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James takes up the claim made by Peter--calling him by his Hebrew name Simon--
and, directing his argument to those who revered the Old Testament writings, draws
attention to a passage from one of the prophets:
"As it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David,
which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof and I will set it up. That
the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My
name is called, saith the Lord, Who doeth these things which were known from the age"
(Acts 15: 15-18).
It should be noted that James does not say "This fulfils what is written by the
prophet"; he simply says "To this agree the words of the prophets". The word translated
"agree" is sumphoneo, which gives us the word "symphony", and as a noun is translated
"music" in Luke 15: 25.
We could therefore interpret James' meaning as follows:
"The inclusion of the Gentile upon the same terms as the Jew is in harmony with such
a passage as Amos 9: 11, 12 (which in the Septuagint Version reads as above) and it is
therefore clear that the spirit in which Peter enjoins us to act now, is that in which the
Lord has revealed He will act in the future. He has known these things, which He has
commenced to do, since the age, and to object, or to impose restrictions, is but to tempt
God as our fathers did in the wilderness, with dreadful consequences, as we all know."
The fact that James could give such hearty support to the position taken by Paul and
subsequently by Peter, was a shattering blow to the Judaizing party in the Jerusalem
Church. A little man might have been content with this victory and have ignored the
susceptibilities of the Jewish believers. Not so, however, the apostle James. He realizes
the feelings of shock and abhorrence which would almost inevitably result from the
Jewish Christians coming into contact with the revolting customs of the Gentiles, and he
therefore gives a double sentence:
(1)
With regard to the immediate question, as to whether believing Gentiles must
submit to circumcision and the law of Moses, before they can be sure of salvation,
my answer is "No". "My sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among
the Gentiles are turned to God."
In the body of the letter sent to the Gentiles it is categorically stated that such teaching
was a "subverting of souls" and that no such commandment had been given by the
leaders at Jerusalem (Acts 15: 24).
(2)
My sentence is not, however, harsh or mechanical. I am by nature and upbringing
a Jew, and I know the horror that seizes the mind at the bare possibility of contact
with those who have partaken of meat offered to idols, or with those who have not
been particular about the question of blood. While we yield no ground with regard
to justification by faith, we must not forget that we are called upon to walk in love,
to remember the weaker brethren, and to be willing to yield our rights if need be.
My sentence, therefore, is that we write to the Gentiles that believe "that they
abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled,
and from blood" (Acts 15: 20).