598 - Resolving Disputes with Truth#
(Text Group - shalom 整理)
Peace, dear family, welcome to your arrival. Today is Sunday, and we will look at God's words together.
The topic of sharing is: Resolving Disputes with Truth.
Acts 15:6-11:
6 The apostles and elders gathered to discuss this matter; 7 After much debate, Peter stood up and said, "Brothers, you know that God chose me among you to preach to the Gentiles so that they might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us; 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
Let us first pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for preparing this time for us to come before Your words. Through the sharing of Your truth, let us know how to handle conflicts when they arise, using truth to solve problems in our lives. You grant us such faith and wisdom, so that we can manifest Your glory in our lives and live in harmony with our brothers and sisters, renewing our thoughts and intentions through the sharing of Your words. Thank You and praise You. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.
In this world, conflicts arise between people due to differing opinions. When these opinions emerge, if one insists on winning and believes their view is correct, disputes will inevitably arise. How should we handle these issues? Should we confront each other or persuade with reason? Should we live in harmony or engage in verbal conflict?
Only when truth enters our lives can wisdom take effect. Through today's sharing, I hope to bring some help in truth, starting with the cause of this matter.
Acts 15:1-2:
1 Certain individuals came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.
From this, we can see that these individuals likely belonged to the Pharisaic sect in the past but later believed in Jesus. They were from the Jerusalem church and had come down to Antioch, another church.
After they arrived, they taught the brothers and sisters in that church, saying, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." They insisted that believers still needed to follow the laws and regulations of Moses. This is an extreme view. Although they believed in Jesus, they thought that the Old Testament laws still needed to be followed, in addition to the New Testament content.
What is the other extreme? Overemphasizing freedom. Not wanting to be bound by anything, doing whatever makes them happy. This is a way that some liberal preachers in this generation teach, trying to instill their so-called latest revelations into others. Ultimately, it just tells others: you don't need to do anything, just wait for blessings to fall from the sky, just wait for God's grace to come upon you!
This approach is even more frightening than the previous one because everyone likes this way. Hearing such teachings makes people naturally happy; you don't require them to do anything, and they can do whatever they want, so such believers are certainly willing! But both extremes need to be treated with caution.
Looking at the views of these Jewish believers, they believed that even if they had faith in Jesus, they must act according to the laws of Moses for their faith to be accepted by God, and only then could they be considered saved. In other words, faith plus works equals salvation. Clearly, Paul and his coworkers did not agree with this.
From our understanding of truth, we know that what Paul upheld is correct, but at that time, the vast majority of people were Jews who adhered to the Mosaic law and could not accept this viewpoint. After all, they had followed the law for many years and had been deeply influenced by its various regulations since childhood. Even today, some people still believe this viewpoint is correct. What are they confused about? Is salvation really that simple? Can a person be saved just by believing in Jesus and His work on the cross, without good works? This is a point of confusion for many. I will give you a direct answer: we are indeed saved by believing in Jesus, but it is absolutely not by good works plus faith.
Ephesians 2:8-9:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
This passage makes it very clear that salvation is God's grace, meaning that God has already prepared grace; you just need to believe to receive it. If you believe in your heart and confess with your mouth, you will be saved! This is not from yourselves, meaning this matter is not something we decide; it is God's prepared salvation. What people need to do is to believe that God has prepared this salvation. Since the grace of salvation has already been prepared, what do people need to do? Believe and receive, and you will obtain it. Because this is a gift from God, it has nothing to do with us; you just need to believe that this is what God has prepared for you.
Verse 9 says: not by works.
This statement supplements the previous one, meaning that regardless of your behavior, as long as you are willing to receive God's grace, you will obtain it, whether your behavior is good or bad. Thus, there is nothing to boast about in salvation because it is entirely by God's grace. Some may say, "Can someone with bad behavior still be saved?" Of course! When Jesus was on the cross, there were two thieves beside Him, and one of them believed in Jesus. Was his behavior good? Certainly not! But was he saved? Yes. How was he saved? By believing in Jesus. Jesus said to him, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Therefore, salvation has nothing to do with behavior.
Romans 4:1-5:
1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation; 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness.
Through this passage, we can see that even those under the Old Testament were still saved by faith, not by human behavior. In other words, even those under the Mosaic law were not justified by good works of the law. What is relied upon? It is still faith. The example given here is what did Abraham gain according to the flesh? If Abraham was justified by his good works, indeed, Abraham had good works; he was willing to welcome strangers and was particularly good to those around him, but he was not justified by these. God called him righteous simply because he believed in God. So how did Abraham's good works come about? They were the fruits produced by his faith.
