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"Which when the brethren knew (i.e. that the Grecians went about to slay him) they
brought him down to Cæsarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus."
If we wonder how it was that such an ardent spirit should so tamely submit, in the face
of danger, to being hurried off from the scene of witness, we find a complete answer in
the later passage (Acts 22: 17, 18), together with the setting aside of Paul's objections
by the Lord Himself (verses 9-21).
The apostle's going up to Jerusalem was of great importance, for it was there that
two great battles were fought and won--first, with the Judaisers, who would nullify
the cross of Christ by their insistence upon circumcision and the Law of Moses as
essential to salvation; and then with that unbending spirit which confuses essentials and
non-essentials. The Apostle who fought to the last against the imposition of the law as a
means of salvation, was at the same time most willing that the susceptibilities of a weaker
conscience should be respected. In this he probably disappointed the most headstrong
among his followers--and, as the extracts quoted earlier in this article show, these two
quite different points of view are still apt to be confused to-day.
Our next article takes us to the Council itself. Meanwhile, a reading of Gal. 2: and
I Cor. 8: would be an excellent preparation of heart and mind for the next stage of our
study in connection with the suggestions put forward by James (Acts 15: 13-21).
#27.
The twofold Decision (15: 3-21).
pp. 117 - 122
We do not propose to deal in this series with the interval between the decision to go up
to Jerusalem and the arrival there, except in so far as to supply the details of the structure
that lack of space prevented us from giving previously.
B | 15: 3-5. Phenice, Samaria, Jerusalem. The Pharisees' demand.
"It was needful to circumcise them and command them to keep the law."
c | They passed through Phenice and Samaria.
d | Declaring conversion of Gentiles.
e | The brethren.
c | They came to Jerusalem.
d | Declared all God had done.
e | The Pharisees.
Whether the deputation was met by certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed,
who said "It was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of
Moses", or whether verse 5 means that the apostles repeated the demand that had been
made by these men from Judæa, is a little uncertain. The A.V. indicates the uncertainty