Introduction - JSS3 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note

It is standard practice for well organised Christian churches worldwide to hold yearly meetings, councils, or synods in which they consider many matters and issues of concern affecting the church, their members and the Christian faith generally. The church synods or council also serve as avenues for drawing strategic plans of action that would guide the ministry in the direction of achieving specific goals in the areas of administration, teaching , evangelism, and discharge of their corporate social responsibility to their immediate communities.

 The Jerusalem council was the earliest of such meetings or synods held to look into the problems affecting the doctrines of the church and its members. This council was specifically called to examine the issue of the relationship between the Jewish and Gentile Christians in the Church. The basic issue was whether all converts should be expected to meet the requirements of being admitted to the christian community with strong Jewish cultural and religious background tied to the laws of Moses. The fundamental problem was whether the council would initiate a policy to make it mandatory for converts to become followers of the Jewish religion before being admitted to the christian community. Though the Jerusalem church leaders had sent messengers to other churches, like Samaria and Antioch, there was no official policy on what was required of the Gentiles who desired to be admitted to the christian church.

 There was also the contentious issue of what the Jewish christians would do so that they could have fellowship with converts from traditional religions. The question arose whether the Jewish christians should ignore their age old traditions about food and relationships (contacts) with non-Jews, so as to relate properly with the Gentile converts. The spokesmen of those who wanted the Gentile converts to observe Jewish rules insisted that the Gentiles must be instructed to obey the regulations set out in the Law. Peter boldly told those attending the council meeting directly that he was the one who began the work of the gospel among the Gentiles when he preached to them at Caesarea. He was convinced that the Gentiles should not be forced to obey the Law since the Jewish descendants were themselves incapable of obeying it. He declared, ‘Now therefore why do you make trial of God by putting a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?’ (verse 10). Peter cleared supported the work and action of Paul and Barnabas- that believers are saved only through the grace of the Lord Jesus.

 Thereafter, Paul and Barnabas spoke about their work among the Gentiles. After hearing of the way God had approved of their activity among the Gentiles, by performing wonderful works through the missionaries, James and others were reassured. James quoted from the Book of Amos to support the argument that they would not force the Gentiles to keep the Jewish Law. Thus, he indicated that the Bible has clearly stated that the Gentiles also would share in God’s acts of redemption. James then proposed a set of minimum requirements for the Gentiles. These were that they should avoid idolatry, fornication, things strangled, nor blood. The first two were moral/religious in nature, and the last two concerned the laws of food.