By Grace Alone, Through Faith Alone, in Christ Alone (Acts 15)

The church is made up of people. But it's not that simple. These people form local churches, local assemblies of believers who gather to worship, proclaim the gospel, celebrate the Lord's table and baptize new followers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All over the world the church gathers. We refer to these gatherings collectively as the church "universal." Our church is part of the Universal Church but we are a distinct, self governing local church. We have a church covenant and church bylaws. We have a constitution. And we also have a corporate conscience. A corporate conscience is a way of describing the culture and convictions of our local church. What type of music do we use? How do we dress? What time and day of the week do we gather? What are the roles of men and women, believers and the lost, young adults and senior adults? How do we feel about certain moral and social habits? Most important, how do we view the Bible and its relevance in our lives? What do we believe is the message of salvation and what does it mean to be a follower of Christ? In the early church has to come to a decision. They have to decide what it means to be a believer and how believers are to practice their faith. Do all believers need to follow the additional rules of first century Judaism? Can gentile believers continue to practice pagan forms of worship? Can believers practice any way they want even if it hurts the feelings of other believers? Can a church be part of the universal church but still be unique and distinct in their worship as a local church? Which rules are biblical and binding? Which rules are a matter of choice? And most important, who makes these decisions? This Sunday we'll be working through and dealing with several important issues for us as believers and as a local church.

We can only imagine what it would have been like for those who who all their lives had been entrenched in the ritualistic, Pharisaical law of the first century Jews. The 613 commandments, the sacrifices at the temple.

We stand on the other side. We are looking in from the outside. We are not the nation of Israel. We are not the a people who considered themselves to be the true people of God, the people who would not mention the name of the God who dwelt in immortal, invisible holiness and who could not imagine a man calling himself God. ().

John 10:31–33 ESV

31 The Jews picked up stones again to stone him. 32 Jesus answered them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you going to stone me?” 33 The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.”

John 10:31-33

Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible IV. Missionary Journeys

The Jews often made converts among the Gentiles, but these gentile converts were kept in a “second-class” position. Unless they were ready to undergo circumcision and accept the Pharisaic interpretation of the Law, they remained on the fringes of the Jewish congregation. Even if they went that far, the fact that they were not born Jewish still barred them from complete fellowship.

So what would be the relationship of gentile converts to the Christian community? Paul and Barnabas journeyed to Jerusalem to confer with the leaders there regarding this fundamental issue.

At Jerusalem, Paul set forth his convictions and won the day. Paul’s own description of the controversy in Galatians states that he was given “the right hands of fellowship,” along with Barnabas. The elders at Jerusalem agreed that these men “should go unto the heathen” (Gal. 2:9).

Following the conference in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas “continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord” (Acts 15:35). Here, two incidents put severe strains upon Paul’s working relationships with Peter and Barnabas.

The first of these incidents arose out of the same problems that brought on the Jerusalem conference. The conference had freed Gentiles from the Jewish regulation of circumcision. However, it had not decided whether Christians of Jewish background could eat with gentile converts. Peter took his stand with Paul in favor of this practice, which involved relaxing the Jewish food regulations. In fact, Peter set the example by eating with the Gentiles. But later he “withdrew and separated himself” (Gal. 2:12), and “Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation” (v. 13).

Paul, regarding these acts as a new threat to his mission to the Gentiles, resorted to drastic action. “I opposed [Peter] to his face, because he stood condemned” (Gal. 2:11, RSV). He did this “before them all” (v. 14). In other words, he resorted to public rebuke.

An overview of

15:1-5 - unless you are circumcised, through Samaria, the party of the Pharisees - Sadducees (powerful religious leadership group who upheld the Mishnah, believed in spirits and the resurrection, . Paul was a member of the Pharisees. Keep the law of Moses (but is this the law or the mishnah?)

apostles and elders,

v9 - cleansed by faith,

v11 - saved through grace we will be just as they

, , ,

- James the brother of Jesus

OT proof of Gentile conversion, called by my name, pagan worship, coexistence

- the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit

Church structure - the local church was not run by one man

Church leadership - the apostles, the apostles and the elders, the elders

Church decision making - it seemed good (v22)

the gospel is by grace though faith

do not flaunt your rules or your freedom