“Bethphage; in Aramaic “place of young figs”): Near the Mount of Olives and to the road from Jerusalem to Jericho; mentioned together with Bethany – source
The road to and from Jerusalem goes something like this:
It descends east from the Temple, crosses the Kidron valley, past the Mount of Olives & Gethsemane [five furlongs], continues east through Bethphage [2000 cubits/1000 paces] to Bethany [a Sabbath Day's journey from Jerusalem].
I addressed the significant imagery of this journey of Jesus in an earlier SERIES
A.D. 30 - 2024 C.E. - The Controversial Place of God
RETURN to JERUSALEM along the ancient hillside roads from Bethany on this day prior to the Passover Sacrifice with JESUS ‘of Nazareth’ observing several controversies.
Controversies BEFORE CHRIST!
Opposition to the Lord God goes back BEFORE DAVID – yes, even before Moses and Abraham.
AND opposition to the One Living God of Scripture continues even NOW in these last days of 2024 of the COMMON ERA!
JERUSALEM, THE LAW & GOD’S BREATHED-OUT WORD all remain at the center of every opposition of twisted Truth, false prophets and stiff-necked resistance to God’s grace.
No Son of Man would ever be so controversial to a sinful world than Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior!
Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry.
And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it,
“Let no fruit grow on you ever again.”
Is this curse on Jerusalem for 'Good' Friday's Cross?
..
or perhaps Anno Domini 70 when Rome will destroy it?
..
or even some last day soon in the Common Era of 2024?
Will any of the Twelve travel to Antioch Syria from Jerusalem? Or will the Apostles send their Epistle to the Gentiles with other reliable messengers?
A.D. 49 – Jerusalem Judea in Roman occupied Syria
Who are these Apostles to the Gentiles?
Recall that the current crisis of the Church involves both Jews and Gentiles and that the Church at Antioch sent Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to clarify the Law of Moses.
A Council of Church Leaders meets under leadership of the Apostles of Jesus, the risen Christ witnessed my the Twelve and many leading men of Jerusalem.
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers..
This is exactly what the Council of Jerusalem has ordered.
in a broader sense applied to other eminent Christian teachers
of Barnabas
of Timothy
and Silvanus
They SEND these apostles with their epistle of encouragement and specific instructions to the Church and its other leading men in Antioch, obeying Christ’s command to go into all the world — theirs, a gentile world — with the Gospel.
ἀπόστολος – Apostle
a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders
specifically applied to the twelve apostles of Christ
ἀπόστολος apóstolos, ap-os’-tol-os; from G649; a delegate; specially, an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ (“apostle”) (with miraculous powers):—apostle, messenger, he that is sent.
The KJV translates Strong’s G1484 in the following manner: Gentiles (93x), nation (64x), heathen (5x), people (2x).
We have recently spent time on this on Paul’s first missionary journey, but for clarity definitions which apply here:
in the OT, foreign nations not worshipping the true God, pagans, Gentiles
Paul uses the term for Gentile Christians
ACTS on Mission
Paul
The Church is already quite familiar with Saul of Tarsus or Paul; who following his first mission from Antioch to the Gentiles along with Joseph of Cypress (Barnabas) has precipitated this Council in Jerusalem.
In a later Epistle of Paul to the Romans he writes:
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them.
Think about it, my fellow gentile brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul identifies himself as an apostle. The Council sent both Paul and Barnabas as apostles for this next mission to the Gentiles.
The Apostle Paul also magnifies his mission is to the Gentiles (although a remnant of Jews will be saved).
On their first missionary journey the Apostle Paul had proclaimed Christ to the Jews first and then preached the Gospel to the Gentiles.
Barnabas
Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
It was Barnabas, a trusted Jew of the priestly line, who brought Paul to the Apostles after his encounter with the risen Christ (and having heard their former nemesis preach Christ crucified and risen to the Jews in Damascus).
When a report came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem after some men of Cyprus and Cyrene spoke to the Hellenists in Antioch (and a great number turned to the Lord), they sent Barnabas to Antioch. – from Acts 11:20
(Not to be confused with another important disciple and deacon of the church in Jerusalem * possibly also present with its leading men of the Council, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus [Acts 1:23] put forth along with Mathias as a candidate to replace Judas Iscariot in the Twelve Apostles.)
2. the surname of a certain Judas: Acts 15:22, (B. D. under the word Judas Barsabas].
* Could Luke’s wording indicate that both were present & this Barsabbas is Judas son of Saba rather than Joseph son of Saba? (And might they even be biological brothers? [again, my speculation])
Contraction for Σιλουανός (G4610) – Silvanus, the same man who in Acts is called Σιλᾶς (which see): 2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Peter 5:12.
Silas or Silvanus is a Roman Citizen (as is Paul) sent with the Apostle to the Gentiles on this second mission and other journeys to preach the Gospel to all the world of the Roman Empire.
A.D. 49 – 51 Secondary Missionary Journey with Paul
They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,
23 with the following letter:
“The brothers, both the apostles and the elders,
to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.
Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements:
that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch…
The Council of Jerusalem has come to a decision. They will write an epistle of instruction to the gentile churches.
Let's focus for a moment on a HOT TOPIC of A.D. 50 on which future missions of the apostles hinged.
