Things were going pretty well in Antioch. They were developing a multiracial, multicultural, Church. They were reaching all sorts of people for Jesus. It was exciting, and news of it made other brought joy to many believers. Suddenly something happened that took the wind from their sails. It stole their joy; it made them wonder whether they had made a mistake welcoming non-Jews into their church and a worse one sending Paul and Barnabas off to preach the gospel to the heathen nations. They began to wonder whether the sense of joy about the success of the mission, was really misguided and misplaced. They were considering a major u-turn in their practise.
What happened was that visitors arrived from Jerusalem, uninvited and unauthorised, but with a pedigree, an opinion, a sense of authority and a message: they taught that you have to become circumcised to be saved (v. 1). It is very easy for our freedom to be blown apart by a divisive element that come in with legalism, criticism, negativity. There are two things Paul and Barnabas couldn't do with this.
Firstly, they couldn't defeat it . (V. 2) Their case was clear enough: the Holy Spirit had called Paul to this work from the day of his conversion; the prophets at Antioch had confirmed that call so Saul and Barnabas were sent out with the Church's blessing; the Holy Spirit had revealed Jesus to Gentiles all over Asia Minor. But still, they were not winning the argument. This idea that you have to become Jewish to be a Christian had an influence, an appeal: the Church at Antioch didn't want to be out of step with the rest of the Church; it seemed they were being asked for a small concession: after all, non-Jews were allowed into the Church; they just have to get circumcised first.
But they couldn't accept it, either; for Paul and Barnabas, however reasonable it sounds, it's the thin end of the wedge: it is an attack on the freedom that the Gospel is all about.
So they can't agree. As a result, the church sent Paul and Barnabas of to Jerusalem to get a ruling from the Apostles there. As they journey, they tell the churches what God has been doing among the Nations.... v 3f and after they arrive they're still talking about it.
But as they gave their report, some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The gentiles must be circumcised and ordered to keep the Law of Moses.” The same old message. The same challenge. An implied criticism: unless you do it our way, you're not doing it right. So, not only was the Church in Antioch divided over this issue – so was the Church in Jerusalem.
It began to be obvious who these guys were and where this idea was coming from. Paul and Barnabas recognised them: what was happening was that something from their old lives – the teachings of the Pharisee party within Judaism – was still very much in charge of their thinking and speaking. It sounded plausible; it made sense; but it wasn't the teaching of Jesus. It was a direct challenge to the call to “let outsiders in.” Paul later said that this Jewish legalism is another form of the “weak and miserable forces” they used to serve in their pagan days when they “did not know God”. (Gal 4. 8-9)
There are plenty of people around today who will teach a gospel of "Jesus and..." politics, respectability, Churchianity, traditional morality. We need a Gospel of "Jesus only". When we are speaking for a “party” whether political or theological, when we take up a “position” and are not prepared to negotiate around that, beware! We may find that we are speaking out of our old life. Yes, the words may sound plausible; they may appear to make sense. But if they are not consistent with what Jesus said, they are not from Jesus.
Then, Peter spoke up. Like Paul, he had been sent to the gentile Cornelius and his household, with that word “ Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” (Acts 10. 15) He had seen how the Holy Spirit had come then as at the beginning, marking out the new believers as “the real deal.” And he reminded them that none of them were actually that brilliant at keeping the “law” so it was hypocrisy to expect new believers to do it.
After that, people listened, perhaps with a bit more respect and without interruptions, as Paul and Barnabas had another go at telling their story of God at work among the Gentiles in Asia Minor.
Then James, the brother of Jesus spoke. Now James had sympathies with the Pharisees. He had become a leader of the Jerusalem Church, maybe holding it together while the Apostles travelled around. And he was a comparative newcomer: he was not convinced about Jesus until after the resurrection. He hadn't been with the disciples at the very start.
He had the ultimate “pedigree” as Jesus brother. He understood those who were concerned about the Law. He knew God's Word. And out of that background he points out that this move among the Gentiles is something promised in the Old Testament – it is part of God’s plan. Therefore, he says, “we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God”.
That’s the answer. Jesus is good news or all nations, al sorts of people. That is what the Spirit has been doing since the start of the Church; it's what God says in his word; it's what our experience of the Spirit confirms. Don't call them unclean. Don't make it difficult for them. Don't be a hypocrite.
As a result, the Apostles wrote a letter to the Church in Antioch, making one or two things plain.
Firstly, “We have heard that some went out from us without our authorisation and disturbed you.” The troublemakers had not been sent but had taken it upon themselves.
Secondly, they told the gentiles to avoid “food sacrificed to idols, eating blood, the meat of strangled animals and to keep away from sexual immorality.” It's good to keep away from contact with false gods, to avoid sins that everyone agrees are wrong, and to respect one another's sensitivities.
Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch as soon as they could, to pass on this letter. It brought great joy. What a relief! They had clear guidance. They were able to remain part of the “Church” that was spreading all over the world. They were able to continue with the spread. They hadn't made a series of disastrous mistakes. They didn't need to back pedal. They could be united with each other and with the rest of the Christian church, in sharing the Good News of Jesus with everyone. There was plenty to celebrate.
And after the celebrations, there was a season of consolidation: Silas and Judas stayed for a short time and prophetically encouraged and strengthened the believers; Paul and Barnabas spent time with other members of the team in Antioch, teaching preaching (literally gospelling) God's Word. They needed a firmer grasp on the Good News of Jesus' Kingdom, God's grace, life in the Spirit.
And in response to that teaching, the church was shaped, not into a navel-gazing, self-obsessed self-satisfied little clique, but empowered and more intentionally open and welcoming. It wasn't long before Paul and Barnabas were sent on their next journey; soon they would be in Europe!
God still calls his people to keep away from the “Old life” with its divisiveness and legalism, to grasp the new life, “life in the Spirit” and to be a missional church, a Good news church, an open generous joyful welcoming, going Church.
© Gilmour Lilly February 2014
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