Dealing with tradition
Reading: Acts chapter 15 verse 1-35
Ill:
A very poor holy man lived in a remote part of China.
• Every day before his time of meditation in order to show his devotion,
• He put a dish of butter up on the window sill as an offering to God,
• One day his cat came in and ate the butter.
• So to remedy this,
• He began tying the cat to the bedpost each day before the quiet time.
• This man became a well known who was revered for his piety;
• So much so that soon others joined him and became his disciples;
• And worshipped as he did.
• Generations later, long after the holy man was dead,
• His followers placed an offering of butter on the window sill during their time of prayer.
• Furthermore, each disciple went out and bought a cat;
• In order to tie it to the bedpost!
Question: What is tradition?
Answer: "That which is handed down from generation to generation."
• Traditions can be both good and bad;
• Often they can provide a sense of stability and normalcy
Ill:
• At the Tower of London every afternoon at exactly 4:00 PM;
• There is a traditional ceremony that takes place.
• The Beefeaters, British royalty’s ceremonial guards,
• Come out of the tower and feed the raven on the front lawn.
• There is a legend that says;
• As long as the ravens are fed, London would never fall to her enemies.
• During WW 2, when London was being bombed by the German Luftwaffe,
• The ravens were frightened away.
• Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave a secret order to the Beefeaters;
• He told them to secretly clip the wings of the remaining ravens so they couldn’t fly.
• Question: Why?
• Answer: To provide a sense of stability and normalcy to Londoners in a troubled time.
I guess we like traditions:
• But often they can provide a sense of permanence, a solid standard.
• Most of us like the familiar, the norm.
• Ill: How many of you always try to sit in the seat that you are now in?
• So some traditions can be good, but some traditions can also be bad;
Ill:
• In our culture arranged marriages are deemed to be wrong!
• We have grown up with the tradition that male & female are free to find their own partner.
• But to many people around the world (large groups in this country);
• Arranged marriages are the norm! It’s their tradition!
• So traditions can be both good and bad;
• Because often they can provide a sense of permanence a solid standard.
In Acts chapter 15 we face a conflict:
• A conflict of ideas, the old and the new.
• Do we stick to what we have always known (tradition) or do we accept new ways!
Ill:
• In 1786,
• William Carey a shoemaker/pastor from Northamptonshire,
• Was burdened by the needs of the worlds people,
• He stood before a counsel of representatives at a ministerial meeting in Northampton,
• He explained his burden to share the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.
• He was rebuked by the eminent Dr. Ryland who said to him,
• "Young man, sit &down! When God pleases to convert the heathen,
• He will do it without your aid or mine!"
• Carey refused to accept that advice and so he followed his heart and his Bible,
• And the rest, as they say is history.
• William Carey has been called the ‘Father of modem missions’.
• He initiated the modem missionary movement as we know it today.
Long before William Carey, Paul and his associates faced this same challenge:
• This time it was not in Northamptonshire, England.
• But Jerusalem, Israel.
• Not in 1786,
• But about 2,020BC – about 20 years after Pentecost, the birthday of the Church (Acts 2).
• And Paul and his associates like William Carey, would have to be courageous,
• To defend both the truth of the Gospel and the missionary outreach of the church.
Context:
• Paul and Barnabas have arrived back at Antioch after their first missionary journey.
• They have reported to the church how God has been working through them.
• So far so good!
• Everyone can rejoice with the news of conversions!
• Well…..almost everyone;
• Verses 1-5 tells us of those who could not!
(1). The dispute (vs 1 & 5):
“Certain individuals came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." 2This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them.
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses."
The opposition: The heated discussion was caused by:
(a).
• Verse 1: “Certain individuals from Judea who were teaching the believers”
• That expression ‘From Judea’ informs us that these were religious heavy weights,
• Unlike these new Christians at Antioch;
• These believers had a history, they had traditions to lean on and to guide them!
(b).
