Paul and Barnabas faced the same challenge less than 20 years after Pentecost. Acts 15 records the most controversial and pivotal event in the life of the early church after Pentecost. It is like a watershed.
Was the church simply a reform movement within Judaism, a Jewish sect or was it a worldwide family where all racial and cultural barriers had been removed. The issue had been brooding since Paul's conversion. He had visited Jerusalem met Peter and James, caused a stir there among the Jews, been shipped off to Caesarea and then on to Tarsus his family home. He spent the next eleven years in Cilicia and Syria, probably forgotten by the church in Jerusalem. Sometime in 40-41 AD the church in Jerusalem heard of Greek converts in Antioch and sent Barnabas to check out the rumours. He was satisfied that it was all genuine and stayed with Paul so that together they pastored this new church.
The church was young, dynamic and mainly made up of Gentile converts. We know that the church in Jerusalem was strongly Jewish. That was the issue. How to reconcile the two.
Peter himself couldn't believe the Lord was serious when Cornelius asked to do a discovery bible study. It took a couple of visions to get Peter there and even then he wasn't exactly polite. The church leaders in Jerusalem who were still practicing Jews thought that any Gentiles who wanted to follow Jesus had to become Jews first, by being circumcized.
They could buy the idea that proselytes to Judaism like Cornelius could receive the Holy Spirit, for he was already a "God fearer", but accepting out and out pagans was another matter. Its wasn't long before matters came to a head.
During that first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas witnessed to Jews and Gentiles alike. Together they founded churches in Antioch, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe in the Southern region of the province of Galatia. Again, and increasingly, it was predominantly the Gentiles who believed. The Jews got very jealous and incited both the rabble and the authorities to throw the apostles out of each town, one after another. When the dust had settled, and their visas were running out they turned round and worked their way back to the coast visiting each of these newly formed churches and appointed leadership teams. Eventually the apostles returned to their home base of Antioch in Syria on furlough, tired but fully convinced of the rightness of their strategy. The hostility of the Jews and the responsiveness of the Gentiles, not to mention the evidence of the filling of the Holy Spirit left them in no doubt that salvation was by Grace not Law.
The success of the Gentile mission, by its very nature an
inroad into the Jewish and Pagan religious territory ensured that the problem
was not going to go away. Acts 14:27 tells us that on arriving back at Antioch,
Paul and Barnabas gathered the church together and reported all that God had
done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. It
seems the home church at Antioch fully supported and rejoiced at the news their
missionaries brought home about Gentiles coming to know the Lord,by grace through
faith. But the stir they had caused in Southern Galatia must have got back to
Jerusalem because not long after they had returned to Antioch, messengers from
the church in Jerusalem soon arrived. There were three stages in this event.
1. The Dispute 15:1-5
It began when some legalistic
Jewish teachers came to Antioch and insisted that the Gentile converts needed
to be circumcized and keep the law of Moses to be saved. Allegedly they came
with the endorsement of James, the Lord's brother. That would have caused a
sensation. Paul couldn't believe his ears. Verse 2 says this brought Paul and
Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. I doubt if much of their conversation
was printable. The word "dissension" has with it the notion of insurrection
or sedition. For Paul this was nothing less than treason. This was nothing less
than Satan's answer to Paul's evangelism. Paralyze the church with inward strife.
Direct all energy against other believers. Put the church on the defensive,
keep it squabbling. What upset Paul more was the news filtering back that these
Judaizers or Jewish Christians had also sent disciples along to the newly formed
churches in Galatia.
1.1 What were they Teaching?
The legalizers were causing havoc implying that
old Paul had only shared half the message to make it more appealing . Naturally
as Gentiles with no knowledge of the Old Testament he hadn't bothered to cover
it in his follow-up program. It wasn't essential to salvation. It wasn't essential
reading. So when these Judaizers turned up with the Old Testament which they
rightly claimed came before the Gospel they started instructing the Galatians
in the rules and regulations of the Mosaic law. This Gospel +, or mixture of
law and grace threw the church into total confusion. The new believers were
keen, they wanted to please God and grow in holiness. The new teachers spoke
with the authority of an ancient and respected creed. They offered membership
of the true people of God going right back to Abraham. Circumcision might be
painful, even shameful but at least it was a mark of real commitment - something
deeply personal, irreversible, indelible, positive
proof of true membership. It was plausible, they were being offered the status
of "Children of Abraham", membership of the true historic church.
All Paul could offer was a figure of recent times, who'd been executed as an
outlaw, and an invisible mark and means to holiness, the Spirit...
1.2 Why was this Teaching Dangerous?
Because they were trying to mix law and grace
and pour new wine into old and brittle wineskins. They were trying to sew up
the veil of the temple torn in two at the time of the crucifixion. They were
blocking the new and living way to God that Jesus had opened when He died on
the cross. They were rebuilding the wall between Jews and Gentiles that Jesus
had torn down.
When any religious leader says "unless you join
our group you cannot be saved" or "unless you participate in our ceremonies
and keep our rules you cannot be saved", they are preaching another gospel.
A Gospel + is really a Gospel -, because you can't add to the Gospel without
taking away from it. I recently had the privilege of meeting Samuel Said, a
Palestinian, Israeli, Arab, Christian. Born in Nazareth, raised in a traditional
Anglican church. First his grandfather, then his father, then Samuel himself
were all born again, and began to share their faith in the villages around Galilee.
His grandfather became their pastor and an evangelist. The local Anglican Church
couldn't cope with born again believers and didn't want to know. So they aligned
themselves with the Brethren. Then one day they were visited one day by the
Holy Spirit who turned their fellowship upside down. And many of the locals
got converted. But the Brethren church wasn't keen on all this talk about the
Holy Spirit, and once again they were thrown out. Now they are aligned with
the Baptist Church. Adding rules and regulations about what can and cannot be
done is nothing less than preaching another Gospel.
This is very serious. God reserves His most severe anathema's on those who preach
a gospel other than the grace of God found in Jesus Christ.
1.3 What Happened Next?
What was Paul to do ? He was infuriated but he couldn't be in two places at
once. He was torn between wanting to return to his young churches in Galatia
and sort out these Judaizers. But he also knew he had to face the Apostles in
Jerusalem who had presumably endorsed this delegation of legalists. Paul was
a man with a strategy and clear cut priorities. What he decides to do is write
a telegram to the Galatians and then travel to Jerusalem to have it out with
the other Apostles and get to the core of the issue once and for all. We have
the benefit of both which is why its helpful to read Galatians while you are
reading these chapters in Acts. At Jerusalem the issue becomes very clear. The
two positions are irreconcilable. Reread 15:5. The Dispute.
2. The Defence 15:6-18
2.1 Peter Reviews the Past 15:6-11
After much discussion Peter got up and reminded
the Church of four indisputable facts.
2.1.1 God had Called Peter to the Gentiles 15:7
Peter had been given the keys of the kingdom,
to open the door of faith to the Jews in Acts 2, the Samaritans in Acts 8, and
the Gentiles in Acts 10. Peter's own personal experience
at Cornelius' house was that he and his family had been saved by God's grace
and their trust, not by keeping the law.
2.1.2 God has sent the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles 15:8
If Cornelius and the others had not been saved
God would not have sent the Holy Spirit on them.
2.1.3 God made no Distinction Between Jew and Gentile
15:9
Both Jewish and Gentile believer had experienced
God's forgiveness and cleansing equally.
2.1.4 God had Saved them by Grace through Faith
not Law 15:10-11
Peter reminded them that they had not been able
to bear the burden of obeying the law, so how could they expect the same of
anyone else. That yoke had been taken away by Jesus, who had fulfilled the requirement
of the law on their behalf. Reread 15:11
2.2 Barnabas and Paul Report on the Present 15:12
Peter's witness made a great impression on the
congregation for as Barnabas and Paul brought them up to date with what God
had been doing in Turkey, they all became silent and listened in amazement.
Their emphasis was on the miracles God had done among the Gentiles through them,
which was a confirmation that His blessing and approval was upon their work.
2.3 James Relates it all to the Future 15:13-18
James was the final speaker and he related it
all to the future.
2.3.1 Agreement
James shows that he was in agreement with Peter and Paul,
for he refers to the way God had made the Gentiles "a people for himself".
This would have startled the Judaizers because for centuries they had been honoured
with that title.
2.3.2 Fulfillment
James showed that what Amos wrote agreed with their testimony.
What was happening around them was the direct fulfillment
of the scriptures. The Dispute, the Defence.
3. The Decision 15:19-41
Read 15:19. They decided to send a letter back
to Antioch with the Apostles. It contained a twofold
decision; a doctrinal decision about salvation and a practical decision about
how to live the Christian life. I am very thankful
that they faced the matter head on, and that their decision was clear and uncompromising.
There is a kind of fudging and toleration today over these very same issues
that is nothing less than treachery.
In Britain we have had a TV series entitled "the
missionaries" by Julian Pettifer. You get the impression that he doesn't
like missionaries. It is very biased series and portrays a distorted picture.
In a some what favourable review one commentator wrote, of the conventional
missionary strategy. "the idea of sending western nationals to evangelise
is something we have got to get rid of-it is now discredited" Says who?
It was an American on a stop over in England on his
way to work in Austria, who shared the gospel with me and led me to Christ.
The Lord himself at the end of Matthew 28. "Go
into all the world and make disciples...." It still stands as our reason
for existence. So, the leaders and the whole church
(Acts 15:22), directed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 15:28), made
a twofold decision; a doctrinal decision about salvation, and a practical decision
about how to live the Christian life.
The doctrinal decision we have already examined. The church
concluded that Jews and Gentiles are all sinners before God and can be saved
only by faith in Jesus Christ. There is one need, and there is but one Gospel
to meet that need (Gal. 1:6-12). God has today but one program: He is calling
out a people for His name. Israel is set aside but not cast away (Rom. 11:1ff);
and when God's program for the church is completed, He will begin to fulfill
His kingdom promises to the Jews.
But all doctrine must lead to duty. James emphasized
this in his epistle (James 2:14-26), and so did Paul in his letters. It is not
enough for us simply to accept a biblical truth; we must apply it personally
in everyday life. Church problems are not solved by passing resolutions, but
by practicing the revelations God gives us from His Word.
3.1 Two Commands: Avoid Idolatry and Immorality
3.2 Two Concessions: Abstain from blood and meat of idol sacrifices
James advised the church to write to the Gentile believers and share the
decisions of the conference. This letter asked for obedience to two commands
and a willingness to agree to two personal concessions. The two commands
were that the believers avoid idolatry and immorality, sins that were especially
prevalent among the Gentiles (see 1 Cor. 8-10). The two concessions were that
they willingly abstain from eating blood and meat from animals that had died
by strangulation. The two commands do not create any special problems, for idolatry
and immorality have always been wrong in God's sight, both for Jews and Gentiles.
But what about the two concessions concerning food? Keep in mind that the early
church did a great deal of eating together and practicing of hospitality. Most
churches met in homes, and some assemblies held a "love feast" in conjunction
with the Lord's Supper (1 Cor. 11:17-34). It was probably not much different
from our own potluck dinners.
If the Gentile believers ate food that the Jewish
believers considered "unclean," this would cause division in the church. Paul
dealt clearly with this whole problem in Romans 14-15. The prohibition against
eating blood was actually given by God before the time of the Law (Gen. 9:4),
and it was repeated by Moses (Lev. 17:11-14; Deut. 12:23). If an animal is killed
by strangulation, some of the blood will remain in the body and make the meat
unfit for Jews to eat. Hence, the admonition against strangulation. "Kosher"
meat is meat that comes from clean animals that have been killed properly so
that the blood has been totally drained from the body. It is beautiful to see
that this letter expressed the loving unity of people who had once been debating
with each other and defending opposing views. The legalistic Jews willingly
gave up insisting that the Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved, and the
Gentiles willingly accepted a change in their eating habits. It was a loving
compromise that did not in any way affect the truth of the Gospel. As every
married person and parent knows, there are times in a home when compromise is
wrong, but there are also times when compromise is right. Wise Samuel Johnson
said, "Life cannot subsist in society but by reciprocal concessions." The person
who is always right, and who insists on having his or her own way, is difficult
to live with happily.
