Biblical Eldership Church Leadership

The Acts of the Apostles

speakers. Unfortunately, Acts 15 doesn’t identify the group to which James belonged. There is a slight indication, however, that he was counted among the elders because Luke most frequently uses the term “apostles” to refer to the Twelve. This would be especially true in Acts 15, but for a possible exception to this see Acts 1424,14. It is possible, then, that James was both an apostle (Gal. 1:19) and an elder (Acts 15). If that is true, then he was primus interpares (“first among equals”) among the elders. Although the account begins with James as the central person, the dialogue is clearly between Paul and the assembly of brothers (Acts 21:18-25). Note that Luke uses the plural form throughout this pas sage: “And after he had greeted them...and when they heard it they began glorifying God. . .and they said unto him. . .therefore do this that we tell you. . .we have. . .we wrote}; The meeting between Paul and James and the Jerusalem elders was a critical one. Luke recalls that all the elders were present, although he doesn’t give a specific number. This statement demonstrates clearly that a distinct, recognizable body of elders existed. At the meeting, the bond of Christian fellowship between Paul, James, and the elders was renewed. It had been five years since Paul was last in Jerusalem (AD. 52). They rejoiced at Paul’s report of what God was doing among the Gentiles, but their own pressing problems—created by their zealous fellow Jews—quickly dominated the meeting. The elders explain the situation they faced: You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law; and they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs (Acts 21220,21). This was a critical problem that James and the elders had to resolve. The elders were under titanic pressure from both believing and nonbelieving Jews concerning Gentile fratemization and threats to the Law of Moses. Rumors spread by anti-Pauline teachers had poisoned even the Jewish believers’ attitude toward Paul. It was said that Paul was teaching Jewish Christians not to circumcise their children and to forsake Moses. Such rumors, of course, were distortions of Paul’s

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