The Counselor's Council

In John 17, Jesus is praying for the disciples and for the disciples to come (AKA us), and he says, “I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” The challenge we left with this week was: Does the world see us like this? Do we have such unity between our brothers and sisters that the world sees God’s love when they look at us?

The Counselor’s Council

Try to take your ego out of the equation. One of the most provocative statements you could make to another person in this day and age is, “Your views are wrong.” It’s difficult to imagine a person not responding to this immediately and defensively and with a healthy dose of hostility. And yet, that is the issue at the heart of the meeting in Acts Chapter 15. Up to this point in our study, we have followed Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journeys, but they were not the only ones emanating out from Jerusalem and spreading the Word. There were some belonging to the “party of the Pharisees” who preached, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1b). This was not a discrepancy taken idly. Immediately following this, Acts records, “This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them.” (Acts 15:2a). While it is the specific issue of circumcision at this juncture that brings this division to light, the wider problem had been bubbling under the surface for quite some time.

At this seeming impasse (there really is no workable middle ground on the circumcision debate.) Paul and Barnabas, along with others, were selected to travel to Jerusalem to settle this issue for good and all. This event is referred to as the Jerusalem Council. And it, like an earlier example of the Church in Acts (Chapter 6–write up Divine Dichotomy), is a masterclass in Christian conflict resolution. The crux of the argument is the origin of salvation. Does it flow from our own actions, our fastidious adherence to a set of rules? Or is it a divine gift, given freely from the breathtaking sacrifice of a righteous savior? It’s a monumental question with massive consequences. And it is this question the council convened to settle. What’s notable about the exchange, especially to our modern eyes, is that it is completely free of shouting, yelling, accusation, and dramatic outburst. We are used to seeing silly gestures of protest in arguments today, even in our elected officials. We do not see any of the members of the Jerusalem Council leave in a huff or hide away from the proceedings as we Texans witnessed of Democrat state legislators just a few years ago. (Or as Oregonians witnessed Republicans do in 2021 and this very year when they pulled the same ridiculous stunt.) What we witness in Jerusalem some 2000 years ago is disagreement without provocation and resolution without showy demonstration. Maybe time does not equal progress.

One of the chief reasons they were able to meet without the personal attacks and virulence that have come to color our national debates is that their intentions were simply purer than most of ours are today. Two opposing viewpoints met, but both were focused on one thing, a closer relationship with God. “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 keep the law of Moses.” (Acts 15:5) Their intention is to ensure that these new Gentile brothers be made right before God. They viewed it as lacking that these new converts were not made aware of what was expected of them. As Pharisees, it would have been second nature to follow or attempt to follow every jot and tittle of the Law. That these new believers were not would have been an enormous red flag. They were so settled into or convinced of their own perspective that anything outside of it was considered tantamount to sinful. It’s a common mistake we see in the church today as well. But their perspective was about to be changed.

One of the great aspects of this debate (if we must term it so) is that both sides are pushing toward the same goal, but just from very different backgrounds. And God is able to show the way forward. Peter stands at this point to speak and give an account of his experiences. He is followed by Paul and Barnabas as they recount their travels. Both exclusively focus on what God has accomplished and what they have witnessed in their missionary work. This is the crucial element; by living their faith, they have been able to directly see God’s movement. It is this insight that allows them to see the correct pathway forward. If they had not first been active in the furtherance of God’s Kingdom, then they would have no way of knowing His intention. At least not so clearly. Peter says, “God, who knows the heart, showed that He accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us. He did not discriminate between us and them, for He purified their hearts by faith.” (Acts 15:8-9) Peter is describing events that he himself witnessed. If Peter had not answered God’s calling beforehand to go to the house of Cornelius, then he would’ve missed out on what God had planned to show there. He sums it up beautifully, “Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.” (Acts 15:10-11)

Peter recognized the futility of righteousness through the law by reminding the assembled that no one, save Jesus, has ever been able to keep it. Why consign the Gentiles to the same failure that our ancestors and we have found when the Messiah has already come to provide another way? It contains the necessary humility and worship that Christianity requires. Humility to recognize that we are incapable of our own salvation and responsible only for our own damnation. And worship through the knowledge that it is only the grace of our Lord that saves us. His benevolence and love are our only way to escape the just penalty for our transgressions. And it is this attitude that helps to foster the unity of this council. By emphasizing our shortcomings and focusing on God’s goodness, we can paper over our differences and understand that we all are lost and require His salvation. And if we conduct ourselves in such a way, then all can leave knowing God better and walking with Him closer. James is also instructive here, “The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written…” (Acts 15:15a). He then quotes from Amos chapter 9. Not only are the testimony of Peter, Paul, and Barnabas critical for their lived experience with God’s actions, James reminds us that we must verify by His unchanging and eternal word that what we are doing is true. Both are necessary, and neither is a creation of man, giving us no reason at all to boast. In the search for God, we may only judge by His actions and His word.

This will not preclude any disagreement; it is telling that at the end of Chapter 15, we see Paul and Barnabas part ways over a disagreement to include John, also called Mark, in their next missionary journey. “They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.”(Acts 15:39-40) Mark had joined Barnabas and Paul’s first missionary journey but was recorded to have left them in the middle of it. Disagreeing is not a sin, but our attitude and our goals better be beyond reproach. As long as people exist, unity will escape us, but our job as Christians is to die to ourselves and be something more. We are to be one body, unified in Christ. A lofty goal that we will have to continue to refine ourselves to achieve. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) Not advice but instruction. If you wish to see the will of God, eject your ego, work for His Kingdom, and study His word. Affix your gaze heavenward, keep going, and don’t stop.

Jordan Williamson