The Jerusalem Council [part 1] Series

The Jerusalem Council

This article is about the 1st-century Council of early Christianity.

Contents

Details About the Council of Jerusalem

Date c. 50

Accepted by most Christian denominations

Next Council Ancient church councils (pre-ecumenical) and the First Council of Nicaea

President unspecified, but presumably James the Just and perhaps Simon Peter

Topics Controversy about male circumcision and the validity of the Mosaic Law

The Council of Jerusalem or the Apostolic Council was held in Jerusalem around AD 50. It is unique among the ancient pre-ecumenical councils. It is considered by Catholics and Eastern Orthodox to be a prototype and forerunner of future councils and a crucial part of Christian ethics. The Council decided that Gentile converts to Christianity were not obligated to keep most of the fasts, and other specific rituals, including the rules concerning the circumcision of males. However, the Council retained the prohibitions on eating blood, meat containing blood, and meat of animals that were strangled, and fornication and idolatry, sometimes referred to as the Apostolic Decree or Jerusalem Quadrilateral. The purpose and origin of these four prohibitions are debated.

Reports of the Council are found in Acts of the Apostles chapter 15 (in two different forms, the Alexandrian and Western versions) and possibly in Paul's letter to the Galatians (chapter 2). Some scholars dispute that Galatians 2 is about the Council of Jerusalem, while others have defended this identification.

Historical background

The Council of Jerusalem is generally dated to 48 AD, roughly 15 to 25 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, between 26 and 36 AD. Acts 15 and Galatians 2 both suggest that the meeting was called to debate whether or not male Gentiles who were converting to become followers of Jesus were required to become circumcised; the rite of circumcision was considered crude and repulsive during the period of Hellenization of the Eastern Mediterranean and was significantly adverse: acting against or in a contrary direction: hostile. In Classical civilization, both ancient Greeks and Romans valued the foreskin positively.

At the time, most followers of Jesus (which historians refer to as Jewish Christians) were Jewish by birth, and even converts would have considered the early Christians as a part of Judaism. According to scholars, the Jewish Christians affirmed every aspect of the then-contemporary Second Temple Judaism with the addition of the belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Unless males were circumcised, they could not be God's People. The meeting was called to decide whether circumcision for gentile converts was necessary for community members since specific individuals were teaching that "unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

Issues and outcome

The purpose of the meeting, according to Acts, was to resolve a disagreement in Antioch, which had broader implications than just circumcision since circumcision is the "everlasting" sign of the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 17:9–14). Some of the Pharisees who had become believers insisted that it was "needful to circumcise them and to command [them] to keep the law of Moses" (KJV).

The primary issue was related to the requirement of circumcision, as the author of Acts relates, but other essential matters arose as well, as the Apostolic Decree indicates. The dispute was between those, such as the followers of the "Pillars of the Church," led by James, who believed, following his interpretation of the Great Commission, that the Church must observe the Torah, i.e., the rules of traditional Judaism, and Paul the Apostle, who believed there was no such necessity. The main concern for the Apostle Paul, which he subsequently expressed in greater detail with his letters directed to the early Christian communities in Asia Minor, was the inclusion of Gentiles into God's New Covenant, sending the message that faith in Christ is sufficient for salvation. (See also Supersessionism, New Covenant, Antinomianism, Hellenistic Judaism, and Paul the Apostle and Judaism)

At the Council, following advice offered by Simon Peter (Acts 15:7–11 and Acts 15:14), Barnabas and Paul gave an account of their ministry among the gentiles (Acts 15:12), and the apostle James quoted from the words of the prophet Amos (Acts 15:16–17, quoting Amos 9:11–12). James added his own words to the quotation: "Known to God from eternity are all His works" and then submitted a proposal, which was accepted by the Church and became known as the Apostolic Decree:

The Law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues every Sabbath. Therefore, I judge that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles turning to God. Instead, we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, sexual immorality, the meat of strangled animals, and blood —?Acts 15:19–21

Acts 15:23–29 sets out the letter's content written per James' proposal. The Western version of Acts (see Acts of the Apostles: Manuscripts) adds the negative form of the Golden Rule ("and whatever things ye would not have done to yourselves, do not do to another").