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Why Was the Jerusalem Council Important? #680 · Scripture Central

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  But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which
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  believes saying that it was needful to circumcise them and
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  to command them to keep the law of Moses.
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  And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this
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  matter. Hey listeners, this is Nick from
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  Scripture Central and today's podcast addresses the question,
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  Why was the Jerusalem council important when Jesus
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  commissioned his apostles to spread the gospel after his
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  resurrection, he told them that ye shall be witnesses unto me
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  both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and unto
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  the utmost part of the earth. As Luke describes the growth of
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  the church, the apostles and missionaries of the church would
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  ultimately fulfill that very blessing.
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  They would preach first in Jerusalem and Judea, then in
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  Samaria. Finally, in a dramatic vision
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  manifested to Peter, the Lord made it known that the gospel
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  was now to go to the Gentiles. That raised the need for the
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  leadership of the church to hold a formal council meeting in
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  order to reach a unanimous decision on what should be
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  required of a Gentile who joined the Church of Jesus Christ.
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  The conversion of Cornelius, a Roman military leader, broke new
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  ground. Prior to Cornelius's baptism at
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  the hands of Peter, all Christians were either Jews who
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  are already keeping the Law of Moses, or proselytes, Gentiles
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  who had previously converted to Judaism and were also keeping
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  the Law of Moses at the time they became Christians.
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  Cornelius, however, was not observing any of the provisions
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  of the Law of Moses, but was simply one that feared God and
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  prayed to God always. In the New Testament, the term
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  God fearer referred to Gentiles who were sympathetic towards
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  Judaism and worshiped Jehovah. But we're not keeping the
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  regulations of the Law of Moses, specifically that of
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  circumcision. Before the precedent set by
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  Cornelius, it was probably understood that if a Gentile man
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  wanted to join the church, he first needed to be circumcised
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  and keep the Law of Moses, while Jesus had come to fulfill that
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  law. He also said that people should
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  continue to keep even the least of the commandments.
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  So how is this supposed to work? Life in Israel was deeply
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  entrenched in tradition, which made it difficult for many of
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  the early Christians to understand which Jewish
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  practices carried over into Christian worship and
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  observance, and which did not. Indeed, as John W Welch has
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  observed, though many Christians were conscious that Jesus had
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  fulfilled the law, they did not see that as abolishing all its
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  practices. Whereas others, including the
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  Apostle Paul, believe that many of the practical matters of the
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  Law of Moses were now fulfilled and should no longer be
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  observed. The conflict arising from these
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  divergent worldviews led some early Christians to insist,
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  except you be circumcised after the matter of Moses ye cannot be
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  saved, and others reasonably shared their concerns and felt
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  obedience to the Law of Moses was still needful.
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  To officially address this concern, the apostles and elders
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  came together for to consider of this matter.
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  Meeting is a body of the 12 in an official meeting that would
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  later be known as the Jerusalem Council.
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  The dissensions that had been raised over this point, as
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  Robert J Matthews observed, could be settled officially only
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  by the 12 at Jerusalem. This matter, after all, was not
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  simply a topic about tradition or custom, but a fundamental
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  doctrinal issue regarding the atonement of Jesus Christ.
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  Namely, how was each particular rule of the Law of Moses
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  affected by the fulfillment of Jesus's mortal mission?
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  As the apostles offered their various opinions on this
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  foundational question, Peter first reminded them of his
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  vision and subsequent spiritual manifestation with Cornelius Men
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  and Brethren. Ye know how that a good while
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  ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth
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  should hear the word of the gospel and believe, And God,
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  which knoweth the hearts, bear them witness, giving them the
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  Holy Ghost even as he did unto us.
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  Revelation, not logical reasoning, is to be our guide.
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  Ultimately, Peter declared that salvation is not based on
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  obedience to the Law of Moses, but is found only in Jesus
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  Christ. Paul and Barnabas, who had
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  recently returned from a mission, similarly testified to
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  this point. Following the council, James,
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  the brother of Jesus and now one of the pillars of the Church,
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  announced the decision of the Apostles.
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  Ultimately, the Church was instructed that we trouble not
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  them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God.