It is stated very clearly here: "To the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation." If Abraham was called righteous by God because of his good works, then we must do the same. What standard counts as good works? To what extent must one go to be considered righteous? It is hard to clarify.
Therefore, most people feel that their behavior is not good, and they lack assurance of salvation. God's truth is that salvation has nothing to do with behavior. If you want to be justified by your good works, that is a working mentality. What does working require? Wages! If you are justified because of your good works, do not call this grace; it is what you are entitled to.
To illustrate: If you worked for a month and your boss paid you, you cannot call this grace because it is what you earned through your efforts; only when you have not worked and unexpectedly receive a windfall can it be called grace, as it is given to you freely, not earned by your efforts.
"To the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness." Do you believe that God can justify the ungodly? It is not that sinners have anything to boast about to be justified, but that this God has mercy and grace. If a person believes this way, it will be credited to them as righteousness. Amen. In summary, the meaning of this scripture is simple: salvation is entirely by God's grace and has nothing to do with human behavior. What is it related to? It is related to a person's faith. God has prepared grace and salvation; if a person does not believe, they cannot receive it.
Romans 4:13-14:
13 It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. 14 For if those who depend on the law are heirs, faith means nothing and the promise is worthless.
This is related to us. Why do many believers feel uncertain about their prayers? It is actually related to their behavior. They may feel that their faith is not good enough or that they are not devout enough, which is why they lack such confidence. But if they correctly understand the truth, they know that God hears their prayers not because of their behavior but because they believe that God is willing to bless people, and they can receive it.
Abraham and his offspring inherit the world, which means inheriting the blessings of this world, not through the law but through the righteousness that comes by faith. Because he is righteous, the righteous are qualified to inherit the blessings of this world. If it were through the law, then faith would mean nothing, and the promise would be worthless. These are two different outcomes caused by different beliefs. The Jews believe that faith alone is not enough; good works must be added to be saved, while Paul believes that faith alone is sufficient for salvation. When viewpoints differ, disputes are inevitable, and at this time, faith and wisdom are needed to resolve the issue. Thus, they went to the Jerusalem church where these individuals were to resolve the matter.
We must learn this wisdom. When others have differing opinions from us, we must not condemn each other, insult each other, or attack each other. As long as they believe in Jesus, we should not insult or attack one another. Because if two believers attack each other, who is happiest? Naturally, it is the devil.
To speak of today's matters, whether Jewish believers or Gentiles who have already believed, they have been given to Jesus. If these two groups attack each other, the devil would certainly be the happiest. As long as we believe in Jesus, we cannot attack each other. If opinions differ, we can sit down and communicate based on the Bible. If communication fails, we can simply hold our opinions without condemning each other.
Why was the debate so intense at that time? There are two points: First, they found it hard to believe that Gentiles could be saved and become God's people. This is the ingrained belief of the Jews that God is their God, and the law is given to them; they are a people set apart by God from other nations.
Now that Gentiles can also be saved and become God's people, they find it hard to accept. Moreover, it is the Gentiles who have received salvation but do not need to follow the Jewish law, which makes them feel very unbalanced. In the past, Gentiles had to accept Judaism, and they had to follow the Mosaic law, which represented God's will for His people. What evidence is there to say it has been abolished? This is the Jewish perspective. Although they have believed in Jesus, it is difficult for them to update these long-held views in a timely manner.
So when some Jews came to the Antioch church and saw that Gentiles and Jews were eating together at the same table, and many things did not require following the Mosaic law, they raised questions about this, leading to a heated debate. The church decided to send representatives to the Jerusalem church to discuss how to handle this matter. Upon arriving at the Jerusalem church, this issue was raised again by a group of Jewish believers who were Pharisees and still held onto their past attitudes.
The second point is that Jewish believers who adhered to the law felt they had to follow it because they would feel guilty if they did not. Moreover, many Jews had not believed in Jesus yet, and if they did not follow the law, they would feel out of place in that circle. It was unacceptable for them to eat and drink with unclean Gentiles, as they had never done such things before.
Peter also understood this truth through revelation from God. Once, while Peter was praying, a sheet came down from heaven containing unclean animals. God said to Peter, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." What was Peter's reaction at that time? "Surely not, Lord! I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." So God said, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." What does this incident refer to? It is actually about the Gentiles who have believed; do not consider them unclean.
