Devotion:
For an audio version of this devotion, click here.
Read Acts 15:7-14, 19-21.
The early church did not always get it right, but they certainly did in this case. The Pharisees made the case that, since Jewish persons had been required to follow all the laws and traditions established for the Children of Israel, so should these Gentiles who desired to be Christian. Peter had struggled with this issue, and he would struggle with it again. But here, he is brave to stand and remind his fellow Jewish Christians how God had sent him to the home of the Gentile centurion, Cornelius, to share the Good News of Christ. Peter had seen the Holy Spirit come upon Cornelius and his household, reinforcing that we are saved by grace, not by works just as we are.
A lesson for us comes when we see how the whole assembly grew quiet and listened as Paul and Barnabas told about how God was moving through them among the Gentiles. By this time, James, the brother of Jesus, had become the leader of the church in Jerusalem. It is amazing to see how James was led by the Spirit to decide so quickly to accept the Gentiles without making them become Jews first. And it is even more amazing to see how readily the council accepted and implemented his decision.
Personal Worship Option:
Almighty God, give us the courage to stand and speak for you when needed and the humility to be quiet and listen to others. Send your Holy Spirit among us to help us make decisions and to guide us as we implement them. Amen.
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