Presented to Swift Current Corps of The Salvation Army 26 May 2013
by Captain Michael Ramsay
Calvin and Hobbes: this image from http://calvinandhobbes.awardspace.com/#ch900321
I have a friend of mine, Cory, back on the Island where I used to live, who is a hunter. Every once and a while, he would get a deer or a moose and would give us some great venison sausages or steaks or something – it was nice.
Well, one day Cory meets me for coffee and he is really excited; he tells me that he has won the goat lottery.
Great …you won a goat?’ I ask.
‘No.’ He then explains what he means to me. You see there are only so many mountain goats so hunters buy raffle tickets and the winners are allowed to hunt for goats and this year Cory won so he invites me to go with him.
Now back then Cory and I were both a little bit out of shape and the thing about mountain goats is that mountain goats tend to like to live at the top of… mountains; so away we go up to the top of the mountain and we are really starting to feel it. It is tough work. It is a bit of a hike. We are tired.
We are exhausted actually but I tell you that the view from the summit is just beautiful. One of the most beautiful things in the world. It is our reward for struggling and making it all the way to the top. You can see all the summits and valleys around, and the untouched land. You can see the majesty of God reflected in His creation. As we are sitting there absolutely exhausted from our hike and enjoying the beauty of the scene, Cory turns to me and says, “You know, Mike, we are probably among the first people to ever climb this mountain.” And at that moment bounding in front of us comes …a Chihuahua – a Chihuahua, and a five year-old, and a four year-old, and a 3 year-old… who, by the way, didn’t seem to be near as tired as we were from climbing the mountain. Next came the parents and a parade of tourist - So much for being the first ever people at the top of the mountain.
Now Cory is feeling a little embarrassed for saying that we were the first to ever reach this spot and then at that exact moment having the Chihuahua appear. So we quietly pick up our stuff and walk a few steps away from the crowd and I, in my most comforting voice, say, ‘Cory, you know, I bet we’re the first people to ever step here, on this spot.’ I laugh – and then I duck as Cory’s mood from switches quickly from awe and wonder to wanting to throttle me. And that is not entirely unlike our text today. If you’ll turn with me to Acts 15.
You see just like with Cory and I viewing God’s untouched creation and Calvin seeing the first Robin of Spring, the church here is excited to see God’s wonder as the gospel is spreading among Jews and Gentiles alike - but now comes our Chihuahua (Acts 15:1) in the form of some men from Judea and, it says in verse 2, that there is no small dissention and debate.
This then is a pivotal moment in a pivotal chapter in the book of Acts. Now, remember a couple of weeks ago when we began studying Acts. Remember the momentum and the success. It was truly amazing. When Peter first stood up to address the crowd in Acts I, there were one hundred and twenty of them. Then on one day, the day of Pentecost, 3000 more were added to their number. By the end of the second chapter of Acts, everyday the Lord was adding to their number the people being saved. It was like a wave of salvation sweeping over the land [or an undefeated football season for… your favourite team.]
I remember before I began work for The Salvation Army, I worked for the association of international schools. It was a great job. I got to be like Santa Claus. You see we gave our schools all kinds of gifts: resources, conferences, passes to restaurants, recreational and sporting activities [Lion’s games] all for free. Because of all this, you know that whenever I show up at the door with my gifts, I never have to wait to see anyone. All the staff are eager to see what is in my bag of goodies. Good news spreads fast.
Of course it takes us a little while to be accepted like that. At first we are on the phone all the time trying to drum up business but then -fairly quickly - schools do recognise the good news. They see that these are really FREE gifts and they are saved - time and money - and many that we had never targeted for membership are NOW calling us to ask if they can join? They hear our good news and are coming to us to be saved - time and money.
And this is exactly what is happening in Acts up until this point in the text: as you have been reading along you will have noticed that even though Peter and the evangelists are only approaching fellow Jews and proselytes,[1] about the good news of repentance and salvation, an interesting thing is happening,[2] uncircumcised gentiles are also hearing this good news are wanting to be saved.
You may have noticed from our homework this week that in chapter 10 (verse 44) it says that the Holy Spirit comes to the Gentiles, just like it came upon the Jews in Acts 2, and in 11:18 it records that God gives the Gentiles repentance. The evangelists are only intentionally telling their fellow Jews the good news (see 11:19-10) but all of a sudden other people, different people, start to hear this good news and repent; they change their whole way of thinking (cf. Gen 12).
Now, when people in Jerusalem hear all this (11:20), they send Barnabus and Paul to see what was going on and before the end of chapter 13 a shift in the mission is recorded (cf. Acts 2).
