Acts 15:13-14

James was Jesus’ half brother, the writer of the Epistle of James, and the leading figure in the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17; Galatians 1:19; Galatians 2:9; Galatians 2:12). [Note: See Richard Bauckham, "James and the Jerusalem Church," in The Book of Acts in Its First Century Setting; Vol. 4: The Book of Acts in Its Palestinian Setting, pp. 415-80.] "Simeon" was Peter’s older Jewish name. James’ use of it would have emphasized Peter’s Jewishness as well as implying affection for him. Peter had related the salvation experience of Cornelius, and James’ reference to "first" was to that experience near the beginning of the church.

". . . he showed how he felt about the question at issue by speaking of believing Gentiles as a ’people’ (laos) whom God had taken ’for himself’ (to onomati autou; lit., ’for his name’)-thus (1) applying to Gentile Christians a designation formerly used of Israel alone and (2) agreeing with Peter that in the conversion of Cornelius God himself had taken the initiative for a direct Gentile ministry." [Note: Longenecker, p. 446.]