3.3 Three Consequences
What did this decision accomplish in a practical way? At least three things.
3.3.1 Strengthened the Unity of the Church
First, it strengthened the unity of the church and kept it from splitting
into two extreme "Law" and "grace" groups. President Eisenhower called the right
kind of compromise "all of the usable surface. The extremes, right or left,
are in the gutters." Again, this is not doctrinal compromise, for that
is always wrong (Jude 3). Rather, it is learning to give and take in the practical
arrangements of life so that people can live and work together in love and harmony.
3.3.2 United Witness among the Jews
Second, this decision made it possible for the church to present a united
witness to the lost Jews (Acts 15:21). For the most part, the church was still
identified with the Jewish synagogue; and it is likely that in some cities,
entire synagogue congregations believed on Jesus ChristJews, Gentile proselytes,
and Gentile "God-fearers" together. If the Gentile believers abused their freedom
in Christ and ate meat containing blood, this would offend both the saved Jews
and their unsaved friends whom they were trying to win to Christ. It was simply
a matter of not being a stumbling block to the weak or to the lost (Rom. 14:13-21).
3.3.3 Blessing among the Gentile Congregations
Third, this decision brought blessing as the letter was shared with the
various Gentile congregations. Paul and Barnabas, along with Judas and Silas,
took the good news to Antioch; and the church rejoiced and was encouraged because
they did not have to carry the burdensome yoke of the Law (Acts 15:30-31). On
his second missionary journey, Paul shared the letter with the churches he had
founded on his first missionary journey. The result was a strengthening of the
churches' faith and an increase of their number (Acts 16:5).
4. Summary Conclusions
We today can learn a great deal from this difficult experience of the early
church. To begin with, problems and differences are opportunities for growth
just as much as temptations for dissension and division. Churches need to work
together and take time to listen, love, and learn. How many hurtful fights and
splits could have been avoided if only some of God's people had given the Spirit
time to speak and to work.
Most divisions are caused by "followers" and "leaders." A powerful leader gets
a following, refuses to give in on even the smallest matter, and before long
there is a split. Most church problems are not caused by doctrinal differences
but by different viewpoints on practical matters. What color shall we paint
the church kitchen? Can we change the order of the service? I heard of one church
that almost split over whether the organ or the piano should be on the right
side of the platform!
Christians need to learn the art of loving compromise. They need to have their
priorities in order so they know when to fight for what is really important
in the church. It is sinful to follow some impressive member of the church who
is fighting to get his or her way on some minor issue that is not worth fighting
about. Every congregation needs a regular dose of the love described in 1 Corinthians
13 to prevent division and dissension.
As we deal with our differences, we must ask, "How will our decisions affect
the united witness of the church to the lost?" Jesus prayed that His people
might be united so that the world might believe on Him (John 17:20-21). Unity
is not uniformity, for unity is based on love and not law. There is a great
need in the church for diversity in unity (Eph. 4:1-17), for that is the only
way the body can mature and do its work in the world. What
can we learn from this first meeting of the General Synod? When
we face disagreements how should we deal with them?
4.1 How should we face Disagreement?
4.1.1 They should be faced frankly - honestly
4.1.2 They should be discussed fully - openly
4.1.3 They should be decided amicably - humbly
4.2 What is Distinctive about our Gospel?
When we face uncertainty about our role or priorities,
we are reminded that in the Gospel of Jesus Christ we find,
4.2.1 Freedom over bondage
4.2.2 Breadth over narrowness
4.2.3 Universality over nationality
4.2.4 Christ not denominationalism
The decision at Jerusalem praise God was a victory
for the Gospel and for Mission. God has opened a wonderful
door of opportunity for us to take the Gospel of God's grace to a condemned
world. But there are forces in the church even today that want to close that
door. There are people who are preaching "another gospel" that is not the Gospel
of Jesus Christ. Help keep that door openand reach as many as you can!
Be daring! Lets
pray.
I am endebted to Warren Wersbie for material used in this seminar