Working Out Differences

KEY VERSE: “We believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.” —Acts 15:11

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Acts 15:1-12

ONE OF THE outstanding issues in the church during the days of the apostles was what should be done with Gentile converts. We should remember that for more than 1800 years the Israelites had been the only people to enjoy God’s covenant blessings. They looked upon Gentiles as ‘dogs’, and considered themselves to be heaven’s favorites.

For a Jew to accept Christ as the Messiah did not in itself change this traditional Jewish attitude toward Gentiles. Hence, when Gentiles also began to come into the church it posed a serious problem, which had to be dealt with officially in an apostolic conference at Jerusalem. The decision of this conference, and the rules it laid down, furnished a background of authority for the apostles, and later for others to consult whenever and wherever a dispute arose over the question.

Some teachers in the church insisted that Gentiles must be circumcised, and in other ways be brought under the bondage of the Law Covenant. Jews found it hard to realize that one could be acceptable to God by simply believing in Christ, and consecrating to his service. As they grew in grace and knowledge they did understand this, but when this issue arose they were all beginners in the narrow way. As Jews, they had accepted Jesus as their Messiah and the Son of God, but few of them had grasped the full import of the truth that they could be justified by faith in his blood.

In due time, however, and in his own way, God arranged to deal with the Gentile problem. Newly converted Saul figured largely in those arrangements, although not exclusively. By special revelation he grasped the issue clearly, and made it plain that justification was through faith in Christ, and not by the keeping of the Law. Yet Peter’s experience in taking the Gospel to the first Gentile convert had no small bearing upon the decisions reached at Jerusalem, where the Gentile issue was discussed. He related his unquestionable evidence that God was accepting Gentiles into the church, and the testimony he gave was used by James in his summing-up address.—Acts 15:12-21

The conference decided that it would not be necessary for Gentiles to be circumcised. Thus a victory was gained which must have meant much in the way of spiritual progress and improvement of relations in the Early Church. Concerning Gentile converts, it was decided that they should be counseled to change from some of their former customs, in the interests of peace, good fellowship and proper morals among all the brethren. It was recommended that they abstain from blood, from fornication, from eating things that had been strangled, and from eating meat which had been offered to idols. Being associated with Jewish Christians, it was quite fitting that they be required to make this overture to Jewish feelings.

James recommended that letters to this effect be dispatched to the churches, and this was done to reach, help, and guide the classes which included both Jews and Gentiles, and give them direction in how to resolve differences and live together peaceably.

We find that Paul himself practiced what he preached. It was apparently this principle that guided the brethren at the Jerusalem conference to reach the decision they did.

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