Acts 15 was and is one of the most important chapters in the word of God. You have to understand what has just taken place. The multitude has always played it’s role, for good or evil. They have always had something to say.
The multitudes are different today. Then, they flocked to the Lord on His time here on earth. They marveled at his doctrine and miracles. Jesus had compassion on the multitudes. They also came with Judas to betray Him, as well as wanting Barrabas to go free to see Christ crucified. The multitude always had those who believed, and those who did not (Acts 28:24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.)
The multitude or masses controlled politicians and religious leaders of their times, the same way they do today. Why do politics change their politics? The multitudes. But Acts 15 was the game changer. Acts 15 was what the Pharisees, Sadducees and Chief Priest were trying to quell when the Lord was killed and when the Acts of the Apostles began.
If it helps, think of it as a uprising or a revolution. There are many references to a new way. A new doctrine, a new commandment, a new testament. Remember the accusation of Jason, they turned the world upside down. They would lie, cheat, discredit, and do whatever they could to stop men saying such things as; Neither is their salvation in any other. For there is none other name, under heaven given among men whereby we MUST be saved! (Acts 4:12)
It was a paradigm shift. Nearly 4,000 years of hardcore, Jewish tradition, customs, religious culture, and even the “God honored” priesthood was now rendered obsolete. The temple, the veil that was rent, the altar, the incense, and the “holy things” were no longer the standard of worship.
With this, many of the religious leader’s seats, leadership and positions were now suddenly being threatened and brought into in question. But something happen in Acts 15 immediately after Peter proclaimed the “Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ”. The very next verse is one of the most important verses in the bible in my opinion.
“Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.”
The disputing over the gospel, law and grace and salvation was over. The reasoning among each other about keeping the law was no more. It was answered during those long years of transition in the book of Acts. This is the ONLY time in the word of God where the “multitude” kept silent.
Those that were there got it. Those that heard the good news, that heard the message, understood it. And afterwards they “gave audience to Barnabas and Paul”. This is just as vitally important due to the gospel of the grace of God being revealed unto Paul. The same way the children of Israel submitted to Moses, or gave audience to Moses, is the same way the body of Christ today should give audience to Paul. (Romans 2:16, 16:25, II Timothy 2:8). Romans 16:25 says;
“Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began”
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2:8
“Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”
These Jew and Gentile kings and princes of men that came in contact with Jesus Christ and Paul didn’t see the prophecy concerning Christ in the “scriptures”. The Jewish rabbi’s and religious leaders of the day didn’t receive any revelation. It was given to just one man and it was Paul. One of their own who in their minds had betrayed his own. They wanted this man dead and the men that rolled with him, and if they could do it in a manner where they were protected, they would.
In Galatians 1:8, Paul says this to solidify the doctrine of the gospel of the grace of God. “But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, then that we we have preached unto you, let him be ACCURSED.”
In Galatians 1: 12, he says
“For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Peter was corrected by Paul before Acts 15. Paul had already received this revelation from the Lord in Acts 9. Peter had it figured out at this point to, with the help of Paul and the Holy spirit. In Acts 15, the multitude kept silent. They finally understood what the Apostles were trying to say since Acts 10.
They understood that there was “no difference” between them anymore. They understood that the Jew and the Gentile could now be purified through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Those there in Acts 15 understood that they didn’t have to keep the law of Moses anymore to enter into their long awaited Kingdom with Christ. It’s as if, they looked around among each other and said, “I can scarcely believe it but we now have eternal life” minus nothing, plus nothing. They knew the law could not save them. They knew the Temple was now just a structure. They knew the law was just a schoolmaster. They knew there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins. The knew the “sacrifice and oblations” had ceased.” (Dan 9:27)
After Peter preached, they “gave audience to Barnabas and Paul.” Why not Peter? Peter was the authority in ACts 1-8, but that authority changed with the revelation of Jesus Christ and the mystery of grace to Paul. The revelation was committed to Paul.
Why? Why did God choose Paul. The Lord needed a man who was “taught in the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous towards God”. In Acts 26:4-5, Paul stated, My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews; Which knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straitest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. He lived the law and he lived it among his peers, even in his deceived heart, thought he was doing God’s work by bringing these zealots and heretics bound to Jerusalem “to be punished”. Paul was a Holy/Devout man, but deceived before conversion in religion, works and law.
