Acts 15:31 Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation
Some people seek to win fights and some people seek to win friends. Both are kind of missing the mark because both often become a function of temperament not truth. For instance, I may think I disagree with someone when the fact is that I just find them disagreeable. Or I might think I am allied with someone on a truth when the fact is I just like them personally. The point in life is not to win a fight or to win a friend, although both may have their place. The point is to find out where God is and stand on the truth. Ultimately, this is not a matter of temperament, whether I like them or don’t like them; it is a matter of truth, what does God say.
Acts 15 is a chapter characterized by dissension and disputation, a disagreement about a truth. You find this basically in the first couple of verses, and you find this idea in the last couple of verses of the same chapter. There were contentions between a couple groups of people.
Someone has said, “A problem well stated is half solved.” If I don’t know what the issue is, I can’t possibly know if I am in unity or not. There is no unity though without clarity. How do you do that? First, know what you believe. There was a question in the church that caused contention and disputation. Verse 6 says, “And the apostles and the elders came together for to consider this matter.” In verse 25 they said, “It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you [those with the question] with our beloved Barnabas and Paul.”
So, they were with one accord and came together. Why were they together? They were considering together. They weren’t trying to find out if they liked one another. It wasn’t about a temperament and it wasn’t personal; it was truth. They wanted to consider what God had actually said. That is why they were with one accord. “With one accord” was not a function of having gone to the same school or liking the same things. It was a matter of what God says and what we believe. So, know what you believe.
Second, believe the truth. It doesn’t matter what I believe as much as it matters what is true. So, when they came together to decide about this question, Peter spoke, Barnabas and Paul spoke, and James spoke. They considered the issue at hand. In verse 15 James says, “To this agree the words of the prophets as it is written.” In other words, will we agree with God? Do we believe what God has written? Are we in agreement with the truth?
Truth is the virtue, not unity. Truth is the virtue, not being pugnacious or fighting. Truth is the issue. So, know what you believe and believe the truth. That requires a lot of humility. Someone has said, “Those who don’t change their minds don’t change anything.” I don’t want to be wishy-washy, but I need to tailor my life to the truth. So, if I realize I am doing something that is wrong, I need to have the humility to recognize that and the obedience to do something about it. In other words, am I in assent with the truth? It is not about if I like someone or dislike someone else, but about what God says.
Finally, honor God and help others with the truth. There is no comfort without truth, and there is no truth without the Comforter. Verse 32 says that a couple of witnesses were sent from the counsel back to the people who had this question, “Being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.” Verse 41 says Paul and Silas “went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.” So, they were an encouragement and help. But there is no comfort without truth. The reason they were comforted was that they read what was written and rejoiced for consolation.
There is no truth without the Comforter, God Himself, to come along beside and give us light and clarity on the issues. Verse 28 says that after talking and consulting Scripture the counsel said, “It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us.” That is quite the claim. In other words, both God and the counsel came to the conclusion. They are saying that God had given them light and truth. Everyone thinks they are standing on the truth, so they need to have the humility to say, “What does God actually say?” I don’t need to have pride involved. I need to have God’s Word involved and God’s Spirit to give me guidance. I am not really giving comfort to people if I am not giving them the truth first of all, and there is no truth without the Comforter.
Today, all of us should be winning people to the truth and discipling people in the truth. It is not about me or my church or organization. It is about Jesus Christ. What does He say? What does He want? There is no unity without clarity. The first thing we should be compelled to do when we have divergence of ideas is to consult the truth. There is no unity without clarity. So, know what you believe, believe the truth, honor God, and help others with the truth in humility.