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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Act_15:6-11
6The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter. 7After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; 9and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11"But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are."
Act_15:6 "The apostles and the elders came together" Here the leadership met in private first. This speaks of the Presbyterian pattern of polity.
Act_15:7 "After there had been much debate" The leadership was not unanimous. Some agree with the statement in Act_15:5. These were all sincere believers. But some were clinging to the familiar while being blinded to the radical nature of the gospel. Even the Apostles were slow to see the full implications (cf. Act_8:1). Notice the elements of policy making: (1) private discussion; (2) open discussion; (3) vote by the congregation.
▣ "Peter stood up" This must have been the way to get to speak to the assembled group (cf. Act_15:5). This is the last mention of him in Acts. He recalls his experience with Cornelius (cf. Acts 10-11).
▣ "Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe" God used Peter to witness to His love and acceptance of the nations! God allowed this new radical understanding to proceed in stages.
1. the Samaritans first, Acts 8
2. the Ethiopian Eunuch, Acts 8
3. Cornelius, Acts 10-11
These were not full practicing pagans, but were all related to Judaism. However, 1 and 3 were confirmed by the Pentecost experience, which was evidence for the early church of God's acceptance of other groups.
Act_15:8 "God who knows the heart" This was a way of confirming God's complete knowledge (cf. 1Sa_1:24; 1Sa_16:7; Psa_26:2; Psa_139:1; Pro_21:2; Pro_24:12; Jer_11:20; Jer_17:10; Luk_16:15; Rom_8:27; Rev_2:23) of the faith of these Gentile converts.
▣ "giving them the Holy Spirit" This apparently refers to the same type of spiritual experience as Pentecost ("just as He also did to us"). The very same manifestation of the Spirit occurred in Jerusalem, in Samaria, and in Caesarea. It was the sign to the Jewish believers of God's acceptance of other people groups (cf. Act_15:9; Act_11:17).
Act_15:9 "He made no distinction between us and them" This was the theological conclusion Peter came to in Act_10:28; Act_10:34; Act_11:12. God is no respecter of persons (cf. Gal_3:28; Eph_3:11 to Eph_4:13; Col_3:11). All humans are made in the image of God (cf. Gen_1:26-27). God desires all humans to be saved (cf. Gen_12:3; Exo_19:5-6; 1Ti_2:4; 1Ti_4:10; Tit_2:11; 2Pe_3:9)! God loves the whole world (cf. Joh_3:16-17).
▣ "cleansing their hearts by faith" This term is used in the Septuagint to denote Levitical purification. It denotes the removal of that which us separates from God.
This is the very verb used in Peter's experience of the clean and unclean animals in Act_10:15; Act_11:9 (which follows the LXX of Gen_7:2; Gen_7:8; Gen_8:20).
In the Gospel of Luke it is used for the cleansing of leprosy (cf. Act_4:27; Act_5:12-13; Act_7:22; Act_17:14; Act_17:17). It came to be a powerful metaphor for cleansing from sin (cf. Heb_9:22-23; 1Jn_1:7).
The heart is an OT way of referring to the whole person. See Special Topic at Act_1:24. These Gentiles have been completely cleansed and accepted by God through Christ. The means of their cleansing is faith in the gospel message. They have believed, received, and fully trusted in the person and work of Jesus (cf. Rom_3:21 to Rom_5:11; Gal_2:15-21).
Act_15:10 "why do you put God to the test" The OT background of this statement is Exo_17:2; Exo_17:7 and Deu_6:16. This Greek term for "test" (peirazô) has the connotation of "to test with a view toward destruction." This was a serious discussion! See Special Topic: Greek Terms for "Testing" and Their connotations at Act_5:9.
▣ "yoke" This was used by the rabbis for the recitation of the Shema, Deu_6:4-5; therefore, it stands for the Law, written and oral (cf. Mat_23:4; Luk_11:46; Gal_5:1). Jesus uses it in Mat_11:29 for the requirements of the New Covenant in Him.
▣ "which neither our fathers or we have been able to bear" This reflects the teachings of Jesus (cf. Luk_11:46). This subject is addressed by Paul in Galatians 3. But this is Peter who, like James, feels the weight of Judaism (cf. Gal_2:11-21).
This phrase admits the theological truth that the Law was not able to bring salvation because fallen humanity could not keep a holy law (cf. Romans 7)! Salvation could not and cannot be based on human performance. However, the saved, gifted, and indwelt believer needs to live a godly life (cf. Mat_11:30; Eph_1:4; Eph_2:10). Godliness (Christlikeness, i.e., Rom_8:29; Gal_4:19; Eph_4:13) is always the goal of Christianity, for the purpose of providing opportunities for evangelism, not personal pride nor judgmental legalism.
Act_15:11 This is a summary of salvation (i.e., "saved," aorist passive infinitive) by grace through faith (for Peter cf. Acts 2-3; for Paul cf. Act_13:38-39; Romans 3-8; Galatians 3; Ephesians 1-2). Notice the way of salvation is the same for Jews and Gentiles (cf. Rom_3:21-31; Romans 4; Eph_2:1-10).