Atos 15
Ray Stedman · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 15
Stedman points out that "These Judaizers had been saying to the Gentiles, "Without circumcision you cannot be saved." But they were ignoring one very stubborn fact -- those Gentiles were already saved. God had already been saving Gentiles without asking anybody's permission to do so, and he was doing it without any ritual, or even any reference to the Law of Moses. And with this point they could not argue. That was extremely important because it forced them to take note of the direction of God's activity. They saw that God was already doing what they said could not be done, and, thus, God was overruling them." But now notice the second point. It is supremely important! That activity was accepted as the valid activity of God only as it corresponded to the written Word of God. (WHICH HE BEGINS TO ALLUDE TO IN Acts 15:15).
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Stedman - So the first principle of guidance from God, especially in doctrinal matters, is that unanimous agreement marks the mind of the Spirit. Bock: The key term in the letter is the repeated expression “it seemed good” (Acts 15:22, 25, 28), pointing to the judgment they have all reached. Longenecker comments that ""When one considers the situation of the Jerusalem church in A.D. 49, the decision reached by the Jerusalem Christians must be considered one of the boldest and most magnanimous in the annals of church history. While still attempting to minister exclusively to the nation, the council refused to impede the progress of that other branch of the Christian mission whose every success meant further difficulty for them from within their own nation." (EBC) Then it seemed good - This is a "A regular idiom at the beginning of decrees." (Robertson) It seemed good is the translation of one Greek verb (dokeo Acts 15:22, 25, 28, 34) which in this context means it seemed proper or best. To the apostles and the elders, with the whole church - The key word here is "whole" from the Greek holos which is an adjective that gives us our English word "whole". The Greek word holos speaks of all parts present and working as a whole, "the total being greater than the mere sum of the parts." (Hill). Holos speaks of entirety, with no parts missing, and is used to describe how a saint is to love God (holos is used 4 times) in Mark 12:30, loving Him with all of our being! The agreement described in this passage reflects God pleasing "holistic harmony! (where "holistic" is derived from Greek "holos")" Of course we know that is not natural or humanly possible, but reflects the supernatural work of the Spirit on submitted souls. Paul alludes to this supernatural unity in his letter to the Ephesians writing "Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace. For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. (Eph 4:3-4NLT) A T
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Stedman - People learn best by having truth presented in a two-fold way: Through the eye gate, and through the ear gate. These men were sent to expound the letter that was written, and to make it perfectly clear. Some people learn better through reading, some through hearing. Report (declare, tell, announce, proclaim) (518)(apaggello from apó = from + aggéllo = tell, declare from aggelos = messenger ["angel"], one who speaks in place of one who has sent him) means to bring a message from any person or place. Judas and Silas were to continually (present tense) bring the report from the Jerusalem Council telling the Gentiles what had transpire. Luke's uses of apaggello in Acts - Acts 4:23; Acts 5:22; Acts 5:25; Acts 11:13; Acts 12:14; Acts 12:17; Acts 15:27; Acts 16:36; Acts 16:38; Acts 17:30; Acts 22:26; Acts 23:16; Acts 23:17; Acts 23:19; Acts 26:20; Acts 28:21; 1 Co. 14:25; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 2:12; 1 Jn. 1:2; 1 Jn. 1:3 By word of mouth - In other words as alluded to above, the communication is not just on paper (or papyrus) but in person, eyeball to eyeball so to speak. This is always a wise practice when difficult decisions need to be communicated. John alludes to the value of a face to face meeting writing... Though I have many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that your joy may be made full. (2 John 1:12) Comment - Fullness of joy is exactly the reaction of the congregation in Antioch when they heard the report from Jerusalem (Acts 15:31+), that they were Free from the Law, O happy condition (listen to hymn "ONCE FOR ALL" by Philip Bliss [see bio of Philip Bliss who died at the young age of 38] which he penned after meditating on Hebrews 10:10+). Of course this does not mean they could now live lawless lives (aka antinomianism), but that their salvation in Christ was fully sufficient and precluded the need to legalistically keep the Law to add to the finished word of Christ (Jn 19:30+). They (and we) were now under (the transforming power of) grace not under (the enslaving power of) law (Ro 6:14+). The Law was now internal, being written on their (and our) hearts (Hebrews 8:10+) and the indwelling Spirit would provide the power to obey the law of love (Gal 5:14+) out of love, not legalism (cf Ro 8:13+). The lost man thinks that freedom is the right to do anything he desires in order to please himself, but true freedom in the New Covenant with Christ is the power to do what we should, doing so to please our Father in Heaven! Indeed, oh, happy condition! Free