The Council of Jerusalem

Every community has rules, and you know this up close: curfew at home, uniform at school, what is and isn't allowed in your friend group. Now imagine a much bigger question. Imagine someone saying that, for you to belong to God, believing in Jesus is not enough — you also need to change your culture, adopt a calendar, and obey an ancient list of rules. That was the fight that broke out in the church around the year 49.

After the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch of Syria with surprising news: Gentiles were converting by the hundreds. That was when some brothers who came from Judea began teaching that, without the circumcision of Moses, there was no salvation (Acts 15:1). The church did not let the confusion grow: it sent Paul, Barnabas, and others to Jerusalem to deal with the matter with the apostles and elders (Acts 15:2). In this lesson we will see who can serve God, what must be done to serve God, and how the Church organized its first doctrine — and why that sustains our faith to this day.

I — Who can serve God?

The Gospel had already crossed the borders of Israel. Cornelius, the Roman officer, had believed; Asia Minor had new churches, full of people who had never set foot in a synagogue. And a sincere doubt arose among many serious people: are these people really in? The subject was not even new — the brothers had already questioned Peter for having entered the house of a Gentile (Acts 11:2-3).

What settled the question for Peter was not an argument, it was a scene. While he was still speaking in Cornelius's house, the Holy Spirit came down upon that Gentile family just as He had come down upon the Jews on the day of Pentecost, and they spoke in tongues and glorified God (Acts 10:44-46). Peter drew the inevitable conclusion: "Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,”" (Acts 10:34).

The debate in Jerusalem

The meeting brought together the apostles and elders with the church in Jerusalem and the delegation from Antioch (Acts 15:6). No one decided alone and no one swept the problem under the rug — the text speaks of much dispute (Acts 15:7).

On one side, some brothers who already believed in Jesus, but came from the sect of the Pharisees, maintained that it was necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and command them to keep the law of Moses (Acts 15:5). Before you find that absurd, understand the weight of the argument: circumcision was the sign of the covenant given to Abraham, called an everlasting covenant (Genesis 17:13), and there was not yet a written New Testament to open and check. From their point of view, they were defending the Bible.

On the other side, Peter recalled Cornelius: "He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:9). Paul and Barnabas recounted the signs and wonders God had worked among the Gentiles (Acts 15:12). And James opened the prophet Amos, showing that Scripture had already announced the entry of the nations (Acts 15:16-18; cf. Amos 9:11-12). That was the decision: anyone, from any people, can believe in Jesus and serve God.

🏛 Archaeology — the inscription that said "this far". In 1871, near the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a stone slab written in Greek was found reused in a wall, warning that no foreigner could pass beyond the balustrade into the inner court — whoever passed would answer with his own life. There really was, in stone, a wall that told the Gentile, "you come this far and stop". It is this limit that Paul declares torn down in Christ, breaking down the dividing wall of separation that stood in the middle (Ephesians 2:14).

🕊 Our reading. The argument that closes the debate is this: God gave the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles (Acts 15:8). It was neither their background nor their religiosity that proved their acceptance — it was God Himself manifesting His presence. We believe that baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in other tongues, continues to be a promise for everyone who believes. And it was never a seal of superiority: here it serves precisely to tear down the idea of first-class and second-class Christians.

II — What must be done to serve God?

Once the "who" was settled, came the "what". Did a Christian coming from outside Israel need to adopt the Jewish lifestyle to be saved? The apostles' answer was short: no.

Peter put the question as directly as possible: "Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?" (Acts 15:10). Neither his generation nor the previous ones had managed to carry the whole Law — demanding this of someone who has just believed is not zeal, it is an unfair burden. And he follows up with the Golden Text of this lesson: "On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." (Acts 15:11). Notice the direction of the sentence: Peter does not say that the Gentiles will be saved like the Jews; he says that the Jews are saved in the same way as the Gentiles — by grace. The apostle puts himself in the same line as the converted pagan.

James concluded along the same lines: "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God." (Acts 15:19). That is the exact word: trouble. Making entry difficult for those whom God is calling is not care for holiness; it is getting in the way of God's work.

אב In the original — Greek. χάρις (cháris), "grace", is favor given to someone who has no way to pay — it is not a discount for good behavior, it is a complete gift. And ζυγός (zygós), "yoke", is the wooden beam placed on the neck of oxen to pull a load; it is the image Peter uses in Acts 15:10. The contrast with Jesus says it all: "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30). Religion of effort puts on a yoke; Christ takes it off.

What about the four recommendations?

If salvation is free, why did the letter still ask for four things — to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood (Acts 15:20, 29)?

Because a doctrinal decision and life in fellowship are different things. Two of these recommendations are moral and apply to every Christian of all times: idolatry and sexual immorality have no place in the life of anyone who belongs to Christ. The other two were dietary and had a concrete reason: the churches shared meals together, connected to the Lord's Supper (cf. 1 Corinthians 11:17-34), and a brother of Jewish background would not be able to sit at the table in front of certain meats. It was not a matter of salvation; it was a matter of love. The Gentiles were free from the Law as a system, and the Jews, from the demand that everyone become Jewish. In Jesus, the two groups became one people: "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, or free, but Christ is all and is in all." (Colossians 3:11) (cf. Galatians 3:28).

