Acts 15:1-12

Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. 3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. 4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. 5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth [10:1-48] the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 “Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 “But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

We have seen in Acts 10:1 to 11:18 how Peter was used by God to begin a revival of the Gentiles. Then in Acts 13 and 14, Paul and Barnabus were sent out by the church (and the Holy Spirit) on a missionary journey; and they discovered that both Jews and Gentiles were believing in Jesus.

But here (in chapter 15) God allowed Satan to put Him to the test, as some of the Pharisees were saying that unless the Gentiles were circumcised they could not be saved. Hence, the apostles and elders were somewhat concerned about this matter—enough to debate over it.

However, both Peter and Paul closed the debate. Peter made his case that the Gentiles were saved based on what he had witnessed in Acts 10:1 through 11:18. Likewise, Paul and Barnabus also had great stories to tell of how God did great signs and wonders among the Gentiles in all the cities that they went to on their missionary journey.