David Bahn – Reflections

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Acts 15:1-11

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. ³ So, being sent on their way by the church, they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and brought great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they declared all that God had done with them. ⁵ But some believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees rose up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to order them to keep the law of Moses.”

⁶ The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. ⁷ And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. ⁸ And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹ and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.”

Maybe you’ve heard the advice: Don’t pray for patience. You may not like the way God answers that prayer request. The idea is that God may answer that request by letting you wait… and wait… and wait… and… You get the picture, I’m sure.

Paul speaks of the way in which God works patience in Romans 5. James talks about it in James 1. The Psalmists speak of it. And Jesus himself speaks about patience: “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” (John 13:7) Ahhh…that’s the key: realizing that we do not always understand what he is doing, but one day we will. Perhaps that’s the key to patience. And speaking of patience of Jesus, the other word for patience is longsuffering. Jesus certainly practiced what he preached!

[Warning the following paragraph may be rated PG]
So do Barnabas and Paul – and the others from the church in Antioch. The church there seems to have been a rather progressive church when it came to missions and gentile conversions. There is no hint of dissension about the new gentile believers when Barnabas and Paul return from their mission trip. They received their report with great joy. It was only when the Jews from Jerusalem came to Antioch that they were challenged in regard to the requirements for these new converts. And their challenge seems to have been quite a challenge. A requirement that they be circumcised would certainly put a damper on any future gentile conversions!

But the manner in which Barnabas and Paul handle this as well as the conversations with the Apostles and elders in Jerusalem is a study in patience. Their restraint is remarkable to me. I don’t think I’d have the patience they did. I’d be ready to dismiss their unreasonable requirements out of hand. I’d likely disregard them altogether. I’d treat them as Paul encourages Titus: “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.” (Titus 3:10-11) Only I’d be tempted not to get to the second warning. 

But – as I like to say quite regularly – we overestimate what we can do in the short term and way underestimate what God can do in the long term. Ahh…that’s where patience comes in. The Christian faith is not a microwave religion. The growth of the church – while occasionally experiencing miraculous multiplication (think Pentecost) – is a long process. And the long view here requires that such questions about the future place of the gentile believers are well handled – with great patience.

There had been no little discussion in Antioch. There will be lengthy conversations and debates in Jerusalem. Through it all, God patiently waits for the Gospel seed to take root and grow. He is working through people for his purposes. And his purposes are beautifully expressed by Peter, speaking of God’s patience: The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance. (1 Peter 3:9)