Certain Uncertainty: The Gospel of Grace, Acts 15:1-21

A false teaching arose from some Judean believers—Judaizers—who claimed Gentile Christians had to be circumcised to be saved. This sparked the church’s first major theological crisis: Is Jesus enough, or must Gentiles first become Jews?

This was a dangerous teaching—it added to the gospel and undermined the finished work of Christ. Paul and Barnabas saw the error, and when they couldn’t resolve it with the Judaizers, they brought the issue to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem. The Judaizers were blending tradition with grace—adding rules and requirements the gospel never gave. And if we’re not careful, we can do the same—asking people to fit our preferences or traditions instead of pointing them to Jesus alone.