• They were supported by Verse 5: “believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees”
• ‘Pharisees’ were people full of traditions!
• Pharisees were not priests, they were more like religious politicians;
• Pharisees had power! It was the Pharisees who confronted Jesus again and again in his ministry!
At first these Certain individuals & Pharisees:
• No doubt rejoiced with the news of conversions!
• But then they kept hearing a word which disturbed them greatly.
• The word ‘Gentiles’ (the word means ‘of the nations’).
• Verse 3: “They report how God has opened a door of faith for the Gentiles”.
• Gentile converts had always been part of the Jewish synagogue.
• Proselytes; those who had been converted to the Jewish faith.
• And now in the Church Gentiles were being converted;
• But it had always been their ones and twos.
• They were in small numbers;
• That could be dealt with by the predominantly Jewish church.
• But now in the book of Acts and in Church history;
• That small trickle was becoming a torrent.
• And what was even worse for these deeply Jewish believers;
• These Gentiles were completely outsiders.
• These Gentiles were converted from paganism,
• They had no concept of Jewish religious practices;
• They had no idea about God’s laws;
• They had no desire to be Jewish in any way.
• These were Gentiles who had come to faith in Christ.
• They were content with that!
Note:
• This period of time was a transition for Jews, especially Jewish leaders.
• When Jews got converted they did not stop being Jews.
• They had to figure out how to follow Jesus the Messiah;
• In their Jewish culture and traditions.
Ill:
• Everything at the start of Christianity was Jewish.
• The Church was born in the Jewish capitol city – Jerusalem.
• The Church was born during a Jewish feast – Pentecost.
• All the scriptures (only had the Old Testament) were Jewish writings.
• All the disciples were Jewish;
• Jesus himself was of course Jewish!
• Everything at the start of Christianity was Jewish.
• Ill: Stick of rock (Judaism & Jewishness running all the way through it).
THESE TROUBLEMAKERS/JUDIAZERS WANTED TO:
• Make Christianity a sect of Judaism.
• They wanted to combine the two!
• They had not yet understood that Christianity was not a branch of Judaism;
• Christianity is actually a fulfilment of Judaism!
• So these Jewish believers were teaching;
• That these Gentiles need to become Jews before they could be proper Christians!
• They need to be circumcised as they had been taught.
• And if they were not then they were not saved!
Note: These Jewish believers were actually going beyond the facts of Jewish history.
• At this point they were relying on Jewish tradition ,
• They were relying on religious practice to establish their theology.
• They had forgotten that circumcision was given to Abraham;
• Before both Moses and the Law was given!
• Circumcision was a covenant of grace, entered into by faith;
• (Paul goes on to point out all this in Galatians chapter 3).
• These Jewish believers had turned that physical sign from God into a condition,
• A prerequisite, of salvation; and that struck at the heart of the gospel.
Note:
• This teaching needed to be dealt with quickly and efficiently;
• It actually attacks the very heart of the Christian gospel.
• It teaches that Christ’s death upon the cross is not enough;
• It is both Christ’s death and circumcision and law keeping that saves!
• In teaching this they are adding to the gospel message;
• And denying the finished work of Christ on the cross.
Now at one level these Jewish troublemakers are right to be worried.
• This moment is the turning point in the history of the Church.
• From this moment on the church will never be the same again!
e.g.
• Here Peter makes his last appearance.
• From now on, Paul takes centre stage as the "Apostle to the Gentiles."
e.g.
• From this moment on the Jewish and Gentile Churches;
• Will march shoulder to shoulder as equal members of God’s Church.
The response of Paul & Barnabus (vs 2-4):
So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they travelled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
(A). THEY MAKE A WISE DECISION (VERSE2):
• Paul and Barnabus knew that the issue raised by these Judiazers was so important;
• That they could not just ignore it and hope it would go away!
• Neither could Paul and Barnabus just pull rank and order them to accept it!
• Notice that Paul and Barnabus took practical steps to ensure a resolution to this problem;
• They needed to nip the problem in the bud;
• They were determined to solve the problem once and for all!
