Acts 15 is an interesting summary of the AD 50 Jerusalem Council. Gentiles were coming to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ at a rapid rate. That presented a problem. From childhood, it was drilled into Jewish heads that circumcision was what separated God’s people from pagans. Therefore, if Gentiles wanted to be considered God’s people, they had to be circumcised. This raises an important question: what must a person do to be saved – work or simply believe? The Jerusalem Council met to discuss and resolve this issue: Do Gentiles have to abide by Jewish laws and customs to be part of God’s family?
I believe the Jerusalem Council speaks directly to today’s church. The Jerusalem Council affirmed salvation is by grace, not through religious or cultural prerequisites. While today’s churches do not demand circumcision, many often add unspoken requirements: “people like us” – preferred social and/or political views – dress codes, language, worship style, Bible translation to name a few. When the church adds anything to the gospel, it distorts God’s grace. Are we inviting people to Christ or to our culture?
The Jerusalem Council did not require Gentiles to become Jewish nor Jews to abandon their cultural identity. Instead, they called both groups to a mutual love, understanding and restraint. Today’s churches wrestle with generational tension, worship preferences, cultural and ethnic diversity, and mission vs. methods. Healthy churches distinguish between Gospel essentials and cultural expressions.
The Jerusalem Council faced a critical conflict that had the potential of hindering the Christian movement. They acknowledged the issue; leaders gathered; Scripture was consulted; testimonies of God’s work were weighed; a Spirit-led decision was made and clearly communicated. Today’s churches avoid conflict, polarize into factions and split prematurely. The church must recover discernment over debate and process over power.
The Jerusalem Council addressed a potential barrier that would have significantly hindered the Christian movement. Today’s churches often protect their traditions and personal preferences more fiercely than the church’s mission. Churches often choose to die rather than to make the changes necessary to regain their health and vitality. Anything that stands in the way of people encountering Jesus Christ, no matter how cherished or tenured, must be re-evaluated.
The question for churches in 2026 remains the same as AD 50. What are we asking people to become before we allow them to belong – and believe?
Dr. Pat Polis
by Catelyn Luckey with Tonya Stoutt-Brown If you ask my family what I think…
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