The events recorded in this chapter are of central significance in the book of Acts. They address what the gospel truly is and whether a person needs to become a Jew (or something else) in order to be saved. But the chapter is significant not simply for the 'what' but also for the 'how'. The issue needed to be dealt with for the good of the church and the future of the gospel message. But how the church tackled it is also extremely important.
1. The Personal Touch
There are a number of ways in which what might be termed the 'personal touch' is seen in these events.
i) The matter clearly causes great difficulties in Antioch. What is notable is that they don't resort to writing in derogatory terms about Jerusalem to the rest of the churches, nor do they simply cut them off. What they do is to choose to send Paul and Barnabas and some other men to up to see the Apostles and sort it out.
This is exactly the approach Jesus laid down in Mt. 18:15. In this case it marries respect for the apostles in Jerusalem with respect for the right way to handle tensions. It is all too easy to react with hostility and to badmouth fellow-believers but the easy path is not the right path. Problems are best solved by personal contact. We should apply that principle consistently when tensions or problems arise, whether they be theological in nature or more personal.
ii) Then notice the way the leaders in Jerusalem handled the situation and the part played by the whole church. Clearly an issue like this not going to be solved in a meeting of the whole church. The leaders will need to lead. And that is what they do. In verse 6 we learn that "the apostles and elders met to consider this question". They're the ones who must lead and are best equipped to handle such an issue.
But there is still a role for the whole church. When the decision is reached about writing to the churches, the church is involved in choosing who to send. The issue may be complex and the leaders have a duty to lead but the matter concerns the whole church and so there is a need for the whole church to be involved, one way or another. It's important that no-one sits back thinking, "It's theology and not to do with me".
iii) The letter that is written is a model of how to resolve an issue like this. It isn't a blunt laying down of the law but caring and sensitive. They deal with the issue of the troublemakers, they refer to Paul and Barnabas as "dear friends" and they write sympathetically of their readers ("not to burden you").How we say what we say is a matter of real importance. It isn't enough to simply be right, we need to evidence a spirit of humility and of care for others.
iv) They don't just send the letter back with Paul and Barnabas but send some of their own men with them, to explain the letter, to answer any questions that may arise and to minister to the churches. This brings the matter full circle and doesn't simply bring closure but it moves the churches' relationship with Jerusalem onwards and upwards.
And the outcome is that the letter is received with joy and when Judas and Silas head back to Jerusalem, they're sent off "with the blessing of peace". The bonds that were threatened have been strengthened because of how the whole affair has been handled.
These points are not simply diplomatic niceties that help to smooth troubled waters, they have a far greater significance than that. Taken all together they show the church existing as a kind-of parallel society within society, able to conduct itself in an orderly way and with wisdom and integrity.
It's the sort of point that Paul makes in 1 Cor. 6:1-8 where he deplores the fact that the Corinthians have had to resort to law to sort their troubles out. Such a thing should not be!
Luke's portrait of the church sorting out its troubles would no doubt have great apologetic impact on Theophilus and his high-society friends. What we're seeing is a fully-fledged alternative society that reflects the peace and order of the Creator and the redemptive harmony of its Saviour.
How we conduct ourselves as a church and as churches really does matter. It matters internally and it matters as a witness before the world. We must make sure we deal with tensions with a respect for the points made here.
2. Searching the Scriptures
The second key aspect of how the issue is handled surrounds the speech of James. Although there are questions about his status in the church, what is most important is how he handles the issue.
A lot of weight is attached to what is said by Peter, Paul and Barnabas as they have report their experiences of what the Lord has done. When James speaks, he focusses on the Bible and shows that what has happened has scriptural support and warrant. This isn't searching for a text to take out of context to support what they wanted to do anyway; this is searching the Bible in order to do God's will.
'What does the Bible say?' is always a key question to ask as we seek to understand our experiences and to resolve issues in the church. We may not find there a detailed answer to our particular question but we will find principles that enable us to wrestle with the issue and reach a conclusion.
The apostles were not driven by 'How can we get our way?' but by 'What is the Lord's way?'. We need to be too.
3. The Ministry of the Spirit
The last point to make about how they sorted out the problem relates to the role played by the Holy Spirit. On the one hand, he seems strangely absent for most of the chapter but when they write the letter, they give him first place in the decision, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us...".
How are we to understand this last-minute reference to God's Spirit? Why wasn't he spoken about before? And why didn't he speak before? Couldn't they just have prayed for a word from the Lord to settle the matter? Can't we just do the same?
Although this is the first direct reference to the Spirit's ministry among them, he has not been absent from the discussions. When we are depending on him, open with each other and eager to hear God's voice in the scriptures and to obey it, then we can be sure that the Lord is with us, guiding our thoughts, helping us to resolve the issue.
Why didn't he just simply speak a direct word? Because that wouldn't be the way to maturity, not for the church then nor for the church today. Wrestle with problems in this way, relying on the Lord and searching his word leads to greater maturity.
We shouldn't resent the struggle but come to it with humility, honesty and hunger for God's Word. That's the way to know his mind and to grow in maturity together.
