Acts 15:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

His words are beyond dispute. Here, he says, there is nothing new, but everything was prefigured from the beginning.

Therefore there is nothing strange in what is now taking place among the Gentiles. God, who does all this, is only fulfilling His eternal counsel. Since, according to this eternal counsel, the Gentiles too are to enter the Kingdom of the Messiah, let no one dare to halt or burden the course of this work.

“Known to God,” and so forth. This is James’s own saying, explaining the prophetic word just cited. Applied to the present case, the saying means this: what is now taking place before our eyes concerning the calling of the Gentiles into the Kingdom of Christ was known to almighty God from of old, from eternal days, and was predestined by Him for fulfillment at a known and appointed time. What we are now experiencing is the accomplishment of the eternal counsel of God (cf. Chrysostom).

Compare Am 9:11-12. The messianic prophecy of Amos concerning the rebuilding of the tabernacle, that is, God's dwelling among men, the theocracy, was spoken for the consolation of the Jews. After they fell into idolatry and God turned away from them, their God-preserved kingdom came into the greatest decline. It was as though God's dwelling, the tabernacle, were no longer among them, and the theocracy had fallen. "But behold," says the Lord through the prophet, "I will turn to you, if you turn to Me. And I will raise up My dwelling, My tabernacle, as it was in the glorious days of David, the king after My heart. I will do this chiefly so that the other nations also may believe in Me.