THE FIRST GENERAL CONFERENCE

Some Jews from Judea upset the believing Gentiles by saying that a person must be circumcised to be saved. The Jews said that everyone must keep the whole ceremonial law.SRme 1.1388

The question of circumcision and the ceremonial law needed to be settled. Immediately Paul and Barnabas discussed the false doctrine. Paul and Barnabas did not believe the Gentile Christians needed to be troubled with this question. But the Christian Jews in Antioch agreed with the men from Judea. The question required much discussion. Peace in the church was threatened.SRme 1.1389

Finally the Antioch believers realized that the church would be divided if the arguing did not stop. The believers decided to send Paul and Barnabas, with some responsible men of the church, to Jerusalem. The question would be asked before the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. In Jerusalem Paul and Barnabas would meet delegates from different churches. They would meet Christians who had come to attend the yearly Jewish feasts. All arguing was to stop until the final decision was made by the church leaders. The decision of the church leaders was to be accepted by all Christian churches.SRme 1.1390

At Jerusalem the delegates from Antioch met with the brethren from other churches who had gathered for the general meeting. The delegates told of the success of the ministry among the Gentiles. The delegates told of the confusion in Antioch. Some converted Pharisees had said the Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be saved.SRme 1.1391

The Jews were proud of their divinely appointed ceremonies. God had described in detail how they should worship. The Jews felt that God would not change the way they were supposed to worship. The Jews decided that Christianity must include the Jewish laws and ceremonies. They were slow to understand that Christ's death ended the ceremonies. It was difficult for the Jews to understand that all their sacrificial offerings represented the future death of the Son of God. After Christ's death the divinely appointed ceremonies and sacrifices of the Jewish religion were of no value.SRme 1.1392

When Paul was a Pharisee, he had been proud of the way he had obeyed every detail of the Jewish rules and ceremonies. But after Paul saw Christ on the road to Damascus, Paul understood the mission of the Saviour. Christ's work for the Gentiles was clear in Paul's mind. Paul understood the difference between a living faith and dead ceremonies.SRme 1.1393

Paul was a Christian but he still said he was one of the children of Abraham. Paul kept the Ten Commandments in word and in spirit as faithfully as he had ever done before his conversion to Christianity. But Paul knew that the sacrificial ceremonies must soon end. These ceremonies had pointed to the death of Christ, and Christ had already died. The gospel message was giving new meaning to the old ceremonies of the Jewish religion.SRme 1.1394