The Importance of Doctrine Acts 15:1-21

A group were discussing what prevents people from going to churches. The answers were interesting:

‘Its boring.’

‘They do the same liturgy each week and think that is worship.’

‘They spend so much time singing.’

‘They tend to be mindless and emotional.’

‘There is much theatrical pretence, we need reality.’

‘I am not convinced the Christian story is true.’

Most of these responses concern the trappings of church life. It was the last question that the apostles were particularly concerned to answer. They were convinced that Jesus is ‘the truth’ (John 14:6), anything else is peripheral.

One of the major problems facing the early church was the tension over doctrinal issues. There was a conflict between those Jews who had become Christians from a religious background and the Gentile Christians who had come from secular and often immoral backgrounds. The Jewish Christians considered that all new Christians should adopt Jewish customs and practices as these had been ordained by God. Furthermore those who do adopt these practices are helped in various ways:

1. Their adoption proves their spiritual sincerity – it is not easy to be circumcised!

2. They protect people from spiritual drift.

3. They distinguish clearly the people of God from the others.

Perhaps these were the rationalised concerns of some but it is likely that most wanted to adhere to their old practices because that was their tradition and few find it easy to change their traditional ways of life. We are all creatures of habit.

However Jesus and his apostles had taught very clearly that all people need to do to be saved and to become members of God’s eternal kingdom was to believe in the Lord Jesus and follow him.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:12

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him.” John 3:36

The Philippian jailer was overwhelmed at the way God had freed Paul and Silas from their captivity in his prison and he asked Paul and Silas,

“‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’” Acts 16:30-31

The message of the apostles was clear, people are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and through the word of God alone. Essentially this was the battleground of the Reformation that men such as Martin Luther and John Calvin fought for. It was also the basis for the major battle of the early church.

The Historic Problem

Paul’s first missionary journey would have taken up to 10 months and he had returned to Antioch by the autumn of 48 A.D. They had faced much conflict with Judaisers throughout this first journey and the questions needed urgently to be addressed. In Antioch they came across the same tension but this time from Jewish Christians.

“Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: ‘Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” Acts 15:1

Tensions were raised; there were two opposing camps, both with reasonable arguments.

“This brought Paul and Barnabus into sharp dispute and debate with them.” Acts 15:2

We learn from Paul’s letter to the churches he had visited on the first missionary journey that this problem was deep seated. He tells them that Peter himself had visited Antioch about this time and that even he had been muddled over this issue of Judaising the Christian faith. Paul wrote,

“When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabus was led astray.” Galatians 2:11-13

Paul did not weakly stay silent,

“When I saw they were not acting in line with the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter in front of them all, ‘You are a Jew, yet you live like a Gentile and not like a Jew. How is it then that you force Gentiles to follow Jewish customs.” Galatians 2:14

It is clear that this fundamental error had permeated into the thinking of such senior men as James, the brother of Jesus and even Peter.

The issue is debated

Whenever there are such conflicts it is wise to get some godly adjudicators and this was what the church in Antioch decided on.

“So Paul and Barnabus were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.” Acts 15:2

As they travelled down to Jerusalem they encouraged the Christians that they met on the way and told them how Gentiles had been converted,

“This news made all the brothers very glad.” Acts 15:3

This joy was surely the work of God’s Spirit, Christians are always thrilled when others repent and become God’s people. 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.” Acts 15:4

However the theological issue yet again came to the fore,

“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.’” Acts 15:5

Such a fixed view had to be responded to and resolved.

Unfortunately, today, some church authorities try to take a conciliatory approach when facing such difficult problems and accept both irreconcilable views. This is being seen over the question of sexuality – ‘Must marriage be between a man and a woman?’ ‘Is sex outside of marriage wrong?’ ‘Must people be Christians to be saved?’ Compromise and appeasement never works when dealing with such fundamental issues. That lesson has been learned in dealing with Hitler, and again today with Putin, but when will church leaders understand what the early church realised? God’s clear opinion must be sought in his Word and the issue settled.

