“Acts 10–15,” Scripture Helps: New Testament (2024)
Scripture Helps
Acts 10–15
At Caesarea, an angel told Cornelius, a Gentile, to send for Peter. At Joppa, Peter received a revelation instructing him to accept Gentiles into the Church. Peter taught and baptized Cornelius and his household, and they received the Holy Ghost. Herod Agrippa killed James and arrested Peter. An angel released Peter from prison. Paul and Barnabas embarked on their first mission. Despite opposition, they testified of Christ. Disputation arose in Antioch concerning circumcision. The Apostles and other leaders met in Jerusalem and determined that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised when they join the Church of Jesus Christ.
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Background and Context
What was important about Cornelius’s conversion to Christianity?
The covenant originally given to Abraham and Sarah called for a spreading of the covenant to bless “all the families of the earth.” But over time, that understanding seems to have been lost by the Jews. Prior to Christianity, most Jews kept themselves and their religion separate from non-Jews, or Gentiles. This separation became more pronounced after the Babylonian captivity as the Jews tried to reduce “foreign religious influences.” By New Testament times, “negative attitudes toward contact with Gentiles were common in Jerusalem.” These attitudes would have been common among the first Jewish Christians as well.
Cornelius, a Roman military leader, was a Gentile. Luke describes him as someone who was “devout” and “feared God.” This meant that Cornelius was a Gentile who was “sympathetic toward Judaism and worshipped Jehovah but [was] not keeping the regulations of the law of Moses, especially that of circumcision.” Cornelius’s baptism prepared the way for Gentiles to join the Savior’s Church without first converting to Judaism and adhering to the regulations of the law of Moses.
What was the meaning of Peter’s vision?
Under the law of Moses, certain animals were regarded as unclean and forbidden as food. These dietary restrictions “had a great effect upon the whole of [the Jews’] religious and social life.” Thus, when Peter was commanded to kill and eat the meat of forbidden animals, it would have been contrary to deeply ingrained religious and cultural beliefs. At first, Peter did not understand the meaning of this vision. Only after meeting Cornelius, a Gentile, did Peter begin to understand the Lord’s instruction to teach and baptize everyone. President Boyd K. Packer taught, “The early Apostles at first did not know that the gospel was for everyone, for the Gentiles. Then Peter had a vision. …That vision, and the experience they had immediately following, convinced them of their duty; thus began the great missionary work of all Christianity.”
What does it mean that “God is no respecter of persons”?
The Greek word translated as “respecter of persons” in the King James Bible means one who shows favoritism or partiality. Through a vision and his experience with Cornelius, Peter learned that God does not show favoritism or partiality to people because of their social standing, nationality, or possessions. President Boyd K. Packer taught, “No one of us is to consider himself [or herself] of more value than the other. … Remember, He is a father—our Father. The Lord is ‘no respecter of persons.’” While God does not show favoritism based on external measures, He does accept those who honor Him and seek to do what is right.
Why were the early Saints called Christians?
The disciples of Jesus Christ were first called Christians by the people of Antioch. At first, the title Christian may have been “a derisive nickname, much as Mormon was used in the early part of our present dispensation.” Eventually, members of the Church adopted the term to refer to themselves.
Who was “Herod the king”?
The Herod mentioned in Acts 12 was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod the Great. He was generally popular with his Jewish subjects because of his careful observance of Jewish customs. He may have ordered the death of James to retain the approval of Jewish leaders. Agrippa died in AD 44, the same year James was martyred. Luke saw Agrippa’s sudden death as divine judgment administered by an angel of the Lord.
Which James was killed by Herod?
There are several individuals named James within the New Testament. The James who was killed by Herod Agrippa I was the brother of the Apostle John and one of the original Twelve Apostles. He was also one of three special witnesses to several sacred events with the Savior.
Who was John Mark?
John Mark was likely the author of the Gospel of Mark. He was the son of a woman named Mary, one of the leading women in the early Church in Jerusalem. (Believers assembled at her home, and Peter returned there after being freed from prison.) Mark was chosen as a companion of Paul and Barnabas (Mark’s cousin) as they left on their first missionary journey. He is probably the Marcus whom Peter spoke of as “my son.”
What did the laying on of hands mean to the early Christian Church?
There are numerous passages within the New Testament that refer to the laying on of hands as an early Christian ordinance. Some passages in the Old Testament similarly depict the laying on of hands as a practice within ancient Israel.
The rite of laying on of hands within the Old and New Testaments was seen “as a gesture of transfer.” The authorized priesthood holder transferred “power, spiritual gifts, and authority” to another through this ritual action. This practice was also used when appointing one to a specific responsibility within the Church of Jesus Christ, as is seen with Paul’s and Barnabas’s call to be missionaries.
Why was Saul later referred to as Paul?
After this point in the book of Acts, Saul is called Paul. Saul is a Hebrew name. Paul is a Roman name. “Rather than being two names connected with two periods of his life, the names rather represent two cultural spheres. When Paul interacted with those of a Jewish background, he went by Saul; when his travels took him into gentile areas, he went by Paul.”
