A disagreement has arisen - should Gentiles first convert to Judaism before becoming Christians? Some thought yes - Gentiles must follow Jewish law in order to be considered believers. Others - Paul, Barnabas, and Peter - thought no. They had seen Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit without converting to Judaism. I love how this is dealt with - a council is called. It is very easy in our day and age to make snap judgments. After all, we have so much media available to us through TV, papers, blogs, smart phones, Facebook posts. What we need to remember is that we are only getting one side of a story. Usually that side is biased and chosen for ratings rather than information. So, what's a person to do? Get both sides of the story.
That is exactly what the disciples did. After hearing everyone give their opinions and experiences, James - the leader of the Jerusalem church - makes the decision that Gentiles do not need to become Jews. Everyone agrees & to send men out with a letter proclaiming the decision. It is agreed upon that certain behaviors are still abhorrent to people of faith - do not knowingly eat what has been sacrificed to idols, do not eat blood or strangled meat (which contains blood), abstain from sexual immorality. The first three were provided the ability for Gentiles to fellowship with Jewish believers while avoiding conflict. The last reminds believers that the moral standards of the law still need to be obeyed.
Ah, conflict resolution, a very important part of life. It is important that we follow these guidelines -
talk it out, come to an agreement, write it down. We will always have conflict with others, but with these guidelines you should be able to fellowship with others in peace.
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