Acts 15:4
On their arrival in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and apostles and elders, to whom they reported all that God had done through them.
On their arrival in Jerusalem
The phrase marks a significant moment in the early church's history. Jerusalem, the epicenter of Jewish faith and the birthplace of the Christian church, holds profound historical and theological significance. The Greek word for "arrival" (παρουσία, parousia) often denotes a coming or presence, underscoring the importance of this journey. The apostles' return to Jerusalem symbolizes a return to the roots of their faith, a place where pivotal decisions regarding the church's future would be made.

they were welcomed by the church
The Greek word for "welcomed" (ἀποδέχομαι, apodechomai) implies a warm and hospitable reception. This reception by "the church" (ἐκκλησία, ekklēsia) highlights the unity and fellowship among believers. The early church, despite its challenges, was a community bound by love and shared mission. This welcome signifies acceptance and recognition of the apostles' work and the importance of their mission.

and the apostles and elders
The mention of "apostles" (ἀπόστολοι, apostoloi) and "elders" (πρεσβύτεροι, presbyteroi) indicates the leadership structure within the early church. Apostles were those directly commissioned by Christ, while elders were local leaders responsible for teaching and governance. This dual mention underscores the collaborative leadership model that balanced spiritual authority with practical governance, ensuring the church's doctrinal integrity and communal well-being.

to whom they reported
The act of reporting (ἀναγγέλλω, anangellō) suggests accountability and transparency. The apostles' willingness to share their experiences and outcomes with the church leaders reflects a commitment to communal discernment and decision-making. This practice of reporting ensures that the church remains informed and unified in its mission and purpose.

all that God had done through them
This phrase emphasizes divine agency in the apostles' work. The Greek word for "done" (ποιέω, poieō) indicates action and accomplishment, but it is God who is the primary actor. The apostles are instruments through whom God works, highlighting the theological truth that all ministry and mission are ultimately God's work. This acknowledgment fosters humility and reliance on divine guidance, reminding the church that its success and growth are rooted in God's power and purpose.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jerusalem
The central hub of early Christianity and the location of the Jerusalem Council, where significant doctrinal decisions were made.

2. The Church
The assembly of believers in Jerusalem, representing the body of Christ and the community of faith.

3. The Apostles
The original disciples of Jesus, who were leaders and authoritative figures in the early church.

4. The Elders
Church leaders who worked alongside the apostles to guide and make decisions for the community.

5. Paul and Barnabas
Missionaries who reported to the church in Jerusalem about their ministry among the Gentiles.
Teaching Points
The Importance of Community in Decision-Making
The early church demonstrated the value of communal discernment and decision-making. Involving the church, apostles, and elders in discussions ensures a well-rounded and Spirit-led approach to resolving issues.

Reporting and Accountability in Ministry
Paul and Barnabas' report to the church underscores the importance of accountability in ministry. Sharing what God has done encourages the body of Christ and maintains transparency.

Unity in Diversity
The gathering in Jerusalem reflects the unity of the church despite diverse backgrounds and opinions. This unity is crucial for the church's witness to the world.

Recognizing God's Work Among Us
The report of what God had done through Paul and Barnabas reminds us to recognize and celebrate God's work in our lives and communities, fostering a spirit of gratitude and encouragement.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the involvement of the apostles and elders in Acts 15:4 inform our understanding of church leadership today?

2. In what ways can we practice accountability and transparency in our own ministry or service within the church?

3. How can we ensure that our church community remains united despite differences in opinion or background?

4. What are some practical ways to recognize and celebrate God's work in our personal lives and church community?

5. How does the example of Paul and Barnabas reporting to the church challenge us to share testimonies of God's work in our lives with others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Acts 14:27
This verse describes how Paul and Barnabas reported to the church in Antioch about their missionary journey, similar to their report in Jerusalem.

Galatians 2:1-2
Paul recounts his visit to Jerusalem to discuss the gospel he preached among the Gentiles, providing context to the events in Acts 15.

Matthew 18:20
Jesus' teaching on the presence of God where two or three gather in His name, highlighting the importance of community and collective discernment.

