There has only ever been one assembly council. All others, beginning with Nicaea I, have been man-centered and have shifted the direction from the spiritual to the fleshly at colossal cost.
In the council ultimates were revealed. They were absolutely monumental then, and they are so now. To misunderstand those events and outcomes were catastrophic then, and they are so now.
I will consider the true council for its reality and consequences. After that, a realistic evaluation of the church councils of the 4th century and later must be judged! In the comparison stark contrasts will be seen; those between the true and the false, the Spirit and the flesh, and liberty and destruction!
The only council occurred in Jerusalem in the last days of the Mosaic Age about the year AD 50. It firmly established the faith and love which are in Jesus Christ. Its rulings were not simply advisements to avoided offenses. They were divine law.
Background to the council: According to the true apostolic historian, Luke, Paul and Barnabas were appointed by God to leave Syrian Antioch and go into the region of Galatia to do their work of service. At first they went to the Jews, according to the purpose of God. After the Jews rejected the message of salvation they, also according to God’s purpose, turned to the gentiles with great success. This last fact was the monumental event in God’s purpose to save the world through Jesus. To accomplish these things, they traveled through the island of Cyprus before landing on the mainland. They made their way from Perga on the coast up to Pisidian Antioch where God fulfilled His word to bring light to the gentiles and salvation to the uttermost part of the earth. Then they traveled southeast as far as Derbe, and afterwards circled back through the cities and regions in which they previous ministered. They did all of this among strong persecutions and successes while carrying out the purpose and plan of God. Finally, they set sail for their city of origin, Syrian Antioch, where they remained for some time.
The reason for the council: While Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch, some men arrived from Judea teaching, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” It is precisely here that major and lethal catastrophic error tried to impose itself into the apostolic assembly. And, it is precisely here that the parallels between those old Jewish errors and the later ones of the church councils enshrined in their creeds is laid bare and manifested! The error of the Jews was maintaining that circumcision was necessary for salvation. The error of the conciliar creeds was maintaining that water baptism was and is necessary for salvation! Furthermore, just as certain false Jewish teachers went on the say, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the Law of Moses” the councils and the Catholic and Orthodox churches developed the doctrine that water baptism and good works are necessary for salvation and the grounds for being justified before God! The difference was merely and insignificantly in the timing. The false Jewish teachers added keeping the Law of Moses to circumcision in rapid succession; circumcision in Antioch – keeping the Law of Moses very soon after in Jerusalem. The councils and Catholic and Orthodox Churches developed their essential combination – water baptism and good words – over several centuries. The intended results were and are exactly the same. Thank God that the false Jewish teachers failed! To the great dishonor of God the councils and Catholicism and Orthodoxy succeeded!
When you properly consider the declarations of the Apostles Paul and Peter, and the determinations of the council of Jerusalem, the doctrines of the false Jewish teachers and, correspondingly, those of the false church teachers vanish as being groundless and without any merit. After much debate among Paul, Barnabas, and the false teachers, it was determined that the matter be taken up with the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. Upon arrival, they were received by the assembly, the apostles, and the elders, also known as the shepherds over God’s flock. This is another of the stark contrasts between the real and the counterfeit. It was the assembly as a whole; all the people, the apostles, and the elders that were involved in the Jerusalem council. Among the church councils (up until Vatican II), it was and is the so-called bishops only who attended and made the mandatory determinations. As a caveat it needs to be understood that Vatican II was a window dressing council – a modernizing show council. They invited non-bishops and non-Catholics to attend. However, only the Pope and the bishops made the final rulings.
After there had also been much debate in Jerusalem, Peter made known the truth of the matter. He told the group to recall how God had used him to bring in the first-fruits of the gentiles through the house of Cornelius, the Roman centurion. He said, "God, Who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”
What happened at the house of Cornelius? What was the event to which Peter referred? What was the nature of God cleansing the hearts of Cornelius and his house by faith?
After God revealed to Peter that he was to stop considering defiled what God had cleansed and that he was to go to the house of Cornelius and deliver a message to him, he obeyed. As he was proclaiming to them the good message of salvation and forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit fell upon the household of Cornelius, that is, He baptized them in His Spirit with the very same evidence of speaking in tongues just as He had done to the disciples on the fulfillment of the Day of Pentecost. This occurred precisely because Cornelius and his house believed the message of Jesus Christ. They did nothing other than believe! Thereafter, Peter said, “Can anyone refuse water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. He ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus precisely for the same reason that all of the followers of Jesus where baptized in His name, not to obey for salvation, but to show to the world that they were the followers of Jesus, who believed in Him and belonged to Him alone. They were baptized because they were justified from sin through believing in Jesus Christ, the Word of God!
