first Christian synod (c. 48–50 AD)
Council of Jerusalem - Wikipedia
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. According to Acts, the council addressed … Wikipedia
Factsheet
Date c. 48–50 AD
Accepted by Most mainstream Christian denominations
Factsheet
Date c. 48–50 AD
Accepted by Most mainstream Christian denominations
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Council_of_Jerusalem
Council of Jerusalem - Wikipedia
2 weeks ago - James the Just, brother of Jesus ... likely held leadership positions in the surrounding area after the destruction of the city until its rebuilding as Aelia Capitolina in c. AD 130, when all Jews were banished from Jerusalem. The apostles Barnabas and Paul went to Jerusalem to meet with the "Pillars of the Church": James the Just, Peter, and John. The Council of Jerusalem ...
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Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › philosophy & religion › religious movements & organizations
Council of Jerusalem | Description, History, & Significance | Britannica
1 week ago - Council of Jerusalem, a conference of the Christian Apostles in Jerusalem about 50 CE that decreed that Gentile Christians did not have to observe the Mosaic Law of the Jews. It was occasioned by the insistence of certain Judaic Christians that ...
Discussions

Why did St. James preside over the Council of Jerusalem and not St. Peter?
When I had the same question, I found this page to be helpful in explaining what was happening! https://www.catholicbridge.com/orthodox/pope-acts-15-james-and-peter.php More on reddit.com
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August 31, 2019
Why did James preside over the council of Jerusalem and not Peter? (Acts 15)
Councils are a shared effort. All of the bishops have a real participation in a council, James would have a more preminent role because he is the bishop of jerusalem. But if we have to argue over it, it's Peter that lays out the doctrinal truth of the council, and James decides over the discipline matters that arise from the doctrinal statement More on reddit.com
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December 16, 2025
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BYU Religious Studies Center
rsc.byu.edu › sperry-symposium-classics-new-testament › jerusalem-council
The Jerusalem Council | Religious Studies Center
The fifteenth chapter of the book of Acts in the New Testament tells of a high-level council meeting in Jerusalem of the leaders of the Church. The date is not recorded, but the events leading up to the council indicate that the meeting was held in approximately AD 49 or 50.
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Oursaints
oursaints.org › council_of_jerusalem.html
The Council of Jerusalem | OurSaints.org
The Council of Jerusalem (49-50 AD) - The First Apostolic Council and the Foundation of Conciliar Authority in the Syriac Orthodox Church.
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Sacra Script
sacrascript.org › home › bible teaching › events in scripture
Jerusalem Council – Acts 15 and the Gospel to the Gentiles
March 13, 2026 - The Jerusalem Council AD 49 Video for this Bible Exhibit Carousel of images for this Bible Exhibit Listen to this Bible Exhibit The Council of Jerusalem, also called the Apostolic Council, was the first general church gathering of apostles and ...
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Patheos
patheos.com › home › religion category › topic category › article title
Jerusalem Council & James, Bishop Of Jerusalem Jerusalem Council & James, Bishop Of Jerusalem
June 6, 2026 - James was the bishop of Jerusalem at the time of the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15; thought to have occurred around 48-51 AD). Despite generally arguing against monepiscopacy in the first two centuries, they somehow manage to make an exception ...
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Christian-hx
christian-hx.fyi › jerusalem-council-a-d-49
AD 49 – The Jerusalem Council - Lange's Christian Chronicle
December 13, 2025 - The Great Council of Jerusalem (a.k.a.: the Apostolic Council, or the Zeroeth Ecumenical Council): Icon of the Council of Jerusalem The Great Council of Jerusalem was convoked by the apostles and convened in late A.D. 49 (as reported in the ...
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IntactiWiki
en.intactiwiki.org › wiki › Council_at_Jerusalem
Council at Jerusalem - IntactiWiki
It was held at Jerusalem to consider the matter of circumcision sometime in 48-50 A. D., after Paul's first missionary journey with Barnabas and before his second missionary journey with Silas. The Council was of great importance because it was at this point that Christians separated themselves ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/catholicism › why did st. james preside over the council of jerusalem and not st. peter?
r/Catholicism on Reddit: Why did St. James preside over the Council of Jerusalem and not St. Peter?
August 31, 2019 -

So I was having a conversation the other day with an Anglican (High Church) friend and we were talking about the papacy. He pointed my attention towards this interesting tidbit in the Bible. In the Book of the Acts of the Apostles, when Peter and Paul disagree over the issue of circumcision they decide to hold a council (the first Ecumenical Council: the Council of Jerusalem). In the council, it was not Peter who was regarded as the head or even as the first amongst equals, it was James the Greater. James presided over the Council and ultimately gave his definitive verdict after hearing both arguments and conferring with the other Apostles. Peter was not treated as Pope, or First Amongst Equals, or as the Shepherd of the new Church. What do you guys think?

