Settling Disagreements

The Problem

Judaizers came down from Judea and began disrupting the church with false teaching. They were teaching a works based salvation. Acts 15:1

Acts 15:1 NASB95

Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

This is important because it was a theological teaching that was dealing with the irreducible minimum of the Christian doctrine. This is that God loves us, however our sin separates us from God, God sent Jesus to die for our sins, God calls us into salvation and we put our faith in Jesus by repenting of our sins and believing that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He is returning again. Judaizers were adding that in addition to faith in Christ you had to be circumcised in order to be saved. Gen 17:9-10

Genesis 17:9–10 (NASB95)

God said further to Abraham, “Now as for you, you shall keep My covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. “This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised.

They were continuing in this tradition because they were not saved and understand that true circumcision happens in the heart by the Holy Spirit and not by the hands of man. Col. 2:11-12

Colossians 2:11–12 (NASB95)

and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

This is the new covenant of God among believers. The old covenant was a foreshadowing of the new covenant. The removal of the foreskin in the old testament was symbolic of the removal of the flesh and entering into the covenant of God.

This debate was so vitally important because there were many Gentiles in the church who had not been circumcised. This presented a huge barrier for people entering into a covenant with Jesus. It also presented confusion for those who had accepted salvation by faith in Christ alone.

Since this debate was so important the church decided to petition the apostles in Jerusalem for a solution.

Modern Disagreements

There are many disagreements in churches today that serve as a tool to divide and weaken the church.

Catholic and Protestant

Let’s start at the highest level between protestant and catholic. The main difference between Protestants and Catholics deal with the Sacraments. Catholic Sacraments:

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that Christ instituted seven sacraments, which are as follows:

Baptism As the first of three sacrament of initiation – Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist – baptism serves as the gateway to all the other sacraments. It enables one to be born anew in Christ and grants us each a share in his divine life, as Our Lord declared: “Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

Confirmation The sacrament by which we are nourished and strengthened in the grace of God and sealed with the gift of his Holy Spirit as “soldiers for Christ.” As St. Augustine observed, the significance of the sacrament is manifested according to Our Lord’s command to those Apostles who had already been baptized: “…you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

Eucharist Is the true bread come down from heaven, which nourishes and sustains us for our journey to eternal life. While the Jews ate manna in the desert but died nonetheless, anyone who “eats this bread will live forever” (John 6:59) as Christ declares “For My flesh is real food, and My blood is real drink” (John 6:56).

Penance (Confession/Reconciliation) The sacrament by which our souls are restored to health after being wounded by sin. Being fully restored to a state of sanctifying grace enables us once again to be open to the grace that God freely and benevolently offers, and is the requisite grace for us to worthily attain a blessed life with Him in heaven.

Anointing of the Sick Serves to eliminate the remains of sin and invigorates the soul of those who are sick and who are approaching the end of their earthly life. This sacrament is attested to in Mark 6:13: “…they cast out many devils, and many who were sick they anointed with oil, and healed them.”

Holy Orders The sacrament by which power is granted to exercise the public administration of the sacraments and to perform all the sacred functions; namely the priesthood and diaconate.

Matrimony The primordial sacrament instituted by God to the end that, by means of the legitimate union of a man and woman, children are procreated and formed for service to God and the preservation of the human race (cf. Genesis 1:28). By the fruits of his passion, Christ elevated the dignity of the sacrament to serve as a reflection of his relationship with the Church, as St. Paul compares the husband to Christ and the wife to the Church (cf. Ephesians 5:23-25)

While there are many reasons for why the sacraments were instituted by Our Lord, the primary reason stems from the feebleness of our humanity. In other words, the human person is a constitution of body and soul, and we are incapable of ascending to knowledge of a particular thing (especially things of a divine order) unless it be done through sensible objects.

Therefore, in order that we might easily understand the hidden power of God through the redemption carried out by Jesus Christ, this same God ordained that His power should be manifested to us through the intervention of sensible signs; namely, the sacraments.

