Acts 15 – The Turning Point: Law vs. Grace
📖 Acts 15:1, 5 (KJV)
1. “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.”
5. “But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
🔹 1. What was happening?
Some people from the group of Pharisees who claimed to believe in Jesus went around teaching that:
“Faith in Jesus isn’t enough — you must also obey Moses’ Law (especially circumcision) to be saved.”
That’s exactly what they wanted — to add the Law to Jesus’ blood.
🔹 2. How did the apostles respond?
Paul and Barnabas strongly disagreed with them. They refused to let anyone mix the Law with grace.
Acts 15:2 (KJV):
“When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them…”
They argued because the Law could never save — only Jesus’ sacrifice could.
So, they took the matter to Jerusalem to meet with the apostles (Peter, James, John, etc.).
🔹 3. What Peter said at the meeting
Peter stood up and spoke powerfully — reminding everyone that God saves by faith, not by the Law.
Acts 15:7–11 (KJV):
“God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe…
And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost…
Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.”
✅ Peter said clearly:
The Law was a yoke (a burden) no one could keep.
Salvation is by grace through Jesus Christ alone — not by the Law.
🔹 4. Paul later confirmed this same truth
Paul kept preaching against adding the Law to the cross.
He said that trying to mix them cancels grace:
Galatians 2:21 (KJV):
“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
Galatians 3:1–3 (KJV):
“O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you… having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?”
He was saying:
“If you think you need the Law to finish what Jesus started, you’ve been deceived.”
🔹 5. The final decision (Acts 15:19–20)
James, the leader in Jerusalem, agreed with Peter and Paul.
He said the Gentiles should not be troubled with the Law — only avoid a few things related to idolatry, nothing about Moses’ Law or circumcision.
Acts 15:19 (KJV):
“Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God.”
🕊️ In summary:
| Group | What they taught | Apostles’ response | Truth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pharisees who believed | “Faith + Law = Salvation” | Rejected by Peter & Paul | Jesus’ blood alone saves |
| Peter & Paul | “Faith in Christ alone” | Agreed by all apostles | Grace, not Law |
✅ So yes — the Pharisees did try to add the Law to Jesus’ blood, saying His sacrifice wasn’t enough.
But Peter, Paul, and the other apostles stood firm that Christ’s blood alone saves — no law, no ritual, no work can add to it.
“We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” — Acts 15:11
