Who in Acts 15 argued that Gentiles must be circumcised and keep the law of Moses?
Acts 15 identifies the advocates as certain believers from the sect of the Pharisees. They stood in the disputation and insisted that Gentile converts needed circumcision and had to be commanded to keep the law of Moses. The apostles and elders then gathered to consider the matter.
Les explains that this occurred amid the disputation over whether Gentiles had to be circumcised and keep the Law. Certain of the sect of Pharisees who believed rose up, saying it was needful to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses. The apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. Les notes there was much disputing, and he pictures these Jewish participants not merely sitting in a conference room but standing, nose to nose, going at it tooth and toenail until Peter rose up.
But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
More Questions
what kind of Pharisees were the ones who said Gentiles must be circumcised in Acts 15?
The Pharisees who rose up in the Jerusalem council were believing Pharisees who had embraced Jesus of Nazareth as their Messiah, not the hypocritical 'whited sepulchers' who were religious but had nothing.
Who repeated the demand for circumcision in Acts 15:5?
In Acts 15:5 the same teaching is repeated, this time by Pharisees who had become believers.