❤ For your life. Watch out for two mistakes. The first is thinking that God accepts you more on the days you were good and less on the days you failed — that is the Law back again, under another name. The second is using grace as an excuse to live however you want, which the Council's own letter already blocks when it speaks of idolatry and purity. Grace is not a free-for-all; it is the love that receives you as you are and does not leave you as you were.

III — The organization of the Church's doctrines

That meeting became known as the Council of Jerusalem, or the Apostolic Council: the first time the Church met officially to resolve a question of doctrine. And what is doctrine, after all? Biblical doctrine is a true belief, supported by the Scriptures — it is not the opinion of the most charismatic leader nor "it has always been this way". Look at their method: they heard the testimony of what God had done (Acts 15:7-12), went to the written Word (Acts 15:15-18), and only then decided, recognizing the hand of God in the conclusion that it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to them (Acts 15:28). Experience without the Bible becomes mysticism; the Bible without the Spirit becomes cold letter. There, both were present, in the right order.

Deciding was half the work; the other half was communicating. They wrote a letter and chose men to carry it in person: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas went with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch (Acts 15:22, 27). And the result? "When the people read it, they rejoiced at its encouraging message." (Acts 15:31). Hold on to that scene: a crisis that could have split the Church in two ended in joy.

At bottom, the question of the Council is a single one: living by grace or living by the law. Living by the law is waking up every day trying to become good enough for God to like you. Living by grace is believing that Jesus is the Savior — He died for us and rose again —, receiving that gift, and starting to live for Him. "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Christ in the Lesson

Take Christ out of Acts 15 and the Council's decision is left with no foundation at all. The apostles did not conclude that rules do not matter, nor that God lowered the standard. They concluded that the standard was fulfilled — by someone else. The Law that no one managed to carry, Jesus carried in full; the condemnation it brought, He took to the cross, canceling the written code with its regulations that stood against us and nailing it to the cross (Colossians 2:14).

That is why the answer to "who can serve God?" is not a list of requirements, it is a name: "Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12). Peter declared himself saved in the same way as Cornelius; Paul, the impeccable former Pharisee, in the same way as the idolaters of Lystra. There is only one cross, for everyone. When you look at your Sunday School class and see such different stories together there, you are seeing the decision of Acts 15 still standing.

Practical Application

Stop demanding from yourself what Christ has already paid. Many people your age think they can only draw near to God after getting better. It is the opposite: you draw near because He has already paid, and change comes from that closeness.

Do not create rules that the Bible did not create. It is easy to look at a brother who is new in the faith — the way he talks, his clothes, what he still does not know — and demand from him what God does not demand. The Council calls that troubling those who are turning to God (Acts 15:19).

Take this home. A home where mistakes are only pointed out wears everyone out; a home where people forgive as Christ forgave sustains. This week, be the first to offer grace — to your younger sibling, to your tired father, to your mother who used the wrong tone.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank You because the door of salvation is not a list of requirements, but Your name. Forgive us when we try to deserve what only Your grace can give, and also when we make difficult for others what we received for free. Teach us to test everything by Your Word and to listen to Your Spirit. Make our church a place where no one needs to pretend to be someone else in order to draw near to You. In Your name, amen.

Soli Deo Gloria — Scripture governs; everything else, on its knees.

Teacher's Guide

Essence of the class

No one enters the family of God by background, culture, or religious effort: one enters by the grace of Jesus Christ, and that door is the same for everyone.

Map of the class

Time	Stage
0–5 min	Opening — the rules hook
5–14 min	Point 1 — Who can serve God?
14–21 min	Class activity — the list on the door
21–30 min	Point 2 — What must be done to serve God?
30–38 min	Point 3 — The organization of the Church's doctrines
38–42 min	Christ in the Lesson + hard questions
42–45 min	Wrap-up + challenge + prayer

Start like this

Ask: "What are the rules you have to follow at home and at school?" Let three or four answer — curfew, phone, uniform, homework will come up. Then: "And what would happen if they didn't exist?" Draw out examples where the lack of rules turns into chaos: traffic, a game without a referee, an orchestra where everyone plays whatever they want. Close like this: "A good rule organizes life. But today we are going to see a church debating something more serious: what if someone invents a rule that decides who can come near to God?" Open Acts 15:1.

Point 1 — Who can serve God?

