The First Church Council
The church is still in its infancy and is struggling to clarify what it is they need to believe and practice.
Some of the Jewish believers from Jerusalem wanted to hang on to portions of the Law and how God had given circumcision to distinguish His people from others. So they insisted that these new believers should also be circumcised.
But Barnabas and Paul saw that God saved Gentiles and gave them His Holy Spirit and made no difference between the Christian Jews and the Christian Gentiles, but that they were all Christians together.
So Paul and Barnabas gathered in Jerusalem with the other church leaders from both Jerusalem and Antioch, and discussed how they should proceed.
This was the first Church Council.
After much discussion on both sides, they wrote letters to all the Christians in the whole area to share what they had agreed on for how the church would be.
They realized that God had saved the Gentiles and accepted them without being circumcised or following any of the Old Testament laws, so they wrote:
It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden that these essentials:
That you abstain from things offered to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. (Vs. 28-29.)So Judas and Silas went with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch, and when they read the letter they rejoiced because of its encouragement (v. 31).
Then Judas went back to Jerusalem, and Silas stayed there with Paul and Barnabas. And it looks like they established a school there, because they continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of God, with many others also (v. 35).
The instructions to the church didn't include anything about circumcision or any of the other Levitical laws; only that they wouldn't participate in any of the idol worship that was so prevalent there, and not consume blood or animals that died of unknown causes, and to reserve physical relations for marriage.
We also would still today do well to observe these prohibitions.
We don't need to worship or pray to any other than God; we can be careful to eat only foods that are safe; and we must reign in our passions to confine them within the bonds of matrimony.
The Ten Commandments have never been repealed. We follow them now as principles of attitude and conduct.
When we love God back, and we love one another as Christ Loves us, then we will be obeying all the Laws; because they are all based on God's Love for us.
The World's view of "love" is a scewed concept that is narrow and even damaging to relationships and our own health. Love is confused with lust, and with permissiveness, and even with ownership.
But God's Love cared so much for us that He sacrificed His own Son for each of us, to cleanse us thoroughly, so we could live with Him. His Love will not allow any shadow of a stain of sin to dwell in His home, and He will not force Himself on anyone. So those who refuse Him are cutting themselves off from Life and light and goodness.
O my Father, You are so good and gracious and gentle. You have all power and authority over everything that exists, because You made it.
And You have given Your Son to have possession of all creation, because You made it all together, and He purchased it with His own Blood.
Thank you so much, my Father, for loving me so much, knowing me as You do. Thank You for cleansing me, so that I am now fit to live with You. Thank You that you want me to live with You!
Father, I pray for all those who don't realize Your great Love! Please send me out into Your fields that are ripe for harvest, Your mission fields where Your lost sheep are seeking You.
And You will receive all the praise and honor and glory, because it is You who have done it all. You thought it up, designed it, planned it all out, and You are carrying out Your plans, to complete this whole program, just like You want.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
