Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Acts 15:1-21.
When men from Judea come to Syrian Antioch claiming that Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved, Paul and Barnabas know that the heart of the Gospel was at stake. The church in Antioch sends Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to settle the matter according to the Word of God. After the delegation from Antioch is welcomed by the church in Jerusalem, the apostles and elders meet together to consider the question at hand. Peter is first to speak, reminding the assembly what God had revealed to them Peter’s vision: Gentiles are saved by God’s grace, just as the Jews. Paul and Barnabas then recount God’s work on their recent journey. Finally, James the brother of Jesus reminds the gathering that salvation for the Gentiles by God’s grace is precisely what the prophet Amos had written. James speaks the judgment that the Gentiles should not be troubled by being forced into circumcision, but that they should be instructed to continue steadfast in their keeping of the 1st Commandment.
“To the End of the Earth” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Acts. In his second volume, St. Luke records all the things that Jesus continued to do through the ministry of His Church. By the end of the book, the proclamation of the Lord’s Word that began in Jerusalem grows all the way to Rome. By God’s grace, even now, that same Word is proclaimed to us.
