The life and work of St. Paul

THE CONSULTATION AT JERUSALEM, 241
him, unlike the language of his own Epistle. But though his speech is as
different from St. Peter's as possible though it proposed restrictions where
he had indicated liberty it yet went farther than could have been hoped;
farther than bigots either liked or cordially accepted; and, above all, It
conceded the main point at issue hi implying that circumcision aud the
ceremonial law were, as a whole, non-essential for the Gentiles.
Requesting their 1
attention, he reminded them that Symeon as, using the
Hebrew form of the name, he characteristically calls his brother Apostle had
narrated to them the Divine intimations which led to the call of the Gentiles,
and this ho shows was in accordance with ancient prophecy, and, therefore,
with Divine fore-ordination, 2 -But obviously this was patent to all Jewa
alike the Gentiles would never accept the whole Mosaic Law. His au-
thoritative decision, 3 therefore, took the form of " a concession and a reserve."
He proposed to release the converted Gentiles from all but four restrictions
which belonged to what was called the Noachian dispensation 4
abstinence,
namely, from things polluted by being offered to idols, 5 and from fornication,
and from anything strangled, and from blood. 8 " For," he adds, hi words
which are pregnant with more than one significance, " Moses from of old hath
preachers in the synagogues in every city, being read every Sabbath day."
By this addition he probably meant to imply that since Moses was universally
read in synagogues attended both by Jews and by Gentile converts, we will
tell the Gentiles that this Law which they hear read is not universally
binding on them, but only so far as charity to the Jew requires; and we will
tell the Jewa that we have no desire to abrogate for them that Law to whose
ordinances they bear a weekly witness.
One of the most remarkable points in this speech is the argument deduced
from the prophecy of Amos, which was primarily meant as a prophecy of the
restoration of Israel from captivity, but which St. James, with a large
insight into the ever-widening horizons of prophecy, applies to the ideal
restoration, the reception of Jehovah as their common Father by the great
family of man. In the rebuilding of the ruined tabernacle of David he sees
the upraising of the Church of Christ as an ideal temple to which the Gentiles
also shall be joined. Nor is it a little striking that in adducing this prophecy
7
he quotes, not the Hebrew, but mainly the Septuagint. The Greek differs
1 As in 2 Peter i. 1. This is the last mention of Peter in tha Acts.
seems to
8 Amos ix. 11, 12. The true reading here, among numberless divergences,
be yviavra. OLTT aluvot (*, B, C), "it has been known of old." James affirms what Amos
prophesied, but bis speech is not free from difficulties. (See Baur, Paul. i. 124.)
fyii (cpiVw, but he was onlypranws inter pares. (See Acts xv. ft; xxi. 25.)
4 See Gen. ix. 4.
6 Acts XV. 30, AXicr/i^ara rS>v iSiiAwv = el&