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Acts 15:10
Verse
Context
The Council at Jerusalem
9He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.10Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?11On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
Sermons
T. Austin-Sparks
Chuck Smith
Reuben Walter
Harris Franklin Rall
St. John ChrysostomSummary
Commentary
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Now therefore why tempt ye God - A God, by giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, evidently shows he does not design them to be circumcised, in order to become debtors to the law, to fulfill all its precepts, etc., why will ye provoke him to displeasure by doing what he evidently designs shall not be done? A yoke - which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? - This does not refer to the moral law - that was of eternal obligation - but to the ritual law, which, through the multitude of its sacrifices, ordinances, etc., was exceedingly burthensome to the Jewish people. And had not God, by an especial providence, rendered both their fields and their flocks very fruitful, they could not possibly have borne so painful a ritual. There is a curious story in Midrash Shochar, told in Yalkut Simeoni, part i. fol. 229, where Korah is represented as showing the oppressive nature of the law, and avarice of its priests, in justification of his rebellion. "There was," said he, "a widow in our neighbourbood who had two orphan children: she had one field; and, when she began to plough it, one came and said, Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. When she went to sow it, he said, Thou shalt not sow thy field with divers seeds. When she began to reap, and to gather the sheaves together, he said, Leave a handful and the corners of the field for the poor. When she prepared to thresh it, he said, Give me the wave-offering, and the first and second tithes. She did as she was commanded, and then went and sold her field, and bought two ewes, that she might clothe herself and family with the wool, and get profit by the lambs. When they brought forth their lambs, Aaron came and said, Give me the firstlings, for the holy blessed God hath said, All the first born, whatsoever openeth the womb, shall be thine. She yielded to his demands, and gave him two lambs. When shearing time came, he said, Give me the first fruits of the wool. When the widow had done this, she said, I cannot stand before this man; I will kill my sheep and eat them. When she had killed the sheep, Aaron came and said, Give me the shoulder, and the jaws, and the ventricle. The widow said, Though I have killed my sheep, I am not delivered from this man; I therefore consecrate the whole to God. Then Aaron said, All belongs to me, for the holy blessed God hath said, Every thing that is consecrated in Israel shall be his, i.e. the priest's. He therefore took the whole carcasses, and marched off, leaving the widow and her orphan daughters overwhelmed with affliction." This is a terrible picture of the requisitions of the Mosaic ritual; and, though exaggerated, it contains so many true features that it may well be said, This is a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. See Schoettgen. In the same vexatious way may the tithes of the national Church in this country be exacted, and in this very way is the exaction frequently exercised. It is high time that these abuses should be corrected.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
why tempt--"try," "provoke" ye God--by standing in the way of His declared purpose. to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, &c.--He that was circumcised became thereby bound to keep the whole law. (See Gal 5:1-6). It was not then the mere yoke of burdensome ceremonies, but of an obligation which the more earnest and spiritual men became, the more impossible they felt it to fulfil. (See Rom 3:5; Gal 2:4, &c.).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Now therefore why tempt ye God,.... By hesitating about this matter, by disputing upon this point, and by seeking for further proof and evidence of the will of God in this affair; when it is so plain a case, that it has been his will that the Gospel should be preached to Gentiles, without obliging them to circumcision; that he has given his Spirit both in his extraordinary gifts, and special grace, to uncircumcised persons; particularly he has bestowed faith in Christ upon them, whereby they have been led to the blood of Christ, typified in circumcision, and are thereby purged from all their filth and pollution, and so are the true circumcision: wherefore it is no other than tempting God, a manifest opposition to him, and what must give him offence, to debate about a point so clear; and especially to attempt to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. It is common with the Jews to call the law a yoke; frequent mention is made of and "the yoke of the commandments" (o), and , "the yoke of the law" (p): and by it here is meant, not circumcision only and barely, for that the Jewish fathers had been able to bear, and had bore it; nor the whole ceremonial law only, which consisted of a multitude of commands and ordinances very heavy and hard; but even the whole moral law, which circumcision obliged those who submitted to it to keep it perfectly; see Gal 5:3, which neither the apostles, nor their fathers, were ever able to do, nor any mere man whatever; and therefore this yoke was intolerable and insupportable, and not to be put upon the necks of the Gentile believers; who here are called disciples, being taught the doctrine of the Gospel, and the way of salvation; which was not by circumcision, nor by any works of the law, but by the grace of Christ, as in the following verse. (o) Targum in Cant. i. 10. & in Lam. iii. 27. Misn. Beracot, c. 2. sect. 2. (p) Echa Rabbati, fol. 56. 3. Pirke Abot, c. 3. sect. 5. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 39. 3.