1 Timothy 5:17
This verse speaks to the role of elders in the church, emphasizing their importance in leadership and decision-making.
The Judaizers At AntiochE. Johnson Acts 15:1-5
A Grave Crisis in the Kingdom of God: More LessonsW. Clarkson Acts 15:1-11
The First Council: Spiritual Liberty EstablishedR.A. Redford Acts 15:1-21
A Catholic PlatformActs 15:1-29
Christian LibertyM. C. Hazard.Acts 15:1-29
Church ControversyP. Schaff, D. D.Acts 15:1-29
ControversialistsJ. Thomas.Acts 15:1-29
Controversies, After Effects OfDean Stanley.Acts 15:1-29
Controversy Among ChristiansC. S. Robinson.Acts 15:1-29
Controversy, Frequently the Result of MisunderstandingJ. M. Buckley, D. D.Acts 15:1-29
Disturbers of the ChurchS. S. TimesActs 15:1-29
Essentials and Non-EssentialsActs 15:1-29
Law and GospelJ. Mason, M. A.Acts 15:1-29
The Assembly At JerusalemD. Fraser, D. D.Acts 15:1-29
The Assembly At Jerusalem: a ModelK. Gerok.Acts 15:1-29
The Assembly At Jerusalem: its ImportanceK. Gerok.Acts 15:1-29
The First Ecclesiastical CouncilD. Thomas, D. D.Acts 15:1-29
The First Ecclesiastical CouncilD. Thomas, D. D.Acts 15:1-29
The Gospel not a Matter for Controversy, But for UseC. H. Spurgeon.Acts 15:1-29
Times in Church HistoryK. Gerok.Acts 15:1-29
A Great DissensionP.C. Barker Acts 15:1-35
The Jerusalem ChurchR. Tuck Acts 15:2, 4
Working on the RoadJ. Parker, D. D.Acts 15:3-6
People
Barnabas, Barsabas, David, James, John, Judas, Mark, Paul, Peter, Silas, Simeon, Simon
Places
Cilicia, Cyprus, Jerusalem, Judea, Pamphylia, Phoenicia, Samaria, Syria, Syrian Antioch
Topics
Account, Apostles, Arrival, Arrived, Assembly, Church, Cordially, Declared, Detail, Elders, Jerusalem, Meeting, Received, Rehearsed, Related, Reported, Rulers, Welcomed, Working, Wrought
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Acts 15:4

     7720   elders, in the church

Acts 15:1-6

     5108   Paul, life of

Acts 15:1-12

     7610   Council of Jerusalem

Acts 15:1-19

     7336   circumcision, spiritual

Acts 15:1-29

     7241   Jerusalem, significance

Library
The Breaking Out of Discord
'And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3. And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles:
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

The Charter of Gentile Liberty
'Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13. And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14. Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. 15. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16. After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

A Good Man's Faults
'And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. 38. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.'--ACTS xv. 37, 38. Scripture narratives are remarkable for the frankness with which they tell the faults of the best men. It has nothing in common with the cynical spirit in historians, of which this age has seen eminent examples, which fastens upon the weak places in the noblest natures, like a wasp
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture: The Acts

A Message from the Crowned Christ
(Revelation, Chapters ii and iii) "The glory of love is brightest when the glory of self is dim, And they have the most compelled me who most have pointed to Him. They have held me, stirred me, swayed me,--I have hung on their every word, Till I fain would arise and follow, not them, not them,--but their Lord!"[64] Patmos Spells Patience. Patience is strength at its strongest, using all its strength in holding back from doing something. Patience is love at flood pleading with strength to hold steady
by S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks on the Crowned Christ of Revelation

Upon Our Lord's SermonOn the Mount
Discourse 2 "Blessed are the meek: For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: For they shall obtain mercy." Matt. 5:5-7 I. 1. When "the winter is past," when "the time of singing is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in the land;" when He that comforts the mourners is now returned, "that he may abide with them for ever;" when, at the brightness of his presence, the clouds disperse,
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. Fourthly, Faith purging the conscience purifies the heart (Acts xv. 9.), and hope also purifies the heart (1 John iii. 3.), which is nothing else but faith in the perfection and vigour of it. This includes, I. That the heart was unclean before faith. II. That faith cleanses it, and makes it pure. But "who can say, I have made my heart pure (Prov. xx. 9.), I am clean from my sin?" Is there any man's heart on this side of time, which lodges not many
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Foreword
"Jesus of Nazareth, a Biography, by John Mark," recognizes the author of the second Gospel as that "John, whose surname was Mark" (Acts 15:37), whom Barnabas chose as companion when he sailed for Cyprus on his second missionary journey. In making use of the new title, the plan of the Editor is to present "The Gospel: According to Mark" as it would be printed were it written in the twentieth rather than the first century. Mark's Gospel has been chosen for this purpose to make available in more readable
John Mark—Jesus of Nazareth - A Biography

