Questions That Must Be Asked – Why... Don't Dispute (Part 3)

The first section of the sermon presents the dispute in the Jerusalem church over circumcision. Some people from Judea came teaching that "unless you are circumcised according to the law of Moses, you cannot be saved" (Acts 15:1). This disagreement led to a fierce dispute between Paul, Barnabas, and the Pharisaic faction. This was not a minor disagreement but a core issue related to how salvation occurs and the conditions for becoming a true believer in the church.

The second section develops the theological argument presented at the apostles' and elders' council meeting. Peter testified that God had chosen him to preach the Gospel to gentiles and that the Holy Spirit had worked through them. He posed the critical question: "Why are you putting God to the test by placing on the disciples' necks a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear?" (Acts 15:10). The theological foundation is clearly established in Ephesians 2:8-9: "By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God. Not the result of works, so that no one may boast." Similarly, Romans 3:19-20 affirms that "no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin."

The third section applies the message to the church of that time and today. James proposed not to burden gentiles who were turning to God, only requiring them to "abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality" (Acts 15:28-29). This decision balanced grace with practical virtue. The sermon calls the congregation to recognize that no solution can be completely just to resolve every dispute—"one side may have to yield its rights to maintain harmony, unity, and avoid serious harm."

The fourth section emphasizes the condition for yielding: genuine love and reverence for God. When believers "truly love and fear God and place the common good above personal rights, they will more readily yield their rights and resolve disputes more easily." The example of Christ is presented in Philippians 2:5-8: Though He possessed the form of God, "he did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave... he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross." The sermon concludes that when the congregation possesses the mind of Christ and is willing to sacrifice personal rights for the harmony of the church, it can build a healthy believing community.