We have been looking at troubles and persecutions from without.
• Today, we are going to look at problems from within - disagreements among believers.
• Christians will quarrel. Nothing wrong with that. If you had never had an argument with a brother or sister, I’m more worried. Are you human?
The problem is not the conflict. It is how we manage it, how we handle it.
• I would say in any conflict, 10% is the issue, 90% is how we react to it.
• That’s why we have church splits down through the centuries, not because of some BIG doctrinal disagreements – like, is Jesus the Son of God; is the Bible the Word of God? - BUT small practical matters – like, shall we baptise by sprinkling or by immersion, can we dance or play drums in a worship service? Should we read the NIV or KJV Bible during service? Should we paint the church kitchen yellow or blue? Or should the organ or piano be placed on the right side of the platform?
• The devil uses these to divide. He knows us well; he knows human nature well.
Let’s look at the first big argument in the church of Acts and learn something today: Acts 15:1-12. Three principles that I think can help us in every conflict.
Borrowing the words from verse 2, we can expect “sharp dispute and debate” even among believers.
• The church around the region has grown. Paul and Barnabas have just returned from their first missionary journey.
• Most of the churches by now were made up of Gentile converts. The church in Jerusalem was, of course, Jewish.
That was the issue. You have two distinct groups of believers, from very diverse backgrounds and cultures - now co-existing together as the church.
• The Jewish believers have been following a set of traditions for generations – the Mosaic laws – dietary laws, sacrificial laws, since Exodus time.
• The Gentiles were ethnically and culturally different, of course. But now that they have accepted Christ, the Jews expected them to follow their practices.
This was not easy. Even Peter himself needed convincing (in Acts 10), to believe that God would even consider saving the Gentiles, in the first place.
• God had to show him a couple of visions, get him to meet up with Cornelius and then show him the miracle of the Holy Spirit coming upon them.
• Was this easy for him? No. In fact, when he went back to Jerusalem from Cornelius’ house, he was criticised by his fellow Jewish believers (cf. 11:2)
I want to show you what happened even before this Council took place.
• Peter was likely at Antioch and he was reprimanded by Paul for siding with the Jewish believers.
• Paul recounted the incident in Gal 2:11-16.
The believers in Jerusalem, steep in the Jewish laws, thought that any Gentile who wanted to follow Jesus had to “become Jew” first.
• They are to be “set apart as holy” before God and that means, they must be circumcised too.
• This was, of course, incorrect. Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ, not by any outward forms.
Paul explains this in Romans 2. The outward circumcision cannot save you. It is the circumcision of the heart (cf. Rom 2:29).
• It is the work of the Holy Spirit. It comes by our obedience to God, and not the written code.
• Paul tells the people (15:8-9) “God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. 9He made no distinction between us and them, for He purified their hearts by FAITH.”
This is the first guiding principle in any contentious disagreements among believers – seek to do the will of God!
Principle (1): UNITE AROUND THE ESSENTIALS
The believers in Antioch and Jerusalem were together SEEKING to understanding of what God has said in Word and revealed in His deeds.
• It is not about what you think or how I think. It is about what God thinks!
• What is God’s will in this issue? You need time for this – a time to get together and talk, to share who God has done, to understanding what God has said.
Determining that which is the most ESSENTIAL is not easy. Even this can be contentious, but at least, there is an ATTEMPT at doing it.
• Do we ATTEMPT at all to seek God’s heart and understand His will?
• The believers were serious about it. They were UNITED, at least, in this same PASSION of seeking to understand God’s will.
Peter, Paul and Barnabas testified to what God has done among the Gentiles. They were eye-witnesses.
• James spoke at the end and quoted a prophecy from Amos 9:11-12, regarding God’s plan of salvation even for the Gentiles (cf. Acts 15:16-18).
• The ESSENTIALS will be the TRUTHS revealed by God. I dare say everything else is not essential because only the truth of God is eternal.
• It remains true no matter for what time, what place, or what people.
We rally around the essentials. So the assembly agreed, salvation is for all people and it comes by grace, through faith in Jesus Christ.
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So now, having understood God’s will, there is still this very practical issue.
• What to do now? Should we have both groups living with diverse practices, co-existing together and hope for harmony?
• James concluded with these words – Acts 15:19-23.
They penned down an open letter to all the churches, giving some guidelines.
• These guidelines served to provide clarity and uniformity across the churches.
• They were given so that Jewish believers will find it easier to accept the Gentiles believers (they need not be circumcised to be saved)…
• And for the Gentiles for accept the Jewish believers and their way of life (don’t eat food offered to idols or meat of strangled animals).
[The prohibition against eating blood was actually given by God before the time of the Law (Gen. 9:4), and it was repeated by Moses (Lev. 17:11-14; Deut. 12:23). If an animal is killed by strangulation, some of the blood will remain in the body and make the meat unfit for Jews to eat.]
Are these essentials? No. The letter says, “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements…” (15:28)
• They are non-essentials, but they are good for the Body. Salvation is not dependent on these, but they are good for the harmony and unity of the church.
Principle (2): MAKE CONCESSIONS IN NON-ESSENTIALS
Don’t make life more difficult for fellow believers than it is necessary.
• We learn to give and take. We learn to accommodate and accept some differences. This is something we learn; it does not come naturally.
• Rom 14:19 “Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.” Eph 4:3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Heb 12:14 “Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.”
• You say, “It’s very hard!” You are on the right track. It is difficult!
Paul set us a very good example, when he wrote about eating food offered to idols to the Corinthian church some 7 years later:
1 Cor 8:4-13 “So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live.
7 But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.
9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. 10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol's temple, won't he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.”
Principle (3): SHOW LOVE IN EVERYTHING
The motivation is not so much of what is right, but what is the most loving thing to do. The welfare of the other is our concern.
We see this common threat expressed in Acts 15.
• Peter said, “…why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?” (15:10)
• James said, “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” (15:19)
• And in the letter, they wrote: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to use not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements…” (15:28)
It has the welfare of the other at heart. That’s love. Love has the welfare of the other at heart.
• In fact, by definition, love cannot be understood otherwise. It is not love if your motivation is not the welfare of the other.
• I dare say that at the heart of every lingering conflict, the issue is a lack of love!
The love that God has modelled for us is a love for the undeserving.
• You don’t have to tell me to love the adorable, cute, beautiful, gentle and kind.
• But I need to learn to love those who are not like me, who argues with me, who are unlike me, who are different.
The Bible did not give us any simple “3-Step to Resolving Conflict in Life” formula, but did give us some good principles to follow.
• This difficult episode in the early church was God-given lesson on love.
• The problems and differences are opportunities for them to grow in love.
• If they claimed to love God, they must learn to love one another – the Jews loving the Gentiles, the Gentiles loving the Jews.
• If they had failed, Christianity might have just ended right there.
I’ve seen many quarrels and conflicts over these 20 years of ministry. These 3 principles I shared today are true and timeless.
• Unite on the essentials – focus on what is most important; make concessions in non-essentials – don’t major on the minor; and show love always – don’t let self steps in (ego, pride, self-righteousness, etc.)
• It will not be the end of it – in fact, even before Acts 15 ends you see Paul and Barnabas quarrelling!
• You have to MAKE EVERY EFFORT to keep that peace and unity.