“The apostles and elders met together to consider this question.” Acts 15:6

It is significant that it was Peter who helped the Council to think clearly. He reminded the Council about how the Lord had given him a dream, repeated three times, emphasising that nothing God has created was now unclean. Immediately after having this dream there was a knock on the door where three men were standing, who had travelled the 35 miles down from Caesarea,. They explained to Peter,

“We have come from Cornelius, the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” Acts 10:22

As a result of both the vision and this extraordinary visit Peter did something totally against Jewish custom. He invited the three as guests into the house where he was staying. Then the next morning he and some Jewish Christians travelled with his guests to go to the home of a Gentile centurion. Cornelius was expecting Peter; he called together a large group to hear what Peter had to tell them about how they could become right with God - how they could be saved. Peter told the large gathering,

“You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean.” Acts 10:28

Cornelius then explained how God had told him to send to Joppa to ask Peter to come and speak to them.

“Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” Acts 10:33

So Peter explained the gospel of salvation through belief in Jesus.

“I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ who is Lord of all.” Acts 10:34-35

Peter then described how Jesus had gone around healing and preaching, was killed but rose from the dead. Those who met him after the resurrection were commissioned to complete his work.

“He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Acts 10:42-43

What happened next was eventually to change the thinking of the whole church throughout the world.

“While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who came with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.” Acts 10:44-46

This gift of tongues or languages was defined earlier in the book. People from many different nations, who spoke different languages, were present on that great Pentecost Sunday when the Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus’ followers in Jerusalem. The visitors exclaimed,

“ . . . we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues.” Acts 2:11

So now this gathering of Gentiles in Caesarea were filled with a love for Jesus, his people and his word and couldn’t stop speaking about him to others in their languages that they had not learned. Peter ordered that they should be baptised in the name of Jesus. He then stayed a few more days, undoubtedly to teach them further.

Peter now reminded the Council in Jerusalem of what God had done during that visit to Caesarea,

“Brothers you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith.” Acts 15:7-9

Peter concluded his statement by sharing the obvious conclusion,

“Now then, 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?” Acts 15:10

Peter then shared the essential gospel truth that is just as relevant today as then,

“We believe that it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” Acts 15:11

Then Barnabus and Paul recounted what had happened to then and how they had been enabled to do miraculous signs among the Gentiles.

A conclusion is reached

The Chairman of the Council, James, the brother of Jesus, confirmed these arguments by reminding his listeners that this was precisely what the Old Testament Scriptures foresaw would happen, and he quoted some of God’s words given by the prophet Amos (Amos 9:11-12),

“The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written, ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things that have been known for ages.’” Acts 15:15-18

James concluded,

“It is my judgment, therefore that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” Acts 15:19

This decision controlled the direction the future churches were to take. They had had the mind of God supernaturally revealed to them. The message of the apostles was clear, people are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone and through the word of God alone. This is so different to religion, where people are trying to ‘re-ligate’ or bring themselves into God’s favour by what they do. How important this is for churches today in a post christian country – we must not make it difficult for non-Christians to turn to Christ.

Undoubtedly there would have been some muttering from the Pharisaical Christians after this decision had been made. One concern they would have is ‘Where is the clear identity of God’s people now that circumcision has stopped?’ This is surely why water baptism is meant to be a public event. Those who have become Christians publicly align themselves with Jesus Christ. In those days it meant they would face opposition from Jewish or secular authorities.

Another concern would be ‘Where is the security that those keeping the law now have?’ The security of the Christians is in Christ himself. He has promised that those who believe and follow him will be saved. Now what can be more secure than the word of God? Paul was later to write,

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

A third concern would be, If there are no rules, people will ask,’What is it that keeps God’s people living as he wants.’ The answer is the Spirit of God who he has freely given to every believer. It is the Spirit that motivates us to want to be godly people who represent our Lord in his world.

No rules but important principles

The council recognised that the church was still evangelising effectively amongst the Jews and therefore, in spite of the freedom they have in Christ, they advised the Gentile Christians that they should place certain restrictions on how they live.

“Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from meat of strangled animals and from blood.. For Moses has been preached in ever city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” Acts 15:20-21

Abstaining from food offered to idols was to show the Gentiles that the Christian faith recognises only the one true God and this would help the Christians to be distinct. Sexual immorality was everywhere in the secular Gentile world and again this would make God’s people distinctive. The last two directives were to try and answer the concerns of the Jewish Christians, to show that all Christians, whether Jew or Gentile were to be distinctive. These directives, for that is all they were, were to help the spread of the gospel into different groups.

