I. The Issue Of Salvation- A Problem
A. Jews & Gentiles Being Saved
B. Judaizers Bring Different Doctrine To Antioch 15:1, 5
C. Paul & Barnabus Refute Them
Galatians 2:5 “…to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.”
D. Contention Taken To Jerusalem 15:2
E. Testimonies Re. God’s Grace To The Gentiles
1. Peter testifies about God’s grace to the Gentiles. 15:7-11
2. Paul & Barnabus testify about God’s grace to the Gentiles. 15:12
F. Issue Of Salvation By Grace Is Settled
II. The Issue Of Lifestyle- The Other Problem
A. Jewish Lifestyle
1.Legalistic background. Careful to keep God’s word, at least externally.
2.History of knowing God’s word
3.Had tried to gain salvation by works and holiness
4. Came to realize that salvation is by grace, through faith in Jesus.
5. Culturally- very conscious of external behavior.
B. Gentile Lifestyle
1. Immorality
2. No influence of God’s word in their history
3. Deep history of sinful living
4. No history of moral standards
5. Lifestyle of sinfulness, expressed thru idolatry, violence, debauchery.
C. Today’s Setting
1. Some of us have a religious, moral upbringing.
a. Conscious of biblical morality
b. Careful about external behavior
2. Others of us have no religious background
a. We have years of unbridled living.
b. Our Christian experience and judgment is not well developed.
3. How are we to get along considering our diverse backgrounds?
4. How do we avoid offending others with a different background?
5. How do we maintain unity amongst ourselves?
III. The Issue Of Unity
A. The Jews’ Response
1. Didn’t force Jewish cultural practices upon the Gentiles.
2. Accepted that God was saving them by His grace.
3. Didn’t put legalism upon them. 15:10
4. Recognized that God had always intended to save them. 15:14-19
5. They determined not to make life burdensome for them.
6. They didn’t try to turn them into Jews or Jewish in culture.
7. They sought to keep unity by focusing on the essentials.
B. The Gentiles Responsibility
1. God didn’t save them so that they could go on living immorally.
2. As they became part of the church, they needed to make an effort to not stumble their Jewish brothers with their culture & lifestyle.
3. James & the church leadership made their recommendations.
4. Gentiles needed to avoid certain behaviors for the sake of church unity
a. Things polluted by idols. A liberty to be avoided. 15:20
Idolatry was obviously to be avoided.
One step further; speaks of the animals sacrificed to pagan gods. The animal was offered, the priest kept a small portion, & then the animal was returned to the worshipper, & eaten, or, he could sell it at the temple grounds in the meat market.
This would stumble a Jewish brother.
The meat wasn’t sinful, etc. It was a liberty to be avoided, not to be insisted upon against the Jewish Christians.
b. Sexual immorality; rampant. Clearly wrong. 15:20
c. Things strangled. Gentiles often suffocated animals. 15:20
They didn’t bleed the animal. The meat was juicier.
Forbidden for Jews in the O.T., and a stumbling block.
d. Blood- Either bloody meat, or drinking of blood 15:20
C. Things To Consider
1. This was a new concern for the church. New considerations.
2. What to do w/Gentiles was a new issue. No Jewish, O.T. background.
3. What to require of them was a new issue.
4. There was no New Testament written yet.
5. The church was transitioning from a “works based” religion (Judaism) to a “by grace through faith” form of relationship in God.
D. The Work Of God’s Grace
1. We sometimes regard God’s grace only for salvation.
2. God’s grace toward us is also for maturity, growing in love, etc.
3. Grace for forgiveness, then grace for holy, loving, considerate living.
4. The “Grace filled Christian” is not primarily concerned with their liberty, but is concerned with the unity of the Body of Christ.
5. Both groups needed to change. One needed to avoid legalism, the other needed to refrain from their freedoms.
6. “Grace Filled Christian” is sensitive to the weaker brother.
7. The Jews needed room to grow in grace.
8. “Grace Filled Christians” make life easier for their brothers.
9. 1 Corinthians 8; Romans 14:1-6, 13-20
10. Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (The law of love)
11. “Grace Filled Christian” operates under the law of love, not under the principle of self-fulfillment. They are careful to not enjoy their liberties around weaker brothers. They are careful to anticipate what might be a stumbling block for a weaker brother.
12. John 13:34, 35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Jesus gave up so much in order to love us and bless us. He gave us an example.
Love for God and love for others is always to be supreme over our liberties.
To bless even one other Christian is better than enjoying my liberties.
We ought not to create a stumbling block for even one Christian.
1. We are no longer under the law of Moses, but under grace, but grace is not an excuse to sin.
2. We are not to live in a way that needlessly stumbles other sincere believers.
3. The law of love for others always over rules my liberties if my liberties harm the faith of another.
Both the Gentiles and Jews then understood their responsibilities.
The work of God continued in Antioch, and there was great joy.
We live in a terribly selfish society.
We are not to live that way in the church.
We need to be careful for the sake of the other believers.
We need to be careful for the sake of those who are not yet believers.
Allow H.S. to speak to you re. your liberties, and perhaps the inappropriate insistence re. them.
Ask God to build into you a heart of love.
Be a “Grace Filled Christian”.