NBBC SS: Acts 15:22-41

Introduction: Last week, we concluded the Jerusalem council with an incredible demonstration of unity on the part of the early church following the efforts of the Judaizers to convince the Gentiles that they must follow the Mosaic Law to be saved.

At its core, the church was wrestling through what is their present relationship to the Old Testament, specifically, the injunctions of the Mosaic Law.

So, as we recall, the Jerusalem Church agreed with James’ summary that Gentiles be instructed to keep from things sacrificed to idols, from blood, from anything strangled, and from immorality.

The questions before us is how will they communicate this message.

Acts 15:22–29 “22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, 23 and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. 24 “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, 25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth.

When you have an important message that will impact the whole of your organization, how do you share that message?

You share it in the most effective means of communication that communicates the authority to enforce it.

That’s exactly what the apostles, elders, and the whole church in Jerusalem did!

Did you notice how this letter sent with the authority of the apostles, elders, and whole church spoke concerning Paul and Barnabas?

Beloved

These guys are loved by the Church.

Therefore, these guys have the approval of the Church in Jerusalem in terms of their approach to this matter and their trustworthiness to accurately represent the meaning of the message that they have been sent with.

They’ve also “risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This phrase translated “risked their lives” can alternatively be translated as “handed or delivered over”.

It’s often used to refer to someone who has been taken into custody, as it will be when Agabus relates his prophecy concerning Paul being delivered into the custody of the Romans that will actually save his life from the Jewish mob that formed at the Temple (cf. Acts 21:11).

What this term suggests for us is that Paul and Barnabas were not haphazard about risking their lives to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

They willingly and intentionally risked their lives.

How was it that they risked their lives?

They were thrown out of several towns (Psidian Antioch [Acts 13], Iconium [Acts 14]).

Paul was stoned at Lystra (cf. Acts 14).

Why is it that the leaders and the whole of the Jerusalem Church would reference these intentional sacrifices that Paul and Barnabas have made fort he Gospel of Jesus Christ?

To highlight their testimony of faithfulness.

What would be the effect on the hearers of listening to this description of these men?

They would be encouraged that these men do what they do out of love for the Lord, as exemplified by their faithfulness.

What an incredible witness that they have!

I remember one time in my former church that someone had voluntarily gone over the church grounds and cleaned up any garbage that was there.

Another member of the church commented to them that not many people in the church would do that.

The member who had undertaken the cleaning had said that they cleaned up the church because they loved the church, which was indicative of their love for the Lord Who had saved them.

May we also be known to our church family that our faithfulness points to our love for the Lord that characterizes all that we do.

But, Paul and Barnabas were not the only ones entrusted with this message.

Who else was entrusted with this message?

Judas also known as Barsabbas.

Silas.

Luke has this penchant for mentioning individuals who will factor significantly in a passing statement.

Silas, or Silvanus, will factor into the next scene and following.

Why were these men chosen to go with Paul and Barnabas?

They were recognized as leaders in the church.

What we’re seeing here is spiritual leadership in action.

They were chosen not strictly on account of skills that they possessed.

Instead, they were chosen because the apostles, elders, and the whole church recognized in them the trustworthiness necessary for this mission that was evidenced through the ways that they had served the church prior to this event.

In other words, just like Paul and Barnabas, these men were faithful to the Lord.

The church recognized this faithfulness.

We’re seeing faithfulness in two vastly different circumstances.

Yet, both examples of faithfulness are commended by the apostles, elders, and the whole church in Jerusalem.

While our opportunities for faithfulness are going to look different, we are nevertheless called to be faithful wherever the Lord has placed us.

As demonstrated through the lives of these four men, faithfulness matters to the Lord and His people.

Why was it important for the letter that represented the instruction of the apostles, elders, and the whole church of Jerusalem specify, “some of our number to whom we gave no instruction?”

Those who were instructing the church in Antioch to follow the OT Law and be circumcised did so without the sanction of this leadership in the church.

This is a significant admission in which the leadership that the Lord had given to the Church is separating itself from those who made these statements initially.

The practical instruction for us is that whatever we share of spiritual instruction that it lines up with the instruction of the apostles.

Where we’re going to find that instruction is in God’s Word.

What we’re going to find about apostolic instruction is that harmonizes with the OT also.

Therefore, we can’t go wrong with following God’s Word.

Let’s continue reading to see the content that follows this meaningful introduction.

28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.””

I want for you to notice something very important here that has been repeated.

Our initial thought might be, “Right, this is word-for-word from what James concluded in the Jerusalem council.”

While that’s true, there a phrase in v. 28 that we have seen before that I believe is crucial for our understanding of how the Jerusalem Council played out.

Let me explain by showing you a comparison of this verse with two others.

Do you see the phrase that they all share?

“it seemed good”.

The phrase that translated here has the general idea of perception, one’s understanding of reality.

Let’s think about the instances of use in this passage so far.

First, the apostles, elders, and the whole church in Jerusalem believed that the right choice in communicating this important message was going to be through Paul, Barnabas, Judas/Barsabbas, and Silas (cf. Ac 15:22).

Additionally, in their introduction in the letter, the apostles, elders, and the whole church in Jerusalem affirmed their unified position in selecting the aforementioned men as their couriers of the message that they concluded on from the Jerusalem council.

Here, the message of the apostles, elders, and the whole church affirms the true origin of their message.

Who was it that was the source of this message?

The Holy Spirit.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, Who was it that was the true source of these efforts manifested through the apostles, elders, and the whole church to share this important message?

The Holy Spirit!

You see, brothers and sisters, the message that they are proclaiming and the unity that they are demonstrating both in their message and choice of these men are the product of the Spirit at work in them!