The Subtraction Process
The baptism with the Holy Ghost and fire, the entering into the heavenly inheritance of Canaan, and the possession of the land, and all the blessings that follow are unmistakably a process of addition to the already blessed experience of the justified soul. This addition is scripturally termed "sanctification." No mortal language can ever express how much of an addition it is; but there must necessarily precede this marvelous grace, a definite and absolute subtraction, a loss of all things for the
J. W. Byers—Sanctification

Cleansing.
As there are conditions requiring to be complied with in order to the obtaining of salvation, before one can be justified, e. g., conviction of sin, repentance, faith; so there are conditions for full salvation, for being "filled with the Holy Ghost." Conviction of our need is one, conviction of the existence of the blessing is another; but these have been already dealt with. "Cleansing" is another; before one can be filled with the Holy Ghost, one's heart must be "cleansed." "Giving them the Holy
John MacNeil—The Spirit-Filled Life

Second Missionary Journey
Scripture, Acts 15:36-18:22 +The Inception+--After the Jerusalem Council Paul returned to Antioch where he spent some time, "teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord with many others also." "And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren i+The Companions+ (Acts 15:37-40).--Barnabas proposed to take John Mark, his nephew, with them on this second journey. But Paul strenuously objected, basing his objection on the ground that this young man had deserted them
Henry T. Sell—Bible Studies in the Life of Paul

Authorship of the Pentateuch.
The term Pentateuch is composed of the two Greek words, pente, five, and teuchos, which in later Alexandrine usage signified book. It denotes, therefore, the collection of five books; or, the five books of the law considered as a whole. 1. In our inquiries respecting the authorship of the Pentateuch, we begin with the undisputed fact that it existed in its present form in the days of Christ and his apostles, and had so existed from the time of Ezra. When the translators of the Greek version,
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

The Council at Jerusalem.
(Comp. § 34, pp. 835 sqq. and 346 sq.) The most complete outward representation of the apostolic church as a teaching and legislative body was the council convened at Jerusalem in the year 50, to decide as to the authority of the law of Moses, and adjust the difference between Jewish and Gentile Christianity. [743] We notice it here simply in its connection with the organization of the church. It consisted not of the apostles alone, but of apostles, elders, and brethren. We know that Peter,
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

The Synod of Jerusalem, and the Compromise Between Jewish and Gentile Christianity.
Literature. I. Acts 15, and Gal. 2, and the Commentaries thereon. II. Besides the general literature already noticed (in §§ 20 and 29), compare the following special discussions on the Conference of the Apostles, which tend to rectify the extreme view of Baur (Paulus, ch. V.) and Overbeck (in the fourth edition of De Wette's Com. on Acts) on the conflict between Acts 15 and Gal. 2, or between Petrinism and Paulinism, and to establish the true historic view of their essential unity in diversity.
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

The Catholic Epistles.
I. Storr: De Catholicarum Epp. Occasione et Consilio. Tüb. 1789. Staeudlin: De Fontibus Epp. Cath. Gott. 1790. J. D. Schulze: Der schriftstellerische Charakter und Werth des Petrus, Jacobus und Judas. Leipz. 1802. Der schriftsteller. Ch. des Johannes. 1803. II. Commentaries on all the Catholic Epistles by Goeppfert (1780), Schlegel (1783), Carpzov (1790), Augusti (1801), Grashof (1830), Jachmann (1838), Sumner (1840), De Wette (3d ed. by Brückner 1865), Meyer (the Cath. Epp. by Huther,
Philip Schaff—History of the Christian Church, Volume I