Paul said virtually the exact same thing in the synagogue of Antioch when he revealed the pivotal and epochal turning point which included the redemption of the world in God’s plan. He said, "let it be known to you, brothers, that through Him (Jesus) forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and that in Him, everyone who believes is justified from all things which you could not be justified from through the Law of Moses." Here is not a word about water baptism or any other work or works which enable one to be justified from all things before God – as taught by the church councils and Catholicism and Orthodoxy!
It is appropriate here to expose the manipulations of the false doctrine of Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and protestants who take up this error. The teaching of the apostles has never been one of justifying faith which must go before the justifying responses of water baptism, whether that be by itself or be the first among other good works. Also, it is patently false and absurd to call a work or works fruit or fruits and think that it really changes the validity and the meaning of words. This is the hallmark of all false doctrine; to change the meaning of words and make them say what they do not say in order to propagate error! Salvation, being justified before God, has always been of pure faith alone by God’s grace alone. Remember the word of the Apostle John when writing of Jesus teaching Nicodemus. I will quote it and then comment on the most powerful reference to Moses. “If I told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? And no one has ascended into heaven, but He who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; so that whoever believes will in Him have eternal life.” What was the historical reference? In their travels in the wilderness, the people of Israel became impatient and spoke against God and Moses, accusing God and His leader of leading them out of Egypt only to die in the wilderness. They complained bitterly about their lack of food and water and despised the food of provision that God had given to them, calling it “worthless bread”. At this great dishonor, Jahveh sent poisonous snakes among them to bite them so that many of them died. The people then realized their guilt and went to Moses telling him that they had sinned by speaking against Jahveh and him. They also asked that Moses pray to Jahveh and ask Him to remove the snakes from them. Moses prayed for the people and this was Jahveh’s response to him and his immediate action with its result: “Make a poisonous snake and set it on a pole; and it will be that everyone who is bitten and looks at it, will live.” And Moses made a bronze snake and set it on the pole; and it happened, that if a snake bit any man, when he looked to the bronze snake, he lived.
That was the remedy! That was the pure, direct, and simple solution! Jahveh provided healing to life through His mighty love, and anyone who obeyed Jahveh and simply looked at the bronze snake lived! There was no work of obedience to perform. Hear Jahveh, look, and live was the way of salvation!
This precise way of believing, and only believing was the word of eternal salvation to Nicodemus! It is still the only ever-abiding word of salvation to all who will believe! What did Jesus teach was the difference regarding the historical application? Moses lifted up a bronze snake on a pole. God lifted Jesus up upon the cross at the place of the Skull. What was and what are mankind required to do? Look and live! Hallelujah! In an application of this way of salvation, which was effectively the exact experience of Cornelius referred to by Peter, hear what Paul said to Titus: "When the kindness and affection of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not by works which we did in righteousness, but according to His mercy, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, Whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."
Determination of the council: After Peter spoke of God using him to save the gentiles by faith, James, the leader of the assembly of Jerusalem gave his answer. He declared that the events related by Peter, Paul, and Barnabas were the fulfillment of the prophets, focusing on Amos. That prophecy declared that after God purged Israel of sin, He would rebuild and restore the fallen booth of David by bringing in the gentiles who were called by His Name to seek Him, and that this was His plan from all eternity. James concluded, “Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood.” That was it! That was the Spirit-led conclusion regarding the necessity of circumcision for salvation and the follow-up necessity of keeping the Law of Moses for salvation – the whole reason for the council coming together! Listen closely to the directives about this controversy as written by the apostles and elders of the Jerusalem assembly:
“The apostles and the brothers who are elders, to the brothers in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.
Since we have heard that some of us, to whom we gave no instruction, have gone out and disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, and they themselves will report the same things by word of mouth.
For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from sexual immorality, from which if you keep yourselves, you will do well. Farewell.”
That one and only true assembly council established for all time that salvation in Jesus occurs only by believing in Jesus and only by the grace and determination of God! And, it also established for all time that the love of Jesus must rule as the ground of fellowship for all of God’s people!