While there was initially confusing diversity concerning their relation to the OT Law, the Spirit was unhindered in working through His people to bring about unity.

This unity was the result of the Spirit working in them.

This unity was also the result of the people seeking the Lord by turning to His Word for the guidance needed to navigate this circumstance that impacted the whole of the Church.

What we see also is that the conclusion of the Jerusalem Council remained unchanged in the communication that they sent to the churches.

Some have explained these injunctions in terms of being able to have fellowship with other Jews who either believe or one is attempted to share the Lord Jesus Christ with them.

That is, their primary concern is maintaining a relationship with Jews.

I believe that this understanding really misses the significance of this injunction that importantly summarizes the teaching of the OT Law.

Additionally, James never used the phrase, “so that you can fellowship with the Jews without being a hindrance.”

You see, there is still a place for obedience to God’s Word, even the OT.

It’s in terms of its call to embrace pleasing the Lord over everything else.

Including our desire for control

Along with our desire to be impure

Remember, James references the widespread knowledge of the OT that would serve as the basis for making these injunctions to the Gentiles brothers and sisters.

This is about obedience to God’s Word that includes the Gentiles as God’s people too.

God wants us to worship Him alone and to be pure.

These have not faded into the background since the Jerusalem council.

The truth is that every time we encounter temptation we are answering what is god to us.

The temptations to impurity abound just as ever.

Just because content may be more accessible it does not mean that it’s more of a problem than it has ever been.

Impurity has always been a problem.

Brothers and sisters, what we see from the church in Jerusalem is how they diligently evaluated their experience from the Scriptures to resolve a theological issue that came up.

The result was that they were able to come to a consensus led by the Spirit.

Hence, the Spirit was leading them the whole time.

We, therefore, must seek the Spirit to lead us through God’s truth to be able to approach circumstances in the right manner so that the Lord would be pleased above all.

However, so far this message had remained in Jerusalem, let’s see how the the church outside of Jersualem responded to this message.

Acts 15:30–35 “30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.

Whenever there is joy, Who is the One at work?

The Holy Spirit!

The Holy Spirit was demonstrating His presence in the unity of the church and the church’s response to this message from God’s Word!

Brothers and sisters, as Chad faithfully reminds us Sunday after Sunday, whenever we hear God’s Word we have to respond!

Let’s respond like the Church here who, when encouraged to please the Lord in all of life to include worshipping the Lord alone and in purity, responded with rejoicing!

33 After they had spent time there, they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out. 34 But it seemed good to Silas to remain there. 35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.”

How else is the Spirit demonstrating His presence at work among the Church in Antioch?

They sent away these messengers in peace.

This is the result of God’s Word working in the heart of His people by His Spirit.

May we not hinder God’s Word by His Spirit at work in our lives like this.

It seems like the recent times that I have taught, there’s some footnote about a verse not being in the earliest manuscripts that is in the text under consideration!

Similar to last time, please do not let this bother you.

The translators are attempting to be transparent because they understand that this is God’s Word.

Even though they have some speculation about its inclusion, this does not change what will take place.

While the Antioch Church sent them away in peace, it does not mean that they all left.

This is explicitly true for Paul and Barnabas.

This is also true for Silas, as the next episode will relate specifically.

Acts 15:36–41 “36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also. 38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. 40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”

I imagine that many of us are rather familiar with this episode.

Our initial impression may be sadness.

What a contrast that the church was able to demonstrate such great theological unity.

Yet, these messengers that were the demonstration of that unity could not agree over ministry partners.

While we could go back and reflect on Mark’s departure in Acts 13, it’s important to recognize that Barnabas, a clearly faithful man to the Lord did not see any issue in receiving Mark back into the ministry that the Lord was preparing for them to undertake.

There are times when ministry leaders cannot resume their former position on account of sin.

However, that clearly was not the case for John Mark according to Barnabas’ inviting the former to join him in further ministry pursuits.

Though many have looked over the lamentable status of this ministry partnership to highlight the progress of the Gospel that took place, I believe that this is done all too quickly.

Remember, we have seen the Spirit produce unity and peace among His people.

The disunity that has taken place here is a great tragedy in terms of what we have seen the Spirit do in this chapter.

While their ministry partnership dissolved, we have no reason to believe that their relationship to one another was destroyed.

They stopped ministering together.

It’s true that the language that’s used here is very strong language to describe their disagreement.

The term is used in the Greek translation of the OT to refer to God’s wrath.

Interestingly, in Hebrews 10:24 it’s used to strongly emphasize our need to encourage one another to love and good works.

What occurred here was likely uncomfortably strong.

Neither of these men who the Holy Spirit set apart and used in the first missionary journey who were faithful to serve the Lord and were entrusted by the Jerusalem church leadership were not above responding sinfully.

It’s possibly to be used of the Lord and still sinfully disagree with your brothers and sisters.

The question before us is will we humble ourselves and repent and seek to reconcile?

Something that I believe is rather important to consider is that, while these brothers disagreed, it did not stop their ministry.

In other words, Paul was not so distressed over the disruption of this missionary dream team that he decided to quit.

Nor Barnabas, for that matter.

Brothers and sisters, when changes occur in ministry partnerships, we can trust that the Lord Who has called us to serve Him will continue to lead and provide in the ministry that He has called us to.

Conclusion: In our passage today, we have seen the Spirit work mightily among His people. We’ve also concluded on a note of division, pointing out that not even the best of us are above responding sinfully to interpersonal conflict. Brothers and sisters, the same Spirit Who unified the Church in its response to error can work past our interpersonal conflict to produce peace as we humbly repent and seek reconciliation with one another.