SCRIPTURE: Acts 15
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. [John 13:35]
Can a church have disputes, disagreements?
Yes, for sure.
The unity of the church does not lie in its total agreement, but in its determination to act with love, regardless of differences.
Jewish believers genuinely struggled with welcoming non-Jewish believers into the community, unless they observed the laws of Moses.
Paul and Barnabas were sent to consult with the leaders in Jerusalem.
In this we see the Spirit of love at work through a decision sensitive to the concerns of Jewish believers, yet also to the concerns of Gentile believers.
This was not a compromise, it was a clear decision: NO, they do not need to submit to the law of Moses and be circumcised.
The 4 ‘exceptions’ were relevant issues of that day: participating in religious meals that included meat from strangled animals, with its blood, or sacrificed on pagan altars; sexual immorality likely connected to temple prostitution as well.
Paul addresses these concerns later in 1 Corinthians 8:1-13, where his main point is that we should not cause others to stumble because of our freedom.
In other words, don’t provoke others unecessarily.
I like how the decision was made through prayerful deliberation, with the outcome that their decision was by them and the Spirit [Acts 15:28].
This is a reminder that we should not simply make decisions on our own, but that the Spirit’s guidance works through community.
The unity of this chapter is sadly broken by the dispute between Paul and Barnabas about John Mark.
Barnabas (whose name means ‘son of encouragement) wants to give Mark (his cousin) a second chance, while Paul is concerned about Mark’s loyalty.
In the end, they separate, which raises the question (for me) about Paul and grace.
Why was he not more gracious?
We can maybe make a case for saying that Paul was right, that Mark needed to be disciplined (not rejected outright).
But maybe we also need to see that Paul was still learning and growing, a work in process.
Not knowing all the details, I tend to side with Barnabas – past failure should not rule out anyone.
However we see this, one thing is good, Paul and Mark later reconcile [Colossians 4:10].
PRAYER:
Lord, thank You for giving me a spiritual support community. Help me to disagree with others in love, and help us to work together.