While the work of the gospel of the grace of God, and the calling out of assemblies through the apostles, Paul and Barnabas, is now steadily going on from Antioch, danger of division loomed up and we see in this chapter how God, in His grace, wrought to avert it.
Judaizing teachers now appear among the Gentile converts, saying: “Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.” This raised dissension and disputation, between them and the apostles. A number were sent with Paul and Barnabas up to Jerusalem about the question. We see from the teachings of Paul to the Galatians, how opposed such a thing is from the gospel of the grace of God, but God revealed to Paul (Gal. 2:1, 21Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain. (Galatians 2:1‑2)) that he was to go up to Jerusalem to have it settled by the apostles and assembly there. Being brought on their way by the assembly, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, and gave great joy to the brethren, telling the conversion of the Gentiles.
At Jerusalem they were received of the assembly and apostles and elders. There also, they declared all that God had done with them. Then some of the Pharisees, who had believed, rose up anti said: “That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Paul and Barnabas sat still and heard the discussion, but they had taken care to go over it with those of reputation privately, “lest by any means,” says Paul, “I should run, or had run in vain.” They can wait on the Lord, and see His delivering grace. The discussion by minor voices at last ceased. All seem to have been allowed a voice. At last Peter rose up, and said unto them: “Brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe, and God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as He did unto us; and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
Then amid the silence of the multitude, Paul and Barnabas declared what miracles and wonders of grace God had wrought among the Gentiles. Well they knew, as the Galatian Epistle unfolds, that law and grace will not mix. If a man seeks to be justified by the law, he is fallen from grace (Gal. 5:44Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace. (Galatians 5:4)), but they could let it be all fully discussed, so that the Jewish Christians themselves would be left to declare that the Gentile Christians were not to be put under law. So that no division of thought on that point could separate them.
James then sums up, and gives the sentence, quoting Amos to prove God’s intention to bring in the Gentiles, which sentence brings in what is true for all men, that is, to respect the sanctity of the marriage institution; also to own that life belongs to God—the blood is His portion, and abstain also from the pollutions of idolatry, for idolatry denies the living and true God, the Creator of all things. Marriage dates from Adam and Eve. Genesis 9 tells Noah to pour out the blood. Abraham was called out to worship the Almighty God.
Then all agreed to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas. They selected Judas and Silas, prominent men among the brethren. Their letter read, “The apostles and elders and brethren send greetings unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, ye must be circumcised and keep the law; to Whom we gave no such commandment; it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication; from which, if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.”
When they came to Antioch, and read the letter to the gathered multitude, they rejoiced for the consolation. Judas and Silas, being prophets, stayed with them for a time, exhorting and confirming them. When they were free to go, Judas departed, but Silas preferred to labor on among the Gentiles. So did Paul and Barnabas for a time. Then Paul suggested unto Barnabas, “Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord and see how they do.”
Barnabas determined to take with them John, his nephew, whose surname was Mark. Paul could not agree to this, for he had turned back from it before. The contention was so sharp between them that they departed asunder one from the other. Barnabas took his nephew Mark and went off to Cyprus. He still labored for the Lord, but not in the forefront of the battle. Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren, to the grace of God, and he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.
“We do not forget the real worth of Barnabas, a true servant of Jesus, to whom the Holy Ghost Himself has borne witness; only he was not suited to that work. We learn ourselves that a heart consecrated to the Lord, without other attachment, separated from everything, is alone suited to represent Christ in a ministry such as that of Paul, and indeed in every true ministry.”
“Affection is good, but it is not consecration. Woe to us if we have not natural affection—it is a sign of the last times (2 Tim. 3:88Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. (2 Timothy 3:8)); but these are not suited to such a work, a work which demands that one should not know anything after the flesh.”
“It is happy to find that, after this, Paul speaks of Barnabas with entire affection; and desires that Mark should come to him, having found him profitable for the ministry.”