In Acts 13: 43-55 it says…many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas…AND…almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. [But] When the [non –believing] Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly [This is the important part, they said:]
(Vs 46:) “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. [IT IS FROM THIS POINT ON THAT THEY INTENTIONALLY SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH THE GENTILES] (Vs 47:) For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” - When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad…and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
So everyone is accepted and now it is understood that even the Gentiles are accepted into fellowship.[3] This is exciting. This is the background for Acts 15.
The fact that everyone can be saved is as breath taking as rarely seen mountains and the first Robins in spring. But with this vision comes the Chihuahua barking and friends laughing, ‘what should we do with these Gentiles? (Acts 15:1,5)’
This is the question to which the council in Jerusalem is trying to discern God’s answer here and the people in our text have different opinions. In verse one, it says that some believe that “unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” They must become Jews. Paul and Barnabus disagree (verse 2) so they go to Jerusalem to ask the apostles and elders which view is right.
Aside: Now this is interesting because when they got to Jerusalem they right ran into (verse 5) some of the believers who said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses.” Now part of what makes this interesting is that these are believers and these believers are Pharisees – did you notice that? Some Pharisees here [who were often Jesus opponents in life] are saved.” They are believers and they are still Pharisees.[4]
You see the Pharisees are not bad guys. A Pharisee is, among other things, a Jewish person who believes in the resurrection of the dead – and Jesus was resurrected from the dead[5] - but here we have Pharisees disagreeing about ‘what to do with these Gentiles’[6] and this is very important – they want to see the gospel spread.
We have read in our readings to this point that the Lord has blessed the evangelistic efforts of the apostles beyond what would possibly be anticipated. Everyone at this council is pleased by that. They are pleased that more people are joining their congregation. Everyone wants to see these Gentiles saved and everyone is glad that they are being saved. So what’s the problem with these Pharisees?
Well, it is this. Remember that Jesus was a Jew. Remember that the only people (prior to chapter 13) that the evangelists were approaching were Jews. These Pharisees understand that Jesus is the Messiah and that salvation comes through the Jews (cf. Ro 1:16-17). So now that these Gentiles are saved, the Pharisees, expect that they will also become Jews.[7]
After all if you are saved, they reason, you will want to become a Jewish proselyte,[8] be circumcised, follow the Torah and God’s law and there are many Gentiles who already do – like for instance the Ethiopian that you would have read about in Chapter 8,[9] or the Gentiles worshipping in the Temple in Acts 1 and 2.
So the Pharisees’ viewpoint is not unusual by any stretch - [it reaches here from Jerusalem to Antioch and back] – and though it is well intentioned, it rings in Paul and Barnabus’ ears like sarcastic remarks about a barking Chihuahua.
Paul and Barnabus see the view from the mountain. They see that people – like Cornelius[10] – have received the gifts of repentance (11:18; cf. also15:12) and of the Holy Spirit (10:45).
As Peter says himself of the Gentiles, in our text today, in 15:8-11:
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
This is neat too because Peter recognises what the Spirit of God is doing. He recognises that the promise made to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him and the later expectations of a Messiah, whose rule would last forever, are now fulfilled (cf. 2 Samuel 7; Psalm 72; Isaiah 9:6).
Remember Peter is there when the Holy Spirit descends upon the Jews at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit brings Phillip to baptize the proselyte Ethiopian and the Holy Spirit descends upon the Gentiles with Cornelius. The Holy Spirit comes to the Jews, the proselytes, and the Gentiles.
Peter knows that it is not by our effort that people are saved anymore than the first Robin of Spring comes from our efforts. He sees that we don’t need to DO anything for people to be saved. Jesus already DID it. –‘it is by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are saved.’ ALL ARE ALLOWED TO REPENT, ACCEPT JESUS AND BE SAVED.
So do you see what the difference in the two points of view is and what Peter is getting at here? The believing Pharisees here know that the world will be saved through the Jews. They just think that only the Jews will be saved[11] (cf. Acts 10, 11) - the Pharisees think that in order to receive this salvation one must actually BE a Jew.
They believe that the only way to be saved by a Jewish Messiah is to become a Jew. And it is this assumption that is the barking in Paul and Barnabus’ ears here. Because, like Peter, they see with their own eyes (15:3-4) that this is not true. We know that people ARE saved without adherence to the Torah. We know that the same Spirit is descended on uncircumcised Gentiles as descended upon Law abiding Jews and we know - as Paul’s letters in the NT speak about plainly and frequently (cf. Ro 3) - that the adherence to the Law doesn’t save anyone. Only Jesus does that.
