The Holy Spirit saw good not to impose the ceremonial law on the Gentile converts, and the mind of the apostles regarding this matter was as the mind of the Spirit of God. James presided at the council, and his final decision was, "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God."

Helligånden så, at det var bedst ikke at pålægge de hedningekristne at overholde ceremoniloven, og apostlenes mening om denne sag var den samme som Guds Ånds. Jakob førte forsædet i rådet, og hans endelige afgørelse lød således: "Derfor holder jeg for, at man ikke skal gøre det vanskeligt for de hedninger, som vender sig til Gud."