What did you learn from today’s passage? Was it realizing what the “sticking points” were for accepting Gentiles? Was it seeing how the new believers navigated difficult discussions and decisions? Was it wanting to follow Paul’s example of faith and acceptance?
The whole notion of circumcision, while I understand its significance, still seems a bit odd to be such an important “requirement.” It was this issue that ended the first missionary journey abruptly, sending Paul and Barnabas back to Jerusalem, back to the “headquarters” of the new believers to meet with the elders and apostles. Already we have a good example of problem solving.
It doesn’t surprise me that it was the Pharisees who had the biggest problem with the circumcision issue. They were the ones always focused on following the rules. They demanded fairness that all men who followed Jesus needed to be circumcised. Not all Christ followers were Jewish, and circumcision was a Jewish requirement, not a Christian one. That was the issue in a nutshell.
Paul had a strong opinion and made it known. He said, “We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.” Paul didn’t seem to put the same emphasis on circumcision that some of the group did. That didn’t stop him from sharing his thoughts and bringing the whole situation back to the gospel of grace.
There will always be mistrust between Jews and Gentiles. Such behaviors have played out in history for many years, still today. Sharing a faith in Jesus has a way of doing away with that wedge, creating a bond instead. Jews should be able to cling to their traditions, after all Jesus was a Jew and grew up in a devout Jewish family. Does what we see here have a jealousy component, perhaps?
Gentile men everywhere breathed a sigh of relief at James’ declaration, “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” The act of circumcision for a Jewish boy happens as a baby, painful, but forgotten. To have the same procedure as a grown man would be, well, horribly painful. Of note, James wasn’t wanting to totally discard all the Jewish traditions. Rather, James suggested the new believers would bond over those traditions, Jew and Gentile together.
We’re not told exactly how the meeting of elders and apostles went, but we do know the outcome. There was a letter speaking to the council’s decision to be read to the people of Antioch where Paul and Barnabas had been preaching but then bombarded with conflicting teaching which confused many. The other message had not been “blessed,” but by sending a delegation along with Paul and Barnabas back to the people was to give them authority.
The Holy Spirit was also given credit for the message, which sounds very much like what James had declared. The Holy Spirit was speaking through him in that moment to bring a good plan to the leaders. There would still be a learning curve to follow the Jewish traditions set forth, but as friends in Christ, the Gentiles would have help adjusting.
As you can imagine, the news of the decision brought “great joy throughout the church that day.” The Gentiles’ salvation was intact, and their relationship with Jesus could grow and grow like the Jews. It was a new way of life for all of them. It sounds like Antioch was “happening place,” in terms of ministry going on. Paul and Barnabas weren’t the only ones teaching. The word about Jesus was spreading.
Let’s pray. Lord Jesus, we are still busy spreading your word today. I want that to be my life’s mission. Open up the pathways I need to be where I need to be. Show me the people you want me to touch for you. Prepare me to be your messenger and represent you well. Show me the solutions when I encounter difficulty. Thank you for the honor to serve you and spread the Word. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
