And the six times that this word
appears in the New Testament, five times it is translated by
the word yoke. And one time, if you can believe
it, it is translated pair of balances. But it is a yoke that
we're looking at. And in its figure, It means a
coupling. It is the picture of a coupling. It is a picture of servitude. Imagine two oxes yoked together
so that the stronger bears the weaker about wherever he would. So, it is to bring them under
the ceremonial law. It would require of them the
shedding of blood by circumcision. It would be a tempting of God.
It would be an undue bondage upon the Gentile Christian. Notice
again in verse 10. He likens it to a yoke. And then down in verse 19, he
said it would be a troubling of the Gentile. Why trouble the
Gentile? That we trouble not them that
are turned unto God. and any and all who from among
the nations were turning unto God, leaving their idols and
their multiplicity of deities, forsaking the paganistic way,
leaving that way of worship for the true and the living God turning
unto Him." So let's consider what or how is it that Peter
calls an unbearable yoke in verse 10. It was given to the fathers
by God through Moses, had stood for century after century after
century, and Peter likens it unto a yoke as he calls it. It was a heavy yoke. He calls it a yoke from which
they had been delivered by the death and redemption of Christ
in exchange for an easy and a light yoke of Christ. Matthew 11, verse
29 and 30, My yoke is easy, the Lord said. Let's consider something
which Paul wrote unto the Galatians in chapter 5 and verse 1. Stand
fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made you
free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." I
agree with those who think that these words of Paul are appropriate
to both Jew and Gentile in that church in Galatia through their
respective bondages which they had before they were brought
to the Lord Jesus Christ. Number one, the Jews were once
in bondage under the law. Romans 4 and verse 5. Number two, the pagans were once
ignorant of the true God and were slaves to the One who was
by nature no God, and yet they worshipped Him. Galatians 4 and
verse 8. Paul's exhortation to both Jew
and Gentile is, should the Jews relapse under the ceremonial
system, carrying the newly converted Gentiles with them, it would
in effect be a yoke of bondage for both of them. And consider,
especially the case of the Gentile, gospel freedom they had in Christ. But to put them under the Mosaic
law would be a violation of their Christian liberty and of their
standing in Christ. And they must know that putting
the Gentiles under the Mosaic or the ceremonial law would not
deepen or perfect their walk with the Savior. Their Christian
experience would not be enhanced by it. Their sanctification would
not be brought to bear into fruition. Rather, it would become a yoke
of bondage unto them. Let's not forget something, that
in addition to the law in the original form, as well as the
intent and the purpose of the ceremonial law, in its original
form, there were what John Eady called quote, the ascetic additions,
unquote, that Jews had added unto the law. They were added
over and above and beyond the original. Such as the tradition
of the fathers, the commandments of men, teaching for doctrines
the commandments of men, Matthew 15 and verse 9. Such as the scribes
and the Pharisees who sit in Moses' seat and have the authority
of a teacher who in Matthew 23 and 4 bind heavy burdens and
grievous to be borne upon those that are under their learning. Also, Matthew 11 and 46. These kinds of teachers, these
self-righteous, bigoted Pharisees lay upon the people in addition
to what God had given. They lay upon them laws and traditions
and commandments of their own making. We wondered, does Paul
include these, or Peter rather, in Acts 15 and verse 10. But the Jews had committed another
error concerning circumcision and the law by making it a cause
of their salvation rather than seeing it as it was a schoolmaster
unto Christ until He came. how rigorous was the Mosaic Law. They must observe feasts, and
seasons, and days, and months, and new moons. And the males
must appear regularly in the city of Jerusalem at certain
seasons. Then they must assiduously observe
the Sabbath day. I mean assiduously observe the
Sabbath day. There were many ceremonial uncleanlinesses
that must be purged by sacrifices and by washings and by separations. So many uncleannesses that were
sent out of the camp or washed or separated for so many days. They could not touch dead bodies
without contracting a defilement for which they must be cleansed.
They were bound to observe a rigorous set of dietary laws. There were certain things they
could and they could not eat. They could not travel more than
a certain distance upon a Sabbath day. They could not mix together
seed, different kind of seed in their field, or mix together
two kind of cloth in their garments that they sewed and that they
made for themselves. Could not eat meat with blood
in it. It had to be fully and completely
drained. Lepers were sent away. Blasphemers
and adulterers and homosexualities and incestuous persons were stoned
to death by the camp of Israel. Their lands were to be wrested
every seventh year. No farming every seventh year.
Let the land rest. Need I say more? No wonder, Peter
says, neither our fathers nor we were able to bear this yoke. And the Gentiles who turned to
God were not to be put under this unbearable yoke. Now, I'm going to close by saying
we see some of this in present-day Protestantism, I believe, even
today. I believe there are some people
who think it's a sin to smile on the Sabbath day. That's how
strict some folks are in our day. to revive the dietary laws. There are a lot of people who
are Christians who are seeking to revive the old dietary laws.
And they take a new convert and they put him right back under
the law. They say, well, you're saved
by grace. Now we're going to put you back under the law. One
says, I'm a brand new convert. What shall I do? And the legalist
says, follow me. And he throws him in the pit
with the law. And that's where he puts him
when he's converted. Christ's death has redeemed and delivered
us from the curse of the law. That law was nailed to the cross
when our Savior died there, and we died to that law with and
in the body of Christ. And that's why I say chapter
15 is important, because it proves that the Gentiles were not to
be put under the ceremonial law, and the Jews were delivered from
it in and by Jesus Christ. Thank you. Let's stand together,
please, to be dismissed in prayer. Blessing unto our heart. Let's
stand together and we'll have prayer before we are dismissed. I didn't mention to the ladies,
but I stuck a turkey in the oven back there. It's supposed to
be warm. It needs tearing up. Okay. All right. As we bow to the Lord for prayer.
We have a lot of good food today. If any of you can stay, stay
and have lunch with us. In the second service, I want
to get into Ecclesiastes chapter 9. I want to preach on the excellence
of wisdom. How excellent is wisdom above
many other things. The excellence of wisdom. All
right. We bow together for prayer. I'm
going to ask Brother Joe Wilson, please, to dismiss us.