INIVII Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: "Unless you arecircumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses,
you cannot be saved." - P140
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomedby the church and the apostles and elders, to whom theyreported everything God had done through them. - P140
5Then some of the believers who belonged to the partyof the Pharisees stood upand said, "The Gentiles mustbe circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses." - P140
God, who knows the heart, showed that he acceptedthem by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he didto us.
9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for hepurified their hearts by faith.
- P141
11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our LordJesus that we are saved, just as they are.
11 We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of theLord Jesus." - P141
Some people are teaching that circumcision is necessary for salvation. Pauland Barnabas are sent to Jerusalem to settle this matter. They report to theapostles and elders how Gentiles are coming to faith. - P141
Peter reminds them thatGod showed He accepted the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit withoutdiscrimination. He does not think Gentiles should be required be circumcised. - P141
Some people from Judea stir up controversy in the church in Antioch,
claiming that true salvation can only be earned by observing the MosaicLaw, including the circumcision. - P142
However, Paul and Barnabas stronglydisagree and decide to visit the leaders of the church in Jerusalem tosettle the matter there with them. On their journey, they share theirtestimonies of how God saved the Gentiles-who have never knownor obeyed the Law. - P142
This is because God‘s salvation is not dependent onwhether or not we have perfectly kept the Law-none of us has andnone of us can. - P142
Christ fulfilled the Law on our behalf and paid thepenalty for our lawbreaking, - P142
and it is only by trusting in Him that weare saved. - P142
When Paul and Barnabas join the church in Jerusalem, some formerPharisees in the assembly insist that the Mosaic Law must be observedand that the new believers must be circumcised. - P142
However, Peter, whopreached the gospel to Gentiles and saw the Holy Spirit fall upon them,
declares that their hearts were purified by faith, and not by their works.
- P142
Further, he likens the Mosaic Law to an unbearable yoke a heavyburden that can never be perfectly fulfilled by any mere person, whetherJew or Gentile. - P142
All are therefore in equal need of the salvation God‘sgrace provides. - P142
Let us be careful not to confuse the gospel with our owncustoms or preferences. - P142
Without full reliance on God‘s grace, there isno salvation. - P142
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