• They decided to involve the ‘mother’ Church in Jerusalem;
• The Church where Christianity started and which carried a great deal of authority.
• When they arrive back in Jerusalem;
• Verse 4 tells us they are given a warm welcome, one that is good and positive.
• But soon the troublemakers stand up (verse 6);
• Their welcome contains no warmth, no joy, instead only rigidity, a chill in the air.
5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses
(2). The Defence (vs 6-18):
“The apostles and elders met to consider this question”.
• This is a big section and you can read it later to enjoy the content it contains;
• Let me give you a quick summary of what happens in these verses:
• Four key leaders present the case for the defence;
• Apostle Peter (verses 7-11);
• Apostle Paul supported by Barnabus (verse 12);
• Apostle James (verses 13-21).
• They will argue that it is faith in Christ alone that saves;
• And that both Jew and Gentiles are saved the same way.
Notice
• If you read the passage you will notice how their arguments all compliment one another;
• Even though they all argue from different perspectives.
• Apostle Peter (verses 7-11) argues from the past,
• He shares his personal experience as recorded in Acts chapter 10.
• Apostle Paul supported by Barnabus (verse 12) argue from the present;
• They report on what God is doing NOW among the Gentiles.
• Apostle James (verses 13-21) argues from the future.
• He quotes the prophecy of Amos (speaks about future times);
• He also gives some suggestions about the next steps to take.
(3). The decision (vs 19-35).
Ill:
• Luciano Pavarotti was an Italian tenor in opera music;
• Before he became famous and before he embarked on his career as a singer,
• He was undecided as to which career to follow;
• Should he be a teacher or a professional singer?
• His father was a baker and one day he asked him for some advice;
• This is what he was told:
• “If you try to sit on two chairs you are bound to fall to the ground.
• Luciano you must choose one chair.”
• This obviously was wise counsel for his son,
• Who 14 years later became one of the most famous tenors in the world.
This is what the Lord old the Church in Jerusalem:
• “Choose one chair.”
• In other words salvation is by faith alone in Christ!
• Well, the defence wins and the council send Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch;
• They are given a letter containing the judgement of the council,
• They are also accompanied by Judas and Silas,
• Who are sent as representatives of the leadership of the Church in Jerusalem.
• When they arrive back the church rejoices,
• Particularly, I guess, the Gentile members of the church.
Notice:
• The leaders and the whole Church (vs 22). Directed by the Holy Spirit (vs28),
• Made a twofold decision:
• A doctrinal decision about salvation.
• And a practical decision about how to live the Christian life.
Ill:
• There were two doctors with the same name who lived a few doors apart.
• One was a Christian and a lay preacher, the other made no profession of faith.
• One night a rather sick person, who was also a Christian,
• And wanting help from a fellow believer,
• Knocked mistakenly at the door of the non-Christian doctor.
• “Are you the doctor who preaches?” he asked.
• “No”, the medic replied, “I am the doctor who practices”.
• “Oh”, said the sick person, “I’ve always understood the two things were inseparable”.
• Good doctrine should lead to good practice;
• The outcome of the apostles & Jerusalem Church is theological and practical.
Notice:
• That there is a compromise.
• Not on doctrine but on practice.
• The Jews gave up insisting that Gentile believers had to be circumcised to be saved.
• The Gentiles accepted a change in their eating habits.
THESE DECISIONS HAD TWO POSITIVE RESULTS:
(1). It strengthened the unity of the Church.
• It kept the Church from splitting into two extreme ‘Law’ & ‘Grace’ groups.
• Ill: Prayer of Jesus in John chapter 17 verse 20:
“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.”
Quote: Vance Havner:
"Christians, like snowflakes, are frail,
but when they stick together they can stop traffic."
(2). It enabled the Church to present a united witness to the lost.
• Ill: Prayer of Jesus in John chapter 17 verse 20:
• Goes on to say:
“I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,
21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.
