Freedom and Brotherhood

Acts 15:23-29; Galatians 5:13-18

GOLDEN TEXT: “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shalt be saved.”—Acts 15:11

THE first section of our lesson gives the conclusions of an exceedingly interesting conference of representatives of the early church, called together for the settlement of doctrinal differences. Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch from their missionary journey. Thereafter for a “long time” they remained with the brethren there.

During their stay at Antioch there came down from Jerusalem some Hebrew brethren, who, perceiving that the Gentile Christians ignored circumcision, raised a commotion in the church. These brethren claimed that while circumcision would not save without faith in Christ, neither would faith in Christ be effective to salvation without circumcision. Paul and Barnabas withstood these claims, and considerable dissension ensued.

In these trying circumstances the brethren of the Antioch church revealed much wisdom—they evidently had “the spirit of a sound mind.” They had great confidence in Paul and Barnabas. They realized that under their ministry they had already received rich blessings from the Lord, which rather contradicted the idea that they could not be esteemed members of the church and, as such, subjects of divine favor without circumcision.

They did wisely, however, in considering that the will of the Lord on this subject would be indicated through the apostles meeting at Jerusalem.

The proceedings of the conference are not a part of today’s lesson, but merely its conclusions. We observe that they based their conclusions on what they found written in the Old Testament Scriptures, and upon the leadings of divine providence in their own experience. The conclusions of the conference are given in few words, to the effect that God had recognized believers of Gentile birth by the gift of his Holy Spirit just as he had with Hebrew Christians, “and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”—Acts 15:9

The recommendations of the conference were sent in written form to the Antioch church by two trusted brethren of the Jerusalem ecclesia, Judas and Silas. It briefly summed up, not as law, but as “necessary things,” four items which should be abstained from; namely, meat which had been sacrificed to idols; blood; meat from animals that had been strangled; and fornication, or harlotry. It did not intimate that abstinence from these things would constitute them Christians, for nothing but faith in Christ would justify, and enable them to offer an acceptable sacrifice.

The wise course which the brethren pursued brought good results. Harmony prevailed, unity of spirit, fellowship among the brethren. The secret lay in the fact that the Lord was recognized as having the supervision of the church’s affairs, and as guiding her course and directing her way through the appointed channels, the apostles.

The second section of our lesson is related to the first, in that it outlines the liberty from the Law enjoyed by a Christian, and states that the prohibitions of the Law are quite superfluous inasmuch as he has received the Holy Spirit of God, controlling his mind and heart and causing him to wage an unceasing warfare against all the besetments of his imperfect flesh. Nevertheless the apostle warns against the “movements of sin” in our flesh, that the fleshly desires are contrary to the interests of the new creature, that we must constantly be alert to this fact.

That there may be no misunderstanding, in the following three verses of the chapter Paul recites what constitute the desires of the flesh, and warns “that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” The apostle does not say that if anyone were overtaken in a fault and lost his temper, for instance, or got into strife, that this would bar him forever from the kingdom. He might, through sincere repentance, and prayers, and divine forgiveness, come back into harmony with God, and thereafter make good progress. But if any practice such things they are developing and strengthening a character of unrighteousness—they are going backward and not forward. Let us note the difference between an accidental or ignorant slip with a penitent recovery, and the willful practicing of a wrong course.

In this chapter the apostle not only leads us mentally through the tangled wildwood of human selfishness, thorns, and thistles—the fruitage of the fallen flesh. He also leads us in the opposite direction, and lists the fruits of the Holy Spirit which should be manifest in all the followers of Jesus, and increasingly so as they progress in the school of Christ.

QUESTIONS:

What was the occasion of the conference at Jerusalem described in Acts, chapter fifteen?

What lessons for our guidance today may be drawn from the course of the, church at Antioch, and the results?

What is the relationship between the flesh and the spirit as outlined by the Apostle Paul in the latter part of today’s lesson?

| Home Page | Table of Contents |