Neville Goddard on Acts 15:1-5 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Acts 15 in context

Scripture Focus

1And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.

2When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

3And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

4And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

5But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.

Acts 15:1-5

Biblical Context

Judaeans insist Gentiles must be circumcised to be saved, while Paul and Barnabas dispute this and prepare to bring the matter to Jerusalem. The scene shows the church's joy in Gentile conversion and the unfolding debate over keeping the law.

Neville's Inner Vision

All the talk about circumcision and keeping the law is but the surface speech of the mind's old pride. The men from Judaea are the stubborn assumption that you must perform something external to earn acceptance by God. Paul and Barnabas disputing with them represent the inner conflict between an old, fear-based self and a higher, alive awareness. The journey to Jerusalem is the ascent of consciousness to the seat of authority within you—the I AM—where judgments are weighed and harmonized. When they are received by the church and declare what God has done with them, you are being shown that God’s effects rise from within consciousness, not from outside rites. The Pharisees who insist on circumcision mirror a mental posture that clings to law; but the broader message is that salvation is faith—trust in the inner covenant already established in you. Your Gentile conversion is your recognition that you are already included in the divine life, here and now.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes, declare 'I am already saved by the I AM within me' and revise the belief that external ritual is required. Breathe into your heart and feel an inner church accepting you, resting in the covenant now.