Acts 15

Go Deep

(Acts 15)

Read 15:1-2. It was the success of the Antioch Church’s mission through Paul and Barnabas (see 14:27) that brought them into conflict with other Christians. Why did success lead to conflict? Does it still?

The people who were upset said, “Unless you” – this was personal –“are circumcised … you cannot be saved.” Why make such a big deal out of circumcision?

Do you think it was wise of the Antioch church’s leadership to send the issue to Jerusalem to be decided? Explain.

Read Acts 11:2-3 as a backdrop to verses 3 and 4. What had changed that people now responded positively to the salvation of Gentiles?

Read verse 5. If you had asked these Pharisees to give reasons for their demand, how might they have responded?

Read verse 6. The apostles had been given authority from Christ himself, so why did they include the elders in making a decision? What lesson can contemporary churches take from this?

Read verse 7: Do you think that vigorous debate is a sign of failure or ungodliness in the church?

Read vv. 8-9: Churches today talk about people accepting Jesus while Peter talked about God accepting people. Does placing the stress on our acceptance of Jesus leave people thinking they are in charge? Is anything wrong with that? Is there something we can learn from this?

Read verse 11. One might expect Peter to say that Gentiles are saved the same way Jews are. Instead, he reverses that. Why would he put it that way?

Try to explain what Peter meant by “the grace of our Lord Jesus.”

Read verses 19-21. Does this sound like a requirement for salvation? Why, according to James (v. 21) is it important?

Luke closes this section by describing a conflict between Paul and Barnabas that ended in a split. Why would he include this here, after showing us how the church earlier avoided a split?