Devotion:
Read Acts 15:1-21.
I like this passage! It honestly describes a disagreement between two groups in the early church and shows us how they dealt with it. Jesus was Jewish, his disciples were Jewish, and the first church in Jerusalem was comprised of Jewish Christians. After seeing a vision that all people are clean, Peter had shared the Good News with a Roman centurion and his family (all Gentiles) and had them baptized when they accepted Christ. As Paul and Barnabas served in the church in Antioch, Gentiles professed their faith and became Christian. On their trip into Asia Minor, they had led many Gentiles to faith. The Jewish Christians in the Jerusalem church heard about all this and felt strongly that Gentiles needed to be circumcised and follow all the Jewish practices in order to be Christian.
Instead of letting the disagreement fester and get worse, the church promptly called a council and heard from each side. The leadership did not appoint a committee to study the matter, but instead they made a decision. James, the brother of Jesus and head of the Jerusalem church, reflecting on the Scripture that said the Gentiles too would seek the Lord, put forward the decision. Gentiles would be accepted into the church, saved by the same grace as were Jewish Christians.
Personal Worship Option:
Loving God, help us to see other Christians who disagree with us as our sisters and brothers. Give us wisdom to discern what is important and the courage to confront the important issues in loving and open ways, never allowing our disagreements to detract from your work through the church. In Christ’s name, Amen.
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