Significant & Minor Controversy in the Church- Acts 15

Significant Controversy in the Church- Acts 15

Since the inception of the church, false teaching has weaseled its way into the church. Even before the church, we see this in the case of the Israelites in the OT.

Sensuality has also made its way into the church, likewise to OT Israel.

These two dangers, false teaching and sensual lifestyles, have always and will always plague the church. We have seen this in almost every chapter of this book of Acts, we will see this as we continue working our way through it, and we will see the connections in the epistles of the New Testament.

Along with these two problems, there are different views of theology and practice between godly brothers and sisters. What are we to do? How do we decide between one doctrine and another, between one form of practice and another?

Acts chapter 15 presents such a case. A significant issue, and in this case an actual Gospel issue, develops in the church.

Our BF&M tells us that the Word of God is, “It reveals the principles by which God judges us, and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.”

But what happens when it is what’s in the Word of God?

We will take two Wednesday evenings to examine this council, because it is so vital to understand from God’s inspired Word to see how significant controversies with other brothers and sisters.

Sometime before this council Paul wrote the book of Galatians. He had already faced the challenges with this group that will eventually be labeled “Judaizers.” These individuals were attempting to place believers under the Mosaic Law, namely circumcision. The biggest issue is stated in Acts 15:5, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

So, we will divide this chapter up to three sections:

15:1–21- Significant Controversy in the Church (Part 1)

15:22–35- Significant Controversy in the Church (Part 2)

15:36–41 Minor Controversy in the Church

Significant Controversy in the Church (Part 1)- 15:1–21

I. The Controversy Itself- 15:1–5

II. The Consideration of the Church- 15:6–11

III. The Counsel of James- 15:12–21