Article 4 - Acts 15: The Council That Redefined the People of God

Acts 15 records a decisive moment in the early Church—not because doctrine changed, but because God’s actions forced clarity.
The Jerusalem Council was not debating abstract theories of salvation. The question was far more concrete: Must Gentiles take on Jewish covenant identity in order to belong to the Spirit-filled people of God?

Within first-century Judaism, belonging followed clear categories. Jews were born into the covenant. Proselytes entered through circumcision. God-fearers worshiped Israel’s God but remained outsiders. When Gentiles began receiving the Holy Spirit without circumcision or conversion, those categories collapsed. God had acted outside the expected boundaries.

Peter’s testimony made this unavoidable: God gave the Spirit to Gentiles “just as He did to us,” making no distinction. If God had already accepted them, adding requirements afterward would oppose God Himself.

James’ response did not create a new law or negotiate a compromise. He drew directly from God’s existing instructions for foreigners living among Israel, identifying four prohibitions—idolatry, sexual immorality, blood, and strangled animals. These commands were practical, relational, and rooted in Torah, allowing Jewish and Gentile believers to live and worship together without fracturing unity. They were not gateways to salvation, nor conditions for receiving the Spirit.

The council’s conclusion was precise: God gives the Spirit first. Identity follows God’s call, not human conversion rituals. Circumcision was not rejected as meaningless—it was rejected as a gateway.

Acts 15 establishes a lasting principle: God initiates relationship, God defines belonging, and no human marker can improve upon what God has already done. Where God has placed His Spirit, the Church is not free to build walls.

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