What are the “sure mercies of David”?
While testifying of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Paul used the phrase “the sure mercies of David.” This phrase comes from Isaiah 55:3. “Paul equates this phrase with the resurrection (Acts 13:34). David knew that the Lord would redeem him from endless death through the resurrection. … The Lord’s mercy to David, which was a sure promise, is given to all mankind.”
What does it mean to be justified?
The Greek word dikaioō can be translated as “justify” or “declare righteous.” In other words, to be justified is to “be pardoned from punishment for sin and declared guiltless. A person is justified by the Savior’s grace through faith in Him. This faith is shown by repentance and obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. Jesus Christ’s Atonement enables mankind to repent and be justified or pardoned from punishment they otherwise would receive.” Paul taught that only through Jesus Christ can we be “set free [justified] from all those sins from which you could not be freed [justified] by the law of Moses.”
Why did Paul and Barnabas shake the dust off their feet?
See “Matthew 10:14. What did it mean to ‘shake off the dust of your feet’?”
Were Paul and Barnabas members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles?
The Greek word apostolos means “messenger” or “one sent forth.” This broad definition could be applied to any witness of the Savior, such as missionaries. Apostle is also “the title Jesus gave to the Twelve whom He chose and ordained to be His closest disciples and helpers during His ministry on earth (Luke 6:13; John 15:16). … Both anciently and in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in the restored Church today, an Apostle is a special witness of Jesus Christ in all the world to testify of His divinity and of His resurrection from the dead (Acts 1:22; D&C 107:23).”
It appears that Paul understood apostle in the broad sense of “one sent forth.” For this reason, we should exercise caution in interpreting Paul’s usage of apostle to mean that he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. The strongest indications in the New Testament that he may have been a member of the Twelve come from Acts 14:4, 14, and Galatians 1:1. President Joseph Fielding Smith was of the opinion that “Paul was an ordained apostle, and … he took the place of one of the other brethren in that Council [of the Twelve].” In our day, the title of Apostle is reserved for members of the First Presidency and of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. These 15 presiding men are sustained as prophets, seers, and revelators.
What led to the Jerusalem conference?
Early Jewish Christians considered it necessary to observe the law of Moses, including circumcision. Thus, some Jewish members were troubled about news that Peter had associated with and baptized Gentiles, including Cornelius.
This resistance became more pronounced after the successful missionary efforts of Paul and Barnabas among the Gentiles. When they returned to Antioch and testified that God “had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles,” they faced stiff opposition from those who believed that you could only be saved if you were “circumcised after the manner of Moses.” After debating with those who felt circumcision was necessary, Paul felt impressed to take this matter to Church leaders in Jerusalem. One central question was this: “Is obedience to the law of Moses with all its attendant performances required for salvation now that Jesus Christ has made the Atonement?”
Who was the James who spoke at the Jerusalem conference?
James played an important role at the Jerusalem conference. He was the son of Joseph and Mary and the half brother of Jesus Christ. At this time, he was apparently the leading elder of the Church in Jerusalem. Because of Jerusalem’s importance, James’s position in the Church was highly regarded. Paul called him an Apostle. He was likely the author of the Epistle of James.
How was the decision of the Jerusalem conference received by Church members?
Despite Church leaders’ decision to not require Gentiles to be circumcised prior to baptism, many Church members did not readily understand or accept it. It would take years before the culture and attitudes of Church members matched the inspired change. Throughout his ministry, Paul continued to teach that faithfulness brought favor with God.
What was the contention between Paul and Barnabas?
A disagreement between Paul and Barnabas began when Barnabas suggested that “John, whose surname was Mark,” join them on a mission to visit all the branches of the Church they had organized. Mark, a relative of Barnabas, had accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first mission but had departed from them early on. Though little is known about why Mark left or what the nature of the argument was between Barnabas and Paul, the Apostles separated. Paul and Mark seemed to have reconciled later.
Who Was Silas?
Silas was probably the “Silvanus” mentioned by Paul in several of his letters. Silas was prominent among Church leaders in Jerusalem. Paul chose him as a companion on his second missionary journey. Silas was apparently the scribe for the book of 1 Peter.
Learn More
The Gospel Is for Everyone
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Joseph W. Sitati, “Blessings of the Gospel Available to All,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2009, 103–5
On Being Christian
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Robert D. Hales, “Being a More Christian Christian,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 90–92
Lesson from the Jerusalem Council
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D. Todd Christofferson, “The Doctrine of Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 86–89
Media
Videos
“Peter’s Revelation to Take the Gospel to the Gentiles” (9:08)
“The Jerusalem Conference” (3:36)
Images
The Dream of Saint Peter, by Jeremias Falck after a painting by Domenico Fetti
Paul and Barnabas in Lystra, by Nicolaes Pietersz Berchem