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Advent Lessons

Lesson 11 · December 10, 1892

The Apostolic Council.—Acts 15:1-11

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(Memory Verses, 8-11.)

Golden Text.—"Through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they." .

  1. 1.To what place did Paul and Barnabas return to labor after their missionary trip? .
  2. 2.While they were there, what was taught the disciples by men who came from Judea? .

Notes

It is quite necessary to note the character of the men who made the trouble at Antioch and elsewhere. The apostles and elders at Jerusalem said of them that "certain which went out from us have troubled you with words; subverting your souls; to whom we gave no commandment." , Revised Version. It will be noticed that in the Old Version "such" is a supplied word. Thus these men were irresponsible persons who did not represent the church. The apostles were not in sympathy with them. Their work was to subvert souls. This they did by preaching a perverted gospel (), for they were doing the same work that was afterwards done by the men who tried to overthrow Paul's work in Galatia. They professed to represent the church of Christ, but only that they might the more readily gain access to the disciples, to subvert them. They were "false brethren," from whose malice Paul was often in peril. See .

  1. 3.What standing had these men in the church? .
  2. 4.How did the apostle Paul characterize them? .
  3. 5.How was their work received by Paul and Barnabas? , first part.
  4. 6.Why did Paul and Barnabas thus oppose them? .
  5. 7.Then of what must the teaching of these men have been subversive? ; .

Notes

It should also be specially borne in mind that the subject of the controversy was the gospel. That was what made the question a vital one. It was concerning how men must be saved. Paul and Barnabas preached salvation by faith; these men taught salvation by man's work. If men must be circumcised in order to be saved, then faith in Christ would be proved to be insufficient. As Paul afterwards wrote, "If righteousness came by the law, then is Christ dead in vain." . Moreover, the fact that the gospel was the subject of dispute is shown by Paul's statement that he resisted those men in order that the truth of the gospel might remain with his converts. . These false brethren professed to have the gospel, because they set forth what they claimed was the way of salvation; but there was no truth in their gospel. The truth of the gospel is that "through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved," and that "there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." See also ; .

  1. 8.What would their teaching do for the disciples? .
  2. 9.What was finally determined to be done in the matter? .
  3. 10.Was it the decision of the church alone that caused Paul to go up? .
  4. 11.What is said of their journey to Jerusalem? .
  5. 12.What did they do when they got to Jerusalem? ; .
  6. 13.Did Paul have to learn anything of the apostles and elders assembled at Jerusalem? .
  7. 14.When there had been much disputing in the council, to what did Peter call their attention? .
  8. 15.What had God done for the Gentiles when the gospel was first preached to them by Peter? ; .
  9. 16.What was it concerning which God made no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles? ; .
  10. 17.Why does God make no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles in the matter of purifying the heart? , first part; .

Notes

Peter declared that in the matter of the purification of the heart God made no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles. This is proof of the statement that the subject under discussion was the vital one of salvation. The fact that God "put no difference between us and them" was shown in his giving to uncircumcised Gentiles the gift of the Holy Ghost, even as he did to the apostles and brethren on Pentecost. And the reason why God thus put no difference between the Jews and the Gentiles, in the matter of justification, was that "he knoweth the hearts." There is no difference between the heart of the Jew and the heart of the Gentile, because all alike have sinned. . Men, judging by the outward appearances, often make a difference between men, but God, who looks upon the heart, knows that all are alike; therefore he puts no difference between men in the matter of cleansing the heart.

  1. 18.What did Peter say would be put upon the disciples if the teaching of the false brethren was adopted? .
  2. 19.How only are all men to be saved? ; .

Bible texts in this lesson

Acts 15:11 · Acts 14:25-28 · Acts 15:1 · Acts 15:24 · Galatians 1:7 · 2 Corinthians 11:26 · Galatians 2:4 · Acts 15:2 · Galatians 2:5 · Galatians 2:21 · Romans 10:6-10 · Titus 3:3-6 · Acts 15:10 · Galatians 2:1 · Galatians 2:2 · Acts 15:3 · Acts 15:4 · Galatians 2:6 · Galatians 1:11 · Galatians 1:12 · Acts 15:6 · Acts 15:7 · Acts 15:8 · Acts 10:44 · Acts 15:9 · Romans 3:22 · Romans 3:23 · Romans 3:9 · Romans 3:22-24

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