After they had fallen silent, James responded, “My brothers, listen to me. 14 Symeon has described how God first concerned himself with acquiring from among the Gentiles a people for his name. 15 The words of the prophets agree with this, as is written: 16 ‘After this I shall return and rebuild the fallen hut of David; from its ruins I shall rebuild it and raise it up again, 17 so that the rest of humanity may seek out the Lord, even all the Gentiles on whom my name is invoked. Thus says the Lord who accomplishes these things, 18 known from of old.’ 19 It is my judgment, therefore, that we ought to stop troubling the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but tell them by letter to avoid pollution from idols, unlawful marriage, the meat of strangled animals, and blood. 21 For Moses, for generations now, has had those who proclaim him in every town, as he has been read in the synagogues every sabbath.”
The James mentioned in verse 13 is traditionally identified as James the Just, the “brother” of Jesus (Mt. 13:55-56; Gal. 1:19), and the first bishop of Jerusalem. He was one of the leaders in the early Christian community in Jerusalem, most of whom adhered to Jewish law. According to historical records, James was martyred around 62 AD. James referred to Simon Peter as Symeon, a variant of his Hebrew name, connecting him to his Jewish heritage and underscoring the continuity between Jewish tradition and the Christian faith. As a leading figure among the apostles, Peter’s opinion would have carried significant weight.
James recounts how God first used Peter to bring Gentiles into the Christian Community. He references the words of the prophets by quoting Amos 9:11-12 highlighting the restoration of David's kingdom and the inclusion of the Gentiles as foreseen by the prophets. This prophetic fulfillment supports the decision to welcome Gentiles without imposing full Mosaic Law observance. The expression "known from of old" emphasizes God's eternal plan to include Gentiles.
James concludes that the Gentiles turning to God should not be burdened with the full yoke of the Mosaic Law but should be advised to abstain from practices particularly offensive to Jewish Christians, such as idolatry, sexual immorality, consumption of blood, and meat from strangled animals. This decision reflects a need for harmony and unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. To support his reference to the prophets, James states that the teachings of Moses are read in Jewish Synagogues every Sabbath, providing the Jewish community with continuous exposure to the Mosaic Law.
Almighty God, we thank You for the wisdom and guidance You provided through Your apostles and leaders in the early Church from whom our understanding of the faith flowed. Help us to embrace all people with love and understanding, and grant us the grace to live in harmony with others. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen!
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Sources:
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
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