10. Апостольский собор в Иерусалиме (51 г. по Р. X.)

Upon the return of the Apostle Paul to Antioch, some Jewish Christians came there and began to teach Christians who had converted from the pagans: “Unless you are circumcised according to the rite of Moses, you cannot be saved.” On this issue there was a disagreement and considerable competition with them between Paul and Barnabas. A difficult question arose, which threatened to divide the Church: do Christians need to observe the ritual law of Moses? To resolve it, the Antiochian Christians turned to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem, and they, according to the commandment of the Savior (Matthew 18:17), gathered together to consider this matter. According to long (preliminary) reasoning, the Apostle Peter said that God chose him first to preach to the pagans and, “having purified their hearts by faith, he gave them the Holy Spirit, just as he gave us: why do you now tempt God, desiring to lay on the disciples a yoke that neither our fathers nor we could bear?” Barnabas and Paul told, for their part, what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. In conclusion, the holy Apostle James spoke, and his words seemed to express the decision (resolution) of the council. The Apostolic Council freed Christians from observing the ritual law of Moses and inspired them to zealously take care of the fulfillment of the moral law, the essence of which was expressed in the following words: “So as not to do to others what you do not want to do to yourself.” The decision of the council was set out in writing, sealed with the words: “It was pleasing to the Holy Spirit and to us” - and sent with proxies (Silas and Judas, who had the gift of prophecy) to Antioch 16. The Apostle James was given the final decisive word and, as it were, the chairmanship of the council, although he was not one of 12, but one of 70 apostles. This importance is thought to have been accorded to him as the head of the local Jerusalem Church. According to legend, the apostle was elevated to such dignity by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who appeared to him after his resurrection. Here we see the beginning of the third highest sacred degree - bishop. Through bishops, in particular, the apostolic ministry continues in the Church: they have the right to ordain to sacred degrees, teach and judge in the Church. – The decision of the Apostolic Council, which is completely in agreement with the final speech of the Apostle James, is literally the following: “It is pleasing for the Holy Spirit and for us not to place on you any more burden than this necessary: ​​to abstain from things sacrificed to idols and blood, and things strangled, and fornication, and not to do to others what you do not want to do to yourself” (Acts 15:28-29). To abstain from blood and strangulation is a ritual law, but not that of Moses, but the oldest one - Noah’s, given to all people, and not only to the Jews (Gen. 9:4), which therefore has not been abolished along with other ritual laws of Moses. Fornication is especially mentioned because many pagans easily looked at this vice and did not consider it contrary to morality: therefore, the apostles considered it necessary to prohibit it with a special rule. You might be interested in: