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Acts 15:1-21
Here we have Luke describing a detailed account of events causing great distress to the Church in Antioch. A great debate arose because some men from Judea were teaching them to adhere to Old Testament Jewish law.
In v2, we see: "PAUL and Barnabas disagreed with them, arguing vehemently. Finally, the church decided to send Paul and Barnabas to Jerusalem, accompanied by some local believers, to talk to the apostles and elders about this question."
We observe there are those who attempt to reason beyond what has been plainly spoken by God. Instead of resting in the sufficiency of God's revealed Word, they lean upon human tradition. They elevate customs shaped by culture. They cling to inherited practices as though they carry equal authority with divine truth.
What did God approve? We reviewed in detail from Gal 2, Romans 4, Eph 2, etc. what Faith means to all in the NT church—that sins of believers are forgiven as they are transferred onto the Lord on the Cross. CHRIST alone, and we cannot add or subtract from the Truth. The Book of Acts makes it transparent to all about this great revelation that was hidden before.
Faith in Action & Fight the Good Fight: As this is a central tenet of our faith, we must not only understand it in our head—it must mend our hearts to cause us to act with our feet and hands. We discussed and agreed that we all must attempt to do what God desires in various ways, both small and big. This is an application from the scripture portion.
A brother shared a beautiful illustration to remember: "We cannot just sit and tune our guitar; we must sing as well." There is a joy in singing—in applying our faith.
Another practical application from the scripture portion is found in vv19-21. As the Elder of the Jerusalem church, James suggested that all believers must stand firm on the essentials while being considerate on non-essentials. This provides an opportunity to bring about understanding, consensus through discussion and consideration.