from the law—oh, happy condition! Jesus hath bled, and there is remission; Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all. Once for all—oh, sinner, receive it; Once for all—oh, doubter, believe it; Cling to the cross, the burden will fall, Christ hath redeemed us once for all. 2 There on the cross your burden upbearing, Thorns on His brow your Savior is wearing; Never again your sin need appall, You have been pardoned once for all. 3 Now we are free—there’s no condemnation; Jesus provides a perfect salvation: “Come unto Me,” oh, hear His sweet call, Come, and He saves us once for all. 4 Children of God—oh, glorious calling, Surely His grace will keep us from falling; Passing from death to life at His call, Blessed salvation once for all. I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we will speak face to face.(3 John 1:13-14) Acts 15:28 "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: KJV Acts 15:28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; it seemed Acts 15:25, Mal 2:7 John 16:13; Lk 1:3, 1 Corinthians 7:25,40; 14:37; 1 Thessalonians 4:8; 1 Peter 1:12 Holy Spirit - Mt 3:16, Acts 15:8. Mt 12:32. Acts 5:32, 8:29 Jn 16:13, 14. 1 Co 7:40. To us - Acts 15:19 greater Acts 15:10 Matthew 11:30; 23:4; Revelation 2:24 Acts 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries THE GUIDANCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit - It seemed good is the translation of one Greek verb (dokeo cf similar use in Acts 15:22, 25, 28, 34) which in this context means it seemed proper or best. Note the proper order - first the Holy Spirit (Whose role is to guide and lead believers) and then us. Although this is the first mention of the Spirit in the context of the decision reached by the Jerusalem Council, there is no doubt that the Spirit was working in the background, orchestrating the unanimity of the leadership and members of the church at Jerusalem. Too often we think that we must have "signs and wonders" as indications of the Spirit working in a body, but here is an even greater sign and wonder of bringing about a unified body! THOUGHT - Do you want to know how to detect whether a church is Spirit filled and Spirit energized? Look for harmony prevailing among the members who gladly respond to do His will. See related discussion of A Spirit Filled Church. Jesus had promised His disciples that the Holy Spirit would be their Guide... But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own initiative, but whatever He hears, He will speak; and He will disclose to you what is to come. (John 16:13) THOUGHT - Is He your Guide, your light enabling you to avoid the spiritual snares and pitfalls of the ever increasing spiritual darkness of this present evil age (Gal 1:4+), a world that is controlled by the evil one (1 John 5:19+)? See a short excursus below. Jack Andrews on the Holy Spirit's role - "The Holy Spirit resided over the proceedings in the church. He had His will and His way.The Holy Spirit leads His church as we submit to Him, seek Him, are sensitive to Him, and surrender to Him to do His will. (ED: DOES THAT DESCRIBE YOUR CHURCH?) The Holy Spirit of God was the source of this teaching as the church came together in once accord and discerned the will of the Lord." John
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Stedman writes "do not miss the last four words: "with many others also." In that congregation there were many, beside the four men mentioned here, who had gifts of teaching and preaching. They exercised them there in Antioch and in all the area around. In our congregation there are many of you who have the gift of teaching and the gift of preaching (proclaiming the truth, telling it abroad and appealing to the will -- as opposed to teaching, which instructs the mind). And you should be exercising these gifts here, just as they did in Antioch, because this is the secret of the multiplication of the church. As they did this in Antioch the word was spreading all through the surrounding region." (The Way God Guides) William Larkin makes an excellent point writing that "As living organisms are able to rejuvenate themselves when damaged, so the Spirit of God can and will repair the wreckage of hurt feelings, strained relations and wrong thinking brought to the body of Christ by the infiltration of false teaching. What it takes is a church willing to take the time, expend the human resources and make the effort to do the repair work." (Ibid) Stayed (tarried)(1304)(diatribo from dia = through or intensifier + tribo = to wear, to spend) literally means to rub away or through, and in the NT is used only figuratively meaning to spend or pass time. See all Luke's uses of diatribo in Acts - Acts 12:19; 14:3; 14:28; 15:35; 16:12; 20:6; 25:6; 25:14. Teaching (present tense - continually)(1321)(didasko from dáo= know or teach; English = didactic) means to provide instruction or information in a formal or informal setting, focusing on content, with the express purpose of discovering the truth through systematic teaching or systematic training. And remember that The Holy Spirit is always the One Who really teaches spiritual truths which have eternal impact (cf Jn 16:8-13, 1 Jn 2:20,27). The teacher should strive to teach others by what the Holy Spirit personally taught the teacher. God calls each of us to be continuously committed to learning from Him, so we can also teach others. Paul and Barnabas and other unnamed men were such Spirit energized, Word centered teachers.
