The (Jerusalem Council) Decision and Personal Application
Part 3: The Jerusalem Council
"Greetings,
Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, 'You must be circumcised and keep the law' - to whom we gave no such commandment - it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you do well.
Farewell" (Acts 15:24-39, NKJV).
This was the final decision of the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. The Christians who had been psychologically attacking others for not following the Law were incorrect.
How does this decision - this whole situation - apply to us today?
I want to focus for a moment on this statement, "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things..."
No greater burden. Even today, extra rules, extra dos and don'ts, extra ideas pose a burden. Jesus addressed this issue with Pharisees more than once. How, exactly, do these extras pose a burden?
I grew up in an environment that gave extra rules that were deemed necessary for pleasing God. I was taught them from a young age, and many of the ideologies I heard from outside sources in Christianity reinforced what I had been taught. I remember the analogy used by many pastors and Christian teachers, "You can't walk the fence between God and the world. You will fall off to one side or another."
I know that analogy is meant for good. But it often just poses more burden upon its hearers, because of its association with rules and regulations.
I am now thirty-nine years old and trying to heal from many of the wounds from my past - wounds that were caused by such burdens.
There are so many obsessions and compulsions that I often face daily that are the result of these burdens. Especially when something goes wrong. Especially when that thing that went wrong affects someone I love.
A good example is I recently left the "church world." It may be a temporary break. It may be a permanent decision. I'm not sure. I only know I needed a break from many of the rules and regulations that, in my mind at least, cause a burden of striving for perfection under the guise of holiness. I have been frustrated not only for myself, but also because I do not want my sons to grow up believing perfection is a requirement from God.
Shortly after I left, I went through a personal trial or two. The first thought that came to mind was, "I made God angry. Maybe He's punishing me for leaving."
This is not the first time these thoughts have happened. When I left a spiritually abusive environment a couple of years ago, that feeling was very prevalent. Because the idea of God being displeased if anyone were to leave this church was regularly taught from the pulpit, the fear that God was angry with me was always in the back of my mind.
A few years ago when I went through a health scare, I mentally went through everything that I could have done to offend God and made sure I repented and repented well. More than once. I had to be sure God was not angry. It was not my fault.
These are burdens that rules and perfectionism place upon us. Theologies that stress rules of holiness do not teach. They do not enlighten. They do not cause us to lean on the Holy Spirit. They burden us psychologically and often physically.
I love the statement in this Passage, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit," because, at least today in Christianity, when we say we do not agree with the burdens imposed by theological holiness, we are told we are not relying upon the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to change our hearts. But as this letter from the leaders of the Jerusalem Council points out, it is not good to the Holy Spirit that we be burdened by these man-made ideas.
I want to leave this section on an encouraging note. There is healing through the Holy Spirit. When I feel burdened by the rules and regulations and holiness theologies that have been imposed upon me throughout so much of my life, God gently reminds me to trust Him. Him, not myself. Not the rules. Not my own holiness and perfection. Him. He always takes the burden, so we don't have to. That God-reminder has gotten me through so much mental anguish caused by my past. The Holy Spirit is there to heal, not hurt. What an important reminder from this phase of Christian history.
"Greetings,
Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your souls, saying, 'You must be circumcised and keep the law' - to whom we gave no such commandment - it seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who will also report the same things by word of mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things: that you abstain from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you do well.
Farewell" (Acts 15:24-39, NKJV).
This was the final decision of the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. The Christians who had been psychologically attacking others for not following the Law were incorrect.
How does this decision - this whole situation - apply to us today?
I want to focus for a moment on this statement, "For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things..."
No greater burden. Even today, extra rules, extra dos and don'ts, extra ideas pose a burden. Jesus addressed this issue with Pharisees more than once. How, exactly, do these extras pose a burden?
I grew up in an environment that gave extra rules that were deemed necessary for pleasing God. I was taught them from a young age, and many of the ideologies I heard from outside sources in Christianity reinforced what I had been taught. I remember the analogy used by many pastors and Christian teachers, "You can't walk the fence between God and the world. You will fall off to one side or another."
I know that analogy is meant for good. But it often just poses more burden upon its hearers, because of its association with rules and regulations.
I am now thirty-nine years old and trying to heal from many of the wounds from my past - wounds that were caused by such burdens.
There are so many obsessions and compulsions that I often face daily that are the result of these burdens. Especially when something goes wrong. Especially when that thing that went wrong affects someone I love.
A good example is I recently left the "church world." It may be a temporary break. It may be a permanent decision. I'm not sure. I only know I needed a break from many of the rules and regulations that, in my mind at least, cause a burden of striving for perfection under the guise of holiness. I have been frustrated not only for myself, but also because I do not want my sons to grow up believing perfection is a requirement from God.
Shortly after I left, I went through a personal trial or two. The first thought that came to mind was, "I made God angry. Maybe He's punishing me for leaving."
This is not the first time these thoughts have happened. When I left a spiritually abusive environment a couple of years ago, that feeling was very prevalent. Because the idea of God being displeased if anyone were to leave this church was regularly taught from the pulpit, the fear that God was angry with me was always in the back of my mind.
A few years ago when I went through a health scare, I mentally went through everything that I could have done to offend God and made sure I repented and repented well. More than once. I had to be sure God was not angry. It was not my fault.
These are burdens that rules and perfectionism place upon us. Theologies that stress rules of holiness do not teach. They do not enlighten. They do not cause us to lean on the Holy Spirit. They burden us psychologically and often physically.
I love the statement in this Passage, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit," because, at least today in Christianity, when we say we do not agree with the burdens imposed by theological holiness, we are told we are not relying upon the Holy Spirit and allowing Him to change our hearts. But as this letter from the leaders of the Jerusalem Council points out, it is not good to the Holy Spirit that we be burdened by these man-made ideas.
I want to leave this section on an encouraging note. There is healing through the Holy Spirit. When I feel burdened by the rules and regulations and holiness theologies that have been imposed upon me throughout so much of my life, God gently reminds me to trust Him. Him, not myself. Not the rules. Not my own holiness and perfection. Him. He always takes the burden, so we don't have to. That God-reminder has gotten me through so much mental anguish caused by my past. The Holy Spirit is there to heal, not hurt. What an important reminder from this phase of Christian history.
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