The Defence Of Christian Liberty Series

Acts 15 v 12 - 41 The Defence of Christian Liberty

v 7 - v 11 - Peter Deals with The Lord's Will - The Past

v 12 Paul Deals with The Lord's World - The Present

v 13 - 21 James Deals with The Lord's Word, Work & Way - The Plan

Christian Liberty Defended -

The Respect - 12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul,

The Report - declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles

The Restraint - by them. (Half not Told)

Christian Liberty Disclosed -

The Word - 13 and after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me:

The Work -

A Divine Work - 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name.

A Declared Work - 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written,

A Defined Work - 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up:

A Designed Work - 17 that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.

A Deliberate Work -

18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.

The Way -

A Way of Peace - 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:

A Way of Purity - 20 but that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

A Way of Parity - 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

Christian Liberty Declared -

The Messengers - 22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren: 23 and they wrote letters by them after this manner;

The Message - 23 - 29

Christian Liberty Delivered - The Meeting -

Communication - 30 So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch and when they had gathered the multitude together,

they delivered the epistle:

Celebration - 31 which when they had read, they rejoiced

Consolation - for the consolation.

Confirmation - 32 and Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them. 33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles. 34 Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still.

Continuation - 35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

Christian Liberty Displayed

36 And some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. 37 And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. 38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. 39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other: and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus; 40 and Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.