Elihu Justifies God

341 Moreover Elihu answered and said, 2 Hear my words, ye wise men; And give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge. 3 For the ear trieth words, As the palate tasteth food. 4 Let us choose for us that which is right: Let us know among ourselves what is good. 5 For Job hath said, I am righteous, And God hath taken away my right: 6 Notwithstanding my right I am [accounted] a liar; My wound is incurable, [though I am] without transgression. 7 What man is like Job, Who drinketh up scoffing like water, 8 Who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, And walketh with wicked men? 9 For he hath said, It profiteth a man nothing That he should delight himself with God.

10 Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding: Far be it from God, that he should do wickedness, And from the Almighty, that he should commit iniquity. 11 For the work of a man will he render unto him, And cause every man to find according to his ways. 12 Yea, of a surety, God will not do wickedly, Neither will the Almighty pervert justice. 13 Who gave him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world? 14 If he set his heart upon himself, [If] he gather unto himself his spirit and his breath; 15 All flesh shall perish together, And man shall turn again unto dust.

16 If now [thou hast] understanding, hear this: Hearken to the voice of my words. 17 Shall even one that hateth justice govern? And wilt thou condemn him that is righteous [and] mighty?— 18 [Him] that saith to a king, [Thou art] vile, [Or] to nobles, [Ye are] wicked; 19 That respecteth not the persons of princes, Nor regardeth the rich more than the poor; For they all are the work of his hands. 20 In a moment they die, even at midnight; The people are shaken and pass away, And the mighty are taken away without hand. 21 For his eyes are upon the ways of a man, And he seeth all his goings. 22 There is no darkness, nor thick gloom, Where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. 23 For he needeth not further to consider a man, That he should go before God in judgment. 24 He breaketh in pieces mighty men [in ways] past finding out, And setteth others in their stead. 25 Therefore he taketh knowledge of their works; And he overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed. 26 He striketh them as wicked men In the open sight of others; 27 Because they turned aside from following him, And would not have regard in any of his ways: 28 So that they caused the cry of the poor to come unto him, And he heard the cry of the afflicted. 29 When he giveth quietness, who then can condemn? And when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? Alike whether [it be done] unto a nation, or unto a man: 30 That the godless man reign not, That there be none to ensnare the people.

31 For hath any said unto God, I have borne [chastisement], I will not offend [any more]: 32 That which I see not teach thou me: If I have done iniquity, I will do it no more? 33 Shall his recompense be as thou wilt, that thou refusest it? For thou must choose, and not I: Therefore speak what thou knowest. 34 Men of understanding will say unto me, Yea, every wise man that heareth me: 35 Job speaketh without knowledge, And his words are without wisdom. 36 Would that Job were tried unto the end, Because of his answering like wicked men. 37 For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; He clappeth his hands among us, And multiplieth his words against God.

351 Moreover Elihu answered and said, 2 Thinkest thou this to be [thy] right, [Or] sayest thou, My righteousness is more than God's, 3 That thou sayest, What advantage will it be unto thee? [And], What profit shall I have, more than if I had sinned? 4 I will answer thee, And thy companions with thee. 5 Look unto the heavens, and see; And behold the skies, which are higher than thou. 6 If thou hast sinned, what effectest thou against him? And if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto him? 7 If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? Or what receiveth he of thy hand? 8 Thy wickedness [may hurt] a man as thou art; And thy righteousness [may profit] a son of man.

9 By reason of the multitude of oppressions they cry out; They cry for help by reason of the arm of the mighty. 10 But none saith, Where is God my Maker, Who giveth songs in the night, 11 Who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, And maketh us wiser than the birds of the heavens? 12 There they cry, but none giveth answer, Because of the pride of evil men. 13 Surely God will not hear an empty [cry], Neither will the Almighty regard it.

14 How much less when thou sayest thou beholdest him not, The cause is before him, and thou waitest for him! 15 But now, because he hath not visited in his anger, Neither doth he greatly regard arrogance; 16 Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vanity; He multiplieth words without knowledge.

The Council at Jerusalem

151 And certain men came down from Judaea and taught the brethren, [saying], Except ye be circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 And when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and questioning with them, [the brethren] appointed that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question. 3 They therefore, being brought on their way by the church, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren. 4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church and the apostles and the elders, and they rehearsed all things that God had done with them. 5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying, It is needful to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses.

6 And the apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had been much questioning, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Brethren, ye know that a good while ago God made choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, who knoweth the heart, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Spirit, even as he did unto us; 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why make ye trial of God, that ye should put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they. 12 And all the multitude kept silence; and they hearkened unto Barnabas and Paul rehearsing what signs and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles through them. 13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Symeon hath rehearsed how first God visited the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After these things I will return, And I will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen; And I will build again the ruins thereof, And I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men may seek after the Lord, And all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, 18 Saith the Lord, who maketh these things known from of old. 19 Wherefore my judgment is, that we trouble not them that from among the Gentiles turn to God; 20 but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from what is strangled, and from blood. 21 For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Acts 15:1-21

Commentary on Acts 15:1-6

(Read Acts 15:1-6)

Some from Judea taught the Gentile converts at Antioch, that they could not be saved, unless they observed the whole ceremonial law as given by Moses; and thus they sought to destroy Christian liberty. There is a strange proneness in us to think that all do wrong who do not just as we do. Their doctrine was very discouraging. Wise and good men desire to avoid contests and disputes as far as they can; yet when false teachers oppose the main truths of the gospel, or bring in hurtful doctrines, we must not decline to oppose them.

Commentary on Acts 15:7-21

(Read Acts 15:7-21)

We see from the words "purifying their hearts by faith," and the address of St. Peter, that justification by faith, and sanctification by the Holy Ghost, cannot be separated; and that both are the gift of God. We have great cause to bless God that we have heard the gospel. May we have that faith which the great Searcher of hearts approves, and attests by the seal of the Holy Spirit. Then our hearts and consciences will be purified from the guilt of sin, and we shall be freed from the burdens some try to lay upon the disciples of Christ. Paul and Barnabas showed by plain matters of fact, that God owned the preaching of the pure gospel to the Gentiles without the law of Moses; therefore to press that law upon them, was to undo what God had done. The opinion of James was, that the Gentile converts ought not to be troubled about Jewish rites, but that they should abstain from meats offered to idols, so that they might show their hatred of idolatry. Also, that they should be cautioned against fornication, which was not abhorred by the Gentiles as it should be, and even formed a part of some of their rites. They were counselled to abstain from things strangled, and from eating blood; this was forbidden by the law of Moses, and also here, from reverence to the blood of the sacrifices, which being then still offered, it would needlessly grieve the Jewish converts, and further prejudice the unconverted Jews. But as the reason has long ceased, we are left free in this, as in the like matters. Let converts be warned to avoid all appearances of the evils which they formerly practised, or are likely to be tempted to; and caution them to use Christian liberty with moderation and prudence.