Acts 15 1

Acts 15:1 kjv

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.

Acts 15:1 nkjv

And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

Acts 15:1 niv

Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."

Acts 15:1 esv

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

Acts 15:1 nlt

While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers : "Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved."

Acts 15 verses

Acts 15 1 Meaning

Acts 15:1 introduces a fundamental theological conflict within the early Church concerning the salvation of Gentiles. It describes certain individuals from Judea teaching that unless Gentile believers were circumcised "according to the custom of Moses," they could not be saved. This verse sets the stage for the pivotal Jerusalem Council, addressing whether adherence to specific Old Testament Mosaic Law rituals, particularly circumcision, was a necessary prerequisite for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, thereby challenging the very essence of salvation by grace.

Acts 15 1 Context

Acts chapter 15 opens in Antioch, a vibrant hub of early Christian missionary activity, following Paul and Barnabas's first missionary journey. This journey saw a significant turning point: the widespread conversion of Gentiles, who were often coming to faith without prior adherence to Jewish customs or the Mosaic Law. Paul and Barnabas had witnessed God's hand among the uncircumcised, a phenomenon that deeply challenged certain established perspectives within the Jewish-Christian community, particularly those from Judea. This verse introduces the crucial moment when these divergent theological understandings clashed head-on, setting the stage for the pivotal Jerusalem Council, which sought to resolve this dispute and establish doctrine regarding Gentile inclusion into the church. Historically, the issue touched upon Jewish identity, God's covenant with Israel, and how to understand the continuity and discontinuity between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus Christ.

Acts 15 1 Word analysis

• And certain men: Greek: Tines (Τινὲς). This signifies specific individuals, not an official delegation of the Jerusalem church at this point. They acted independently, driven by their conviction. Later, Acts 15:5 clarifies them as "some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed," indicating their zeal for the Mosaic Law even after converting to Christ.
• came down from Judea: Greek: katēlthon tis apo tēs Ioudaias (κατῆλθόν τις ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας). "Came down" reflects the geography; Judea (specifically Jerusalem) is elevated relative to Antioch. This highlights their origin in the traditional center of Judaism, where legalistic interpretations were more prevalent, and Jewish customs were strongly held. Their coming implied a sense of authority or tradition from the mother church.
• taught: Greek: edidaskon (ἐδίδασκον). This verb is in the imperfect tense, suggesting continuous or repeated teaching. It wasn't a one-off statement but an ongoing instruction or attempt to persuade the believers in Antioch. This persistent teaching indicates their firm belief in the necessity of their doctrine.
• the brothers: Greek: tous adelphous (τοὺς ἀδελφούς). Refers to the Christian believers in Antioch, encompassing both Jewish and, critically, Gentile converts who were forming a vibrant and diverse community. The targeting of "the brothers" shows their intent to introduce their doctrine directly into the Christian fellowship.
• "Unless you are circumcised": Greek: Ean mē peritmēthēte (Ἐὰν μὴ περιτμηθῆτε). This is the absolute condition they imposed. Peritemnō means "to cut around," referring to the physical act of male circumcision, a sign of the Mosaic Covenant from Abrahamic times (Gen 17). This external physical act was central to their demand.
• according to the custom of Moses: Greek: tō ethei tō Mōüseōs (τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως). "Custom" (ἔθει - ethei) refers to the traditional practice and Law received through Moses, which Jewish people, and particularly the Pharisees, viewed as binding and eternal. By linking circumcision to Moses, they asserted its divine and unchanging nature, essential for belonging to God's covenant people.
• "you cannot be saved": Greek: ou dynasthe sōthēnai (οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι). This is the crucial theological polemic. They tied a specific external legalistic observance directly to salvation itself. "Saved" (σωθῆναι - sōthēnai) refers to being delivered from sin and divine judgment, achieving eternal life through Christ. By adding circumcision as a requirement for salvation, they effectively nullified the sufficiency of Christ's work and grace. This statement transformed circumcision from a cultural or ceremonial sign into a salvific prerequisite, a "gospel" contrary to that preached by Paul and Barnabas.

• Words-Group Analysis: The phrase "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" represents the core theological controversy of Acts 15. This group of words states the conditional nature of salvation, asserting that without this specific act of adherence to the Mosaic Law, spiritual salvation is impossible. It merges ritualistic law (circumcision, Mosaic custom) with salvific outcome, thus creating a legalistic requirement that fundamentally undermines the concept of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, as proclaimed by the apostles like Paul. This position forms a direct counter-gospel, placing a heavy burden of human effort on believers.

Acts 15 1 Bonus section

The "men from Judea" are identified more specifically in Acts 15:5 as "some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed." This detail is crucial as it reveals their background: former Pharisees, meticulously devoted to the Law before their conversion to Christ. Their belief in Christ was genuine, but they struggled to reconcile their Jewish heritage and strict adherence to the Law with the radically inclusive and grace-oriented nature of the New Covenant that embraced uncircumcised Gentiles. This verse therefore introduces the critical point of friction between nascent Jewish Christianity and the burgeoning Gentile church, forcing the early church to grapple with the exact implications of Christ's redemptive work concerning the Mosaic Law, ultimately affirming that salvation is by grace through faith alone for both Jew and Gentile.

Acts 15 1 Commentary

Acts 15:1 encapsulates the central conflict that necessitated the Jerusalem Council: whether Gentile believers needed to adhere to Mosaic Law, specifically circumcision, to be saved. Men from Judea, likely Jewish Christians zealous for the Law, argued that without this act, salvation was unattainable. This teaching was a direct assault on the gospel of grace and the work of the Holy Spirit among the Gentiles, which Paul and Barnabas had witnessed and affirmed. The heart of the matter was whether salvation was solely by grace through faith in Christ or if it required the addition of human works derived from the Old Covenant Law. Their teaching was dangerous because it introduced a false gospel that minimized Christ's completed work and imposed a legalistic burden, threatening the unity and doctrinal purity of the early church. It asserted a hybrid approach to salvation, contradicting the Pauline understanding that justification comes apart from the works of the Law.