CONTEXTUALIZING ECCLESIOLOGY ACTS 15 (original) (raw)

The Jerusalem Council was concerned with two basic things. First, it affirmed the unchangeable truth of the Gospel. Second, the unity and diversity of the church is sanctioned. It saved the NT church from disintegration. I would think this was a powerful message to the then world torn between: Pharisees and Sadducees, Zealots and Essenes, Imperials and slaves, Jews and Gentiles, the rich and the poor and even ‘Judaizers and the missionaries’. The Council freed the gospel from a narrow minded circumcision party. It paved the way for future councils to do theology. It grounded every one in Christ and his grace but called to do “good works” (Eph. 2: 10). It is focused on an unconditional ‘embrace’ of all repenting sinners by the Savior.