Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Acts 15:1

"And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren, [saying], Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved." — Acts 15:1 (ASV)

The immediate occasion for the Jerusalem Council was the visit to Syrian Antioch of some Jewish Christians from Jerusalem and their teaching that on principle, circumcision was essential to salvation. These became known as “Judaizers,” and their comrades were promoting similar teaching among Paul’s converts in Galatia. They may have been incited by the return of John Mark and his unfavorable report (cf. comment on 13:13). Both James and Peter (cf. Galatians 2:9) were interested in minimizing conflicts between Judaism and Jewish Christianity. Yet neither was prepared to sacrifice the principles of the Gospel to expediency when the implications of doing this became plain. Undoubtedly the Judaizers thought of themselves as acting conscientiously and on sound theological principles (cf. comment on v.5 below). But as Paul saw it, they sought “a good impression outwardly... to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ” (Galatians 6:12).