The Jewish men were circumcised on the eighth day of their birth.  This had been established as a sign of the covenant God gave to Abraham…way back in Genesis 17:1-8.

What was included in that covenant?  God established the covenant and promised to multiply Abraham’s descendants.  Abraham would be the father of many nations.  Kings would be in his genealogical line.  The Promised Land of Canaan was given by God to Abraham’s descendants.  God would be their God forever.  That is an impressive list of promises.  And to ratify that covenant, the males would be circumcised on the eighth day after birth.

  Circumcision was all important to the Jewish people.  When a person received Jesus as their Savior, the Jews believed that they needed to be circumcised.  The Jews thought that to be saved was to be circumcised.  They believed that Gentiles should be circumcised to be saved.
(NASB) Acts 15:1“Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, ‘Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.’”

How did Paul and Barnabas react to this teaching?
(NASB) Acts 15:2“And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them…”
What was at stake?  Either every male needed to be circumcised to be saved or faith in Jesus Christ alone saved each one.

Think about this: Circumcision– God’s covenant with His chosen people in Genesis 17:1-8 had nothing to do with being saved, to be forgiven of their sins, of living in eternity in the presence of Jehovah God.

Faith– based on the work of Jesus Christ on the cross (He took our place of punishment for our sins) and was resurrected to life (His sacrifice was accepted by God the Father).  No circumcision is involved in being saved from God’s wrath for our sins…it is faith in Jesus alone…that is what saves anyone from their sins and the power of Satan.

Faith in Christ Jesus has everything to do with being forgiven of our sins and saved to live eternally in the presence of Almighty God!

How was this important disagreement solved?
(NASB) Acts 15: “…the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.”

This was an important issue that needed to be addressed…it was not swept under a rug and hoped it would go away.  It was confronted head-on…how many problems in churches are handled in this way?  Confronted head-on by speaking the truth in love.

An important question that needed an answer and affects us today:
Circumcision of all males to be saved or faith in Jesus Christ alone to be saved?

This week this devotional will find out what conclusions were drawn in Jerusalem.