• In the quarterly: topic I, "Who can serve God?".
• What to teach: many Gentiles were converting, and brothers of Pharisaic background wanted to demand circumcision and the Law of Moses from them. Peter answered with what God did in Cornelius, and James showed that the prophets had already announced the entry of the nations. Conclusion: anyone, from any people, can believe in Jesus.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith." (Acts 15:9).
• Key question: "Is there any kind of person who you think, deep down, would have a harder time being accepted by God?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): someone who has done something very wrong; someone from another religion; someone who wasn't raised in church. Go deeper: "And what if that person were you? Peter put himself in the same line as the Roman Cornelius."
• If no one speaks: tell Cornelius's story — an officer of the occupying army and the Holy Spirit coming down on his house before any ritual. Then repeat the question.

Point 2 — What must be done to serve God?

• In the quarterly: topic II, "What must be done to serve God?".
• What to teach: it was not necessary to live like a Jew to be saved. Peter calls the Law a yoke that no one managed to carry and concludes that everyone is saved by grace. The four recommendations in the letter are not conditions for salvation: two are moral and two helped Jews and Gentiles eat at the same table without offense.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." (Acts 15:11).
• Key question: "What is the list of things you think you need to do for God to be satisfied with you?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): read the Bible every day, never miss a worship service, stop messing up, be a good son or daughter. Go deeper: "All of that is good. But is it the price of admission or the response of someone who has already come in?"
• If no one speaks: write three items from that list on the board yourself, as if they were yours, and ask who has ever thought something similar. The class opens up when the teacher goes first.

Point 3 — The organization of the Church's doctrines

• In the quarterly: topic III, "The organization of the Church's doctrines", with the definition of doctrine.
• What to teach: it was the first time the Church officially resolved a question of doctrine — a true belief based on the Scriptures. They heard the testimony, went to the Word, and decided under the direction of the Spirit; then they sent a letter through Judas and Silas. The end of the crisis was joy, not division.
• Anchor verse (BSB): "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond these essential requirements:" (Acts 15:28).
• Key question: "How do we know if something we heard about God is really true or just someone's opinion?"
• Likely answers (+ going deeper): ask the pastor, see if it's in the Bible, feel peace. Go deeper: "Asking and feeling help. But in Acts 15 what decided was the Word confirmed by the Spirit. Which of the three can you check in writing?"
• If no one speaks: quote a popular saying that goes around as if it were biblical ("God helps those who rise early") and ask where that is in the Bible.

Class activity

• Goal: to feel the difference between entering through a list of requirements and entering by invitation.
• Materials: board and marker (or a large sheet of paper), a small sheet of paper, and tape.
• Step by step: write on the board "TO ENTER, YOU MUST:" and, with the class helping, list increasingly heavy requirements — memorize hundreds of rules, eat only what is permitted, follow an entire calendar, change your culture, never fail. Ask the class, without pointing at anyone: "who could handle this list?" Let the silence work. Then erase everything and tape in its place the small sheet with a single sentence: "They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.”" (Acts 16:31).
• Wrap-up (back to the text): "There were sincere people wanting to hang the list on the door of the Church. The apostles took the list down and left the name of Jesus — because He has already fulfilled everything that was written on it."

If they ask you this

• "So does the Law of God have no value anymore?" It does — as a portrait of God's holiness and a mirror of our sin. What changes is its function: it never saved anyone, and Christ fulfilled it for us. So much so that the Council kept the moral requirements and set aside the ceremonial system.
• "If salvation is free, can I live however I want?" No. The same letter that frees from the Law commands fleeing from idolatry and immorality (Acts 15:29). Grace is not permission to sin; it is power to live differently, obeying out of love and not out of fear.
• "Isn't a council a Catholic Church thing?" Acts 15 comes before all the councils in history, and there the authority does not belong to a single man — it belongs to the Word confirmed by the Holy Spirit before the whole church (Acts 15:22, 28).

Wrap-up + challenge of the week

• Wrap-up: "If it depended on background, culture, or religious résumé, half of this room would be left out — and the other half too. There is only one door, and its name is Jesus. He carried the yoke that no one managed to carry and now invites whoever will come."
• Challenge: invite, this week, someone who is usually left out — at school, on your street, or at church — to be with you: sit together at break, join the conversation circle, or come to Sunday School on Sunday. Come back on Sunday with the story.

Teacher's kit

• Before: read the whole of Acts 15 aloud and the topic in the quarterly; decide what your list of requirements will be in the class activity.
• Bring: a Bible, marker or chalk, the small sheet already written with Acts 16:31, and tape.
• Pray beforehand: ask God that no student leaves thinking he or she needs to get good before being accepted — nor that grace is permission to sin.

Homework

Your mission for the week

Invite, this week, someone who is usually left out — at school, on your street, or at church — to be with you: sit together at break, join the conversation circle, or come with you to Sunday School on Sunday.

Why

In Acts 15 the Church decided not to put any barrier in front of those whom God was calling: "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God." (Acts 15:19). Whoever has been received by grace learns to receive people the same way.

How to know you did it

You know the name of the person who was left out and stayed close to you this time. If you know the name, you did it.

On Sunday, come back with the story

The next class starts with those who invited someone. Bring your account — and, if it works out, bring the person along.