So at the conclusion of this conference they decide NOT to burden the gentiles with all the rules and regulations of the Jewish law. Halleluiah. They DON’T have to act like Jews to be saved. They can still be Gentiles.
This is Great! But what does it mean for us today, two Centuries and a continent away?
Well, what I think it means for us in Nipawin is…I think this text is begging us to ask ourselves who are these Gentiles in our community? Who are the one’s to whom the Spirit may be speaking and some in the churches might not be accepting.
I saw something that really troubled me this week. I saw this sign downtown, behind the Army Centre. It made me sad; It said ‘out brown skins’ - I wondered are these ‘brown skins’ any more popular in our churches in this town than the Gentiles were in the temple? Judging by the statistics, it doesn’t appear that way. When I was at court supporting a friend this week, I saw many poor people sitting outside the courthouse smoking– have we shared the gospel with them.
In reading this text, I’ve been asking myself this week, who is the ‘gentile’ equivalent in our society that we should be standing up for?[12] I think it is these people (the ‘brown skins’ and smokers in front of the court house on Wednesdays) some of who are already saved and – none of who, sadly, are in our congregation today.
My question for us is this: The Holy Spirit is available to everyone – are we?
Well, one day Cory meets me for coffee and he is really excited; he tells me that he has won the goat lottery.
Great …you won a goat?’ I ask.
‘No.’ He then explains what he means to me. You see there are only so many mountain goats so hunters buy raffle tickets and the winners are allowed to hunt for goats and this year Cory won so he invites me to go with him.
Now back then Cory and I were both a little bit out of shape and the thing about mountain goats is that mountain goats tend to like to live at the top of… mountains; so away we go up to the top of the mountain and we are really starting to feel it. It is tough work. It is a bit of a hike. We are tired.
We are exhausted actually but I tell you that the view from the summit is just beautiful. One of the most beautiful things in the world. It is our reward for struggling and making it all the way to the top. You can see all the summits and valleys around, and the untouched land. You can see the majesty of God reflected in His creation. As we are sitting there absolutely exhausted from our hike and enjoying the beauty of the scene, Cory turns to me and says, “You know, Mike, we are probably among the first people to ever climb this mountain.” And at that moment bounding in front of us comes …a Chihuahua – a Chihuahua, and a five year-old, and a four year-old, and a 3 year-old… who, by the way, didn’t seem to be near as tired as we were from climbing the mountain. Next came the parents and a parade of tourist - So much for being the first ever people at the top of the mountain.
Now Cory is feeling a little embarrassed for saying that we were the first to ever reach this spot and then at that exact moment having the Chihuahua appear. So we quietly pick up our stuff and walk a few steps away from the crowd and I, in my most comforting voice, say, ‘Cory, you know, I bet we’re the first people to ever step here, on this spot.’ I laugh – and then I duck as Cory’s mood from switches quickly from awe and wonder to wanting to throttle me. And that is not entirely unlike our text today. If you’ll turn with me to Acts 15.
You see just like with Cory and I viewing God’s untouched creation and Calvin seeing the first Robin of Spring, the church here is excited to see God’s wonder as the gospel is spreading among Jews and Gentiles alike - but now comes our Chihuahua (Acts 15:1) in the form of some men from Judea and, it says in verse 2, that there is no small dissention and debate.
This then is a pivotal moment in a pivotal chapter in the book of Acts. Now, remember a couple of weeks ago when we began studying Acts. Remember the momentum and the success. It was truly amazing. When Peter first stood up to address the crowd in Acts I, there were one hundred and twenty of them. Then on one day, the day of Pentecost, 3000 more were added to their number. By the end of the second chapter of Acts, everyday the Lord was adding to their number the people being saved. It was like a wave of salvation sweeping over the land [or an undefeated football season for… your favourite team.]
I remember before I began work for The Salvation Army, I worked for the association of international schools. It was a great job. I got to be like Santa Claus. You see we gave our schools all kinds of gifts: resources, conferences, passes to restaurants, recreational and sporting activities [Lion’s games] all for free. Because of all this, you know that whenever I show up at the door with my gifts, I never have to wait to see anyone. All the staff are eager to see what is in my bag of goodies. Good news spreads fast.
Of course it takes us a little while to be accepted like that. At first we are on the phone all the time trying to drum up business but then -fairly quickly - schools do recognise the good news. They see that these are really FREE gifts and they are saved - time and money - and many that we had never targeted for membership are NOW calling us to ask if they can join? They hear our good news and are coming to us to be saved - time and money.
