A Dispute Resolved: Acts 15:22-35

Introduction

How firm is your faith in the Gospel? Are you able to stay committed to the work that Christ has given you in your own lives? The very calling that he has given to you, whether it be teaching the flock, ruling the flock, serving the flock through various gifts, serving and leading your family, or whatever God has called you, are you committed to that work? Are you committed to the point of persecution or death? The Apostles were certainly concerned with the spread of the Gospel despite the various means false teachers and prophets attempted to denigrate Christ’s church with. So also we are to remain steadfast in the Word of God.

Disputes frequently arise in the church of God. There is no perfect church here on earth. Detrimental to the Gospel is the divisiveness that occurs within the walls of the church. Yet, the Apostles and elders demonstrate just how we are to react. We are to act in one accord with the teachings of Scripture and the historical witness of the Church.

1) The Unity of the Church Safeguarded (vv. 22-29) Decisions for the church were not made upon the whimsical ideas of one individual. Luke records that the decision, which seemed good, derived from the apostles, elders, and the whole church. It was a church-wide decision. Not merely from one church but from the first General Assembly or Synod of the Christian church during its inception in Jerusalem.

The church is comprised of multiple leaders. First, the apostles are listed as a separate office from those of the elders. The apostles were those explicitly commissioned by Christ, with signs and miracles accompanying them to demonstrate that they are truly from God. There are no new apostles today. This office and specific calling ceased once John had died.

However, the elders of the churches that were well-established came to the Synod as well to deliberate and make decisions. This is an important aspect of eldership. Elders feed and lead the flock. They follow the model of the Good Shepherd in order to continue to proclaim the glorious graces of Jesus Christ.

What is remarkable, is that the church had only been in existence for roughly 15 years and there are already elders serving throughout the regions. The decision of the church are made known by the continued influence of the Holy Spirit.

If we know that the Spirit dwells in all of us, then we know that the Spirit works through particular councils and synods. Think about the various decisions made throughout church history on behalf of the church. Council of Nicea affirmed that Jesus was the Second Person of the Godhead, of the same substance as the father. Chalcedon furthered the doctrine of the Trinity. Council at Ephesus fought against the heresies of Nestorianism and the like.

All of these councils were undergirded by the truths of Scripture. They were not merely the words of some men but the interpretation of the Scriptures as those ordained to study them and exposit them. The result was the strengthening of Christian doctrine.

Does this not demonstrate not only the profound calling of elders but the heavy burden placed upon them to get doctrine right?

Content of the Letter.

The major doctrinal stance the apostles, elders, and the church in general make is a rebuke of the Judaizers and a firm stance against sin. The letter echoes back to the original mission journey of Paul. The totality of the Gentiles to whom he has preached are receiving this amazing news, that the ceremonial and civil laws of Israel that set them apart as a nation is no longer in play. Rather, they are to align themselves within the bounds of God’s moral law, the ten commandments.

It is alarming that these false teachers who would strive to divide the church were doing that which is out of accord with the fundamentals of the Gospel. The letter says, we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instruction. You would assume that people like James and Peter, who had been in close proximity with Jesus and the entirety of his ministry, who learned from him would know the teachings better than most. [[This needs work]]

These persons are labeled as having gone out from us. These are those that Paul talks about in Galatians 2:4 “Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—” and also 1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.” Their teaching was directly contrary to that of the Universal Church and especially of those who were directly under the ministry of Jesus Christ.

They not only departed from the truths of the faith, but also sought to trouble you with words [which were] unsettling your minds. How troubling is the false teacher to the mind of the faithful. Often confusion is a great tactic. If I can cause you to be deceived and question the truth of the Gospel, then I can create an untrustworthiness to the Gospel itself. Paul warns the church of Galatia in Galatians 1:7 “not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.” Distorting the Gospel is the principal means by which Satan attempts to lead astray the elect. Is this not also what Satan does in the Garden in questioning Adam as well?

Similarly, during the temptation of Jesus, does not Satan also attempt to dissuade Jesus from the Father’s will? Yet Christ is strong enough as the God-Man to refute such abominable tactics of the Devil. Even though there are some who will dissuade us from the Gospel, we know that Jesus has gone before us in the truth of His Word. Although we are tempted we are not astray. Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

False teachers will continue to try and lead us astray. Yet, we have the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ, the power of the Holy Spirit to lead us in all truth. John 16:13 “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.”

Once again, the apostles and elders of the church say it seemed good to us having come to one accord to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus. Paul and Barnabas knew the risks of their ministry. They encountered great persecutions throughout. Paul tells us the extent of his own persecution. 2 Corinthians 11:23–28 “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.”

Again, we are given those who are committed to the work of the Gospel. Men who are willing to lay it all on the line for the sake of Christ. Jesus himself explains what the Gospel cost may be at times. Matthew 19:29 “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.” In John Bunyans Pilgrim’s Progress we see this laid forth with the main character Christian. As he hears the truth in the Book. His journey to the Celestial City causes him to leave behind family in pursuit of Christ. Should not also our lives revolve around seeking Christ in all that we do? Forsaking simple pleasures in life for the advancement of his kingdom?

