May, 1941
T HE K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
139
in. T he D ecision (13-21)
I am reminded of Acts 13:47, which reads, “I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.” Many who claim to be Christians are like these flashlights. We will call the first flashlight Frank. His heart is black with sin, and cannot shine for Christ. Fred’s heart is yellow, speaking of gold. Christians who are striving for gold and gain cannot effectively let their lights shine, Francis has a pur-
pie heart with “Pride” written on it. It is impossible for a proud person to be a light for Christ. Felix’s heart is green, suggesting that it is filled with envy. An envious heart cannot be used to give the light to those who are lost. I am going to remove these sinful hearts, in order that the light may shine brightly. It is God’s desire that all things might be removed which are keeping' the lost from seeing the light of the gospel of Christ. mittee to Jerusalem. The first confer ence at Jerusalem was held for the pur pose of deciding whether or not it was necessary to keep the law in order for one to be saved. The whole church was pre^fent, arguments were heard, many questions were asked and answered, and, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, a decision was made. n . T he D eclarations (7-12) At length, Peter arose and gave his testimony. He declared that “God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel.“ (In parsing, this is Peter’s witness to the deity of Jesus; cf. Matt. 16:16.) He went on to declare that when the Gentiles (cf. Acts 10,11) by his mouth heard the gospel, they believed, and immediately “God . . . bare them witness, giving them the Holy Gh<^t,” putting no difference between circum cised Jews and uncircumcised Gentiles. These Gentiles had been saved by simple faith, j Peter further declared that the law was a yoke which neither those present nor their fathers were able to bear. He stated clearly his belief ¿“that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we [the Jews] shall be saved, even as they [the Gentiles].“ When Peter finished, Barnabas and Paul bore witness to what “God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.“ What that was could be seen at Anti- ocn where many Gentiles had been soundly converted by faith alone, had been added to the Lord, and had re ceived the gift of the Holy Spirit—all apart from the law. BLACKBOARD LESSON 'BUT UJE BELIEUE THAT THROUGH THE GRACE O f THE LORD JESUS CHRIST UJE SHALL BE SOUED. \ A ~ e EUEfl AS THE4- I * r \ acts ts:n
When all the arguments and testi monies were heard, James, the chairman of that conference, gave the final deci sion. He reminded the audience of what Peter had said, and he then pointed out that this declaration agreed with’ the prophets, quoting from Amos 9:11, 12. Here was God’s program: First, God would take out of the Gentiles a people for His name.. Second, He would then return and build again the tabernacle of David. Third, the residue of men (the Jews) would seek after the Lord. Fourth, all the Gentiles upon whom God’s name was called would be brought in. Then James gaye the decision of the conference in the verses which follow. The Gentiles who had tuAied to God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ must not be troubled about the require ments of the Mosaic law. The matter of circumcision was not to be presented to them, nor any other part of the law, as being necessary to salvation. They were to be told merely to keep themselves from the things tiiey knew were wrong (v. 20). Thus the first Jerusalem conference on world missions came to a close with the freedom of grace fully declared'and salvation by faith firmly established. Any system that brings in the law or any part of tile law—moral, ceremonial, civil, social—as a s t a n d a r d for the Christian is a system contrary to the Word-of God and contrary to the truth made known at this conference at Jeru salem. We do not forget that every one of the Ten Commandments, except the one governing the Sabbath, is re peated in the Epistles of the New Tes tament, but they are there under grace. Points and Problems 1. “Came together for to consider of this matter” (Acts 15:6). The actual program for “World Missions” had been laid down by the Lord Himself, and it was already in operation. But a prob lem had arisen which threatened seri ously the whole program. It was the age-long heresy of legalism. Certain men from Judea had come into the fast- growing Antioch mission and had begun to teach the new converts that “except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). These men did not argue that because the Antioch believers had been saved by God’s grace they ought to keep His com mandments, but that they must keep the law in order to be saved. Thus they nullified the gospel of God’s grace al together. The real point at issue was not the particular kind of command ment (which in this instance happened to be circumcision), but rather that the keeping of any kind of law should be made a condition of salvation. It should not surprise us, therefore, to find Paul
JUNE 22, 1941 FIRST JERUSALEM CONFERENCE OF WORLD MISSIONS A cts 15:1-35; G alatians 2
Acts 15:6 And the apostles and elders ca)me together for to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had been much dis puting, Peter rose up, and said unto them* Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 And God, which knowetli the hearts, bare them witness, giving them _the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; 9 And put no difference between ns and them, purifying their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear! 11 But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, eveii as they. 12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring wliat miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 18 And after they had held their peace, * James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up*. 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, salth the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto God are a ll, his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But . that we write unto them, that they abstain, from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. . 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. LESSON TEXT: Acts 15:6-21. GOLDEN TEXT: “But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they” (Acts 15:11). DEVOTIONAL BEADING: Gal. 4:1-7. Outline and Exposition I. T he D ebate (6, 7) i T ANTIOCH, many Gentiles had / \ been saved by simple faith in / \ , Jesus Christ. When the brethren at Jerusalem heard of this occurrence, certain men came from Jerusalem main taining that unless these Gentile con verts were circumcised and kept the law of Moses, they could not be saved. To these declarations Paul and Barnabas took serious exception. The opposing sides finally determined to send a com-
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