IBS Seminar 13: Acts 15: A Recognised Ministry

Objective: To show how the Church came to recognise the inclusive nature of the Gospel and how they handled disagreements

The progress of the Gospel has often been hindered by religious people with closed minds, who stand in front of open doors and block the way for others. In 1786 when William Carey laid the burden of world mission before a meeting of ministers in Northampton, he was told in no uncertain terms, "Young man, sit down. When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine." Carey was not the only Spirit filled servant of God who has gone into Christian work without the support of his local churches.

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 Christ—Jews, 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 open—and reach as many as you can! Be daring! Lets pray.

I am endebted to Warren Wersbie for material used in this seminar