IN ACTS 15 WE WITNESS the beginning of the structure of the Christian church that has Christ as its head; it was never to be the individual church standing alone, but always all churches functioning well together in common cause. We stress that the Book of Acts is ‘The Acts of the Holy Spirit’ in the churches. This is the beginning of the groundwork, to be hammered out by the church fathers over the centuries of the Councils of Chalcedon in the early church, and later through the Protestant Reformation and its ongoing processes, that theoretically, potentially, and practically, make possible the way in which churches can work together.
Paul and Barnabas are returning back from their first missionary journey, which had lasted about two years. In Paul’s lifetime, he may have planted, or been instrumental in planting, as many as fourteen to twenty churches. It’s hard to tell how many were actually planted on this first journey, and how much work was seed sown for later churches, but some were planted, and the first was the church at Antioch. He and Barnabas have had quite the journey, and return to the Antioch church. There, “Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.’ This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.” (Acts 15:1-2)
When they arrive in Jerusalem, they regale the apostles and elders with the stories of their evangelistic efforts to Gentiles throughout their journeys in Asia Minor, and end with this appeal: “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:10-11) Scripture tells us that the weight of what they were saying hit hard. “The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.” (Acts 15:12)
James, the half-brother of Jesus, not only by the qualitative relationship, but also by his own well-respected comportment in the early church, is the leader of the Jerusalem church. We see him listening very carefully and very thoughtfully throughout Paul and Barnabas’s testimony. Finally, he speaks, and refers to Peter’s well-known story of the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius. (cf. Acts 10:1-35) “Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.” (Acts 15:13-14) This prior knowledge has had years to sink in. The reminder is appropriate, and leads to James’ measured next words. “The words of the prophets are in agreement with this.” (Acts 15:15) He quotes from a specific prophet that this is so, “The rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name.” (Amos 9:11)
James then renders an opinion, one that sets a pattern of acceptance for the Gentile churches in cooperation with the Jewish Christian churches. It is one that will quickly bring the soon-to-explode growth of the Christian churches to eclipse those early Messianic Jewish churches. It may be something he has been thinking about for a long time. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” (Acts 15:19) He then names four distinct laws of Moses that will make it more palatable for Jews to accept the Gentile Christians. “To abstain from food polluted by idols, sexual immorality, meat of strangled animals, and blood.” (Acts 15:20) He ends with this incredibly important view into practical wisdom. “For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:21) Many of the early Gentile converts met in synagogues throughout the A.N.E., and this would give them shelter, literally and figuratively, as they strengthened in their faith and practices.
Finding a way to work together has always been imperative for Christian churches. This has been and remains true through every age, including our own. The church that stands alone, lives and dies alone. Every organism, and every organization, has a life cycle, and when a church is dying, it cannot save itself—the death is a result of the then-established culture, and it can only do what it is designed to do. Wisdom seeks cooperation; rebellion stands alone. Both have their predictable outcomes.
Q. Am I autonomous, or just a rebel?
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