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How many other false views of the Acts have been linked up with so-called `apostolic
mistakes'! Some, with wrong ideas as to the constitution of the Church, teach that the
apostles made a mistake in Acts 1: 6. Others find apostolic mistakes in the appointment
of Matthias, and other passages. And here, in Acts 15:, not only are the apostles and
elders found guilty, but Barnabas and Paul, Silas and Judas surnamed Barsabas, men
who were `prophets' and had hazarded their lives for the Lord, are all accused of moral
cowardice and spiritual dishonesty. If these decrees were `fleshly' and not of God, how
is it that we read in Acts 16: 5 "And so were the churches established in the faith, and
increased in number daily"? Is this another `mistake'?
Upon examination we find that the passage falls into three pairs of corresponding
sections as follows:
A | 15: 1, 2. Antioch. The question. Paul, Barnabas, Men of Judæa.
B | 3-5. Phenice, Samaria, Jerusalem. The Pharisees' demand.
C | 6-12. Apostles and Elders. Peter. Why put a yoke?
C | 13-21. Men and brethren. James. Trouble not the Gentiles
B | 22-29. Antioch, Syria, Cilicia. No such commandment.
A | 15: 30-35. Antioch. The answer. Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas.
The complete analysis of this passage would occupy considerably more than a full
page of this magazine, and we shall therefore only give the above skeleton outline and
then fill in each section as it comes before us. Those who are keen students of the Word
will be more than compensated for their pains if they will take the trouble to reproduce
the structure as a whole after the details have been set out.
The first member of the structure in this epoch-making fight of faith is comprised in
the first two verses:
"And certain men which came down from Judæa taught the brethren, and said, Except
ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul
and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that
Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles
and elders about this question" (Acts 15: 1, 2).
A | 15: 1, 2. Antioch. The question. Paul, Barnabas and the men of Judæa. |
a | Certain men came down from Judæa.
b | Their teaching.
b | The dissension.
a | Paul and Barnabas go up to Jerusalem.
The glorious doctrine of justification by faith, apart from legal works of any kind, had
been the central feature of Paul's gospel on this wonderful journey through the cities of
Galatia.