Not only do the Apostles and elders feel led to announce this letter to the Gentiles but it is confirmed by the Holy Spirit. It reads, it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements. It is not in the authority of the church where doctrine lies but in the authority of God Himself. The Holy Spirit is the powerful agent, the third person in the Trinity who leads and guides us in truth as promised by Christ.

What then should the Gentiles abstain from? Food sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled first and foremost. Why is this the case? It is for the purpose of Christian charity toward those who are susceptible to stumbling. In pagan Gentile religions, the food that was sacrificed to the gods would then be placed in the marketplace to be sold for profit. The Gentiles, who now found freedom in Christ, would still partake of the food as it was non-binding upon their own conscience. Yet, for the Jews, still under the impression that the obligation for ceremonial cleanness is rooted in “halal” animals, it was as stumbling block for them.

Often we do not act in humility when we partake of things that cause another brother to stumble. We ought not to allow our own Christian liberty to cause others to stumble. Paul writes of this in 1 Corinthians 8:9 “But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” It is not in the fact that the food sacrificed to idols implies that there are more gods, rather, it demonstrates humility.

The next abstention taken from the Gentiles is sexual immorality. This became an ever-increasing issue in the church of Corinth. Some in the Gentile community believed they could hold on to the cultural norms while they became Christians. The idea of being a nominal Christian was still an issue then as it is now. Meaning, there are some who purported that the freedom they have in Christ is a means to continue to sin, as they are forgiven. Yet what does Paul encourage us with? Romans 6:1–4 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

Similarly, sexual immorality is a grievous sin. It destroys the marriage covenant. The intent of God since the beginning was the one-flesh union between a man and a woman. In 1 Corinthians 6:18 “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.” Hebrews 13:4 “Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Ephesians 5:3 “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.” And Jesus explains the profound nature of sexual immorality in Matthew 5:28 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

We must take heart to not allow our liberty in Christ to become license for sin. Although we are free from the law’s demands because of our union with Christ we are by no means free to continue in sin. The apostles and elders gather together by witness of the Holy Spirit to remind the Gentiles of such things. Are you abstaining from sexual immorality in your marriage? Similarly, are you avoiding the allures of culture as a single person? Do not let your mind and conscience be shaped by the ever-increasing adultery-driven culture.

What about circumcision? We see in this letter that there is no overt response to the issue of circumcision. Though, I believe it is certainly implied in the text considering the fact that the very issue at hand was circumcision. Nonetheless, the conclusion reminds the Gentile Christians that following these simple exhortations from the Jerusalem Council will be good for them.

The Unity of the Church is indeed safeguarded through the Apostles and elders of the church. The intent was not to be divisive as the Judaizers and Jewish Christians were. Instead, it was to find freedom in Christ as the principle means of Christian fellowship. The discord within the church is squashed for a time. Yet, it continues to be a threat throughout the Gentile churches as handled by Peter and Paul in their own lives.

2) The Mission to the Gentiles Strengthened (vv. 30-35)

After Luke records the content of the letter to encourage unity within the church, the Apostles return back throughout the regions that were infected with the false teachings of the Judaizers. This letter is going to set the trajectory for the church from here on out. Matthew 16:18 “And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” The kingdom of darkness will attempt to overthrow the church, and indeed it has throughout history, yet like a wildfire the Gospel message sends in unquenchable vigour.

There’s almost a further confirmation that the Gentiles are part of the covenant people of God. The witness of the Holy Spirit throughout Acts verifies it but here specifically, as the Apostles and elders are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and proclaiming these truths, the Gentiles are bearing witness to the mission that is set before them.

I would imagine what it would be like to be Paul and Barnabas, having gone through an extraordinary work in proclaiming the Gospel to come back for a brief respite and then returning to the churches they once planted. Now, with eager anticipation, the Gentiles rejoice because of the great encouragement. It is as if they have been waiting and longing to hear whether or not the true Gospel dictated by Paul and Barnabas was going to hold up, or if the Judaizers are right.

Luke tells us that the letter, when they had read it, brought about encouragement and rejoicing. The word for encouragement is similar to that of the Holy Spirit in John 14 and 16, where Jesus says he will give us the Spirit of truth, the comforter. It is no wonder that as the Gentiles receive such joyous news that legalism is opposed to the Gospel they rejoice along with the comforting news as decided by the apostles with the Holy Spirit.

The confirmation that salvation was indeed by grace alone lifted a tremendous burden of worry from their shoulders. The second response was consolation, because of the letter’s encouragement. They no longer needed to fear that their salvation was not genuine. Legalism produces fear, guilt, and pride, while grace alone brings comfort and hope (2 Thess. 2:16). [John F. MacArthur Jr., Acts, vol. 2, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), 74–75.]

The apostolic church thus survived the greatest challenge it had yet faced and established the doctrine of salvation by grace. Satan’s attempt to inject heretical teaching was thwarted. So also was his attempt to split the church along racial and cultural lines. With the vitally important truth about salvation safeguarded, the church experienced greater days of ministry than ever before.

There has always been, and always will be, only one way to be saved. No one expressed that truth any clearer than the apostle Paul when he penned the familiar words, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast” (Eph. 2:8–9). [John F. MacArthur Jr., Acts, vol. 2, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1994), 75.]