Working it out

And certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” Therefore, when Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and dispute with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders, about this question.
So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, describing the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy to all the brethren. And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders; and they reported all things that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. – Acts 15.1-6

It didn’t take long for the first conflict to come to the church. They were, after all, people just like you and me. Conflict was inevitable. Sinners, even saved sinners, are still going to want their way.

The division here was pretty much obvious from the time Gentiles began to get saved. The Jews still tended to think the gospel was for them. They had kept the Law and it did not make any sense that Gentiles couls be saved without the Law. Maybe it didn’t seem fair.

So the Jews were saying that Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved. Gentiles did not see any needs to conform to the Law see the gospel was gospel of grace. The division had the pontential to destroy or at lease divide and weaken the church.

So the disciples took a wise course of actions. Their notion was to call the factions together and work this thing out by talking it over and examining the gospel together. Church leaders came from all over the Jerusalem to come to an equitable solution.

They met together and determined that the church was free from the Law. Gentiles did not need to be circumcised. The division would carry on, but the unity of the church was preserved.

The lesson for us is pretty clear. Were are still flawed men and women. We still tend toward having our way. Divisions are still going to arise. The question is what we are going to do about those divisions. The disciples set the pattern. The only way to stop divisions from dividing us to come together and work out our differences based on the word of God.

Don’t let disagreements part us. We can work it out it with meek and humble spirits.