The Apostolic Councils of Galatians and Acts: How First-Century Christians Walked Together
CTQ 74 (2010): 261-288 The Apostolic Councils of Galatians and Acts: How First-Century Christians Walked Together Arthur A. Just Jr. At first blush, it does not appear as if the situation in Acts, and particularly the apostolic council in Jerusalem recorded in Acts 15, has much bearing on the situation facing churches today. There were, however, some significant decisions that were made by the apostles and other church leaders in the first twenty years of the church's life that are instructive for us. This study will argue that the apostolic councils presented in Galatians1 and Acts are watershed events in the life of the early church which provide the twenty-first-century church with a model for handling debate and disagreement, as well as forging consensus. I. The Jerusalem Church The apostolic council of Acts IS, while held in the midst of great strife and debate in the church, occurred during a time of relative peace in the empire. This secular peace, however, was unusual, for a series of persecutions characterized the first fifteen years of the post-Pentecost church, persecutions to which the church responded with faith and courage, even growing beyond its Jerusalem borders. It was the third persecution of Christians that had the most impact on the course of the apostolic council of Acts 15. This persecution came not from the religious establishment of Israel, but from Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great. It lasted from AD 41 to 44, during which time James, the son of Zebedee, was martyred (Acts 12:1-5).
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