Introduction

Things that should not divide a church (but that often do)

• Carpet Color
• Pastor’s hair style
• Pastor’s clothing choices
• Saturday or Sunday
• Homeschool or public school
• Worship Styles
• Projection screens

There are sometimes people with strong opinions in the church that divide people over silly issues. I came across a blog post that read, “It gets obnoxious. After listing about 35 things that divide the church I just said forget it!”

The nature of a mutigenerational (and a multicultural) church like Canyon Bible Church is that people are going to be coming in from all kinds of different backgrounds. Many of you have traditions in your faith and in your family that are really important to you that may not be important to other people.

Paul ministered Jews who not only celebrated traditions, but many of those traditions were originally established by the OT scriptures. Although it is clear that no individual is saved by the observance of traditions, many of their traditions helped them to remember important attributes of who God is. As we examine this passage’ we’ll be asking the question, “What are the essentials and what are the non-essentials of our church.”

Scripture

Today we will be looking at Acts 21 and various sections of the book of 1 Corinthians – starting with chapter 8. As we pick up our study in the book of Acts, Paul has just left a 3 year stay in Ephesus. (Show Map) Ephesus is on the coast of modern-day Turkey. While in Ephesus, Paul wrote the book of 1 Corinthians. With 1 Corinthians having been freshly penned, it sheds some important insight to the struggle that Paul had between honoring Jewish traditions while recognizing that these traditions were not necessary to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Chapter 21 begins with Paul travelling from Ephesus to Ceasarea. He stayed at Phillip the Evangelist’s house and while he was there, Phillips daughters prophesied that Paul would be bound and imprisoned by the Gentiles if he proceeded to Jerusalem. They asked him not to proceed, but Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” Paul was undeterred and proceeded on to Jerusalem because he believed that God was calling him to go there.

Danger had never deterred Paul Acts 20:23.   In fact Paul says in Acts 20:23 that, “the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.” The only thing that kept Paul from moving forward was being forbidden by the Spirit to proceed Acts 16:6; not just dangerous circumstances.

We pick up the story in Acts 21:17

¹⁷ When we had come to Jerusalem, the brothers received us gladly. ¹⁸ On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

If you remember back to Acts 2, in just one day after Peter addresses the crowd, about 3000 people professed belief in Jesus. Now many years later, the church would have grown significantly. FF Bruce (a well-known biblical scholar) suggests that there may have been as many as 70 elders at this gathering. Many elders would have been required because of the size of the Jerusalem church

As an aside, many who suggest that the “New Testament Church” was by nature small and meeting in houses, has not done much reading of the book of Acts. The New Testament church exploded and was spreading like wild-fire. The Elders, the deacons and the Apostles were running to keep up with its growth.

Before this council of Elders, Paul begins to recall how God had fulfilled prophesy like what they had read in Joel 2:28-29

²⁸  “And it shall come to pass afterward,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;
your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams,
and your young men shall see visions.
²⁹ Even on the male and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

In Acts 2, Peter experienced this outpouring of the Holy Spirit on all people – even the gentile – in Jerusalem. Now Paul is recalling how when he took the Gospel to gentile nations, how the Spirit was poured out upon them – in their homelands. Prophesy was being fulfilled before their eyes and it was a time for celebration! Acts 2:15-21; Joel 2:28-29; Acts 21:19

¹⁹ After greeting them, he related one by one the things that God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ And when they heard it, they glorified God.

Then right here in the middle of verse 20, we see rumblings of a huge issue between the Gentile and the Jewish Christians. Some Jews have an opinion that in order to be devout Christians, they must still observe all the traditions and laws of Judaism. Whereas observing the laws and traditions isn’t wrong, the Holy Spirit has clearly said through Paul that the Jewish customs are no longer needed. Acts 15:29; 21:25 You remember back in Acts Chapter 15 that there was a huge discussion about this issue. Paul, the elders in Jerusalem and the Apostles all met together and agreed only to ask the gentiles to observe these issues – Acts 15:29

“that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well.”

Rumors

A rumor has reached devout Jewish Christians that is unnecessarily dividing the church.

Verse 20b

And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed. They are all zealous for the law, ²¹ and they have been told about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs. ²² What then is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

What were the rumors? The first rumor is that the Jews can eat meat sacrificed to idols. That’s not exactly what Paul said. Like many rumors mentioned in Acts, there was some truth to this rumor. Paul did teach about abstaining from meat offered to idols. However, he is not superstitious about it. What power does meat have that is offered to a god that does not exist? Here are Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 8:4, “as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that ‘an idol has no real existence,’ and that ‘there is no God but one.’”

Partial Truth #1: Paul says that meat offered to idols in itself powerless. 1 Cor 8:4

The Whole Story: Paul tells them to abstain from meat offered to idols for the sake of the Gospel 1 Cor 8:8-9

⁸ Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. ⁹ But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.