And this is exactly what is happening in Acts up until this point in the text: as you have been reading along you will have noticed that even though Peter and the evangelists are only approaching fellow Jews and proselytes,[1] about the good news of repentance and salvation, an interesting thing is happening,[2] uncircumcised gentiles are also hearing this good news are wanting to be saved.
You may have noticed from our homework this week that in chapter 10 (verse 44) it says that the Holy Spirit comes to the Gentiles, just like it came upon the Jews in Acts 2, and in 11:18 it records that God gives the Gentiles repentance. The evangelists are only intentionally telling their fellow Jews the good news (see 11:19-10) but all of a sudden other people, different people, start to hear this good news and repent; they change their whole way of thinking (cf. Gen 12).
Now, when people in Jerusalem hear all this (11:20), they send Barnabus and Paul to see what was going on and before the end of chapter 13 a shift in the mission is recorded (cf. Acts 2).
In Acts 13: 43-55 it says…many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas…AND…almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. [But] When the [non –believing] Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly [This is the important part, they said:]
(Vs 46:) “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. [IT IS FROM THIS POINT ON THAT THEY INTENTIONALLY SHARE THE GOOD NEWS WITH THE GENTILES] (Vs 47:) For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “ ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” - When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad…and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
So everyone is accepted and now it is understood that even the Gentiles are accepted into fellowship.[3] This is exciting. This is the background for Acts 15.
The fact that everyone can be saved is as breath taking as rarely seen mountains and the first Robins in spring. But with this vision comes the Chihuahua barking and friends laughing, ‘what should we do with these Gentiles? (Acts 15:1,5)’
This is the question to which the council in Jerusalem is trying to discern God’s answer here and the people in our text have different opinions. In verse one, it says that some believe that “unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” They must become Jews. Paul and Barnabus disagree (verse 2) so they go to Jerusalem to ask the apostles and elders which view is right.
Aside: Now this is interesting because when they got to Jerusalem they right ran into (verse 5) some of the believers who said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the Law of Moses.” Now part of what makes this interesting is that these are believers and these believers are Pharisees – did you notice that? Some Pharisees here [who were often Jesus opponents in life] are saved.” They are believers and they are still Pharisees.[4]
You see the Pharisees are not bad guys. A Pharisee is, among other things, a Jewish person who believes in the resurrection of the dead – and Jesus was resurrected from the dead[5] - but here we have Pharisees disagreeing about ‘what to do with these Gentiles’[6] and this is very important – they want to see the gospel spread.
We have read in our readings to this point that the Lord has blessed the evangelistic efforts of the apostles beyond what would possibly be anticipated. Everyone at this council is pleased by that. They are pleased that more people are joining their congregation. Everyone wants to see these Gentiles saved and everyone is glad that they are being saved. So what’s the problem with these Pharisees?
Well, it is this. Remember that Jesus was a Jew. Remember that the only people (prior to chapter 13) that the evangelists were approaching were Jews. These Pharisees understand that Jesus is the Messiah and that salvation comes through the Jews (cf. Ro 1:16-17). So now that these Gentiles are saved, the Pharisees, expect that they will also become Jews.[7]
After all if you are saved, they reason, you will want to become a Jewish proselyte,[8] be circumcised, follow the Torah and God’s law and there are many Gentiles who already do – like for instance the Ethiopian that you would have read about in Chapter 8,[9] or the Gentiles worshipping in the Temple in Acts 1 and 2.
So the Pharisees’ viewpoint is not unusual by any stretch - [it reaches here from Jerusalem to Antioch and back] – and though it is well intentioned, it rings in Paul and Barnabus’ ears like sarcastic remarks about a barking Chihuahua.
Paul and Barnabus see the view from the mountain. They see that people – like Cornelius[10] – have received the gifts of repentance (11:18; cf. also15:12) and of the Holy Spirit (10:45).
As Peter says himself of the Gentiles, in our text today, in 15:8-11:
God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”
This is neat too because Peter recognises what the Spirit of God is doing. He recognises that the promise made to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through him and the later expectations of a Messiah, whose rule would last forever, are now fulfilled (cf. 2 Samuel 7; Psalm 72; Isaiah 9:6).
Remember Peter is there when the Holy Spirit descends upon the Jews at Pentecost. The Holy Spirit brings Phillip to baptize the proselyte Ethiopian and the Holy Spirit descends upon the Gentiles with Cornelius. The Holy Spirit comes to the Jews, the proselytes, and the Gentiles.
