They were Jewish believers connected with the Jerusalem church — specifically certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed — who insisted that Gentile believers be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses.
The Bible identifies the opponents in Acts 15:5 as 'certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed.' Les Feldick emphasizes these were not the self-righteous Pharisees of the Gospels; they had embraced Jesus as the Christ but remained committed to law-keeping. They came to Antioch from Jerusalem and declared that without circumcision after the manner of Moses, Gentiles could not be saved.
Acts 15:5 — This verse directly names the group as certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, who demanded circumcision and keeping the Law of Moses.
Acts 15:1 — This verse shows the teachers who came down from Judaea to Antioch insisting that circumcision was necessary for salvation.
Acts 15 opens with a direct conflict: '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' (Acts 15:1). This teaching was aimed at the believers in Antioch, and it stirred immediate confrontation. Verse 2 says Paul and Barnabas had 'no small dissension and disputation with them' and that it was determined they should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. When Paul and Barnabas reached Jerusalem, the Scripture names the specific opponents: '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' (Acts 15:5). The opponents were therefore Jewish believers from a Pharisaic background who maintained that Gentile converts must be circumcised and keep the Mosaic Law.
Les Feldick repeatedly identifies the opponents in Acts 15 as Jewish believers who had embraced Jesus as their Messiah but who were still law-keeping. He stresses, 'I'm not talking about the Pharisees [of the Gospels]. I'm talking about Jews who had embraced Jesus as their Messiah. But they were still law keeping' (Clip 0). When these Jewish believers came down from Jerusalem to Antioch, they insisted, 'except you be circumcised after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved' (Acts 15:1; Clips 0, 6). Les highlights the precise phrase in Acts 15:5: 'there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed.' These were not the self-righteous Pharisees most familiar from the Gospels; they were believers that Jesus was the Christ, yet they remained law-keepers and insisted that Gentile believers be brought under the Law (Clips 1-3, 5). Even Peter, James, John and the rest of the Jerusalem congregation could not comprehend that God was saving Gentiles apart from the Law (Clip 7). The controversy produced a major confrontation. Jerusalem believers were 'all shook up' that Gentiles were being saved without becoming proselytes of Judaism (Clip 6), so Paul and Barnabas were called down to Jerusalem for what Les describes as a 'big argument' (Clip 5). Paul drew the line, refusing to add circumcision or the Law to his message, and Peter eventually came to his defense by recalling the house of Cornelius (Clips 4-5).
The Scripture says certain men from Judaea taught the brethren at Antioch, 'Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved' (Acts 15:1). Then certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed said 'it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses' (Acts 15:5). Les Feldick explains that these were believing Jews from the Jerusalem congregation, not the self-righteous Pharisees of the Gospels, who insisted that Gentile believers had to be circumcised and keep the Law (Clips 0, 2, 6).
Les Feldick says no: 'These weren't the self-righteous Pharisees that we're most acquainted with in the Gospels. These were Pharisees who had become believers of who Jesus was, that He was the Christ, but they're still lawkeepers.' They were now part of the believing Jewish congregation at Jerusalem, but they remained committed to the Law of Moses (Clips 2, 3).
Les describes how the news of Gentile conversions reached Jerusalem and the believing Jews there 'got all shook up' and sent men up to Antioch to investigate (Clip 6). Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with these men, and the decision was made to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. At the gathering, Paul would not agree to add circumcision or the Law to his gospel; Peter finally came to his defense, remembering how God saved Gentiles at the house of Cornelius without the Law (Clips 4, 5, 7).
According to Les, the Jerusalem church 'was still based on the law and circumcision and everything else' (Clip 1). Even Peter, James, John and the rest could not comprehend that God was doing this with Gentiles (Clip 7). The Acts 15 gathering, which Les places in A.D. 51, about 23 years after Pentecost, became the occasion for the Jerusalem believers to confront the reality that God was saving Gentiles apart from the Law (Clip 0).
Jewish Believers from Jerusalem
Les shows that believing Jews from Jerusalem, still steeped in law-keeping, came to Antioch and declared that without circumcision after the manner of Moses, the Gentiles could not be saved.
The Sect of the Pharisees Who Believed
Les identifies the opponents as 'certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed' and explains that the Jerusalem church was still based on the Law and circumcision.
Believing Pharisees, Not Gospel-Era Critics
Les clarifies that these were not the self-righteous Pharisees of the Gospels but believing law-keepers who accepted Jesus as the Christ and still demanded circumcision for Gentiles.
Part of the Jerusalem Congregation
Les places these believing Pharisees in the Jerusalem congregation and explains that they confronted Paul over his message that Gentiles could be saved apart from the Law.
Jerusalem Sends Investigators
Les shows that the Jerusalem believers were upset and sent men to Antioch, leading to Paul and Barnabas being brought to Jerusalem over the circumcision question.
Paul Refuses the Law Addition
Les says the believing Pharisees demanded circumcision and Law-keeping for Gentile believers, Paul answered 'No way,' and Peter eventually recalled how God saved Gentiles without the Law.
The Demand Stated Plainly
Les points to Acts 15:1 and says the men from Jerusalem plainly taught the Antioch believers, 'Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.'
Jerusalem Leadership's Struggle
Les notes that even Peter, James, John and the Jerusalem believers could not comprehend God saving Gentiles, which set the stage for the Acts 15 gathering.
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 verse records the initial demand brought from Jerusalem to the Gentile believers at Antioch.
Acts 15:2: When therefore 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 verse shows the sharp dispute between Paul and Barnabas and the men insisting on 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 verse identifies the specific Jewish believers opposing Paul: certain of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed.
They were certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed (Acts 15:5), yet they still insisted that Gentile believers had to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses to be saved.
No. Les Feldick explains they had become believers that Jesus was the Christ, but they were still law-keepers and continued to hold that the Law must be imposed on Gentile converts.
Acts 15:2 says there was no small dissension and disputation, so Paul, Barnabas and others went up to Jerusalem to bring the question before the apostles and elders. Paul refused to add circumcision or the Law to his gospel.
Les places the Acts 15 conflict in A.D. 51, about 23 years after Pentecost, showing that even then the Jerusalem believers were not ready to accept Gentile salvation apart from the Law.
Watch the Teaching: Why Mixing Law and Grace Cancels the Work of the Cross