Acts, Part 27: The Church Debates & Truth Wins
Paul and Barnabas made their way to Jerusalem to report on their missionary work. But many are unhappy about the idea of Gentiles coming to God and not being circumcised. The first council of Jerusalem is convened. After Peter, Paul and Barnabas defeat the argument for circumcision, asking, why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? James, the brother of Jesus makes the historic final decision as follows, “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. Its official. Gentile believers do not have to become Jewish.