May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
• How can we tell people to be reconciled to God;
• If we are no reconciled to each other?
Quote:
“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity”.
And finally…. 3 Timeless principles
First: no conflict is easy.
• Controversies are difficult to handle,
• And they require sensitivity and flexibility.
• The life giving Spirit off God is on a collision course,
• With the traditions & preferences of human beings.
• Ill: When you have a collision you are going to have casualties!
• The life giving Spirit off God is on a collision course, with the traditions & preferences of human beings.
• The word of God does not change, it is fixed, constant.
• But our culture, our world is constantly changing.
• And the hardest thing in the world;
• Is to be Biblicley true and culturally relevant at the same time!
• We must stay open to different ‘things’ while holding fast to the truth we know.
• We must wisely distinguish what is essential and what is nonessential to the faith.
Second: conflicts can be beneficial
Disagreements can be good for a church:
• They sharpen our understanding of truth;
• And chisel away traditions that dull our communication of the gospel.
• A church without questioning people loses its cutting edge in society;
• And causes its members to become ineffective.
Remember:
• As a result of the Jerusalem Council, the Jewish Christians;
• Had to ask themselves some hard questions.
• e.g. "Do we really believe in God’s grace?”
• e.g. “Are we trusting Christ or our religion for salvation? “
• e.g. “Why can t we accept the Gentiles? “
• e.g. “Could we be prejudiced? Self-cantered? Or even Arrogant?"
As a result of the conflict the Church was spiritually enriched:
• They had a deeper appreciation of the doc trine of salvation!
• They had a deeper appreciation of all the believers (no longer any 2nd class believers!)
(3). Healthy traditions don’t resist change.
• This chapter from Acts is not just about Gentile salvation
• It’s about being open to change.
• The Jewish Christians only knew one way to relate to God through the Law.
• From now on they were going to have to accept another way.
• Like an only child who must now share a room with new siblings,
• So these Jewish Christians would struggle with this change.
If we are honest, most of us handle change badly:
• We are not very flexible when ‘grace’ makes changes in your own ‘law’?
• Most of us don’t mind change as long as everything remains the same!
Quote: Historian Jaroslav Pelikan quipped that:
"Tradition is the living faith of the dead
while traditionalism is the dead faith of the living."
• I would add the word ‘Good’ to that quote:
• ‘Good tradition….”
Ill:
A bishop once said to Louis XI of France,
• "Make an iron cage for all those who do not think as we do,
• An iron cage in which the captive can neither lie down nor stand straight up."
• Louis XI ordered the awful instrument of punishment to be made;
• After a while, the bishop offended Louis XI,
• And for fourteen years that bishop was put in that very cage;
• Where he could neither lie down nor stand up.
• Bad traditions imprison Churches and stifle growth and freedom;
• Good traditions are more like foundations.
• You can build on them not be crushed by them,
• They aid a Church rather than hinder it!
Final question: How can we detect good from bad?
Some suggestions from the passage:
(a).
• Verse 6 would suggest that only the apostles and the elders met.
• To deliberate and come to a decision.
• In other words the elders did not rush into a decision;
• They spent time talking & I would suggest praying over the issue.
• They enquired of the apostles;
• Our equivalent is to search the New Testament teaching for insight on the matter.
(b).
• When they came to an understanding of what they believed was right:
• Verse 22 says that a second meeting was held.
• At this second meeting they informed the Church of their decisions.
• The leaders of the Church are leading the flock.
• Ill: The tail does not wag the head! The head guides the body!
• The leaders made a decision before God about an important issue and they then informed the Church!
=
Ill:
• As a Church you need to regularly pray for your leaders!
• If you are not praying for them then you have no right to criticize them!
• Question: Do you know when their elders/leadership team meet?
• Answer: Find out and make it a priority to pray for them!
Pray that they might have wisdom, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit & courage to act!
So that you will continue to be a living, loving effective church in the years ahead!
