Questions of 'What If'—What If… Don't Quarrel (3)

The context of the dispute arises from the conflict between two groups of believers at the Antioch church following Paul and Barnabas's first missionary journey. Some believers from Judea came teaching that unless one was circumcised according to Mosaic law, one could not be saved. Paul and Barnabas disputed with them vigorously, and the church decided to send a delegation traveling three weeks to Jerusalem to consult the apostles and elders. This issue was so important because it directly concerned salvation—whether people are saved by faith in Christ plus observance of Mosaic law, or by grace alone through faith.

At Jerusalem, Peter, one of the pillars of the church, stood up and testified about the vision he received while praying, in which the Lord opened heaven and showed him a sheet bound at four corners containing unclean animals according to Mosaic law. The Lord said that what He has cleansed, do not call unclean. This vision had changed Peter's conviction and helped him understand that Christ had fulfilled the law perfectly, and salvation by grace does not distinguish between Jew and Gentile. Barnabas and Paul also recounted the signs and wonders God had performed through them among the Gentiles.

James, the brother of Jesus, after listening to all the arguments, concluded that they should not trouble the Gentiles turning to God; however, to avoid causing stumbling to Jewish believers, the council decided to write a letter urging Gentile believers to abstain from defilement by idols, from eating meat of strangled animals and blood, and from sexual immorality. This decision was not a completely impartial compromise, but a balancing between the truth of salvation by grace and love among the believers. The result was that Gentile believers rejoiced, seeing the letter as an encouragement, and church unity was maintained.

The lesson drawn from this story emphasizes that there is no completely just solution in reconciling disputes, because we are all sinners prone to bias according to our convictions. When we genuinely love, fear God, and place the common interest of the church above personal rights, we easily make concessions and resolve disputes. The principle "In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity" guides how to conduct oneself in the church. Theological issues such as the nature of hell, the scope of Christ's redemptive work, or how God judges those who have never heard the Gospel are non-essential matters on which believers may hold different views without destroying unity in the core truths of the faith.