He was zealous of God and the law of God. He thought Christians were the heretics because their “new” way was against the law and he was doing his part in putting a stop to the preaching, entering houses (churches) and putting men and women in prison. Paul was in fact responsible for the imprisonment and deaths of many Christians, which explains his courageous zeal and honor in his life and before death.
God had to reveal himself to a man that knew Gods law. A man that knew Genesis to Malachi. A man that, when taught of the Lord, would plainly see the risen Messiah in the scriptures, the prophecies concerning Christ. The way that Lord did it was with a sign, and wonder, which the Jews require.
1 Corinthains 1:22-23 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom: But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
Paul was clinging to the law that he had served from his youth up under the tutelage of a well respected Pharisee. Understand, the Pharisees, Sadducees and all the Temple workers were not inherently evil, just deceived. They became evil when they wanted to kill the Lord because of envy, and having their trade craft threatened. The pharisee was not considered an enemy of grace and God until the rejected and ultimatelty killed Christ.
The Lord asked Paul “it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks” and gave him immediate, temporary blindness. Why did the Lord blind him?
Romans 11:25 For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
Epehsians 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:
A “prick” was used on an ox or ass tilling soil. When an ox kicked against the device leading him, a prick would stick into his underbelly, it would only hurt him more the more he fought. The more the animal rebelled, the more the animal suffered. “It is hard for the to kick against the pricks”!
When the Lord said this to him, when this happened, I like to imagine what flashed through Paul’s mind. He knew what a prick was. He knew what the presence was saying to him. He knew the prophecies. He knew God was saying to him, “Stop fighting, stop suffering, you know I AM HE!”
He knew exactly what Christ meant. He knew it was Jesus Christ that smote him with blindness on the way to Damascus. He knew it was God’s son. All that Paul had learned, the plodding through scriptures, the prophecies in Isaiah and Jeremiah, in Daniel, Hosea, the minor prophets, he knew this man that now appeared to him was the LORD. The decades of tedious, structured and devoted study in the law made it abundantly clear once the Lord REVEALED himself to him, as he did to Moses on the Mt.
The years in the synagogues and temples with the Sanhedrin, Pharisees and Sadducees, laboring in the sacred texts, the oracles of God, under the personal tutelage of the most well respected teacher among all the people, Jew and Gentile alike, Gamaliel (Acts 5:34). He knew that was “the Lord” that met him on the road to Damascus. What better vessel to carry the gospel of the grace of God.
That’s why Paul could explain the difference between circumcision and uncircumcision so affectively. He could properly convey the difference between the law of Moses and the Gospel of the grace of God.
He could effectively “become all things to all men”. Not everyone could do what he did. The persecution he endured, standing before kings and princes, reasoning with Israel and the chief priest and elders, “as his manner was”. Not everyone at this point could still have a respect for the Temple, and the religious offices occupied therein. Paul did. Paul even kept some Jewish customs late into his life, “that he might win some”.
I Corinthians 9:22-23 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all [men], that I might by all means save some. And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with [you].
In Acts 24:16, he says, And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men. Paul was in fact still carrying on certain Jewish customs. He had brought alms and offerings to his nation, Israel (Acts 24). He went into the temple to purify himself 7 days (Acts 21) as the custom was. Paul had respect unto these “traditions”, but was not “entangled again with that yoke of bondage” And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law. (I Corinthians 9).
Paul was also able to speak to the common man, not just the educated, intellectual pharisee of his day. He was able to effectively reason with the upper echelon of Jewish society in Jerusalem at any given time. He had much wisdom. Peter’s manner of life was not so. Peter was a fisherman, and had his proper calling and gifts. Peter often seemed to be a bit stubborn or brash. Paul strived not to offend. Paul strove to have a blameless walk before all men so no one could think him a “castaway”. “Give none offence”. That was a fundamental difference between Paul and Peter.
In I Corinthians 9:27, while paying attention to the context, (16-20), Paul says, But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.
The Pauline epistles are essential to New Testament doctrine. You cannot refute, or deny that. You cannot truly understand what the gospel is without Paul’s epistles. In Acts 19, it’s interesting how the evil spirits knew who Jesus was and who Paul was. That speaks volume!
The evil spirits, principalities and powers of this world, the religions, the spirits behind them, know of Paul’s importance, and where he stands. And the evil spirit answered and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye?
Remember Christian that there is a SPIRIT of ERROR. Just because things seemed to be spirit led or filled, as is the rage in many churches, does not mean that it is a spirit of truth. If the “work of the spirit” at your church is against Paul’s gospel, then it is NOT the spirit of God.
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