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MESSAGE SERIES: “CHURCH ON THE MOVE”
Acts 15:22-35

INTRODUCTION: Today is our last message in this second set of messages in our Church on the Move series. There are four major movements we find in the book of Acts:

   1-8 > From Jerusalem to Samaria
   9-15 > From the Jews to the Gentiles
   16-20 > From Asia to Europe
   21-28 > To the ends of the Earth

Chapters 1-8 track the movement of the church from Jerusalem to Samaria. Chapters 9-15 track the movement of the church from the Jews to the Gentiles. Chapters 16-20 track the movement of the church from Asia to Europe. Chapters 21-28 track the movement of the church as it makes its way to the ends of the earth. Today, we close out the second of these four movements—the movement from the Jews to the Gentiles. (Read Acts 15:22-23 and pray.)

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Last week, we looked at the Council of Jerusalem found here in Acts 15. As more and more Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ, this raised some questions that the church needed to answer. How do Gentiles become Christians? Do they need to become Jews first? What about table fellowship between Jews and Gentiles? These were some very serious questions, and the council met at Jerusalem to help settle these issues.

We saw how Peter, Paul and Barnabas all testified before the council, and then James gave his recommendation—a wise decision that neither compromised the gospel nor threatened the fellowship between Jewish and Gentile believers. Now we want to see how the council responded to all this.

I. Corporate decision (22)

The passage begins with a corporate decision made by the church in response to the previous discussions. Look at verse 22:

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. (Acts 15:22)

Notice the whole church was involved in this. The apostles along with the elders and the whole church arrived at a wonderful unity of decision following the testimony of Peter, Paul and Barnabas, and the Spirit-led recommendations of James. These are the best kinds of decisions—ones that are prayed over, discussed together and Spirit-led, arriving at a place of unity and agreement in the body of Christ. Without unity, someone is not hearing the Lord (maybe everyone!).

Together, they chose some of their own men and sent them back to Antioch along with Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas would probably have been sufficient, but the church wanted to make sure there was no question, so they sent Judas and Silas too. Judas and Silas were leaders in the church and were also recognized as prophets, so this was a strong representation from the church at Jerusalem. We also see God’s providence in this, because Paul and Silas will become future missionary partners.

These men, along with Paul and Barnabas, would deliver a letter sharing the decision and recommendations of the Council at Jerusalem. This was an encouraging unity, as the whole church came to this decision together under the leading of the Holy Spirit.

II. An encouraging letter (23-29)

We now turn from an encouraging unity to an encouraging letter. I want you to note four things about this letter.

   A. They greet them as brothers (23)

First, they greet them as brothers. Look at verse 23:

With them they sent the following letter: The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. (Acts 15:23)

The letter is addressed to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. Syria is the region where Antioch was located. The area of Cilicia was just north and west of Syria. Cilicia bordered Galatia, and the Galatian churches are most likely included as recipients of this letter as well.

The letter comes from the apostles and elders, who identify themselves as “your brothers.” What an encouraging greeting to these Gentile believers whose salvation was being questioned by others. The apostles and elders greet them as brothers. They are brothers and sisters in Christ together.

   B. They disavow the false teachers (24)

Next, the apostles and elders disavow the false teachers. Look at verse 24:

We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. (Acts 15:24)

In the book of Galatians, these men were described as “certain men [who] came from James” (Gal. 2:12). Now, the council confirms that these “men from James” did not in fact come from James, certainly not with James’ approval.

The council assures the Gentile believers that these men who came to them did so independently without any authorization from the apostles or elders in Jerusalem. They empathize with the Gentile believers, acknowledging that these men disturbed them and troubled their minds. The word translated as “troubling” in this verse has to do with “tearing down.” These false teachers tore down the Gentile believers’ faith. This delegation from Jerusalem is being sent to build it back up again.

   C. They confirm the letter carriers (25-27)

Next, they confirm the letter carriers. Look at verses 25-27:

So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul—men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. (Acts 15:25-27)

They speak of Paul and Barnabas as dear friends. They confirm that they all agreed to send Judas and Silas to accompany Paul and Barnabas on this trip. These are all good men who have risked their lives for the name of Jesus. Judas and Silas will give verbal confirmation of all that is written in the letter.

   D. They share their decision (28-29)

Finally, they share the decision of the council. Look at verses 28-29:

It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell. (Acts 15:28-29)

I love how they describe the decision: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us.” In other words, this decision was made prayerfully and in accordance with the word of God. This was not just their decision as apostles and elders, this was not just the decision of Paul, Barnabas, Judas and Silas, but the Holy Spirit had confirmed it as well.

How would the Holy Spirit have confirmed it? There are several possible means. First of all, through the testimony of Scripture: the Spirit of God and the word of God will never contradict each other. The Spirit works in and through the word of God. Secondly, through the experience of the Gentile believers: they received the Holy Spirit when they believed in Jesus without ever being circumcised. Other possible means include through prayer and discussion, or perhaps even through prophecy. (As we shall see in verse 32, Judas and Silas were both prophets.) So, there were any number of ways they would have known this was “good to the Holy Spirit and to us.”