Atos 15
Stedman comments that "Many have said, Which of these men was right? There have been a lot of disagreements over that, so that many people have had sharp disagreement over whether Paul or Barnabas was right! But that is really not the point. Both of these men were right. One was looking at the work and the other at the person. As Paul looked at the work he was perfectly right to say, We don't want somebody who is apt to cop out on us. That is exactly what he said. And he probably quoted the words of Jesus, No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62) That is right. Christian service is demanding, and those who undertake it should be prepared to go through with it and stick with it to the end, for God's cause is injured by those who quit in the middle. On the other hand, Barnabas, though I am sure he would have agreed as to the importance of the work, was looking at the young man. He knew Mark was gifted. Sure, he had failed, but who doesn't? Who of us does not need a second chance, does not need to have a forgiving spirit exercised toward us, and the opportunity to try again? So Barnabas was willing to give Mark a second chance. This indicates a very normal and proper procedure by which we may know the mind of the Spirit. There are times when there are differences of viewpoint which require a separation. The will of God was that Barnabas should take Mark and go to Cyprus, because Cyprus, his birthplace, had not been visited since the churches there had been founded. And it was the will of God for Paul to take Silas and go into Syria and Cilicia, because the churches there needed his particular ministry. But it was not the will of God that they should be sharp in their contention. Their quarreling was not right. It was the will of God to separate; it was not the will of God to quarrel. There are times when the Spirit of God does lead Christians to go separate ways. But they should do so with joy and with an agreeable understanding that the mind of the Spirit has been expressed in their divergent viewpoints. (Reference) ILLUSTRATION - It has been said that Leonardo da Vinci experienced a sharp disagreement with a fellow painter just before he began his work on The Last Supper. Out of anger he determined to use the face of that man as the face of Judas Iscariot, and thus express his resentment for how he had been treated. Having done so, he commenced to painting the face of Jesus, but could make no progress. No inspiration came. Finally he confronted and confessed the sin of resentment in his heart and repainted the face of Judas. The inspiration then came for the face of Christ. The point is that we cannot paint the features of Jesus into our lives while painting others with the colors of anger and resentment. ILLUSTRATION - Leslie Flynn wrote a book titled, Great Church Fights. I have never seen a copy of it, but the title makes me want to read it. I did read a story that he tells in it of two porcupines in the freezing north woods that huddled together to keep warm. But when they got close, their quills pricked each other and they had to move apart. They needed each other for the warmth, but they needled each other with their sharp quills. Church members often are like those porcupines: we need each other, but we needle each other! As Vance Havner observed, there are many “porcupine” Christians—they have their good points, but you can’t get near them! We all know that we are called to love one another. It doesn’t sound very spiritual to admit that there are Christians that we just don’t like. Their personalities grate on mine. The way that they do things is always counter to the way I do things, which of course is the right way! You cannot get involved in serving the Lord through the local church for very long before you run into someone whose personality clashes with yours. (Steven Cole) ILLUSTRATION - Robert Morgan pastor of a church in Nashville, Tennessee shared the following story. There was a crisis arose in the church he pastured where two members hit an impasse and the results were not improving. In preparation for a capital campaign, Claude wanted to decorate the tables with small pine seedlings in cups so people could plant them at home and always be reminded of this time in the life of their church. His idea didn’t mesh with Anne’s more elegant thoughts about the diner’s decor. When Morgan heard the conflict had escalated after Claude lost his temper and spoke harshly to Anne, he told Claude an apology was necessary. Claude said, “I did! I did apologize. It didn’t do any good.” Morgan said, “What did you say?” Claude said, “I told her I was sorry.” Morgan, a bit confused, then inquired further, “You did?” With a rising voice Claude said, “Yes, I told her I was sorry she was acting so immaturely.” Pastor Morgan tried to smooth things over and they ended up putting the seedlings in elegant pots for the big dinner, but both families ended up leaving the church. We are fussing and fighting on major issues in the church today! God have mercy on us. Acts 15:40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord. KJV Acts 15:40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. But Paul chose Silas and left Acts 15:22,32; 16:1-3 being committed by the brethren Acts 13:3; 14:26; 20:32; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 2 Timothy 4:22; Titus 3:15; 2 John 1:10,11 Acts 15 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PAUL AND SILAS COMMISSIONED But - Term of contrast. Two friends with many shared experiences on the first missionary journey part ways with the result that division turns into multiplication. Paul chose Silas and left - As discussed above Silas was originally sent from Jerusalem to help testify to the Gentiles about the letter from the Jerusalem Council. Paul had opportunity to observe Silas' gifts (prophet) and his ability to speak (see Acts 15:32+). It is worth noting that neither Barnabas nor Paul felt it was appropriate to set off alone – they both understood that partnership in the Gospel ministry is essential. Assuming Silas returned to Jerusalem (as one of the they that "had spent time...they were sent away" in Acts 15:33), this would mean that Silas traveled roughly 900 miles, from Jerusalem to Antioch, from Antioch returning to Jerusalem and from Jerusalem back to Antioch! Needless to say he was undoubtedly in good shape and ready for the arduous journey into Cilicia and beyond into the mountainous regions of Turkey. We can only propose that Luke did not describe Silas' return to Jerusalem and then his summons to Antioch probably by Paul.