Elihu Justifies God

341 And Elihu answereth and saith: 2 Hear, O wise men, my words, And, O knowing ones, give ear to me. 3 For the ear doth try words, And the palate tasteth to eat. 4 Judgment let us choose for ourselves, Let us know among ourselves what 'is' good. 5 For Job hath said, 'I have been righteous, And God hath turned aside my right, 6 Against my right do I lie? Mortal 'is' mine arrow—without transgression.' 7 Who 'is' a man like Job? He drinketh scoffing like water, 8 And he hath travelled for company With workers of iniquity, So as to go with men of wickedness. 9 For he hath said, 'It doth not profit a man, When he delighteth himself with God.'

10 Therefore, O men of heart, hearken to me; Far be it from God to do wickedness, And 'from' the Mighty to do perverseness: 11 For the work of man he repayeth to him, And according to the path of each He doth cause him to find. 12 Yea, truly, God doth not do wickedly, And the Mighty doth not pervert judgment. 13 Who hath inspected for Himself the earth? And who hath placed all the habitable world? 14 If He doth set on him His heart, His spirit and his breath unto Him He gathereth. 15 Expire doth all flesh together, And man to dust returneth.

16 And if 'there is' understanding, hear this, Give ear to the voice of my words. 17 Yea, doth one hating justice govern? Or the Most Just dost thou condemn? 18 Who hath said to a king—'Worthless,' Unto princes—'Wicked?' 19 That hath not accepted the person of princes, Nor hath known the rich before the poor, For a work of His hands 'are' all of them. 20 'In' a moment they die, and at midnight Shake do people, and they pass away, And they remove the mighty without hand. 21 For His eyes 'are' on the ways of each, And all his steps He doth see. 22 There is no darkness nor death-shade, For workers of iniquity to be hidden there; 23 For He doth not suffer man any more, To go unto God in judgment, 24 He breaketh the mighty—no searching! And He appointeth others in their stead. 25 Therefore He knoweth their works, And He hath overturned by night, And they are bruised. 26 As wicked He hath stricken them, In the place of beholders. 27 Because that against right They have turned aside from after Him, And none of His ways have considered wisely, 28 To cause to come in unto Him The cry of the poor, And the cry of the afflicted He heareth. 29 And He giveth rest, and who maketh wrong? And hideth the face, and who beholdeth it? And in reference to a nation and to a man, 'It is' the same. 30 From the reigning of a profane man, From the snares of a people;

31 For unto God hath any said: 'I have taken away, I do not corruptly, 32 Besides 'that which' I see, shew Thou me, If iniquity I have done—I do not add?' 33 By thee doth He recompense, That thou hast refused—That thou dost choose, and not I? And what thou hast known, speak. 34 Let men of heart say to me, And a wise man is hearkening to me. 35 Job—not with knowledge doth he speak, And his words 'are' not with wisdom. 36 My Father! let Job be tried—unto victory, Because of answers for men of iniquity, 37 For he doth add to his sin, Transgression among us he vomiteth, And multiplieth his sayings to God.

351 And Elihu answereth and saith:— 2 This hast thou reckoned for judgment: Thou hast said—'My righteousness 'is' more than God's?' 3 For thou sayest, 'What doth it profit Thee! What do I profit from my sin?' 4 I return thee words, and thy friends with thee, 5 Behold attentively the heavens—and see, And behold the clouds, They have been higher than thou. 6 If thou hast sinned, what dost thou against Him? And thy transgressions have been multiplied, What dost thou to Him? 7 If thou hast been righteous, What dost thou give to Him? Or what from thy hand doth He receive? 8 For a man like thyself 'is' thy wickedness, And for a son of man thy righteousness.

9 Because of the multitude of oppressions They cause to cry out, They cry because of the arm of the mighty. 10 And none said, 'Where 'is' God my maker? Giving songs in the night, 11 Teaching us more than the beasts of the earth, Yea, than the fowl of the heavens He maketh us wiser.' 12 There they cry, and He doth not answer, Because of the pride of evil doers. 13 Surely vanity God doth not hear, And the Mighty doth not behold it.

14 Yea, though thou sayest thou dost not behold Him, Judgment 'is' before Him, and stay for Him. 15 And, now, because there is not, He hath appointed His anger, And He hath not known in great extremity. 16 And Job 'with' vanity doth open his mouth, Without knowledge words he multiplieth.

The Council at Jerusalem

151 And certain having come down from Judea, were teaching the brethren—'If ye be not circumcised after the custom of Moses, ye are not able to be saved;' 2 there having been, therefore, not a little dissension and disputation to Paul and Barnabas with them, they arranged for Paul and Barnabas, and certain others of them, to go up unto the apostles and elders to Jerusalem about this question, 3 they indeed, then, having been sent forward by the assembly, were passing through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the nations, and they were causing great joy to all the brethren. 4 And having come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly, and the apostles, and the elders, they declared also as many things as God did with them; 5 and there rose up certain of those of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying—'It behoveth to circumcise them, to command them also to keep the law of Moses.'

6 And there were gathered together the apostles and the elders, to see about this matter, 7 and there having been much disputing, Peter having risen up said unto them, 'Men, brethren, ye know that from former days, God among us did make choice, through my mouth, for the nations to hear the word of the good news, and to believe; 8 and the heart-knowing God did bare them testimony, having given to them the Holy Spirit, even as also to us, 9 and did put no difference also between us and them, by the faith having purified their hearts; 10 now, therefore, why do ye tempt God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 but, through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we believe to be saved, even as also they.' 12 And all the multitude did keep silence, and were hearkening to Barnabas and Paul, declaring as many signs and wonders as God did among the nations through them; 13 and after they are silent, James answered, saying, 'Men, brethren, hearken to me; 14 Simeon did declare how at first God did look after to take out of the nations a people for His name, 15 and to this agree the words of the prophets, as it hath been written: 16 After these things I will turn back, and I will build again the tabernacle of David, that is fallen down, and its ruins I will build again, and will set it upright— 17 that the residue of men may seek after the Lord, and all the nations, upon whom My name hath been called, saith the Lord, who is doing all these things. 18 'Known from the ages to God are all His works; 19 wherefore I judge: not to trouble those who from the nations do turn back to God, 20 but to write to them to abstain from the pollutions of the idols, and the whoredom, and the strangled thing; and the blood; 21 for Moses from former generations in every city hath those preaching him—in the synagogues every sabbath being read.'

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.