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Quora
quora.com › What-was-the-decision-of-the-Council-of-Jerusalem
What was the decision of the Council of Jerusalem? - Quora
Answer: This was a meting between James+Paul held in Jerusalem in 49 CE (possibly 48 or 50 CE) .James was the brother of Jesus (Mk 6:3) and also the head of the embryonic Jesus movement in what is now Israel.The key issue under discussion was Paul’s evangelizing of the gentiles.Specifica...
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OrthodoxWiki
orthodoxwiki.org › Apostolic_Council_of_Jerusalem
Apostolic Council of Jerusalem - OrthodoxWiki
At the Council, after everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul tell about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles, and advice offered by the Apostle Peter (Acts 15:7–11), James, the leader of the Jerusalem Church, gave his decision (later known ...
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Encyclopedia.com
encyclopedia.com › religion › encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps › jerusalem-council
Jerusalem, Council of | Encyclopedia.com
If the Council was held, as Acts implies, shortly before that journey started, it must be dated c. 50. Occasion. According to Acts 15.1, the meeting was occasioned by the arrival at Antioch of Judaic Christians from Jerusalem who insisted that Gentiles must observe the Mosaic Law.
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Biblical Encyclopedia
biblicalcyclopedia.com › J › jerusalem-councils-of.html
Jerusalem, Councils of from the McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia.
They are, I. The first ecclesiastical council mentioned in Acts 15, which is believed to have been held during the year 47, under James the Less, bishop of Jerusalem, in consequence of the dispute in the Church of Antioch ...
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
churchofjesuschrist.org › study › liahona › 2023 › 07 › digital-only › the-jerusalem-council
The Jerusalem Council
July 1, 2023 - All at the council agreed to James’s proposal, so they sent letters and representatives to Antioch and other Christian congregations to inform them of this policy (see Acts 15:23–29).
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Firstcenturycf
firstcenturycf.org › post › james-jerusalem
James of Jerusalem | First Century Christian Fellowship (FCCF)
May 16, 2020 - Following the death of James son of Zebedee in AD 44 and Peter's departure from Jerusalem, James emerged as the leading figure in the Jerusalem church ( Acts 12:17). He presided over the Council of Jerusalem in AD 50, creating a middle path ...
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Brainly
brainly.com › social studies › high school › pastor of the jerusalem church presided over the council.
[FREE] Pastor of the Jerusalem church presided over the council. - brainly.com
May 1, 2023 - James presided over the Council of Jerusalem, which was held in AD 50 and dealt with the question of whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to follow Jewish customs, such as circumcision.
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Join The Journey
jointhejourney.com › 7262-what-was-the-jerusalem-council
What was the Jerusalem Council? | Join The Journey
Acts 15:1–35 The Jerusalem Council. A conference was held in Jerusalem (c. A.D. 48 or 49) to discuss conditions for Gentile membership in the church. The “Pharisaic” group in the Jerusalem church (vv.
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Reading Acts
readingacts.com › home › acts 15:13-21 – james and the jerusalem council
Acts 15:13-21 – James and the Jerusalem Council - Reading Acts
February 28, 2019 - One of the most interesting things about the Jerusalem meeting is that it is James who appears as the key leader and is described as rendering a decision on the matter of Gentiles and the Law (Acts 15:13-21). The structure of the Jerusalem community seems to center around elders, and James ...
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Christendom
graduate.christendom.edu › wp-content › uploads › 2019 › 11 › Ecumenical-Councils-Fact-Sheet.pdf pdf
Ecumenical Councils Fact Sheet What was the Council of Jerusalem?
James’ · amendment was accepted and the apostles decided to promulgate their decision by · sending Paul, Barnabas, and a few other men with letters to Antioch to inform the · Christian community in the city. The council of Jerusalem was an important event in the