(HOW will JEWS worship with other CULTURES?)
Church leaders ANSWERED with an EPISTLE from their Council in Jerusalem.
ἐπιστολή – a written message: — epistle, letter
So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:G1992
Acts of the Apostles 15:30, King James Version
WHAT DO WE DO WHEN AS SOON AS WE MAKE AN IMPORTANT DECISION IMPACTING EVERYONE?
We send out an epistle or letter or message or broadcast.
AND like any council with authority this council of Church leaders in Jerusalem go back to their followers personally as well. These apostles of the gospel will also send their epistle or letter of instruction with other trusted messengers to churches they cannot encourage personally.
We're getting a little ahead of today's work of the Jerusalem Council, but I thought it important to DEFINE our term and impact of today's meeting of the Apostles in Jerusalem.
Christians familiar with traditional readings of Scripture from the King James Version recognize an introduction like:
“A reading from the Epistle of Paul to the Romans.”
The cover letter pictured is an actual parchment of Romans 1:1-7
Acts of the Apostles 15:30 [above] reads ‘epistle‘ in the KJV.
But most Bibles simply translate it ‘letter.’
You may have seen a similar epistle in Acts 9 where Luke records a previous ‘official letter’ also sent with Paul (aka at that time Saul of Tarsus) from Jerusalem.
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. – Acts of the Apostles 9:1-2 ESV
Christians familiar with the epistles or letters of the New Testament(after Acts) see epistlesaddressed to an individual church, i.e. Corinth, Ephesus, where these letters were also circulated to churches throughout and beyond those regions.
However this important earlier letter from the Council at Jerusalem was sent to as many churches as possible. And the Apostles gathered in Jerusalem specifically address Gentiles as participants and members.
SO It could have, but was not, named:
The Epistle of the Council of Jerusalem,
TO the Church at Antioch Syria (where it is to be sent) OR due to apostles sent out into all the world:
‘TO the churches of the Gentile Nations.’
Leaders of the Christians in Antioch had requested clarification from the Apostles and leaders of the church in Jerusalem. Most Hellenist or Greek church members were Gentiles rather than Jews of the Diaspora.
.. we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood.
Acts 15:19b-20 ESV
Don’t cause trouble. Do not annoy. Do not harass.
You get the idea; this is what Saul of Tarsus had planned to do in Damascus with the authority of the Jewish Council to persecute the converted.
transitively, a. to turn tothe worship of the true God,
b. to cause to return, to bring back; figuratively, to the love and obedience of God ..
Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God [theos] from among the Gentiles ἔθνος [ethnos].
YES, God chose the Jews
BUT why would we want to keep those Gentiles whom the Lord our God has drawn through Christ?
AND WHY add requirements which would hinder Gentiles from turning to God?
SO James adjudicates the matter also addressing the concerns of the Jews.
EXCEPT these practices of Jewish Law
Here, James adds a requirement for the Gentiles but it is NOT circumcision.
abstain from
the things polluted by idols
sexual immorality
what has been strangled
[from] blood
21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”
James .. To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings.
A Map [above] shows first century Jewish cities of the Roman Empire to which James refers in an epistle he authored most likely during Paul’s first missionary journey just prior to the Council at Jerusalem.
As you can see, much more communication will be required to cover so many Hellenist cities with Jewish and Christian worshipers.
Acts 15:20 King James Version — But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.
Scriptural (Old Testament) Reasons for James’ exceptions
– Gen 35:2; Exo 20:3-5,23; Exo 34:15,16; Num 25:2; Psa 106:37-39; Eze 20:30,31;
“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord GOD: Will you defile yourselves after the manner of your fathers and go whoring after their detestable things? When you present your gifts and offer up your children in fire, you defile yourselves with all your idols to this day. And shall I *be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, declares the Lord GOD, I will not *be inquired of by you.
adultery, fornication, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with animals etc.
sexual intercourse with close relatives; Lev. 18
sexual intercourse with a divorced man or woman; Mk. 10:11-12
metaph. the worship of idols
of the defilement of idolatry, as incurred by eating the sacrifices offered to idols
The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of *whoredoms and children of *whoredoms: for the land hath committed great *whoredom, departing from the LORD.
Hosea 1:2 KJV note: *Lexicon :: Strong’s H2183 – zᵊnûnîm from Lexicon :: Strong’s H2181 – zānâ – A primitive root [highly-fed and therefore wanton]
Things Strangled – πνικτός pniktós, pnik-tos’
from G4155; throttled, i.e. (neuter concretely) an animal choked to death (not bled):—strangled.
καὶ τοῦ αἵματος - "from what has been strangled, and from blood." - ESV is best understood in the context of Leviticus, Book of the Priests, which provides some detail about Sacrifices to God, which Christ became by His own Blood, the flesh of our Lord Jesus pierced for our transgressions.
10 “If any one of the house of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among them eats any blood, I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people.
For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life.
12 Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, No person among you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood.
13 “Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth.
For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have said to the people of Israel, You shall not eat the blood of any creature, for the life of every creature is its blood. Whoever eats it shall be cut off.
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas…
To Be Continued…
.. with the text of their Epistle authorizing apostles for another mission to the Gentiles.
