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James's Quotation of Amos 9 to Settle the Jerusalem Council Debate in Acts 15

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James's Quotation of Amos 9 to Settle the Jerusalem Council Debate in Acts 15 IETS ss/1 (2012) 65-8s JAMES'S QUOTATION OF AMOS 9 TO SETTLE THE JERUSALEM COUNCIL DEBATE IN ACTS 15 J. PAUL TANNER- I. INTRODUCTION The book of Acts is the story of the eady chwch in ttansition. Oae of the definhg moments ir1 its transition ftom an initially all-Jewish chwch to a chutch composed of both Jews ard Gentiles occurred at the Jerusalem Cormcil recotded in Acts 15. That Gentiles could become part of the people of God had been accepted eadie! as a result of Peter's ministty in t.l.re home of Comelius (Acts 11:18). Yet there were liogering questions, patticulatly in what would be expected of Gentiles regarding their conduct alrd adherence to Jewish customs. Some Cfuistians of Jewish desceot were ofthe opinion that Gentiles needed to keep the Law aod be citcurncised. In fact, some held that Gentiles could not be saved apait ffom this (Acts 15:1, 5). More "enlightened" Christiarr leaders (such as Paul and Bamabas) strongly obiected to arry attempr to impose such Jewish customs on the Gentiles. Yet the issue was so cofltentious that a summit meeting was needed in |erusalem in order for the senior leaders of the church to make an officiel pronouncement on this subject. This council took place in AD 49, ptobably oot lorg after Paufs fust missionary joumey. At the council, James (the brotler of the I-ord) spoke lasg which seems to reflect that by this time tle eady chwch looked to him as one of its seniot spokesmen, if oot its most ptominent leader (cf. Gal 2:6-9), Wi&James's speech, the debate was setded. Of particulai importance was James's appeal to Amos 9:1.1.-72, as this text gave dre scriptural basis for his argurnent and the resulting decision of the couocil. The Amos quotation fefeis to the rebuilding of David's "booth" (ot hut) and links this with the r€atheting of Gentiles who are known by God's name. This paper will seek to undetstaad the meaning of the Amos quotatiofl in its own cofltexg horrr' tle IXX rendeted the verses into Greek, hdw the NT relates to bodr the MT arrd L)O( and finally &e hermeneutics inwolved and what theological conclusions can be &awn from James's appeal to Anos 9. The use of Amos 9:11-12 ia Acts 15 has been the subject of much discussion in modem theological debate. Covenant theologiaos have understood this as indicative of the church replacing Israel in God's program (replacement theologJr), s/hereas dispensational theologiaos have ' Paul T2nner is Middle East diecrot ofBEE \r7orld,23262 CR 181, Bulldd. TX 75757. 66 JOURNAL OF THE EVI\NGELIC-{L THEOLOGIC.II SOCIETY taaditiooally algued dlat the ftrlfillment of Amos 9:11-12 is not for dre present age but rather in the millenaium when Israel is restored. In this paper, I will seek to ptopose a thitd altemative that avoids what I believe to be the pitfalls of the othet two approaches. II. THE CONTEXT OF AMOS In light of dre inroductory information found irr Amos 1:1, the book of Amos can be dated about 765-760 BC. The book is primadly coacemed with tle nordrem kingdom of Israel during the years preceding the Assyrian invasion. During the days that Jeroboam II ruled ovet Istae! the land expetienced a ceftain ptosperity and tlanqufity, yet this was but a deceptive veneet over the moral aad spititual wicke&ress of the kingdom. As a rcsult God aonounced drat judgrnent was comiag in the form of foreign invasion and exile ftom tle land (note esp. Amos 5:25-27;6:7; 7:11). God used the prophet Amos to de.lounce the oatioo's coruptioo ard the leadership behind it, and then to pronouoce the judgment that was soon to fall. The book of Amos teflects a carefi:lly worked literary artistry.l Following a bdef prologue (1:1-2), the book is composed of thtee major sectrons. The fust (1:3-2:16) consists of a seties of judgment otacles against vatious nations, the eighth and linal one being Istael itself. The central section Q:1,4:14), consisting of words of wamiag and woe pronouncemeflts fot Israel is composed of five divisions araoged in a chiastic sttuctute. The final sectlon (:1-9:15) consists of trvo major divisions. The fust (:1-8:3) is a seties of visions to reinforce the notioa tlat judgment will not be forestalled. The second (8:4-9:15) comprises tl.re fina.l coaftontation about judgment upoo the natior, but