Acts 15
1. What stuck out to you from this chapter?
As my blog title shares today, I noticed that both during the council meeting in Jerusalem and in the conversation between Paul and Barnabas, there was disagreement. Some people thought one thing and some thought others. I find this disagreement incredibly refreshing. Sometimes it's hard to see the similarities between the church in Acts and our Church today, but one thing we have in common is disagreement. What you don't see in this chapter is name-calling, curses, rejection, or any crazy thing like that. Yes, Paul and Barnabas split up, but neither one left the other by calling down curses from heaven or excommunicating them.
2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?
In Peter's address to those gathered, he concludes his thoughts with these words: "we believe that it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are." This makes me think of two specific verses. One is, of course, in Ephesians 2:8-9 which says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast." The other passage is in Romans 3:22-24 which says, "This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." Salvation is offered through God's grace, given to all who believe and put their faith in Jesus. The wording from the Romans passage especially (written by Paul) seems to echo Peter's exact words from Acts 15.
3. What does this mean for my life?
Humility. I need Jesus. I am not saved by going to church. I am not saved by working in ministry. I am not saved by reading so many verses in the Bible or blogging about them. :) I am not saved by how many mouths I feed or how much money I give. I am saved because Jesus died in my place, rose from the dead, and offers me the gift of eternal life through faith in him. Psalm 40:1-3 is also a great passage that helped me remember that I am helpless on my own.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
The apostles didn't have the "New Testament" to resolve their doctrinal disagreement (they wrote it later). So they were basing their decisions both on the Old Testament (which really does compliment the New) the teachings of Jesus and the unity of the Holy Spirit. Today, we have the New Testament, but there are still a lot of disagreements about doctrinal issues. My biggest question from this chapter is about living life today. When are disagreements something that should be resolved by separation? Are there certain "issues" that are non-negotiable? What constitutes modern-day "heresy" that should be rebuked rather than accepted? I'm sure everyone who reads this would have different answers, so it's not necessarily something I expect to be resolved here. But it's a question I have. Just being real.
God's blessings!
In Christ,
Dan
Are you sure we are not related? You put into words so eloquently the questions I contemplate. I really think you should consider writing a daily devotional or simply publish this next year and people can purchase it at camp. You are a very talented young man.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your encouragement. My deepest hope for doing this is that I would not just read but "digest" the scriptures - really dig down deep and let my life be shaped by the Bible, rather than trying to fit the Bible around my own perceptions on life. Secondarily, I hope it encourages and intrigues others to not just gloss over the pages of Scripture, but to realize that these were also imperfect people. Some of the stories are messy, some are funny, some are sad, and some are shameful. Yet God will use these stories to reveal himself to us. And what God shows me by reading one story, might not be the same point He wants someone else to get out of it. That's what I've loved about using this format with the questions. It's not like there's one "moral" or "lesson" from each story. God's word is living and active. So I'll keep pressing on. :)
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