Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents

15:13 James was noted for his scrupulous keeping of the Jewish law (cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 20.200; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2.23).

15:14 Simeon. A different spelling for the name of Simon Peter. James presented scriptural backing (vv. 15-17) to support Peter's contention that God was now including the Gentiles as a people for his name. This means "for himself" (since someone's "name" represented all that was true about him and his character) and also seems to imply "for his reputation and his glory."

15:16-18 James refers to "prophets" (v. 15), showing that he could appeal to more than one OT text to defend the inclusion of Gentiles by faith alone. See the allusion to Isa. 45:21 in Acts 15:18, and the context of the Isaiah prophecy. James concentrated on Amos 9:11-12, which looked to the time when God would restore the house of David. Luke provides the Septuagint (Greek) translation of the text, which speaks of the Gentiles (Gk. ethnē) seeking the Lord. But even the Masoretic (Hebrew) Text fits with what James argued, since it speaks of a people called by my name (Amos 9:12), and those called by God's name are in a saving relationship with him. Amos looked to a time when God would claim a people for himself from among the Gentiles. James concurred with Peter that the time of Gentile inclusion in God's people had now arrived.

15:19-21 James agreed with Peter that they should not trouble the Gentiles with the ritual laws. But he knew that Gentile Christians would have contact with Jewish Christians who still kept the ceremonial provisions, including laws about sacrifices, festivals, unclean foods, and circumcision. He offered a proposal by which Gentile Christians could have fellowship with Jewish Christians and avoid giving unnecessary offense. The word for (Gk. gar) at the beginning of v. 21 gives the reason for James's proposal: the Gentile Christians should abstain from certain things because "in every city" there are still Jews who observe these ceremonial laws and think them to be important. The first three requirements seem to be contextually sensitive and designed for these specific circumstances: abstention from food offered to idols, from blood (meat with the blood in it), and from strangled meat (which would also have blood in it). (But Paul in other circumstances permitted believers to eat food offered to idols; see 1 Cor. 8:1-11:1.) The fourth requirement, dealing with sexual immorality, was of course not a contextual or optional standard of obedience like the other three. It may have needed special emphasis and clarification because many Gentiles' consciences were so corrupted that they did not hold to a high standard of sexual purity. This reaffirmation of the believer's need to maintain sexual purity also serves as a reminder that the moral standards of the OT still need to be obeyed. James concludes his appeal (v. 21) by noting the widespread (in every city) teaching and affirmation of the Mosaic law, thus suggesting that there is no need to give unnecessary offense either to Jewish believers or to unbelieving Jews who might otherwise consider becoming Christians in the future.