What were the essential things established by the council? They were things that had to do with the gentile world’s table gatherings, which were based on or roughly modeled on Roman banqueting or feasting. Table fellowship was central to group gatherings in the ancient world. Those things named were all highly offensive to Jewish table culture. At this point I will address sexual immorality as found among the essential things named. Sexual immorality always was and always is sinful! Just as in modern times, the ancient gentile world did not view many of its forms and acts as immoral. They saw those things as not only indifferent, but even to be sought, indulged in, and celebrated. Roman feasts very often involved illicit sexual acts during and/or immediately after dining. The food items named involved blood, either the improper retaining of blood within the flesh of animals or the consumption of blood itself. The Jews were still Jews just as the gentiles were still gentiles. Jewish social behaviors were grounded in the Mosaic Law, which forbade the eating of flesh not properly drained of blood and forbade the eating of blood itself. To violate those rules was punishable under the Mosaic Law and was still highly offensive even if the penalties of the Law were not applied. The gentiles’ behaviors were often grounded in enculturation, as has been shown through adopting Roman feasting standards as normal. The council determined that fellowship between Jews and gentiles must be grounded and established in the love of God in Jesus! Things offensive to Jews must be given up among the gentiles! How essential, how necessary were those required things? After Paul and Barnabas with Judas and Silas delivered the council’s decision to the gentiles of concern, Paul and Silas traveled by land through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the assemblies. They found Timothy the believer in the region of Derbe and Lystra and Paul had him join them. As they traveled on through cities in which they had previously ministered, they delivered the decrees of the council to each assembly. This is what the Scripture testifies to regarding the spreading of the decrees: So the assemblies were being strengthened in the faith, and were abounding in number daily. The word translated decrees is the Greek work dogmas! It means decrees; ordinances; laws. It is used five times in the New Covenant Scriptures. Aside from this use it was used twice of the decrees of Caesar and twice of commandments of the Law of Moses. All of those were binding! The determinations of the apostles and elders of the Jerusalem council were the Law of God in Jesus Christ! They were not wise counsel or prudent suggestions for harmony. They were Divine commandments for the unity in the Spirit in the bond of peace! Furthermore, and to the point, nothing was said regarding faith and circumcision or faith and keeping the Law of Moses or faith and water baptism or faith and works for salvation – NOTHING! Why? Because salvation, that is, justification for eternal life by faith alone was already established as a given fact by the testimonies of Peter, Paul, and Barnabas! It was endorsed by James and the council in the applied quote of the prophet Amos.
The one and only council that ever was or ever will be in the assembly of Jesus established that justification for eternal life was and is by faith alone and righteousness of eternal life was and is grounded and manifested in the love of Jesus abounding through all of His people to all of His people!
This is a universe apart from the determinations of the ecumenical church councils which began with Nicaea. I will look in a detailed way in a separate essay at some of the many tragic and misleading creeds and laws of the Council of Nicaea and those which followed, but here I draw contrast to the one issue about faith and justification before God. Nicaea I, held in AD 325, was rudimentary because of its background but afterward was modified and merged into Nicaea II, held in AD 381. In fact, when reference is made to the Council of Nicaea, for various reasons it is Nicaea II that is the reference. What did they determine? They put as essential in their creed: “We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.” Two things were presupposed because they were intrinsic to the interpretation environment. First, the baptism was in water and not in the Holy Spirit. Second, the act was necessary for the forgiveness of sins. It was essential. Universally, and without exception, the patristic fathers taught the necessity of water baptism for justification before God in salvation.
Additionally, away with the subtle and hair splitting argument that faith must go before water baptism and God’s grace must go before faith! Away the hair splitting compromises that the “baptism of blood” and the “baptism of desire” stands in lieu of water baptism when that is not doable due to life’s circumstances! When it all boils down to its essence, you are left with the fact has held by Catholicism, Orthodoxy, and their acquiescing errant Protestants, that water baptism IS REQUIRED in order to be justified before God in salvation!
The one and only council of the assembly of Jesus determined these truths and these only: One is justified before God by faith alone in Jesus Christ by God’s grace alone and one must love his brethren in Jesus Christ according to the mind and directions of God’s Holy Spirit!
For related subjects return to the Home Page and click the links “Water Baptism - What Was It?” and “Church Ordinances”.
Amen! – Hallelujah! – Glory to God in the Highest!
Emmanuel! – Jahveh is here!