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Jam es closes his address by saying th a t it is th e Lord who does all these things. THURSDAY, August 18. A cts 15:22-29. The Council’s Decision. The resolution proposed and unani mously adopted as a m atter of policy, required th a t Gentile believers should be tau g h t to abstain from m eat th a t had been used in idol worship, from blood and from fornication. This was in deference to th e Jews. Since Moses forbad these things, the conscience of those who followed him must no t be offended by those who followed Christ. One positive sin is included among the ceremonial prohibitions. Gentiles did not look upon fornication w ith the ab horrence of th e Jews. The sin was so common they had lost all conscience concerning it. They would not be aware of the distinction between the moral and the ceremonial. The phrase “ it seemed good to th e Holy Ghost and u s” stam ps th e decree w ith au tho rity and places th e church on the same height of dignity and fellowship w ith th e th ird Person of the Godhead. FRIDAY, August 19. Amos 9 :11 -15 . The -Testimony of Prophecy. Jam es introduces his quotation from th e prophet Amos by saying, “A fter these things.’’ Amos does no t use the phrase. The things referred to are God’s elective visit to th e Gentiles, the rejection and desolation of Israel and th e creation of a church. The explana tion which Jam es gives of this prophecy is only to show to w hat period it ap plies. I t has not yet been fulfilled. It is a g reat m istake to say th a t because an Old T estam ent prophecy has not been fulfilled, it never will be. Many have been literally fulfilled and these are the pledges th a t th e others will be also. The promise may be conditional bu t the prophecies are unconditional. They do not depend upon hum an co-operation or consent. The gifts and callings of God are w ithout change of purpose on His part. SATURDAY, August 20 . 2 Sam. 7 :2 1 - 29. The Tabernacle of David. There are th ree g reat covenants in th e Old T estam ent; th e covenant w ith Noah concerning th e earth, Gen. 8; th e covenant w ith Abraham concerning the land, Gen. 15, and th e covenant w ith David concerning the throne, 2 Sam. 7. These respective covenants are carried out and consummated by Christ as the Son of Man, the Son of Abraham and
could be saved. P e te r’s experience w ith Cornelius about fifteen years before had been forgotten. A new generation had come into th e church. The Scriptures promised salvation to th e heathen. The Jews insisted th a t circumcision was necessary. Jerusalem stood for the au tho rity of Scripture. Antioch stood for the liberty of th e Gospel. The Holy Spirit harmonized th e two. God bore w itness to His acceptance of th e Gen tiles b'y giving them th e Holy Spirit. This settled th e question forever. Both Jew and Gentile must be saved by faith alone. The Gospel obliterates ceremon ial distinctions and establishes a uni versal level. The only condition of sal vation is faith in the Lord Jesu s Christ. TUESDAY, August 16. Acts 15:7-11. The Argument of Peter. P eter presents a simple argument. Having referred to his visit to Cornelius as a Divine arrangem ent, he declares th a t th e gift of the Holy Spirit was the proper proof of God’s acceptance of the Gentiles. He also raises th e , question why a system should be imposed upon th e Gentiles which had always been in tolerable to th e Jews, vs. 10. More over th e Jews themselves who had the system which included circumcision had to abandon it as a means of justification before they could be saved. To this extent they had to become even as the Gentiles and tru st in th e grace of God alone. This speech of P eter pu t an end to all controversy. His position is th a t w hat God says must be in terp reted by what God does. WEDNESDAY, August 17. Acts 15:13- 21 . The Counsel o f James. Jam es th e moderator of the council follows Barnabas and Paul. He acts th e p art of a tru e moderator. The Pharisees, having been silenced, now needed to be soothed. The Scripture which Jam es quotes does not seem at first to bear upon th e question a t issue. He shows, however, th a t th e Scriptures which had be.en appealed to were to be fulfilled in a fu tu re age. The Old T estam ent does not reveal th e church, a called out company from Jews and Gentiles. This was given to P aul by special revelation. James says th a t P eter was declaring th is new thing which had not been foretold by the prophets. When th e number of th e elect shall be completed, the Lord will build up again th e fallen house of David and all th e Gentiles shall be saved.
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