If salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, how are Gentile believers supposed to live after they are saved?
Over the years, I have talked with people about God’s commandments and the role they play in the life of a believer. Multiple times, I have heard people say: “Gentiles are not required to obey God’s commandments. They are only required to do the four things mentioned in Acts 15:20.”
But is that what Acts 15:20 means? Are these four instructions the sum total of everything Gentile believers should do to live a life pleasing to God?
In this study, we are going to examine Acts 15:19–21 by asking literary and cultural context questions. Then we will bring the entire series together and answer the core question: What did the Jerusalem Council actually decide?
If we haven’t met yet, I’m Aaron with Life By His Word. This ministry is for serious, hungry Christians who want to move beyond surface-level Bible reading, learn how to study Scripture accurately, and walk in obedience to God’s Word.
This is Part 3 of our study of Acts 15.
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In Part 1, we examined the background that led to the Jerusalem Council and identified the central question: Must Gentiles be circumcised, keep the Law of Moses, and become Jews in order to be saved?
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In Part 2, we examined the evidence presented by Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, and we saw how James showed that the inclusion of the Gentiles agreed with the Prophets and had always been part of God’s plan.
Now James is ready to give his judgment.
My goal is not simply to tell you what I believe Acts 15 means. I want to show you how to study a difficult passage by observing the text, asking good context questions, and searching Scripture for the answers. So, as we study Acts 15:19–21, pay attention not only to the answers, but also to the questions that help us reach those conclusions.
Unpacking James’s Judgment: "Therefore I Judge..."
Verse 19 says:
“Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God.”
The first question I would ask is a literary context question: What does James mean by “therefore”?
The word “therefore” shows us that James is drawing a conclusion from the evidence already presented. Peter testified that God accepted Gentiles through faith. Paul and Barnabas testified that God was working among the nations through signs and wonders. The Prophets showed that Gentile inclusion had always been part of God’s plan. James is now issuing his judgment based on this grounded evidence.
The next literary context question is: What does James mean when he says they should not “trouble” the Gentiles?
To answer that, we return to the central issue introduced in verses 1 and 5.
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Verse 1 says: “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
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Verse 5 says: “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”
So, when James says they should not trouble the Gentiles, he is saying they should not require them to be circumcised or keep the Law of Moses as prerequisites for salvation. James describes these Gentiles as people who are “turning to God.”
This judgment concerns salvation. It does not attempt to answer every question about the role of obedience after salvation. But verse 20 now begins to address how these new believers should live and what practices they needed to forsake in order to worship and fellowship within the believing community.
Why Give Four Commands to Gentiles?
James continues in verse 20:
“But that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.”
This raises an important literary context question: If the Gentiles were not required to keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved, why did James immediately give them four commands?
James is not saying these four things are required for salvation. The council has already answered that question: Jews and Gentiles are saved by faith through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. But those Gentiles who were turning to God could not continue participating in the same pagan practices that had characterized their former lives. Salvation comes by grace through faith, but salvation also transforms how we live.
The Cultural Context of the Four Instructions
The next question I would ask is a cultural context question: Why did James choose these four specific instructions?
1. These practices were connected with the Gentiles’ former pagan lives.
Many came from cultures filled with idol worship, pagan sacrifices, sexual immorality, the consumption of blood, and other practices associated with pagan temples. Some may have believed they could simply add Jesus to the gods they already worshiped. But turning to the one true God required them to forsake their former idolatry. These instructions were not the means of their salvation; they were an outcome of their turning to God.
2. Each instruction was rooted in Scripture.
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Things polluted by idols: Exodus 20:2–3 says, “I am the Lord your God… You shall have no other gods before Me.” Exodus 22:20 also states that anyone who sacrifices to another god instead of the Lord is to be judged. Gentile believers could not continue participating in sacrifices, meals, or worship connected with idols while claiming to worship the one true God.
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Sexual immorality: The Greek word is porneia, which refers broadly to unlawful sexual activity. Exodus 20:14 states, “You shall not commit adultery,” and Leviticus 18 gives detailed instructions concerning prohibited sexual relationships. This was especially critical because sexual immorality was heavily tied to pagan worship and temple practices.
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Things strangled and blood: An animal killed by strangulation retained its blood because the blood had not been properly drained. Genesis 9:4 says, “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” Leviticus 17:11–12 explains why: “For the life of the flesh is in the blood,” and therefore neither an Israelite nor a stranger living among them was to consume blood. These commands directly confronted practices associated with pagan sacrifice.