What was it that seemed good to the Holy Spirit and the council? Simply this—not to burden the Gentile believers with anything beyond the following four requirements. [Show slide with list of four things.] We saw the same list last time as James made his proposal to the council. The Gentile believers were to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from the meat of strangled animals, from the eating of blood, and from sexual immorality. The council encourages them, “You will do well to avoid these things.”

The first three items were all ceremonial issues that would have made table fellowship with Jews difficult. The fourth item was a moral issue that was prevalent in Gentile culture. Once again, all believers should abstain from sexual immorality. This was just a bigger problem among the Gentiles at the time than it was among the Jews.

The council was not adding anything to faith for salvation with this list. Rather, they were asking for consideration and respect for their fellow Jewish believers when it came to ceremonial issues, and they were warning them against a common sin among the Gentiles that they needed to leave behind as new followers of Jesus.

They then close the letter with the words “Farewell.” This was the typical way to close a letter in those days. The word simply means “to be strong and well,” or if you are a Vulcan from Star Trek, I guess you could translate it as, “Live long and prosper!”

III. Special delivery (30-35)

Finally, we move from the decision of the council and the contents of the letter to the actual delivery of the letter. This was in all ways a very special delivery for the Gentiles.

   A. Glad and encouraged (30-32)

First, the people who read the letter were glad and encouraged. Look at verses 30-32:

The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. (Acts 15:30-32)

The four men departed for Antioch where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. The people read the letter and were glad for its encouraging message. As prophets, Judas and Silas also said many things to encourage and strengthen them. This is in accord with Paul’s description of prophecy in 1 Corinthians: “Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort” (1 Cor. 14:3). So, now we have moved from an encouraging unity to an encouraging letter to an encouraged church.

   B. A church at peace (33-35)

Finally, we close with a picture of a church at peace. Look at verses 33-35:

After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. (Acts 15:33-35)

We began this chapter with a church that was troubled and disturbed. We close this section with a church at peace. Judas and Silas are sent back to Jerusalem with a blessing of peace. Paul and Barnabas remain behind to teach and preach the word along with many others. The church was in good hands, ready to send Paul out on the next missionary trip.

[As a side note, you may notice that verse 34 is missing from most translations: “But Silas decided to remain there.” This is because these words are not found in the earliest translations. They were most likely added by a well-meaning scribe who was trying to explain why Silas was available when Paul was ready for the next mission trip.]

CONCLUSION: So, what are some of the applications from this passage for us today? We already looked at the first two last week.

1) Salvation by faith in Christ alone

First, salvation is by faith in Christ alone. We cannot earn our salvation. We can only receive it. Jesus paid the full price for our sins on the cross. We add nothing to the finished work of Christ on the cross. We are accepted by God through faith in Christ alone.

2) Respect for other Christians

Secondly, we must show respect for other Christians. The Gentile believers had freedom in Christ, but the Council at Jerusalem advised them to abstain from certain practices for the sake of others. How does that apply to us? You also have been given freedom in Christ, but you need to be careful you do not flaunt your freedom in ways that hurt other believers. The body of Christ is bigger than you. The fellowship of believers is more important than your personal concerns. The unity of the church is essential to healthy gospel witness. We need to show respect for other Christians in how we live and the choices we make.

3) Pray through decisions together

Thirdly, pray through decisions together. This applies whether you are a family or a church or a group meeting in the church. Wherever you are, pray through decisions together. Seek God’s will in each matter, not your own. We should aim for unity in our decisions, not just “the majority wins.” The council prayed through James’ recommendations and arrived at a unity together. They came to a decision that seemed good to them and the Holy Spirit. God has given us the Holy Spirit as a Counselor. Oh, how we need to lean more on the Holy Spirit when making decisions together.

4) Encourage and strengthen each other through the word

And then, finally, encourage and strengthen each other through the word. God has given us his word to encourage and strengthen us in the faith. We need to be people of the word—reading, studying, and obeying God’s word for ourselves, as well as sharing it with others. The church will only be as strong as its knowledge of and obedience to the word of God.

Once again, this was a critical turning point for the church. They had questions that needed to be answered. Did Gentiles need to become Jews before they could become Christians? The council said, “No!” And that answer resounds through the centuries. Gentile believers are saved by faith in Christ alone, even as Jewish believers are saved by faith in Christ alone. We are all saved the exact same way. That answered the first question.
The other question was this: Would Jewish believers and Gentile believers be able to sit down and have a meal together? The council said, “Yes!” And that answer has also resounded through the centuries. We are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one body in Christ. We should not allow any cultural differences or issues to divide us.

God answered both these questions clearly and authoritatively through the Council at Jerusalem. The Jewish believers would not make things difficult for the Gentiles who were coming to faith in Christ. The Gentile mission would go forth unhindered in obedience to Jesus’ Great Commission to go into all the world with the gospel.

Thank God for the Spirit’s leading at the Council of Jerusalem. As a result, the gospel continued to spread around the world, even to us today. The church had decisively made the move from the Jews to the Gentiles. Believing Jews and Gentiles together would make up the body of Christ. Now, it was ready for its next move from Asia to Europe, and eventually to the ends of the earth—just as Jesus commanded and foretold.

© Ray Fowler

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