Whether the Justification of the Ungodly is the Remission of Sins
Whether the Justification of the Ungodly is the Remission of Sins We proceed to the first article thus: 1. It seems that the justification of the ungodly is not the remission of sins. It is clear from what was said in Q. 71, Arts. 1 and 2, that sin is opposed not only to justice, but to all virtues. Now justification means a movement towards justice. Hence not every remission of sin is justification, since every movement is from one contrary to its opposite. 2. Again, it is said in 2 De Anima, text
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Whether Purification of the Heart is an Effect of Faith
Whether Purification of the Heart is an Effect of Faith We proceed to the second article thus: 1. It seems that purification of the heart is not an effect of faith. Purity of heart pertains mainly to the affections. But faith is in the intellect. Hence faith does not cause purification of the heart. 2. Again, that which causes purification of the heart cannot exist together with impurity. But faith exists together with the impurity of sin, as is obvious in those whose faith is unformed. Hence faith
Aquinas—Nature and Grace

Church Government.
By this time the Gospel had not only been firmly settled as the religion of the great Roman empire, but had made its way into most other countries of the world then known. Here, then, we may stop to take a view of some things connected with the Church; and it will be well, in doing so, to remember what is wisely said by our own Church, in her thirty-fourth article, which is about "the Traditions of the Church" (that is to say, the practices handed down in the Church) --"It is not necessary that traditions
J. C. Roberston—Sketches of Church History, from AD 33 to the Reformation

Whether Every virtue is a Moral virtue?
Objection 1: It would seem that every virtue is a moral virtue. Because moral virtue is so called from the Latin "mos," i.e. custom. Now, we can accustom ourselves to the acts of all the virtues. Therefore every virtue is a moral virtue. Objection 2: Further, the Philosopher says (Ethic. ii, 6) that moral virtue is "a habit of choosing the rational mean." But every virtue is a habit of choosing: since the acts of any virtue can be done from choice. And, moreover, every virtue consists in following
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether the Old Law was Good?
Objection 1: It would seem that the Old Law was not good. For it is written (Ezech. 20:25): "I gave them statutes that were not good, and judgments in which they shall not live." But a law is not said to be good except on account of the goodness of the precepts that it contains. Therefore the Old Law was not good. Objection 2: Further, it belongs to the goodness of a law that it conduce to the common welfare, as Isidore says (Etym. v, 3). But the Old Law was not salutary; rather was it deadly and
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether There Should have Been Man Ceremonial Precepts?
Objection 1: It would seem that there should not have been many ceremonial precepts. For those things which conduce to an end should be proportionate to that end. But the ceremonial precepts, as stated above ([2105]AA[1],2), are ordained to the worship of God, and to the foreshadowing of Christ. Now "there is but one God, of Whom are all things . . . and one Lord Jesus Christ, by Whom are all things" (1 Cor. 8:6). Therefore there should not have been many ceremonial precepts. Objection 2: Further,
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Simple Fornication is a Mortal Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that simple fornication is not a mortal sin. For things that come under the same head would seem to be on a par with one another. Now fornication comes under the same head as things that are not mortal sins: for it is written (Acts 15:29): "That you abstain from things sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication." But there is not mortal sin in these observances, according to 1 Tim. 4:4, "Nothing is rejected that is received with
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether it is against the Natural Law to have a Concubine?
Objection 1: It would seem that to have a concubine is not against the natural law. For the ceremonies of the Law are not of the natural law. But fornication is forbidden (Acts 15:29) in conjunction with ceremonies of the law which for the time were being imposed on those who were brought to the faith from among the heathens. Therefore simple fornication which is intercourse with a concubine is not against the natural law. Objection 2: Further, positive law is an outcome of the natural law, as Tully
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether the Justification of the Ungodly is the Remission of Sins?
Objection 1: It would seem that the justification of the ungodly is not the remission of sins. For sin is opposed not only to justice, but to all the other virtues, as stated above ([2212]Q[71], A[1]). Now justification signifies a certain movement towards justice. Therefore not even remission of sin is justification, since movement is from one contrary to the other. Objection 2: Further, everything ought to be named from what is predominant in it, according to De Anima ii, text. 49. Now the remission
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

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