Peter knows that it is not by our effort that people are saved anymore than the first Robin of Spring comes from our efforts. He sees that we don’t need to DO anything for people to be saved. Jesus already DID it. –‘it is by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that we are saved.’ ALL ARE ALLOWED TO REPENT, ACCEPT JESUS AND BE SAVED.
So do you see what the difference in the two points of view is and what Peter is getting at here? The believing Pharisees here know that the world will be saved through the Jews. They just think that only the Jews will be saved[11] (cf. Acts 10, 11) - the Pharisees think that in order to receive this salvation one must actually BE a Jew.
They believe that the only way to be saved by a Jewish Messiah is to become a Jew. And it is this assumption that is the barking in Paul and Barnabus’ ears here. Because, like Peter, they see with their own eyes (15:3-4) that this is not true. We know that people ARE saved without adherence to the Torah. We know that the same Spirit is descended on uncircumcised Gentiles as descended upon Law abiding Jews and we know - as Paul’s letters in the NT speak about plainly and frequently (cf. Ro 3) - that the adherence to the Law doesn’t save anyone. Only Jesus does that.
So at the conclusion of this conference they decide NOT to burden the gentiles with all the rules and regulations of the Jewish law. Halleluiah. They DON’T have to act like Jews to be saved. They can still be Gentiles.
This is Great! But what does it mean for us today, two Centuries and a continent away?
Well, what I think it means for us in Nipawin is…I think this text is begging us to ask ourselves who are these Gentiles in our community? Who are the one’s to whom the Spirit may be speaking and some in the churches might not be accepting.
I saw something that really troubled me this week. I saw this sign downtown, behind the Army Centre. It made me sad; It said ‘out brown skins’ - I wondered are these ‘brown skins’ any more popular in our churches in this town than the Gentiles were in the temple? Judging by the statistics, it doesn’t appear that way. When I was at court supporting a friend this week, I saw many poor people sitting outside the courthouse smoking– have we shared the gospel with them.
In reading this text, I’ve been asking myself this week, who is the ‘gentile’ equivalent in our society that we should be standing up for?[12] I think it is these people (the ‘brown skins’ and smokers in front of the court house on Wednesdays) some of who are already saved and – none of who, sadly, are in our congregation today.
My question for us is this: The Holy Spirit is available to everyone – are we?
-----
[1] People who were not born Jews but who have been circumcised converted to Judaism. The congregations who were the original audiences for this sermon had a glossary of terms provided for them. We have also been studying the Word together and have established some prerequisite knowledge but not everyone does his/her homework.
[2] Christianity is a fulfillment of Judaism. The 12 disciples were all Jews and now the evangelists were telling their fellow Jews and proselytises that they no longer needed to wait for the Messiah, the law has been fulfilled.
[3] Gentiles were to share in the promises to Israel is a recurring theme of the OT (cf. Gen 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Isa 49:6; 55:5-7; Zeph 3:9-10; Zech 8:22).
[4] Also of interest about this passage is that Paul, the one in conflict with them, is a Pharisee himself.
[5] As opposed to the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead.
[6] Some of the viewpoints represented here are reminiscent of the so-called, ‘Jewish-Christians texts (The Gospel according to the Hebrews, The Gospel of the Nazoraens, The Gospel pf the Ebionites).’ Cf. also Andrew Gregory, ‘Jewish-Christian Gospels’ in the EXT Vol 118, No. 11, Aug. 2007. pp: 521-529.
[7] Cf. Richard N. Longenecker. The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis CD-ROM:Acts. Book Version: 4.0.2: It is the “conviction of Judaism was that Israel was God's appointed agent for the administration of these blessings—that only through the nation and its institutions could Gentiles have a part in God's redemption and share in his favor. And there seems to have been no expectation on the part of Christians at Jerusalem that this program would be materially altered, though they did insist that in these "last days" God was at work in and through Jewish Christians as the faithful remnant within the nation. In the experience of the church, all Gentiles—with but one exception—who had come to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah had been either full proselytes or near proselytes (God-fearers).”
[8] A person of non-Jewish ethnicity who converted to Judaism is referred to as a proselyte (God-fearer).
[9] The role of the Spirit in this event should not be mineralized; it is important that the Spirit is involved with the repentance and baptism of the Jews (Acts 2), the proselytes (Acts 8), and the Gentiles (Acts 10).
[10] It, of course, was Peter rather than Paul who was present when Cornelius actually received the gift of the Spirit.
[11] Circumcision is a key outward expression of this as well as a symbol of adherence to Judaism and Islam. It originates from the divine covenant with Abraham.
[12] In the evening, after having heard this sermon, my wife brought Titus 1:13-14 to my attention: Even one of their own prophets has said, “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith.
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