WRESTLING WITH CHANGE

The early success of the apostles’ mission—beginning in Jerusalem, then extending throughout Judea and Samaria, and beyond—created theological challenges for the Jewish followers of Jesus. While they had celebrated Peter’s encounter with Cornelius and his Gentile household, the reports coming back from Paul and Barnabas clashed with the preaching of some of the Jerusalem-based believers that anyone who wanted to be a true follower of Jesus must first become a Jew. For many of the disciples who had grown up with the Jewish laws and regulations, imagining a faithful believer apart from these requirements and practices was challenging, perhaps even alarming. God had given these laws to His people centuries earlier as defining elements of their lives and faith, but now it seemed that Peter, Paul, and Barnabas, among others, were ignoring them. Setting the standard for church councils and committees for centuries to come, the Jerusalem council brought these parties together to seek God’s leadership on this church-defining question. From the discussion summarized by James—a leader in the Jerusalem church—it was clear that they had heard the stories from Samaria, Caesarea, and Asia Minor where the work of the Holy Spirit had been seen. But they also studied the Scriptures for insight into what the new direction would mean. The council concluded that while there were important principles for the new Gentile believers to live by, it was not the place of the apostles or church leaders to get in the way of what God was doing or to discourage these new believers by making it more difficult for them to follow Jesus. The council wrote an open letter to the new Gentile believers and sent it with messengers to these new communities of faith.

“The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message” (Acts 15:31).