Acts 15:10
The Council at Jerusalem
9He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.10Now then, why do you test God by placing on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?11On the contrary, we believe it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
- Scripture
- Sermons
- Commentary
Los Angeles Conference #1
By T. Austin-Sparks2.0K57:11ConferenceMAT 6:33JHN 3:8ACT 2:2ACT 11:17ACT 15:10REV 2:7In this sermon, the speaker begins by expressing gratitude for the warm welcome he has received. He then directs the audience to a well-known passage in the Bible, John 3:8, which talks about the wind blowing where it chooses. The speaker connects this idea to the transformation of Peter in the book of Acts, highlighting how Peter's encounter with the Holy Spirit led to a change in his perspective. The sermon emphasizes the importance of having a living relationship with Christ rather than focusing on external traditions or structures. The speaker concludes by emphasizing that the Holy Spirit searches and tests everything, particularly the foundations and structures of our faith.
(Through the Bible) Genesis 2-3
By Chuck Smith1.7K1:33:11ExpositionalISA 55:1JHN 15:16ACT 15:10ROM 8:19GAL 5:1EPH 1:4REV 22:17In this sermon, the speaker begins by emphasizing the importance of understanding God's love and filling our lives with the fullness of His Spirit. The speaker acknowledges the power of choice and the capacity we have in choosing our eternal destiny. They express gratitude for God's choice to ordain us as disciples and bear fruit that remains. The sermon then transitions to discussing the concept of man's incompleteness and God's decision to create a help-meet for Adam. The speaker highlights Adam's naming of the animals as a demonstration of the mind God gave him.
Significance of Christs Death and Resurrection
By Reuben Walter1.1K58:41Christs DeathACT 15:10ROM 3:20HEB 9:11HEB 10:1HEB 10:3HEB 10:9In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of not taking the resurrection of Jesus lightly. They encourage the audience to let the risen Christ have a transformative effect on their daily lives. The speaker acknowledges the heartbreak and significance of the details of Jesus' death, but urges the audience to look past them and understand the purpose behind it. They highlight the resurrection as the foundation of their faith and emphasize that it is a testable fact of history that cannot be explained away.
The Jewish World
By Harris Franklin Rall0PSA 51:10ISA 19:24JER 31:31EZK 36:26MIC 6:8ACT 10:22ACT 15:10ROM 10:2Harris Franklin Rall delves into the profound influence of the Jewish world on the development of Christianity, emphasizing how Jesus, the early leaders, and the foundation of Christianity were all deeply rooted in Judaism. He explores the historical context of Palestine during Jesus' time, highlighting the diverse influences and the unique position of the Jews within the Roman world. Rall also discusses the significance of the Diaspora, the dispersion of Jews throughout the empire, in preparing the hearts and minds of Gentiles for the message of Christianity.
Hebrews 8:1-13
By St. John Chrysostom0PSA 45:11PSA 63:6ISA 43:26ACT 15:10ROM 8:3HEB 8:1John Chrysostom preaches about the superiority of Jesus as the High Priest who sits at the right hand of God, emphasizing His role as the Minister of the sanctuary and the true Tabernacle established by the Lord. He contrasts the old covenant with the new covenant, highlighting the better promises and the covenant written in the hearts of believers. Chrysostom urges the congregation to remember God continually, to repent of old ways, and to strive for spiritual renewal, likening life to a constant contest where vigilance and prayer are essential for success in the eyes of the heavenly Judge.
