Acts 15:22

Acts 15: 22 says, Then pleased it the apostles and elders with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas and Silas, chief men among the brethren:  We are told that the apostles and elders and the whole church were pleased with what James had proposed.  We could say the church was in one accord again.  When that is the case so much more can be accomplished.  Verse twenty-three adds, And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. They felt the need to send brethren of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.  They were spending a letter to the churches of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.  Verse twenty-four continues, Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: They not only accepted what James had proposed, but they went out of their way to correct the error started by Pharisees that had gone out from them.  They didn't just rely on Paul and Barnabas to relay the world but sent their own representatives and letters.  If we have a controversy in the church, we must do everything we can to correct it.  We must leave no room for misunderstanding.  The first thing the leaders of the church at Jerusalem did was state that they had not said people must be circumcised to be saved. Verse twenty-five states, It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,  They then stated that the church of one accord decided to send their own chosen men with Paul and Barnabas.  Verse twenty-six adds, Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.  They also spoke of others who like Paul and Barnabas had risked their lives for the gospel.  We should be willing to do the same thing today.  Verse twenty-seven continues, We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth   The church at Jerusalem decided to send two men with Paul and Barnabas on their journey.  They may have wanted to show support for them or they might have wanted to make sure they didn’t change what had been agreed on.  Verse twenty-eight says, For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things   Then, they said that it seemed good to them and the Holy Ghost to lay no greater burden on them.  Now, that is where I believe they should have stopped.  We should allow the Holy Spirit to guide each individual Christian without our setting up check lists for them to go by.  Verse twenty-nine adds, That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.  There are no other requirements for salvation but to accept what Christ did on the cross. Still, they said the Gentiles should refrain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from fornication.  The way it was stated, it made it appear that this was the teaching of the Holy Spirit, but I believe they were just adding that for emphasis.  We need to be careful that we don't credit God with being the source of all our personal beliefs that contradict the gospel.  Verse thirty continues, So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle: The result was Jews and Gentiles both being accepted by each other, and they rejoiced in conciliation. If we as Christians have a disagreement, may we work as hard to resolve it as these early Christians did.  Verse thirty-one concludes, Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.  When the people read the letter, they rejoiced in consolation.  If we have disputes with other Christians, we need to settle them under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and then rejoice in our consolation.