The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1909-05-21
THE COUNCIL AT
JERUSALEM

Specially Arranged for This Paper

verses Is. 20.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"we believe that
through the grace OF the Lord we shall
De saved, even ms they."-Acts l5I1.
TIME.-About 80 A. D., as Is commonly |
agreed, though various scholars place IT
earlier.
PLACE.-Antioch in Syria, and Jerusa-
lem.
Suggestion and Practical Thought.
". l.. Certain men," perhaps those
sent by James (Gal. 2: 12) came
down from .Judea." The Bean text
says that these visitors were Phari-
sees, members of the strictest sect of
the Jews. Perhaps they came to in
vestigate rumors of laxity in the
church; at any rate, they taught the
brethren" (the verb Is in the imper-
feet, implying continued action,-they
kept teaching), "and said, Except we
be circumcised we cannot be
saved" "a very different doctrine
from st. Paul's' Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved
(Acts 16:31)."-Rackham.
The Importance of the Question
The Christian church, during its first
20 years, had spread over Palestine,
Phoenicia, Damascus, Antioch, Cyprus
and South Galatia in Asia Minor. 1t
was rapidly growing, especially among
the Gentiles. The difference that had
arisen set off against each other the
two great centers of growth, Jerusa-
I'm and Antioch. 1t threatened to di-
vide the Christian churches into two
~contending and ir~reconcilable fac
lions. IL that happened, it would
probably be the deathblow to the
young religion, the destruction of the
hopes of the world through Christ.
Could any matter be more m
tous?
V. 2. "They ("the brethren" v. u
determined that Paul and Barnabas,
and certain other of them ~(including
Titus, Gal. Q: 1, afterward Paul's com
panion, a Greek, a man of much abil-
ity, who would serve as a specimen
of the Gentle %converts), should go up
to Jerusalem 600 miles away about
this question" Paul went "by revela-
ton (Gal. Q: p, which is entirely
consistent with the statement that the
church. sent him.
After much debate, that everyone
might express his views, as is proper
in a democratic assembly such as all
Christian gatherings should be, Peter
spoke up. His nearness to Christ and
his strong character combined to
make him a leader. Moreover, in this
case he had had personal experience
which placed him on Paul's side-the
divine revelation bidding him go to
the Gentle Cornelius, and the outpour,
ing of the Spirit upon that convert
and his household. 1t was precisely
such witness to the right of the Gen
cumcision as Paul himself described
from his missionary experience. Peter
insisted Upon it with characteristic
vigor, closing with the pointed ques.
ton, why put a yoke upon
the neck of the (Gentile) disciples,
which neither u fathers o we
were able to bear?"-the yoke being
the minute oppressive rites of Juda
ism, with the Pharisaic additions, i'm
posed as a condition of salvation
There Is only one condition of saliva
ton, said Peter in conclusion,-"the
grace (the free gift, %unbought by any
deed of ours) of the Lord Jesus
Christ" AS Peter sat down, Pau
must have clapped his hands!
The decision embodied In a Letter;
a. To clarity and unity Judgment In
the preparation of it; (2) to guart
against slips of memory on the par
of the ENJOYS; (3) to prevent missn
derstandings; a. to preserve for flu
ture occasions the results of the con
ference. Capt, Cuttle's advice, "Whe:
found, make a note on" applies to al
weighty matters.
The reasons for the restrictions
1. The ''pollutions of idols" ". 20)
explained as meats offered to idols
". 29), came to be a sore trouble II
the church, and liberty to eat suci
meat (the meat commonly sold ha'
nearly all formed part of sacrifices
was at a later time claimed for Chris
tians very ~strenuously by Paul. Blu
until the GENTLE churches were cor
firmed In their new separation iron
idolatry, it was wise to require then
" opoSoAA obA hotONO AAi6ht tCAlip
them with memories of the licentiou
revels which heathenism celebrate,
in the lame Of religion.
2. "Fornication,' however, was tn
great sin of idolatry, which "glorifie
: sexual vice with the halo Of a sacre
sanction."-Schaff. Courtezans wer
the priestesses of the temples of VI
nus, and crowds of abandoned womel
gathered around most of these Sc
a called holy shrines. To this day, Sc,
ual immortality Is the terrible sin c
, idolatry, as the missionary annals G
Africa, India, China, Japan and tn
? South seas most ~abundantly show.
8. Things strangled," meant 9TH
, flesh of such animals as were killed i
: snares, and whose blood was nc
! poured forth."-Gloag. The Jews wer
. forbidden to eat these, as coming III
der the larger restriction that follows