- Adam Clarke
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
- John Gill
Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
Now therefore why tempt ye God - A God, by giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, evidently shows he does not design them to be circumcised, in order to become debtors to the law, to fulfill all its precepts, etc., why will ye provoke him to displeasure by doing what he evidently designs shall not be done? A yoke - which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? - This does not refer to the moral law - that was of eternal obligation - but to the ritual law, which, through the multitude of its sacrifices, ordinances, etc., was exceedingly burthensome to the Jewish people. And had not God, by an especial providence, rendered both their fields and their flocks very fruitful, they could not possibly have borne so painful a ritual. There is a curious story in Midrash Shochar, told in Yalkut Simeoni, part i. fol. 229, where Korah is represented as showing the oppressive nature of the law, and avarice of its priests, in justification of his rebellion. "There was," said he, "a widow in our neighbourbood who had two orphan children: she had one field; and, when she began to plough it, one came and said, Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. When she went to sow it, he said, Thou shalt not sow thy field with divers seeds. When she began to reap, and to gather the sheaves together, he said, Leave a handful and the corners of the field for the poor. When she prepared to thresh it, he said, Give me the wave-offering, and the first and second tithes. She did as she was commanded, and then went and sold her field, and bought two ewes, that she might clothe herself and family with the wool, and get profit by the lambs. When they brought forth their lambs, Aaron came and said, Give me the firstlings, for the holy blessed God hath said, All the first born, whatsoever openeth the womb, shall be thine. She yielded to his demands, and gave him two lambs. When shearing time came, he said, Give me the first fruits of the wool. When the widow had done this, she said, I cannot stand before this man; I will kill my sheep and eat them. When she had killed the sheep, Aaron came and said, Give me the shoulder, and the jaws, and the ventricle. The widow said, Though I have killed my sheep, I am not delivered from this man; I therefore consecrate the whole to God. Then Aaron said, All belongs to me, for the holy blessed God hath said, Every thing that is consecrated in Israel shall be his, i.e. the priest's. He therefore took the whole carcasses, and marched off, leaving the widow and her orphan daughters overwhelmed with affliction." This is a terrible picture of the requisitions of the Mosaic ritual; and, though exaggerated, it contains so many true features that it may well be said, This is a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. See Schoettgen. In the same vexatious way may the tithes of the national Church in this country be exacted, and in this very way is the exaction frequently exercised. It is high time that these abuses should be corrected.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary
why tempt--"try," "provoke" ye God--by standing in the way of His declared purpose. to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, &c.--He that was circumcised became thereby bound to keep the whole law. (See Gal 5:1-6). It was not then the mere yoke of burdensome ceremonies, but of an obligation which the more earnest and spiritual men became, the more impossible they felt it to fulfil. (See Rom 3:5; Gal 2:4, &c.).
John Gill Bible Commentary
Now therefore why tempt ye God,.... By hesitating about this matter, by disputing upon this point, and by seeking for further proof and evidence of the will of God in this affair; when it is so plain a case, that it has been his will that the Gospel should be preached to Gentiles, without obliging them to circumcision; that he has given his Spirit both in his extraordinary gifts, and special grace, to uncircumcised persons; particularly he has bestowed faith in Christ upon them, whereby they have been led to the blood of Christ, typified in circumcision, and are thereby purged from all their filth and pollution, and so are the true circumcision: wherefore it is no other than tempting God, a manifest opposition to him, and what must give him offence, to debate about a point so clear; and especially to attempt to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. It is common with the Jews to call the law a yoke; frequent mention is made of and "the yoke of the commandments" (o), and , "the yoke of the law" (p): and by it here is meant, not circumcision only and barely, for that the Jewish fathers had been able to bear, and had bore it; nor the whole ceremonial law only, which consisted of a multitude of commands and ordinances very heavy and hard; but even the whole moral law, which circumcision obliged those who submitted to it to keep it perfectly; see Gal 5:3, which neither the apostles, nor their fathers, were ever able to do, nor any mere man whatever; and therefore this yoke was intolerable and insupportable, and not to be put upon the necks of the Gentile believers; who here are called disciples, being taught the doctrine of the Gospel, and the way of salvation; which was not by circumcision, nor by any works of the law, but by the grace of Christ, as in the following verse. (o) Targum in Cant. i. 10. & in Lam. iii. 27. Misn. Beracot, c. 2. sect. 2. (p) Echa Rabbati, fol. 56. 3. Pirke Abot, c. 3. sect. 5. Tzeror Hammor, fol. 39. 3.