An excerpt from a notable scholarly outlet on Jewish and Christian Identity and Paul's letter to the Galatians. You can argue over pork if you want but when it comes to water, God gave us only one formula. Salt saves. Salt preserves. There is only one formula for water; just one. Read John 4. Read Acts 4. Water sustains.

http://web.campbell.edu/faculty/vandergriffk/NTActs.html

Here is an excerpt on the issue of Jewish and Christian identity.


  Peter�s concern over food laws may well seem petty or silly to us. But Willimon reminds us that "only these laws stood in the way of the assimilation" of the Jews as Jews. "They identified, demarcated faithfulness in the midst of incredible pressure to forsake the faith, drop one�s particularities and become a good citizen of the Empire. A little pork here, a pinch of incense to Caesar there, and it will not be long before the faith community will be politely obliterated. We must not read this story from the safe vantage point of a majority religion where broad-mindedness and toleration cost the majority nothing, but rather, read the story as it was first heard--from the minority point of view, people for whom a bit of pork or a pinch of incense or a little intermarriage was a matter of life and death for the community. The dietary laws are not a matter of etiquette or peculiar culinary habits. They are a matter of survival and identity for Jews" (Acts, 96).

4.  The Jerusalem Conference [= Jerusalem Council = Apostolic Council] (15:1-35):   see Harris 303-5

Background (15:1-5): The crisis was brought about when some men from Judea came to Antioch and began teaching that circumcision was necessary for salvation. Paul later (in Galatians) would refer to Jewish Christians who insisted that Gentiles keep the Torah as JUDAIZERS.

Paul and Barnabas disputed this and they, along with others, were appointed to go to Jerusalem and confer with the apostles and elders. The controversy thus centered on 2 basic questions:

--how does a person get salvation?

--what is the relationship between Judaism and Christianity?

Discussion (15:6-21)

Peter testified first, relating his incident with Cornelius, and charging the assembly that they not put a hindrance on the Gentiles that even they as Jews had been unable to bear. Paul and Barnabas followed with their testimony. Finally James (the half-brother of Jesus) spoke, asking the assembly not to make it difficult for the Gentiles, on the basis of Amos 9:11ff.

Decision (15:22-35)

The decision of the Jerusalem Conference amounted to a recognition that salvation is by faith in Jesus alone, without circumcision. Also, they decided to send a letter to Antioch; they would not give up all of their Jewish heritage, though certain aspects of it would not be binding on Gentiles.  The letter was sent to Antioch by Paul and Barnabas, accompanied by Silas and Judas Barsabbas.

The Gentiles were charged to keep 3 points of the Jewish Torah:

(1) abstain from food offered to idols.

(2) abstain from eating the meat of strangled animals (based on the Old Testament principle that "the life is in the blood").

(3) abstain from sexual immorality.

Robert Wall notes that "James recognizes that a convert to the faith must give up various practices.  While the community welcomes all who truly repent--as God welcomes them--there are limits to what the community marks out as 'Christian'" (New Interpreter's Bible Commentary 222).

It has been suggested that the decision of the Jerusalem Conference enabled the early Christian movement to break out of the confines of Judaism to become a universal religion.  Had the early church decided that circumcision was necessary for all Gentile converts, surely this new religion would not have appealed to as many.

Unfortunately the Jerusalem Conference did not solve the Judaizer issue. The Judaizers merely went underground, whereas they had formerly been overt. They later caused problems in Galatia, prompting Paul�s letter to the Galatians.