WORD STUDY

The greek word for “commend” is paristēmi (pä-rē’-stā-mē) and it means to stand beside. So what Paul is saying is the kind of food we prefer is not what determines whether or not we are right with God.

However, Paul tells the Corinthians that eating food offered to idols may cause other believers to stumble, so they should abstain from it in order that the gospel might be proclaimed unhindered. 1 Corinthians 8:13 “¹³ Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.” The gospel was too important to Paul to sabotage it by having a steak!

Partial Truth #2: Paul told gentiles that circumcision was not necessary. Gal 5:2

It’s true. The entire book of Galatians addresses the issue. Galatians 5:2 says “I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you.”

Paul argues that circumcision is not a matter of salvation, but is merely a matter of preference. It is no longer required Circumcision does not make a person right with God.

The Whole Story: Paul says that what counts is being transformed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Gal 2:20

Galatians 2:20 says, “²⁰ I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

The Whole Story: Paul says circumcision is of not advantage but he never tells Jews not to get circumcised Gal 6:15

.Gal 6:15, Paul concludes by saying, “¹⁵ For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation.”

Anticipating that these rumors would be a huge distraction to the Jews in Jerusalem, James urges Paul to observe a Jewish tradition and to participate in the purification rites of 4 Jewish Men.

Acts 21: 23

²³ Do therefore what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow; ²⁴ take these men and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may shave their heads. Thus all will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself also live in observance of the law.

James reasoned that if everyone saw Paul participating in this ceremonial observance that they would know that Paul is still a devout Jew and there is no heresy within the rumors that are circulating about him.   If Paul is seen as a respecter of the Law, the Jewish community would be more open to his message about Jesus being the Messiah!

Paul is committed to avoiding unnecessary distractions to the gospel, so he agrees to participate in the ceremonial vows. Some Bible scholars argue that Paul’s participation here in this ceremonial cleansing was an unwise act of compromise.   In the upcoming chapter we’ll see that a mob formed and he was arrested anyway.

However, it is completely consistent with Paul’s message. We are called to reach people in their cultural context without compromising the Gospel 1 Cor 10:31-33. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 says, “³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. ³² Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, ³³ just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.”

So we’ve established from this passage that there are issues of preference like religious ceremonies, diet choices and circumcision that should in no way interfere with the fellowship of believers. Paul tried to break down every barrier. It makes us aware that in our culture, issues of preference within the church like worship times, carpet color, hairstyles, musical genres and schooling choices should in no way interfere with our fellowship either.

However, primary doctrinal issues should never be compromised.

MORMONS: I was talking with a family this week and I was telling them about this church and our call to begin a new church in Cottonwood. They identified themselves as Mormons and without skipping a beat, they said to me “we are believers too.”   I think they may have been reacting to the typical resistance they receive from Christians. Christians often treat Mormons like the enemy.   Mormons are not the enemy, but they are captives of the enemy. They do believe things, but they are not believers of the gospel. They’ve been deceived and tragically they are wholeheartedly believing lies from the enemy.

Canyon Bible church has a list of core beliefs. If you have not picked up a statement of faith booklet, you should acquire one today. The booklet outlines the core beliefs that Canyon Bible Church will never compromise on. These beliefs are far from trivial.

A difference in primary theological beliefs is a major issue and requires correction and instruction. I want to briefly highlight just three core values that most often conflict with the core doctrines of false religions:

1. Deity of Jesus: Jesus Christ is recognized as God throughout the New Testament. Jesus claims to be God. Jesus possessed attributes that by nature only God can possess: among those are omniscience
   [1], omnipotence[2] and omnipresence as well as the ability to uphold the world by his power and the power to forgive sins.[3] Those who deny the deity of Christ fail to hold to a Biblically accurate view of Jesus Christ
2. Inerrancy of Scripture: God chose to work through human authors, so that using their own personalities, they composed and recorded without error His revelation to man in the words of the original manuscripts.[4] Those who believe the Bible contains errors have doctrine that is dangerous and heretical
3. Salvation by faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone: We are saved by a gracious act from a loving God, not by our own doings or merits. Those who preach mere morality or set up any other way of salvation other than the grace of God through Jesus, preach another gospel.

Life application

The tremendous value of the gospel compels us to look past our differences and look towards a community that is lost without Jesus

Dr. Engram: “When a church looses sight of a community that is lost and dying without Jesus, they begin to focus on minor issues within the church.”

The tremendous value of the gospel compels us to carefully guard essential doctrines of the faith without compromise.

How do we do that? We guard the gospel by every one of us being people who are in the Word. Know your Bible. Know what you believe and how to defend your faith. Get into the Word daily and make God’s Word a priority on your family. What the church needs is more men and women who are passionate about the truths of God’s word and live out those truths with zeal.