In this chapter a conflict arises in the church. Certain Jewish believers wanted to impose specifically Jewish rules and practices, including circumcision, on the newly converted Gentiles. The conflict leads to a big meeting in Jerusalem among the recognized leaders in the church. They conclude that clearly the Gentiles need not “become Jews” in order to be Christians. Rather they come up with a short list of things that the Gentiles need to be aware of. In conclusion, we’ll look at the whole issue of legalism in the church. Here are the notes and audio:
Next week in Part 2, we’ll finish the chapter examining both idolatry and sexual immorality. These are two points the early church leaders realized needed to be specifically addressed in the non-Jewish world of that time. They are areas we need to address just as much today.
