This is the first time I have ever heard of this Counsil taking place. I have heard of the Counsil of Nicaea which will be covered in another sermon.
This Counsil is very important as it took place in 50 A.D.
Now based upon Yahusha's Crucifixion in 29 AD, this puts 21 years between His Death and their gathering. We will be looking at the events of this Counsil and much more in this sermon.
To learn more on Yahusha's Birthday
If you don't know in 2021 Yahuah knocked on my door and told me to keep it open. This occurred on Thanksgiving and lasted until that Sunday: I did. I immediately learned that March 20th was Yahusha's Birthday. Then I was ran out of town and harassed and then poisoned and much more.
2021 marked the separation of the wheat and the weeds, the reapers are here because it's harvest season.
History of the Council of Jerusalem
The Council of Jerusalem is generally dated to 48 AD, roughly 15 to 25 years after the crucifixion of Jesus, between 26 and 36 AD. Acts 15 and Galatians 2 both suggest that the meeting was called to debate whether or not male Gentiles who were converting to become followers of Jesus were required to become circumcised; the rite of circumcision was considered execrable and repulsive during the period of Hellenization of the Eastern Mediterranean, and was especially adversed in Classical civilization both from ancient Greeks and Romans, which instead valued the foreskin positively.
At the time, most followers of Jesus (which historians refer to as Jewish Christians) were Jewish by birth and even converts would have considered the early Christians as a part of Judaism. According to scholars, the Jewish Christians affirmed every aspect of the then contemporary Second Temple Judaism with the addition of the belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Unless males were circumcised, they could not be God’s People. The meeting was called to decide whether circumcision for gentile converts was requisite for community membership since certain individuals were teaching that “[u]nless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved”.
This period fits our calculations of 21 years after Yahusha's crucifixion. Here we learn that this meeting was to determine the circumcision of men. We also know that Abraham was the first to receive the custom of circumcision, not Moses.
Genesis 17:9-14
And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
10 This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised.
11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
shall be circumcised: H4135-מוּלmûwl, mool; a primitive root; to cut short, i.e. curtail (specifically the prepuce, i.e. to circumcise); by implication, to blunt; figuratively, to destroy:—circumcise(-ing), selves), cut down (in pieces), destroy, × must needs.
prepuce means:
technical term for foreskin
The council was called to regulate and control Abba Yah's Words and Yahusha's Teachings.
The etymology of council
council (n.)
"assembly of persons for consultation, deliberation or advice," early 12c., originally in the Church sense, "assembly of prelates and theologians to regulate doctrine and discipline," from Anglo-French cuncile, from Old North French concilie (Old French concile, 12c.) "assembly; council meeting; body of counsellors," from Latin concilium "a meeting, a gathering of people," from PIE *kal-yo-, suffixed form of root *kele- (2) "to shout." The notion is of a calling together. The tendency to confuse it in form and meaning with counsel has been consistent since 16c.
This was the first regulatory board. Why? Because with Abba Yah's Knowledge equality, and the True way to Live would be possible.
Next we turn to The Acts of The Apostles
Acts of The Apostles
Chapter 15
15:1And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren, saying, Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 15:2And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them, the brethren appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 15:3They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 15:4And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them.
15:5But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses. 15:6And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter. 15:7And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 15:8And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; 15:9and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 15:10Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 15:11But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they. 15:12And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through them.
15:13And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me: 15:14Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15:15And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,
15:16After these things I will return,
And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen;
And I will build again the ruins thereof,
And I will set it up:
15:17That the residue of men may seek after the Lord,
And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called,
15:18Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old.
15:19Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the Gentiles turn to God; 15:20but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. 15:21For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath. 15:22Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men out of their company, and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren:
As you can see the Pharisees were causing trouble and spreading lies. Paul and Peter were still preaching and teaching Yah's Words as Yahusha spoke to them and as they were connecting to Abba Yah. This council had not talked of changing dates or anything else. We know that the Sabbath was being kept and that the message was being delivered as Saved By Grace. Grace means Divine Influence and a change in heart.
Grace in the New Testament shows that it does mean a cleansing of your heart. When Abba Yah's diving influence reflects your life, you are a new creation.
Ephesians 2:5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
➡️Grace: G5485-χάρις cháris, khar'-ece; from G5463; graciousness (as gratifying), of manner or act (abstract or concrete; literal, figurative or spiritual; ➡️especially the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life;⬅️ including gratitude):—acceptable, benefit, favour, gift, grace(- ious), joy, liberality, pleasure, thank(-s, -worthy
For more information on Grace:
This council was still teaching Abba Yah's Truth. Let us continue in the next sermon on the councils that lead up to major changes of Abba Yah's Truth.
