Jerusalem is holy. Jerusalem is divided. And what is decided there may shape the future of the Church forever.

In The Council and the Sword, Book 7 of the Keepers of the Way series, Gideon Mercer delivers a powerful historical novel of faith, conflict, and consequence set in the dangerous years of the early Church.

Antioch has become something new in the world: a gathering of Jewish and Gentile believers breaking bread together in the name of Jesus Christ. But what God has joined, fearful men are beginning to question. As tensions rise over obedience, holiness, and belonging, one hard question cuts straight through the heart of the growing Church:

Must Gentile believers come to God through Christ alone, or must they also submit to the old covenant marks of Israel to be fully received?

When the dispute can no longer be contained, a small company is sent south to Jerusalem carrying the wound of Antioch with them. Among them are road-worn witnesses, burdened brothers, and a young Gentile believer whose very presence forces the question out of theory and into flesh.

But Jerusalem is no ordinary city. It is a city of weight, memory, reverence, power, and fear. There, under the shadow of the Temple and among men who believe they are guarding the holiness of God, the matter must be heard.

As rumors spread, loyalties tighten, and the truth is threatened by half-heard versions of itself, the journey becomes more than a mission. It becomes a battle over whether the mercy of God will be received as widely as He has given it-or narrowed by men too afraid to trust what heaven has already opened.

Rich with historical texture, spiritual depth, and emotional force, The Council and the Sword is a gripping biblical historical novel about the early Church, the cost of fellowship, and the fragile work of keeping truth from being bent by fear.

Perfect for readers who love:

• biblical historical fiction
• early Church novels
• Acts-era Christian fiction
• faith-filled historical suspense
• spiritually rich stories of courage, conflict, and conviction

The Council and the Sword is a stirring portrait of a Church fighting not merely to survive, but to remain one body under one Lord.