Acts chapter 15

vs 11

It is the grace of Jesus, and only that, which saves. Your descent or heritage is not a salvation issue, and your adherence to the Law is also not a salvation issue.

Now I'm not necessarily saying that those against this position were saying these things were salvation issues. The statement made for that side in Acts doesn't give a reason why. Perhaps they thought it should just be so.

vs 12

B & P's contribution to this whole thing was a missionary report. Perhaps if our missionary reports were more controversial, they'd be more exciting and get more people to visit :P

vs 13

Makes him sound like a wizened old man.

vs 14

I wish I could say this conclusively made it clear that God wanted for himself one people - not two. But those who disagree would I am sure simply interpret it the other way, saying James could have been more definite.

vs 15

Again, we have the experiential (Peter, Paul and Barnabas' testimony) and now James looks at Scripture. And finds, indeed, that it is in accordance.

vs 16-18

I would not have picked Amos 9 if I were trying to prove this point. Not because it doesn't work - it does, of course. But because there are translation issues and scholarly quandaries etc. This is more of a supporting verse than a main argument verse in modern circles.

But James' use of it in this way brings it right to the fore. And it's fair to see why - it links the perpetuation, almost the reinvigoration, of the Davidic covenant with the inclusion of gentile peoples.

vs 19

A judgement that the modern church has forgotten, because it has rested on the laurels of centuries of Christendom. But now that the Christian foundations of our western societies crumble, we seek to cling to them all the more firmly, instead of doing what this verse says, and making it easy for those outside the church to join in worship of Christ.

vs 20

Ok, now it might seem strange that in the light of verse 19. Why say you don't want to put any stumbling blocks in front of gentiles, and that you agree that it is not by living the Mosaic covenant that salvation comes, and that the Jews could nevr do it anyway, and then place a few rules and restrictions on gentile actions?

Well, look at the rules - 3 of the 4 pertain to eating. Eating, of all things! One of the biggest cultural separators of the Jews was their food laws. It prevented them from eating with gentiles (as did their belief that gentiles were unclean). Remember there is no TV, no radio, no board games (that we know of). Eating with people is one of the main ways you socialise. It's even built into the church with the love feast. These four rules are designed more to allow the Jewish and gentile elements of the church to meet and socialise together. We'd call it fellowship.

But these rules aren't set in stone (well, the sexual immorality one is, assuming it means typical sexual immorality). Paul in his letters says that eating meat sacrificed to idols is nothing. But don't do it if it will upset a fellow Christian. So he both undermines and enforces the rule.