Jerusalem Council

Acts 15:1-17

This week we hear the story of the first church council, the Jerusalem Council. At this meeting the big debate was what did you have to do to become a Christian. There were come who believed that to be a Christian meant that you had to follow all of the Jewish traditions and laws first, such as being circumcised. But there were others who disagreed and thought that baptism and the gift of the Spirit were enough.

At the end of the reading we see that the conclusion they come up with is that our identity as Christians does not come from follow the rules and customs, but rather it is in what we believe - our faith.

This council opened the door to the Gentile believers in a way that is had not been opened before, and the church continued to grow and demonstrate its inclusive nature.