The Apostolic Council of Jerusalem; Acts 15:1 – 21 and Galatians 2:1-10 - Part 2

Church History: Date: A.D. 49-50
At this point in the narrative our historian makes a sudden transition from the conflicts of the disciples with the unbelieving world to one almost as serious among themselves. There never was a national antipathy more intense than that felt by the Jews to the whole Gentile world. It was even more intense, from the fact that it was imbedded in their deepest religious sentiments, and was cultivated in all the devotions. In the hearts of the disciples this feeling had, by this time, been so far overcome, that they had admitted the propriety of receiving uncircumcised Gentiles into the Church. But they found it more difficult to convince themselves that Gentiles were to be admitted into social and domestic intimacy. When Peter returned from the house of Cornelius to Jerusalem, the chief objection urged against him was, not that he had baptized Gentiles, but that they had gone into the house of men uncircumcised, and ate with them. This was the full extent to which the Judaizing party in the Church were prepared, at that time, to push their objections. But when men take an unreasonable and obstinate stand against any cause, they frequently assume more extravagant ground as the cause they are opposing advances. While only a few Gentiles had come into the Church, the pharisaic party objected only to domestic association with them. Now that Paul and Barnabas had succeeded in opening a door of faith to the whole Gentile world, it was likely that the Jews, who had previously constituted almost the whole body of the Church, were soon to become only a small element in its constituency. their fears became more excited, and their demands became exorbitant. During this time Paul and Barnabas were still in Antioch.