Most Protestants believe in two Sacrament: Baptism and Lord’s Supper. Protestants believe that these sacraments are symbolic of our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Protestant Denominations

Within Protestantism there are several second tier theology that create different denominations.

Church governance is a main area of denominations. For example, Baptist are autonomous when it comes to governance. This means that we do not report to a authoritative governance. Methodist and Presbyterian have the diocese and presbytery that establish the rules for the church. They decide the theology of the church. This is why the Methodist are splitting. The Methodist Diocese has decided that homosexuality is not a sin.

Church of God and Pentecostals believe that a person must be born of the Holy Spirit to be saved. This will be signified by speaking in tongues. Eph. 4:4-6

Ephesians 4:4–6 (NASB95)

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.

We believe in only One Baptism and that a person receives the Holy Spirit at time of conversion not at a separate time and that it is not signified by speaking in tongues. Church of the Highlands is one of the biggest churches that believe in baptism of the Holy Spirit. However, they do not make it a big deal until you reach senior level leadership.

Traditional Church of Christ believe that only they are going to heaven and that baptism is necessary for salvation. There are other church of Christ churches that do not believe this.

Infant baptism is another belief that separates protestants. This is a belief that a baby can be baptised and it will be saved until such a time that they come to know Jesus. We believe that Baptism is done when a person comes to faith in Jesus Christ and that it is a public profession of faith in Jesus.

Even among Baptist there is division. The main divider is reformed theology and Non-reformed theology. This deals with predominately predestination. I believe that this is second tier theology and do not emphasize it.

The Process

Because there was such division the church decided to turn to the apostles for a ruling on the disagreement. Acts 15:2

Acts 15:2 NASB95

And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

The church sent Paul and Barnabas up to Jerusalem for the answer.

Baptist and Prospect Baptist Church.

Baptist are autonomous and do not have apostles or a governing body to govern theology. The SBC has the baptist faith and message that we are suppose to abide by, but SBC has no authority to force us to. So what do we do when we have disagreements in our church. We are governed by our By-Laws to settle disagreements in the church. This involves church discipline, termination of Pastor, disagreements between members, and other areas of disagreements.

The goal in all disagreement is restoration of relationship.

The Proclamation

Acts 15:7–9 (NASB95)

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe. “And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us; and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

Acts 15:19–20 (NASB95)

“Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

The decision for the debate was made by Peter and James. Peter declared that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. He gave the example of his experience with the Gentile Cornelius salvation. Acts 10:44-48

Acts 10:44–48 (NASB95)

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message. All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered, “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?” And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

Peter recognized that God chose to save the Gentiles without being circumcised. He had to agree with God that man is saved by faith alone in Christ alone. This is true and addressees the theological debate, but didn’t address the division in the church. So James added to Peter’s proclamation.

Acts 15:19–20 (NASB95)

“Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

James agreed with Peter that circumcision was not necessary for salvation. Only faith alone in Christ alone was necessary. But he then addressed the division in the church by giving four commandments to keep harmony. Abstain from food sacrificed from idols, eating food that had been strangled or had blood in it, and refrain from sexual immorality. Though these were not commandments regarding salvation, they were commandments to Gentiles to keep harmony with the Jews. He was basically saying don’t let your liberty in Christ serve as a stumbling block to your Jewish brothers in Christ. 1 Cor. 8:9-13

1 Corinthians 8:9–13 (NASB95)

But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. For if someone sees you, who have knowledge, dining in an idol’s temple, will not his conscience, if he is weak, be strengthened to eat things sacrificed to idols? For through your knowledge he who is weak is ruined, the brother for whose sake Christ died. And so, by sinning against the brethren and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause my brother to stumble.

For example, when it comes to drinking, we have the right in Christ to drink alcohol. However their are others in our faith that find drinking alcohol offensive. In such a case like this the person that has the right to drink should not when having dinner with the one that finds it offensive. Though it is permissive to drink it is never permissive to get drunk.

Our goal in disagreements should be for restoration of relationship. For this reason disagreements can be healthy. It teaches us that we can disagree and still be friends.