{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-2631","native_reference":{"book_number":510,"chapter_from":15,"chapter_to":15,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":1,"verse_to":1},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Apostolic Constitutions</b>: But because this heresy did then seem the more powerful to seduce men, and the whole Church was in danger, we the twelve assembled together at Jerusalem (for Matthias was chosen to be an apostle in the room of the betrayer, and took the lot of Judas; as it is said, \"His bishopric let another take\"). We deliberated, together with James the Lord's brother, what was to be done; and it seemed good to him and to the elders to speak to the people words of doctrine. For certain men likewise went down from Judea to Antioch, and taught the brethren who were there, saying: \"Unless ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, and walk according to the other customs which he ordained, ye cannot be saved.\" When, therefore, there had been no small dissension and disputation, the brethren which were at Antioch, when they knew that we were all met together about this question, sent out unto us men who were faithful and understanding in the Scriptures to learn concerning this question.<br/><i>— Constitutions of the Holy Apostles Book 6</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: Mark how at every step of the right progress in respect of the Gentiles, the beginning is brought in as matter of necessity. Before this Peter being found fault with, justified himself, and said all that he said in the tone of apology, which was what made his words acceptable: then, the Jews having turned away, upon this Paul came to the Gentiles. Here again, seeing another extravagance coming in, upon this the apostle enacts the law. For as it is likely that they, as being taught of God, discoursed to all indifferently, this moved to jealousy them of the Jews who had believed. And they did not merely speak of circumcision, but they said, Ye cannot even be saved. Whereas the very opposite to this was the case, that receiving circumcision they could not be saved.<br/><i>— Homily on Acts 32</i></p><p><b>John Chrysostom</b>: In Jerusalem, then, there were not any believers from among the Gentiles: but in Antioch of course there were. Therefore there came down certain yet laboring under this disease of the love of rule, and wishing to have those of the Gentiles attached to them. And yet Paul, though he too was learned in the Law, was not thus affected.<br/><i>— Homily on Acts 32</i></p><p><b>Oecumenius</b>: Not those faithful from the Gentiles, but those from the Jews demanded that the faithful be circumcised, and that they perform other fleshly things of the law; whom, wishing to boast in their own peculiar circumcision, the disciples did not receive, although they themselves were of the circumcision; for they sought not their own, but the common good and salvation of the world. [AMMONIUS]<br/><i>— Commentary on Acts</i></p><p><b>Origen of Alexandria</b>: Observe what he alleges as a proof of his statement: \"Christians at first were few in number and held the same opinions, but when they grew to be a great multitude, they were divided and separated, each wishing to have his own individual party. This was their object from the beginning.\" That Christians at first were few in number, in comparison with the multitudes who subsequently became Christian, is no doubt true.…He also says that \"all the Christians were of one mind,\" not noticing, even in this particular, that from the beginning there were differences of opinion among believers regarding the meaning of the books held to be divine. At all events, while the apostles were still preaching and eyewitnesses of Jesus were still teaching his doctrine, there was no small discussion among the converts from Judaism regarding Gentile believers and whether they ought to observe Jewish customs or reject the burden of clean and unclean meats as not being obligatory on those who had abandoned their ancestral Gentile customs and had become believers in Jesus.<br/><i>— AGAINST CELSUS 3.10-11</i></p><p><b>Tertullian</b>: The reason why the Holy Spirit did, when the apostles at that time were consulting, relax the bond and yoke for us, was that we might be free to devote ourselves to the shunning of idolatry.<br/><i>— On Idolatry</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"909068fba1b9afe3093689b1427542485318bab025411ffe83ce691731aba4c0","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":2631,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"d14b6d59b662142f5a40739bc1ffbd07cffbaceafa5e6063e16ae575fbdf3656","translator":null,"work":null}