Today’s Readings – Thursday of Week 5 of Easter - First Reading

Commentary on Acts 15:7-21

Today we have the second and final part of the ’Council of Jerusalem’. The issue at hand (see Acts 15:1-6) has been discussed in depth and we now are given the conclusions of the assembly. We will see the implementation of these conclusions in tomorrow’s reading.

The Council of Jerusalem can be said to be divided into three parts:


the speech of Peter, head of the Apostles;
the statement of James, the leader of the Jerusalem church;
an ‘encyclical’ letter (the first of many!) sent to the churches, which we will see tomorrow.


First, Peter speaks up. This is significant. One would have expected Paul to do so. But Paul has had his say and presented his case. Peter now speaks, primarily as leader of the apostolic college but, … Continue

Yesterday’s Readings – Wednesday of Week 5 of Easter - First Reading

Commentary on Acts 15:1-6

We begin today an account of the very first Church council. Scripture scholars find many conflicting difficulties in the structure of the narrative in chapter 15 of Acts. All these difficulties may be explained by supposing that Luke has combined two distinct c … Continue