Wise Council For Troubled Hearts
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Councils
Councils
Slide
Councils are official gatherings of church officials to discuss, debate and settle, usually, theological issues or questions.
Early in our church’s history, there were seven church councils that met to discuss
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
Introduction
Introduction
Slide: Council
When these big issues of heresy or false theology arose, the church would form councils to discuss, debate and settle, the issue. Seven times this occurred in early church history.
Now to be sure, the decisions that came out of councils are not necessarily correct, in fact,
Observation
Observation
Slide: Outline
Dilemma
Dilemma
1 But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. 5 But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”
Imagine the possible impact to the churches that Paul and Barnabas had founded earlier. In fact,
Paul’s later warning to Timothy was no doubt influenced by this issue.
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
In fact, his letter to the church in Galatia was in direct response to the Judaizer’s teaching that circumcision was required.
Paul, Barnabas, et al., sent (by the church)
Shared testimony of Gentile conversion all along the way in anticipation of the argument.
slide: Map
Encountered opposition from Pharisees
Debate
Debate
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. 7 And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 9 and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. 10 Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” 12 And all the assembly fell silent, and they listened to Barnabas and Paul as they related what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles. 13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. 15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written, 16 “ ‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it, 17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things 18 known from of old.’
The gathered council hears a great deal of debate but finally hears from Peter and James.
Peter appeals to common knowledge: “You Know” Gr epesthamai, it is where we get the word epistemology which is the study of how knowledge or truth is acquired. Simply put, this is cognitive knowledge. Peter is prefacing the truth that he is about to remind them of is something they have previously learned.
Recounts the vision and subsequent salvation of Cornelius in Acts 11:1-18.
The Acts of the Apostles a. Debate (15:6–21)
God knew what was in the hearts of Cornelius and his household, and he bore witness to their genuine faith in Christ by giving them the Spirit. However, even that faith was the gift of God. Peter’s final observation is that God ‘did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith’
Here, however, he summarizes in a distinctly theological way:
yoke of the law is unbearable even for the Jews.
placing this burden on the Gentiles would provoke God’s anger.
The reason is that they are adding unbiblical requirements to the gospel of grace.
Paul and Barnabas offer supporting/corroborating testimony
James endorses Peter’s statement
Uses the semitic pronunciation of Simon.
Out of the Gentiles, God chose people for his own.
Remedy
Remedy
19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.” 22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
Don’t trouble Gentiles, but encourage them to abstain from four pagan practices
idol pollution (food offered as sacrifice)
blood (use of blood as a food item)
food slaughtered without draining the blood.
sexual immorality
The issue of food and fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians was discussed in Acts 10–11, and another social matter is under discussion here, namely, ‘what to do about Gentiles’ associations with pagan temples, both before and even after their conversion to Christianity’.
Ultimately, the goal is unity. Acts 21, Paul accused of teaching believing jews to abandon Moses and the law.
The response is that neither group should cause the other to stumble in matters of conscience.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
Response
Response
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.
Conclusion
Conclusion
No doubt the early church had many growing pains as theological issues were fleshed out and resolved. The early church doesn’t have a monoploy on heretical teaching or the need for wise council. Not that I desire heresy and confrontation, but you can see how false teaching can strengthen the church. While ecumenical councils are not really formal events like they were in the early church, there are some modern day analogs.
New Hampshire Confession of Faith (1833)
The Nashville Statement
Statement on Social Justice and the Gospel
In the end, three things we can glean from this passage.
When faced with heresy, false teaching and threats to the body of Christ, we should understand that, while biblical doctrine is not a consensus based, our human understanding has tendency to err/distort biblical truth., so it is important to seek wise counsel.
have faith that God 1) knows the hearts of all people and 2) will preserve His word and, finally,
Praise God for being faithful that salvation comes to all people by grace through faith.