109
March, 1939
T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep your selves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. Galatians 2:1 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also. 2 And I went up by revelation, and communi cated 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. 9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. 10 Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which 1 also was forward to do. Lesson Text: Acts 15:23-29; Gal. 2:1, 2, 9, 10. Golden Text: “A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 2:16). Devotional Reading: Gal. 2:15-21. Outline and Exposition I. T he D ecision of the C ouncil (Acts 15:23-29) T HE PREACHING of the gospel at Antioch had resulted in the estab lishment of a company of Christians who worshiped and worked happily to gether. The grace of God, by which they had been saved, and wherein they stood, brought them the stability and hope and joy of Christianity. This happy state was interrupted when certain men came from Jerusalem teaching that there could be no salvation without circumcision. This teach ing was firmly denied by Paul and Barna bas. After much disputing among the peo ple, it was agreed that a delegation should be sent to Jerusalem, and that the matter should be officially decided by the whole church. Thus it came about that the first church council ever held convened at Jeru salem, and the question before it was the relation of law and grace in the matter of salvation. After discussion, the council gave its formal decision, and put the deci sion into writing to be sent to Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. The council denied ever having sent forth the legalists. The latter were those who troubled the saints and subverted their souls, and hindered the progress of the gos pel. The council also decided to send a delegation to bring its findings by word of mouth as well as by the written word. They chose well-known men, Judas and Silas, as companions for Paul and Barna bas, and sent them forth to inform the Gen tile believers of the decision officially adopted. The council came to this decision after thorough discussion and was assured the decision was in line with the mind of the
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BLACKBOARD LESSON
M A I L T H I S C O U P O N T O D A Y American Bible Society, Bible House, New York, N. Y. Please send m e, without obligation, your booklet k b -82 entitled “A Gift That Lives”.
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