Council of Jerusalem
| Council of Jerusalem | |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 48–50 AD |
| Accepted by | Most mainstream Christian denominations |
Next council | Ancient church councils and First Council of Nicaea |
| President | Unspecified, presumably James (brother of Jesus), Peter, and John |
| Topics | Controversy about male circumcision, Christian views on the Old Covenant, whether keeping the Mosaic Law is necessary for the salvation of the Gentiles |
Documents and statements | Excerpts from New Testament (Acts of Apostles and perhaps Epistle to the Galatians) |
| Chronological list of ecumenical councils | |
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The Council of Jerusalem or Apostolic Council is a council described in chapter 15 of the Acts of the Apostles, held in Jerusalem c. AD 48–50.
The council decided that Gentiles who converted to Christianity were not obligated to keep most of the rules prescribed to the Jews by the Mosaic Law, such as Jewish dietary laws and other specific rituals, including the rules concerning circumcision of males. The council did, however, retain the prohibitions on eating blood or meat containing blood, and meat of animals that were strangled, and on fornication and idolatry, sometimes referred to as the Apostolic Decree. The purpose and origin of these four prohibitions is debated.
Accounts of the council are found in Acts of the Apostles (chapter 15 in two different forms, the Alexandrian and Western versions) and also possibly in Paul's letter to the Galatians (chapter 2). Some scholars dispute that Galatians 2 is about the Council of Jerusalem, while others have defended this identification.