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  Concerning circumcision, however, the Apostles made it
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  clear that those converts, like the Jews, must continue to obey
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  the most ancient core of the laws pertaining to eating
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  unclean meat and essential purity, namely those laws
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  stemming from the days of Noah that prohibited pollution by
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  contact with idols, fornication, consumption of strangled meats,
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  and impure contacts with blood. Because these laws dated back to
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  the time of Noah, they had universal applicability, whereas
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  the Law of Moses was issued only to the House of Israel.
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  One aspect of this Apostolic Council's decision that is often
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  overlooked, however, is its limited scope.
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  As Frank F Judd Junior has noted, the Council made no
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  declaration concerning whether or not Jewish Christians needed
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  to continue keeping the Law of Moses.
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  Only Gentile converts were addressed in this decision.
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  In fact, he continues, there is evidence in the Book of Acts
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  that Jewish Christians continue to keep aspects of the Law of
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  Moses well after the Jerusalem Council.
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  Given the importance of this issue, had given Peter's
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  knowledge and statements that the Law of Moses was not
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  required for salvation, one might wonder why the Church
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  leaders did not offer a stronger statement on the matter or
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  address it to the Jewish Christians as well.
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  It is important to remember the young age of the Church and how
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  tense this issue had become. By offering the decision in this
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  matter, the leaders allowed those who felt it was needful to
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  follow the Law of Moses to continue to do so.
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  Matthews likewise notes that the Brethren probably avoided a
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  schism in the Church, and no doubt also the ire that would
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  have come from the Jews had the decision been stronger.
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  There must have been many who would have preferred a stronger
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  declaration, but the Brethren acted in the wisdom requisite
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  for their situation. The Jerusalem Council served to
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  establish several important Church policies and also to
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  reinforce the doctor of the Atonement and mission of Jesus
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  Christ at a critical time. This council, it should be
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  remembered, was directed by the 12 Apostles and headed by Peter,
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  the head of the Church. Only Peter and the apostles had
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  this authority. As Matthews has noted, it is
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  very significant that the Lord brought about this new procedure
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  through Peter, who, as the senior apostle of the Church,
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  could exercise all the priests and keys and held the proper
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  office through which such direction from the Lord should
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  come. Ultimately, the decision was
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  based on revelation from the Lord and the scope of Peter's
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  vision and Acts. Chapter 10 had not gone further
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  than the issues of Gentile baptism and certain food laws.
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  This council was not, as later councils in the 3rd century and
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  beyond were convened by political authorities or a wide
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  array of bishops seeking authority and prominence.
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  Rather, this was a council of Apostles ordained to lead the
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  Church through their priest and authority.
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  The decision of this council shows the importance of
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  unanimity among the Apostles, thereby reflecting the will of
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  the Lord. The Lord has revealed that every
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  decision of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles must be by the
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  unanimous voice of the same that is, every member must be agreed
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  to its decisions in order to make their decisions of the same
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  power or validity one with another.
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  This instruction, given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, is
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  reflected in the Jerusalem Council.
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  All the apostles present needed to come to a decision
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  unanimously before they could submit that decision to the
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  Church as the Word and Will of the Lord.
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  That requirement is likewise followed today.
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  Just like the ancient apostles, the First Presidency and Quorum
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  of the 12 Apostles will occasionally have to deal with a
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  conflict between culture and doctrine.
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  The need for unanimity is especially important when such
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  conflicts arise that in order to speak the mind and will of the
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  Lord and not just follow their personal views or values, the
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  apostles defer to revelation. Likewise, all church members as
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  true disciples of Jesus Christ, must be willing and able to give
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  up long held traditions when they conflict with living the
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  principles of the Gospel. When the Lord gave Peter the
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  priest and keys to preside over the Church, he made it clear
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  that the Kingdom of God must be built upon the Rock of
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  Revelation. Because of the Lord's inspired
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  guidance, we can rest assured that when the leaders of the
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  Church unanimously offer a new instruction or proclamation
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  declaring the doctrine of the Church, this is the word and
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  will of the Lord for our lives. With this assurance, we can all
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  faithfully align our will with the Lord's and move forward
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  along the covenant path. Thank you for listening to this
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  presentation from Scripture Central.
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  For more information, please visit scripturecentral.org.