Paul and Barnabus had gone to Jerusalem to ensure that what he was teaching the Gentiles was in accord with what the other apostles were saying. They took Titus, a Gentile Christian, along with them. Paul tells his readers, who were concerned about the Judaising problem,

“Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was not compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek.” Galatians 2:3

Paul was adamantly against the circumcision party but he had earlier, on his first missionary journey, circumcised Timothy.

“He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.” Acts 16:1-3

There was no inconsistency here. Christian freedom caused Paul to resist Titus’ circumcision, this same freedom allowed him to remove the difficulty of Timothy’s lack of circumcision when sharing the gospel amongst Jews in those early days. Paul applied the principle he gave in another letter,

“To the Jews I became a Jew in order to win the Jews.” 1 Corinthians 9:20

The Council in Jerusalem recognised that their decision had to be explained to people so they decided to send some of their own men to accompany Paul and Barnabus back to Antioch to explain the Councils conclusions. It is one thing to make a decision but another is the need to explain it to the churches so it can be implemented. Unity is tantamount.

Application for us today

This same issue of church rules keeps raising its ugly head today. Rules can make Christian groups appear isolated from others in their society and keep others out, the very opposite of what God wants his people to achieve. We must not make it difficult for non-Christians to turn to Christ. Some Christian groups today demand that Christians take on some of the laws of Moses. They stress that their Christians are special because they don’t eat shell fish or are vegetarians. Others insist that God can be worshipped in on Saturday, the Sabbath, Some say that to be really spiritual you won’t eat meat of Fridays. Some will emphasise the need to go to confession and to mass regularly. Others will whip themselves or wear hair shirts to help themselves to be spiritual. How foolish all this is.

After taking a conference in Poland I was asked, at short notice, to help adjudicate a local evangelical church that was facing a split. Apparently the elders were insisting that ladies should always wear hats to church. Another small group of Christians in the Baltic States have been teaching that to be really spiritual you must be vegetarian. Some Anglican and Roman Catholic missionaries to Africa insisted on exporting the same form of liturgical services with gowns, surpluses and stoles that they had in England. Is it surprising that more informal and often heretical cults are more attractive to the African mindset. Rules and traditions can easily become more important than teaching and persuading people about the gospel.

Such rules are usually raised by well meaning people who want to protect their people from a pagan past and to make the Christians distinctive but in the long run they always undermine the gospel of the Lord Jesus.

All such rules are in fact adding to the gospel, which in spiritual mathematics, actually detracts from it. To live under the authority of the Lord Jesus is a much higher standard that outward rules. The rules may satisfy other people but they do not satisfy God. Jesus had much to say to the Pharisees on this issue. Those who have been given the Holy Spirit live to please God in all they do, and every time they fail they come back to relying on this relationship not on rules or traditions.

Even in evangelical churches we can emphasise our rules or church practices. How many outsiders find our many hymns and long prayers helpful? In the early church it was the challenging teaching of the Scriptures that had priority. Is this what we are known for? Other churches use theatrical techniques to entertain people. This may help draw in the crowds but unless there is excellent Bible teaching that holds them, they will drift away. People must become convinced about Jesus and the Bible, not just by the presence of friends and theatre. When we read through the book of Acts the main emphasis of the apostolic band was on the teaching of the word of God – how we need to return to this priority today and not be so dependant on our traditions.

We must be careful however. Although we are free, what we do may not be wise. As Islam advances into England they consider that this country is utterly pagan because of how we behave. Shouldn’t our young Christians be warned that kissing other youngsters in public, wearing short mini-dresses or minute bikinis is unhelpful and does not honour the Lord Jesus. There is a time for Christians to abstain from alcohol when in a drunken society but there must be no rules, Jesus drank alcohol and even produced it. Jesus did things on the Sabbath that the religious disapproved of but he was not wrong.

Didn’t Jesus emphasise how radically different the message of the gospel is from religion,

“And no-one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he puts new wine into new wineskins.”

The Council in Jerusalem understood this. Political correctness may be a feature of some societies such as in Russia and China and increasingly in the West with its emphasis on Woke and LGBT practices but tradition must never control the church which must remain true to Scripture. As Paul wrote,

“‘Do not go beyond what is written.’ Then you will not take pride in one man over against another. For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive?” 1 Corinthians 4:6-7

It is by taking careful notice of what Jesus has said, that we read in Scripture, that will prevent churches and individuals from falling away, Jesus said,

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away.” John 16:1

September 2022