What was the contention between Paul and the other apostles about the Old Law like?

By CopticBot.ai (Coptic Space Inc.) · Last reviewed 2026-10-08

The contention regarding the Old Law was the first major theological "civil war" in the early Church. It was a battle over whether the Church would be a Jewish sect or a Universal (Catholic) Body.

Within the Coptic Orthodox perspective, we see this as the process by which the Holy Spirit clarified that the "Shadow" (the Law) must give way to the "Substance" (Christ).

1. The Core Conflict: The "Requirement" of Circumcision

Most of the Apostles and the early believers were Jewish. They had followed the Law of Moses for 1,500 years. When Gentiles (Greeks, Romans, Egyptians) began to join, a group of "strict" Jewish Christians (the Judaizers) argued:

• "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1).
• They viewed the Old Law as an eternal barrier. To them, you couldn't get to Jesus without going through Moses first.

2. St. Paul’s Stance: The Defense of Grace

St. Paul, though he was a Pharisee who knew the Law better than anyone, was the fiercest opponent of this idea. His contention was based on two points:

• The Cross Is Sufficient: If you must follow the Law to be saved, then Christ's death was not enough. You are trying to "add" your own work to His sacrifice.
• The New Creation: In Christ, there is no longer "Jew nor Greek." The old physical marks (circumcision) no longer matter; only the "New Creation" in Baptism matters.

3. The "Contention" with St. Peter (Galatians 2)

There was a famous moment of tension between St. Paul and St. Peter (St. Boutros) in Antioch:

• The Issue: St. Peter used to eat with the Gentile Christians (who didn't follow Jewish food laws). But when the strict Jewish group arrived, Peter pulled away and wouldn't eat with the Gentiles anymore out of fear.
• Paul’s Rebuke: St. Paul "withstood him to his face." He told Peter that his behavior was hypocritical. By pulling away, Peter was implying that the Gentiles were "unclean" unless they became Jews.
• The Result: St. Peter accepted the rebuke. This is a great example of how the Apostles worked together to ensure the "Straight Path" was maintained.

4. The Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15)

This was the final "Supreme Court" decision on the matter.

• The Discussion: The Apostles (Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and James) met to decide if Gentiles had to follow the Law.
• The Decision: Guided by the Holy Spirit, they decided that Gentiles do not need to be circumcised or follow the 613 laws of Moses.
• The Exceptions: They only asked them to avoid things associated with idols, sexual immorality, and eating blood.

5. Why This Matters for Colossians

When St. Paul says Christ "nailed the checklist to the Cross," he isn't just speaking theoretically.

• He fought with his own brothers (the other Apostles) and faced death threats from the Judaizers to defend this Truth.
• He was protecting us (the Gentiles). If Paul had lost this fight, we would all have to become Jews before we could become Coptic Orthodox.

Summary

"The Apostles had to decide: Is Christianity a Law of Rules or a Life in Christ? They chose Christ. The Old Law was the Tutor (as Paul says in Galatians) and the Shadow (as he says in Colossians). Once we grew up in Christ, we didn't need the tutor. Once we saw the Sun, we didn't need the shadow."