[Decision of the Holy Spirit/The Holy Spirit Decides]
Acts 15:22-35
We are faced with countless decisions throughout life. But by far the most important are those made to lead that one soul, more valuable than the entire universe, to salvation. It was precisely because the Jerusalem Council was held to save this one person, that the verdict reached would satisfy everyone. It is my hope that through todays sermon, you too will be able to make decisions within the Holy Spirit. Let us discuss the matter further.
First, it requires a proper finish.
Without one, all effort and ingenuity will have been for naught. We identify three components to a successful wrap.
(1) A sense of brotherhood
The apostles and elders, the Gentile recipients of the letter, and the witnesses chosen to deliver the missive are all referred to as brothers. It is being written that the authors, leaders of the parent church, are equal within the Lord to the Gentile believers whose faith in Jesus is just now budding.
(2) Abundant care
They are mindful to send two well respected and much beloved figures along with the message, so that they may recount to the Gentile believers all that had transpired with impartiality. It was a consideration made in advance to prevent possible further conflict as much as it was a thoughtful gesture to the people of Antioch who would no doubt be in anxious anticipation of the apostles and elders response.
(3) Sincere apologies
The church in Jerusalem officially apologizes that some of its members caused much trouble for the church of Antioch. It is made clear that though these people belong to the Jerusalem church, their actions were not sanctioned. The church is declaring a disassociation from those arguing for circumcision by criticizing their rogue actions, whilst stressing the importance of following only those teachings that have been authorized.
Second, it comes with unanimity.
Here, on verse 25, the original Greek script for 'we all agreed' means that everyone came together as one. Another instance can be found in Acts 2:46: 'Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts'. We already saw in the scripture how much fierce discussion was required to arrive at such a conclusion. But because salvation was always the central focus, the ensuing debate was carried out inside the Holy Spirit, and thus through the Lords caress did the whole church become one. And here the role of those such as Baranbas and Paul, who were not precious with even their lives, was critical. The believers in Antioch must have fretted much that the Jerusalem church might be at odds with Baranabas and Paul imagine the relief they would have felt upon learning that the entire church supported them. It is difficult for a church to achieve unity. Even our church struggles. So it is indeed most impressive that the Council at Jerusalem did just that. And the power behind it was the Word and nothing more. I believe that only the eternal truth that is the Word can bridge our division. We are too self-centered and human-oriented (humanistic). It is only when we admit our sins and congregate as a community with the Word as our guide, that we are able to make decisions within the Holy Spirit instead of at our discretion.
Third, it encourages people to lead good (proper) lives day by day.
'Seemed good to' from verse 28 is translated from the same word as 'we all agreed', and so implies the Holy Spirit and the Jerusalem church had come together. In other words, it was not solely the judgement of the church, but also of the Holy Spirit. Everything up to and including this moment, the caring and discussion for the deliverance of more, was done through the Holy Spirit. And the resulting decree is the voice of the Lord that all churches should heed. It tells us that we should not demand more than the 'following requirements' of avoiding food sacrificed to idols, blood, strangled animals, and sexual immorality. Although even keeping these four rules may prove at first cumbersome, strange, and exhausting, it comes with the promise of well-being. What does it mean for a believer to do well? It is not about some prize or compensation. Because a believer has already received the greatest reward in God Himself, to do well is to lead a virtuous life. We often think happiness is just beyond some dishonest conduct, yet only ruin awaits. That is why we have quiet time. For it is by the Word that we find the right course of action and do good. On verse 31, it is said the people of Antioch, upon reading the letter, 'were glad for its encouraging message'. As foreigners, they were intimidated and hurt by the Jews whose faith predated theirs, but at last they were vindicated. It was for this effect that the Jerusalem church had exercised brotherhood to come up with ways to communicate compassion, sympathy, and apologies. By physically posting the letter and messengers to read it, they offered consolation and repaired self-esteem. We too must, in these turbulent times of covid, do the same by visiting, sending messages, through ZOOM, and sometimes even over a meal in order to carry our cross. This effort is the 'decision' that lets us lead good lives and, by way of displaying this altruism, guides our children to do the same. It is no surprise, then, that Judas and Silas were met with 'blessings of peace' as they departed. That is what they took back to Jerusalem. And so the commotion that was the Council at Jerusalem ended with peace. True peace is not being devoid of troubles. It is being able to conjure it from amongst all the problems that compound us. Now, with the conflict behind them and joy and peace abound, the Antioch church is at an important juncture at which they must return their attention to the Word, to train and be trained, and do well day in day out. In the end, encouraging regular acts of virtue as disciples is what constitutes the Holy Spirits decision. When faced with admissions, marriage, and employment the single best decision is to ask where your calling lies. I hope that other people will be led to make such decisions upon seeing our lives as we tirelessly polish and toil at our calling to save others. I long for the grace that we may show by example what it means to die as a kernel of wheat.