3. These practices resembled sins that had previously corrupted Israel.
Numbers 25:1–3 describes Israel committing sexual immorality with the women of Moab, eating sacrifices offered to their gods, and bowing down to those gods. Israel joined itself to Baal of Peor, and God’s anger was kindled against them. The apostles did not want followers of Jesus to fall into the same mixture of idolatry, sexual immorality, and false worship that corrupted Israel.
4. Continuing in these practices would prevent fellowship within the community.
Jewish and Gentile believers were now worshiping and gathering together. Idolatry and sexual immorality were not merely cultural differences that Jewish believers found offensive; they were serious sins incompatible with life in the believing community.
In 1 Corinthians 5:9–13, Paul says believers should not continue in close fellowship with someone who claims to be a brother while living in sexual immorality or idolatry. In 1 Corinthians 6:9–11, he affirms that the sexually immoral and idolaters will not inherit the Kingdom of God, but reminds them:
“And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.”
Paul’s later teaching confirms the same principle: these Gentiles had turned to God and been accepted through faith. Now they needed to forsake the idolatrous and immoral practices of their former lives so they could worship the one true God and participate in fellowship with other believers.
Was This a Complete List of Commands?
Were these four instructions intended to be a complete list of everything Gentile believers must do?
No. If these were the only commands Gentile believers were expected to obey, then obvious sins such as murder, theft, lying, and greed would not be prohibited because they are not included in the list.
Clearly, the four instructions were not a replacement for the rest of Scripture. They were a starting point. These new Gentile believers came from pagan backgrounds and had little knowledge of the God of Israel, the Scriptures, biblical definitions of sin, or how to live a holy life. The apostles were not requiring them to immediately understand and practice everything that Jewish believers had spent their entire lives learning.
However, there were certain pagan practices that had to stop immediately. These four instructions addressed foundational issues that allowed Gentile believers to worship God and participate in the community of faith.
Learning Moses Every Sabbath
Verse 21 says:
“For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”
Why does James mention Moses being read every Sabbath?
These Gentile believers were going to attend congregational gatherings. When they gathered, they would hear Moses read and the Scriptures taught. They would learn about the God of Israel, His commandments, His standard of holiness, and how to live a life devoted to Him. The leaders were not requiring these new believers to master everything immediately. They were giving them foundational instructions while allowing continued teaching and growth to take place over time.
The Summary of the Jerusalem Council's Decision
Now we can state the council’s decision clearly. The issue before them was not whether God’s commandments had value, whether obedience mattered after salvation, or a general debate about the Law of Moses.
The question was: Must Gentiles be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in order to be saved?
The council’s answer was an emphatic no. They were not required to receive circumcision or keep the Law of Moses as conditions of salvation. Jews and Gentiles are saved in the exact same way: through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The four instructions in verse 20 did not add new requirements for salvation. They addressed how Gentiles who had turned to God must separate themselves from idolatry, sexual immorality, and the pagan practices of their former lives. These instructions were not a complete replacement for the rest of Scripture. They were immediate and foundational steps of obedience for new believers entering the community of faith, where they would continue hearing Scripture and learning how to live a holy life.
The Council's Final Conclusion: Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ for both Jew and Gentile, and genuine salvation results in a transformed life.
Why Asking Context Questions Matters
Think about what happened when we slowed down and asked good context questions:
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In Part 1: Context questions helped us understand the background of the Jerusalem Council and identify the actual issue being debated.
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In Part 2: Context questions helped us understand Peter’s testimony, the meaning of the yoke, the evidence presented by Paul and Barnabas, and James’s use of Amos 9.
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In Part 3: Context questions helped us understand what James meant by “trouble them,” why he selected these four instructions, and why he mentioned Moses being read every Sabbath.
Without context, we might conclude that Acts 15 abolished every command of God for Gentile believers, or that Gentile believers are responsible for only four commands. But when we examine the question being debated, the flow of the argument, the cultural setting, and the related Scriptures, the meaning becomes much clearer.
This is why asking good context questions matters. They help us understand what a passage is actually addressing, protect us from forcing our own questions onto the text, and lead us toward a deeper and more accurate interpretation. When we understand God’s Word properly, we are better prepared to apply it faithfully and allow it to transform our lives.
Continue Your Study
How did asking these context questions change your understanding of Acts 15? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts with us!
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