The Dictionary of Biblical Phrases. Certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. Acts 15v1. This incident in the life of the early church was crucial to the ongoing unity of the Christian church. Most Christians are not acquainted with this critical time or of its outcome. It all began with a visit to Antioch where Paul and Barnabas were Pastors by certain Christian Jews from Jerusalem. They came to a church made up of both Jews and Gentiles and they came saying that the Gentile believers were to be circumcised in order to be fully initiated as Christians. Paul and Barnabas were furious and absolutely insistent that this should not take place. The question was very simple, should Christianity that had emerged from Judaism - be sucked back into Judaism. In other words should gentile Christians submit to the rite of Jewish circumcision and become proselytes to Judaism? The Church at Antioch was very clear on the matter but was this consistent with the thinking of the other apostles in Jerusalem. They were sure it was but they had to go to Jerusalem to make sure. And so the first council of the Church came about. Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem to confer with the other Apostles.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 17:15:59 +0000
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