witl the added note of "salvation"-a feftlaot will be spared and 6.nal restoration is envisioned. Although the thrust of the book is upon the indictrnent and ploflouflcement of judgment upon Israel the topic of Gentiles receives minot attention. In the opening section of the bool t}le sins of six Gentile nations are stuveyed, and punishment is ptoclaimed for them. At the end of the book we find a short but cleat description of Istael's testotation. Included in dris testotation motif, however, is a positive statement about blessing upon Geotiles. Such Gentile blessing is associated with God's raising up the fallen booth/hut of David (Amos 9:11-12). It is this thatJames appeals to in Acts 15. 1 For a detailed presentation of the litetari' stmctue of Amos, see J. Paul 'Ihmer, 'Amos; StnctMl Features of the Book," Supplement to Sesslon Twenty-Three, ar hnp://w.p,ultanner.org, under Old Tesr Notes,Vol. IL JAMES'S QUOTATION OF AMOS 9 67 III. TltE MT OF AMOS 9:11-12 Translation of the MT Hebtew MI rn1ot:l,, I vill nisc up the fal€n booth/hur ofDavjd n)pi1'r11 npq-ns o'py and I will Mll up irs bleaches li't''lF-nts '!_r'ql aod ns tuins I will nisc up Di:,ir t,!bl+ and I will lebuild it ir'4ErJ ,s (h) dr days of old, :Eh9 ?,! 'rh order rh.t thel mighr posr$ the remnant olEdoo blrr nt$r'rN $_r. pd," and/even all the ceircs, E:ij;--tI upon whom IlI name is czl]cd, Eit')! 'Fu, Nli?J,.rgiN declares thc LORD who do€s ihis. :nq ntpl ;rl,nt-El! 1. h that dry. The opening phrase "in t}lat day,, places tle following scene in the indefinite futue., This is often used of a time of judgment, sometimes in regard to the day of the LORD, occasionally in reference to God's testoration worL but at other times as merely ttaositional witl no specific time in view. In the present corrtext, it moves the scene beyond that described in the preceding velses. The pteceding pericope (9:1-10) highlighted the inescapability of God's judgrnent upon Israel at the hands of foreign nations. Their covenaflt status before God would not protect them ftom the impendiog doom. Neverheless a ray of hope was offeted in Amos 9:8, "a.levertheless, I will oot totally desffoy the house ofJacob,, ,temel,, declares the LORD." God would spare a rerrnant (the in v. 9) rvith whom he would eveotually briog about a gtacious iestoratioo. The words "in that day'' advaoce the revelation from God,s oupouting of judgment to tlut futute day when rcstoration begins. 2. The falhn boath of Datid. The restoration commences vith God taising up the fallen booth of David (:'11 n;o). This phrase does flot occut elsewhete in the OT. Rather, this is a metaphorical way (itorrical) of refering to "the house of David," i.e. the Davidic dynasty of kings (e.g. 1 "12:19 Kgs 20,26).'flirs is not so much the kiogdom itself as the kingship that govems the kingdom (oote 1 Kgs 14:7-8), although admittedly one goes wit}l t}le other. God had made a covenant srith David (the Davidic coveflant) promising that one from his seed would have arl eteriral throne and de (2 Sam 7:11b-16). The wod i.rpp commonly refers to a booth for the Feast of Tabemacles, but it can also tefer to a tempoiary sheltei (2 ,.booth Sam 11:11; l Kgs 20:12; lor. 4:5).3In the cofltext ofAmos 9, the of David' looks at t}re dilapidared state of the kingship from Davids Iine ..huC, (rence, it is itoaically described as a "bootH' or rathet than hawing iFor funhtr discussioo, see Dodas Srurft,.nmos,,, n Hor .Jatuh [xtsC 3\,W^co, TX: Word, 198? 399. I ,tabemacle Some kxflslado.s 1fl Acts 15:16 hrve the ofDavid.,, bur this shoutd noi be mi,u.der",ood r, rhe raoernacli qhse s,tcri6.e. rnd $or.hp rool, pt,(. 68 JOURNAL OF THE EVANGELICAL THEOLOGICAI SOCIETY the dgnity of a "house'),a This rotion is reinfotced by speaking of it as "fallen." Pdor to Amos's day, the Davidic line of kings had suffered the indigrity of seeing the nation split iflto t}le rorthem aod southem kingdoms in 931 BC. Following Amos's day, the notthem kingdom would go into eile by Assytia Fn/21 Bq and the soutlem kiagdom by Babylon (586 BC). Amos 9:11, however, predicted that in a future day this fallen khgship from Davids line would be faised up, thar is, reestablished and given prominence once again.5 In the rcmainder of verse 11, the metaphor shifts dighdy, so t}tat the Davidic kingship appears as a sttuctwe whose walls and ruins are fepaired and rebuilt. Care should be exercised not to equate this with a literal rebuilding of Jerusalem.
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