June 23, 2020
A Case Study in Unity
Acts 15:22-41
Mickey Friedrich
Central Truth
There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith (Ephesians 4:4-6). But we will always have to CHOOSE to pursue unity!
Key Verse | Acts 15:30-31
So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.
Acts 15:22-41
The Council's Letter to Gentile Believers
22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, 23 with the following letter: “The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers 1 15:23 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 32, 33, 36 who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some persons have gone out from us and troubled you 2 15:24 Some manuscripts some persons from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your minds, although we gave them no instructions, 25 it has seemed good to us, having come to one accord, to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: 29 that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.”
30 So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. 31 And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. 33 And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 3 15:33 Some manuscripts insert verse 34: But it seemed good to Silas to remain there 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
Paul and Barnabas Separate
36 And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” 37 Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. 39 And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Dive Deeper | Acts 15:22-41
We read yesterday about a divide in the early church, and today we read how it was resolved. It's a given that not everyone was overjoyed, but the early believers had direction and unity again. The leaders explained what was essential. The believers in Antioch agreed to follow their leaders as they were being led by the Holy Spirit. We see the response of the believers in Acts 15:31: "And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement." We experience life when we agree to focus on what unites us rather than what divides us. The rub is that unity requires us to set aside personal preferences and pet issues, and that can be tough!
We have many things that could separate us today, and most run far deeper than the college teams that we grew up cheering for (see bio above). But what we know is that we have one Father and one mission—to love Him and love others (Matthew 22:36-39, and to be and make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). We know where we're going, but there are many decisions left to make about how to get there. This is one of the reasons that God appoints spiritual leaders for His body to affirm what is most important and how we're going to pursue it. But how are we doing individually at working toward unity?
Lest the last few verses throw us off, it is important to note that Paul and Barnabas were still unified even though they separated for a time. And it is clear from 2 Timothy 4:11 and Colossians 4:10 that Paul depended on John Mark later on in Paul's ministry.
We say a lot that "faithfulness is the goal." But how are we doing at valuing unity as a key characteristic of faithfulness? Paul emphasizes unity in Ephesians 4:3 and Philippians 1:27. Unity won't always be easy, and it will usually require mutual sacrifice. Whatever that looks like, I pray that we can proclaim along with Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:23 that we "do it all for the sake of the gospel."
Discussion Questions
1. How are we doing at putting aside our differences and personal issues and instead living with patience and understanding for the sake of the unity of the body? How are we doing at encouraging others to do the same (Hebrews 3:13)?
2. What differences and personal issues have you had to put aside for the sake of the unity of the body? Have you fully let them go, as Paul did in Philippians 3 and 1 Corinthians 9? Be sure to share with someone close to you if you're still processing it.
3. Why is it so important for the body to have unity? What’s the payoff? What do we do if we have differences that cannot be easily overlooked? (Hint: read Philippians 3:15; 1 Corinthians 10:23-24; John 13:34-35.)
4. What convictions must we never compromise for the sake of unity? Why is it so important to know the difference?