“Through many dangers, toils, and snares,” the church had already come. Whenever God does a great work, the enemy seeks to disrupt it. Thousands of Gentiles had come to believe in Christ as their Savior. As this scenario developed, the church sent out Barnabas to examine and see what God was doing. Then Saul joined him in teaching the believers in Antioch. There a diverse group of leaders from Jerusalem and North Africa came together to lead the church. They sent out Saul and Barnabas who won more and more Gentiles to the faith.
Enter the Judaizers. They wanted every Gentile to enter Judaism and keep the whole Jewish law. Paul’s letter to the Galatians addressed this very issue. Luke tells us how the early church came to an answer to this challenge. At the Jerusalem Council, James, the brother of Jesus gave his judgment that Gentiles did not have to become Jews and keep the whole law to become believers. Effectively, he set aside the law of circumcision, most of the dietary laws, as well as calendar laws and ceremonial laws. He did not set aside idolatry and immorality.
Years ago, at a gathering of pastors, an acquaintance announced that his church in Texas had decided to abolish the teachings against homosexuality in their church. When I asked him on what basis he could do so, he answered, “Well the Jerusalem Council set aside so many of the laws, so our church will exercise that same authority to abolish prohibitions against immorality.” As kindly as I could, I reminded him that his church was not led by apostles as a modern-day Jerusalem Council. Further, I pointed out that the original council made it clear that the moral law of the Old Testament was still binding.
Gentile Christians today do not have to follow the dietary and calendar laws of the Old Testament. We are free from that law. But we are not free to redefine morality. God has defined the genders, number, and duration of marriage: one male, one female, until separated by death. We do well to remember this as new winds of doctrine offer to redefine God’s plan for our lives. “’Tis grace has brought us safe thus far, and grace will lead us home.”
