How much was at stake?

Ever wondered how much was at stake in episodes like Acts 15? On the one hand you have Paul and Barnabus pursuing Christ's mission and campaigning for a freedom of the Spirit to work out among non-Jewish believers without Old Testament constraints. On the other hand you have certain individuals pointing resolutely to scriptures, questioning the validity of the gospel work.

And so it comes to a head with believers meeting in Jerusalem to try and sort it out. How high did temperatures reach or passions run I wonder? How much were they afraid of possible fall out from among their own number? Remember, those opposed were not raising a flag based on just a whim or a fancy. Instead they were faithfully standing on hundreds of years of tradition backed by scriptures that had been interpreted pretty much in the same way for all that time. The whole integrity of the organisation and what it stood for was at stake!

Yet with our benefit of hindsight we can see that those opposed to Barnabus and Paul, even though sincere and well rehearsed in the scriptures, had apparently become blinkered in some way. Somehow they were not seeing the greater work that God was doing by His Spirit in the name of Jesus Christ lifted as Lord out among the peoples of the world. Put simply their interpretation of scripture subtly missed the purposes of God made possible in Christ's death and resurrection.

And that is why so much was at stake. That is why Paul and Barnabus had to disagree and debate with them. The achievement of Christ cannot be watered down, or reduced down to a lowest common denominator.

Thankfully this debate seemed to be pretty much settled when Peter spoke to the assembly reminding them how 'God does not discriminate' and appealing to them to 'not test God by putting onto people a yoke' that we were never ever intended to bear.

Too much is at stake for us to not hear these kind of words afresh today.