What Does the Church Say? The Love of Christ Controls Us. Period.

The Word, the Holy Spirit, the Councils of the Church, and Love

(Acts 15:19-29, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, September 16, 2012)

[19] Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God,

The Gentiles were turning to God. That had created quite a stir among some of the Jewish Christians. Their solution: make them all Jews and teach the to follow all the laws of the Old Testament and the worthy customs of the Jewish heritage. The opinion of Paul, Barnabas, James, the elders in Jerusalem, and the Holy Spirit: No way!

James had cited Hebrew prophets in order to show that the turning of the age had come in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. One of the anticipated features of the age of salvation was that the nations of the world would begin to call upon the Name of the God of Israel. The dividing wall that had ceremonially separated Jews and Gentiles had to come down. The One who insisted on that most of all was God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This one God had revealed His pleasure to call the uncircumcised as well as the circumcised by displaying great signs of resurrection life even among the uncircumcised Gentiles. They had obviously received the gift of the Holy Spirit. James had shown through the words of the prophets that uncircumcised Gentiles calling upon the Name of Jesus in worship was known to God of old. It was time to celebrate the beginning of the salvation of the whole world through Messiah Jesus. To insist on Gentiles becoming Jews in order to worship God and grow in Jesus was to unnecessarily trouble Gentiles who were turning to God in large numbers through the Word of the resurrection.

[20] but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. [21] For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

Despite this clear word of grace and liberty, James proposed that a letter be sent out to all the churches telling them to abstain from certain behaviors that were commonplace among the Gentiles that might create unnecessary division with those who loved the Law of Moses. The Gentile world was full of idols. Most of the meat in some cities came from the sacrifice of animals to pagan gods. The animal was sacrificed and the meat was sold to people. Even if there was no false religion involved, the Gentiles had customs that involved eating in ways that Jews found difficult to tolerate. In particular, for centuries Jews had learned that they could not eat rare or raw meat. This was not presented as a health issue, but as a ceremonial prohibition because of the importance of the blood of an acceptable sacrifice.

But now the blood of the real Passover Lamb has been shed for us. These instructions about food that James proposed were not timeless moral laws. We know that from the rest of the Bible. Paul had told the Corinthians that they could eat meat sold in the marketplaces, but that they could not participate in ceremonies of idolatry. If you like your steak rare, you are not sinning against God.

Different than this was the Word against sexual immorality. This was a rule that would continue forever. Again we know this from the rest of the Bible. Paul's letters to the Corinthians made this very clear. The covenant of marriage is required for the joys of sexual love. The Lord understands sexual weakness. Sexual immorality is not the unpardonable sin. But the church was not to take up the sexual habits of the Greek culture while it was expanding so rapidly. Jesus had made this very clear, and His Word is consistent testimony of the New Testament. We see something different in the polygamous world of the Old Covenant life, but Christ explained that it was not so in the beginning. See Genesis 2. Not only had the blood of Christ put an end to all the blood sacrifices of the Old Testament, but the perfectly faithful Husband, Jesus, had given us the pattern of exclusive love for His bride, the church. Now husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. There is no room for sexual immorality in our assemblies. But there is forgiveness and full restoration for all who repent. As Paul says again to the Corinthians, “Such were some of you.”

Sorting out these laws for the churches proposed by James is no easy matter. But this we can say with confidence. The abiding Law of God can be summarized in one word: LOVE. The Gentiles who came to faith in Jesus did not need to keep all the Jewish laws and customs, and they did not need to be circumcised, but they did need to love their Jewish brothers. That meant not making things unnecessarily uncomfortable for Jews who were in the same churches with them who were struggling with their eating of blood and their immoral sexual behavior. One of those struggles was over a temporary matter, the other was over a law that is always in force, but both of them had to do with the Law of love and so they needed to be addressed now and not later.

[22] Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers,

These judgments would not just be James' decision, but the determination of a council. We expect to see God work through the church on matters that can be troubling to the body of Christ. We are grateful that the Lord gives wisdom to His people as they search the Word and seek the work of the Holy Spirit. We are very thankful that God fills His church with love that helps people find a way out of problems that seem like they can never be solved. This is Christ working through His body. Not only did the whole group agree with James, their decision would be communicated by more than one person, lending the weight of the whole church to the good decision that had been made.

[23] with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. [24] Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, [25] it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, [26] men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. [27] We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. [28] For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: [29] that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”Part of the written communication sent with the representatives from the church in Jerusalem was a clear rejection of certain self-proclaimed representatives of the Jerusalem church and an affirmation of the ministry of Paul and Barnabas. These statements were necessary. People had troubled the churches in Antioch and beyond. Those false apostles had to be stopped. It is not love to tolerate the promoting of serious error and discord within the church.

Above every other Law, remember the One who died to the Law that we might live forever. Remember Jesus Christ, and follow Him in the way of love according to the Word and Spirit of God. The way of love is forever.

1. What was James' advice and reasoning?

2. How were others involved in this important decision?

3. Why was it necessary to speak against some who had troubled the churches and for others who were beloved and trusted representatives of Christ?

4. What is the abiding importance of the decision of this council of the church?

OT Passage: Leviticus 19:17-18