The Jewish believers reacted with shock and resistance, insisting that Gentile converts had to be circumcised and keep the law of Moses to be saved.
The Jewish believers in Jerusalem were "all shook up" when they heard that Gentiles were being saved at Antioch, and they sent men to investigate. Those men taught, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). Les Feldick explains that these believers could not comprehend the grace of God or that the law had been set aside, and some even followed Paul as Judaizers pressuring his converts to practice Judaism.
Acts 15:1 — This records the exact objection from Judean believers: circumcision after Moses was required for salvation.
Galatians 2:12 — This shows Peter withdrawing from Gentile believers when Jewish believers arrived from James, illustrating the pressure Paul faced.
In Acts 15:1, the Bible records that certain men came down from Judaea and taught the believers at Antioch, "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." Acts 15:5 adds that believing Pharisees rose up and said it was needful to circumcise them and command them to keep the law of Moses. Galatians 2:12 shows the pressure even touching Peter: before certain men came from James, he ate with the Gentiles, but when they arrived he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those of the circumcision. These passages show that the opposition to Paul's Gentile gospel was not merely from outside—it came from Jewish believers who insisted the law still applied.
Les Feldick says the Jewish believers' reaction must be understood against Israel's two-thousand-year history of being God's separated people. When Paul began going to the pagan Gentiles, it upset them. They simply could not grasp that God would bring Gentiles into relationship with Him without making them proselytes of Judaism. Even Peter struggled with this, withdrawing from Gentile believers at Antioch when his fellow Jews came from Jerusalem. Les also explains that Paul's commission to the Gentiles required a message totally different from Judaism, because the law belonged only to Israel. Les describes the practical consequences: when word reached Jerusalem, believers there got all shook up and sent men to Antioch to require circumcision after the manner of Moses. He calls these opponents Judaizers—believers in Jesus as the Christ who nevertheless did not comprehend that grace had begun and that the law was set aside. They followed Paul and insisted his converts still had to practice Judaism. Throughout all this, Les emphasizes, Paul stood his ground. If those Jerusalem believers had succeeded in stopping Paul's ministry among the Gentiles, we would have no chance of salvation. Because Paul withstood the pressure, the Gentile world continued to receive the gospel of grace.
Les Feldick points to Israel's long history: for almost two thousand years God had been telling Israel that they were different and were His separated people, so it took them a long time to get that out of their system. When Paul began going to the pagan Gentiles, it upset them—"Who in the world has the right to go to those pagan Gentiles?" He also explains that if Paul was to go to the non-Jewish world, he had to go with something totally different from Judaism, since the law of Israel was only for the nation of Israel.
Scripture records that "certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren" at Antioch: "Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). Les describes the Jerusalem believers as "all shook up" when they got word that Gentiles were being brought into a relationship with their God. They sent men from Jerusalem to Antioch to check on it, and then brought Paul and Barnabas back to Jerusalem, where there was no small dissension—a big argument—over whether Gentile believers had to be circumcised.
Les defines a Judaizer as a believer that Jesus was the Christ—someone saved under the kingdom gospel—who still did not comprehend the grace of God or that the law had been satisfied and set aside. These Judaizers followed Paul and told his converts, "You can't be saved on just Paul's gospel alone. You still have to practice Judaism. You have to be circumcised, you have to keep the law." Les says it "just about drove the apostle up the wall."
Paul did not give in. Les says the apostle "stood his ground" while the Jerusalem believers maintained that Gentiles could not be saved unless they became proselytes of Judaism. He withstood all the pressure so that the Gentiles might continue to receive the gospel of grace. If the Jerusalem believers had succeeded in putting Paul down and stopping his ministry, Les says we would have no chance of salvation. When believing Pharisees demanded that the law of Moses be commanded to the Gentile believers, Paul argued that these believers could not be forced under the law—they are under grace.
Paul's Gentile Commission Required a New Message
Les explains that God sent Paul to the Gentiles with something totally different from Judaism because the law was only for Israel—the reason Jewish believers found his message so difficult.
Jews' Two-Thousand-Year Mindset
Jewish believers were upset because for almost two thousand years God had shown Israel they were His separated people; they could not easily accept Paul going to pagan Gentiles.
Jerusalem Sends Investigators to Antioch
When Jerusalem believers heard Gentiles were being saved, they were shaken and sent men to teach that circumcision after the manner of Moses was necessary for salvation.
Paul's Stand Saved the Gentile Gospel
Les says if the Jerusalem believers had stopped Paul, we would have no chance of salvation; Paul withstood the pressure so Gentiles could continue to receive the gospel of grace.
The Judaizers' Opposition
Les defines Judaizers as believers who did not comprehend grace and the end of the law; they followed Paul insisting converts still had to practice Judaism.
Jerusalem Believers Maintained Proselyte Requirement
All that time, Jewish believers in Jerusalem still said Gentiles could not be saved unless they became proselytes of Judaism, but Paul never gave in.
The Debate Brought to Jerusalem
The Jerusalem believers sent men to check on Gentile conversions and then brought Paul and Barnabas back; Paul references this as the Galatians 2 visit with no small dissension.
The Command to Keep the Law of Moses
Believing Pharisees insisted Paul command the Gentiles to keep the law of Moses; Paul argued forcefully that Gentile believers could not be forced under the law because they are under grace.
Acts 15:1: And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
This is the exact insistence Jewish believers brought from Jerusalem to Antioch when they heard Gentiles were being saved.
Acts 15:2: And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
This shows the sharp disagreement caused by the Judean teachers' demands about circumcision.
Acts 15:5: 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.
This identifies believing Pharisees as the ones demanding that Gentile believers be put under the law.
Galatians 2:12: For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
This shows Peter withdrawing from Gentile believers when Jewish believers arrived, demonstrating the pressure even prominent apostles felt.
Yes. Les says they were "all shook up" when they learned that Gentiles were being saved, and Acts 15:1 shows men from Judaea teaching that circumcision after the manner of Moses was required for salvation. They also sent men to Antioch to investigate and brought Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem to debate the question.
According to Les Feldick, a Judaizer was a believer that Jesus was the Christ, saved under the kingdom gospel, but who still did not comprehend grace or that the law had been set aside. They followed Paul's converts and insisted they still needed circumcision and the law of Moses.
No. Les emphasizes that Paul stood his ground and withstood the pressure so that the Gentiles could continue to receive the gospel of grace. He says if Paul had given in, we would have no chance of salvation.
According to Les, Peter still could not get out of his Jewish mindset. When fellow Jews came from Jerusalem, Peter withdrew from eating with the Gentile believers at Antioch, and Paul confronted him about that withdrawal.
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