Acts 15 v 1-11 The Enemy Within
The Fake (to Antioch)
Their Coming - 1 And certain men which came down from Judæa
Their Coaching - taught the brethren, and said,
Their Cunning - Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses,
Their Controlling - ye cannot be saved. 3 John1:9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not. 10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
The Faithful (United)
The Certainty of the Dispute - 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas
The Size of the Dispute - had no small dissension
The Source of the Dispute - and disputation with them,
The Subtlety of the Dispute - The Quarrel - they determined (Church)
The Qualified - that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them,
The Quest - should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders The Quandary - about this question.
The Favourable -
Their Journey - 3 And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria,
Their Job - declaring the conversion of the Gentiles:
Their Joy - and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.
The Fruitful -
Their Return - 4 & when they were come to Jerusalem,
Their Reception - they were received of the church,
Their Recognition - and of the apostles and elders, and they
Their Revelation - declared all things that God had done with them.
The Forceful -
The Protagonists - 5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, - Religious Believers, Rigorous Believers, Ruthless Believers, Reckless Believers, Rootless Believers.
The Protest - saying, That it was needful to circumcise them,
The Pursuit - and to command them to keep the law of Moses.
By C I Scofield - (John 1:17) For the law was given by Moses,
but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" Law and Grace....
It is vital to observe that Scripture never mingles these two principles.
Law is prohibiting and requiring; Grace is beseeching and bestowing.
Law is a ministry of condemnation; Grace is of forgiveness.
Law curses Grace redeems from the curse. Law kills Grace makes alive Law shuts every mouth before God; Grace opens every mouth to praise Him Law puts a great and guilty distance between man and God Grace makes guilty man nigh to God.
Law says "do and live"; Grace, "believe and live."
Law never had a missionary; Grace is to be preached to every creature
Law utterly condemns the best man; Grace freely justifies the worst.
Law is a system of probation; Grace, of favour.
Law stones an adulteress;
Grace says, "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."
Under law the sheep dies at the hand of the shepherd;
Under grace the Shepherd dies for the sheep.
The Functional -
The Debate - 6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
The Dispute - 7 And when there had been much disputing,
The Defence - Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren,
The Divine - Will - ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth
Word - should hear the word of the gospel,
Way - and believe.
Witness - 8 And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
Work - 9 and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
The Delusion - 10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
The Deliverance - 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