At that time, there was also a problem: if Gentiles who had believed were in the same church as Jews, there was a possibility that the food prepared for the Jews was unclean. So there were many issues and contradictions, and ultimately they reached an agreement in the Jerusalem church to resolve such difficulties.
So dear family, through these truths, we can see that when our views differ from others, we must resolve them wisely because God's truth is not meant to cause disputes but to bring unity. At that time, they were in a transitional period between the Old and New Testaments. When reading Acts, we can see the establishment and growth of the church, how to resolve issues, and ultimately achieve stability. We can also see the growth of many apostles' lives and how to resolve problems. There are many contradictions because of the transition between the Old and New Testaments, and many concepts have not been updated in time, which led to these issues.
Just like some people who have just believed, accepted Jesus as their Savior, but their thoughts and intentions are still the same as before. When they encounter problems, they do not know how to handle them. Even if they are already saved, if they lack truth, they may still use past methods to deal with situations. We should not condemn them for lacking faith; this is very normal and requires a process of gradual change. What should we do at this time? Let them gather, listen to the word, and then they will know how to act. Acts is precisely such a period. Therefore, if too many demands are placed on new believers, they may not be able to accept it and might give up their faith.
The current problem is that everyone is unwilling to give way. So the Antioch church suggested going to the Jerusalem church to resolve this issue. Why go to the Jerusalem church? It is not that the Jerusalem church is the headquarters and others are branches; there is no such concept. Everyone must remember this. If someone proposes the concept of headquarters and branches, do not believe it; the Bible does not have these things. The reason is that these individuals came from the Jerusalem church, and they have these views, so to resolve this issue, we must find the source to address it.
Just like if you have a disagreement with a brother or sister, do not go around telling others about it; go directly to that person, and the two of you can resolve the matter together. From this, we can see that since those few Jews came from the Jerusalem church, Paul was sent to communicate with these people from the Jerusalem church to discuss how to resolve this matter; otherwise, such disputes might arise frequently in the future. This is the wisdom needed to manage church staff.
Acts 15:4-5:
4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them. 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses."
Everyone can consider this issue from the background of that time. This church in Jerusalem had apostles and elders who welcomed Paul and his companions. This indicates that they were not the same group of people from the old Jerusalem temple but were part of the newly established New Testament church in Jerusalem. These people had accepted Jesus, but their views were still similar to those of the people in the temple, so they had the truth of the New Testament Jesus Christ and could welcome Peter, Paul, and this group to sit down and chat.
If it were the people from the temple, they would not be able to have a conversation because they were the ones who persecuted the believers and could not sit down to chat. Now, everyone thinks about why these Jewish believers who had already believed would have such thoughts, believing that what they upheld in the past was the orthodox faith.
Now I ask everyone, who is the so-called orthodox faith? Of course, it is those who serve in the Jerusalem temple because they have legitimate resources and many believers. But are their views correct? They persecuted Jesus, killed Jesus, and also persecuted Jesus' disciples; there was no God among them.
Just like some people today claim to be orthodox because they have credentials, many people, and large congregations. Does that necessarily mean they are correct? Some people say, "Everyone has believed for so many years." Does that mean that everything believed for many years is necessarily correct? Shouldn't we use the Bible as our standard? If we cannot discern, can't we look at the fruits?
So here everyone must remember that the group of people from the Antioch church, Peter, and Paul did not go to the temple but to the New Testament church established in Jerusalem. Who is the leader in this church? James. We will talk about this shortly. Since they are all under the New Testament church, when opinions differ, they can sit down and communicate. Peter uses the fruits of his work to confirm the truth.
Acts 15:6-11:
6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: "Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us; 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are."
Part of what Peter said was based on his past experiences. Now there are two sides: one side believes that to be saved, one must have faith plus follow the Mosaic law, while the other side believes that faith alone is sufficient for salvation. As a result, they could not reach a conclusion and began to debate.
At this time, Peter stood up. Therefore, we must have this wisdom; if two sides are arguing endlessly, someone must interrupt them and bring them back to the truth. Peter first said, "You know that God chose me among you." Peter used his personal experience because this is a part that everyone recognizes.
Indeed, Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and led three thousand people to repentance in Jerusalem; everyone knows this is God's work, and they cannot deny that the Holy Spirit was using Peter. Peter had preached the gospel to many Gentiles, and they believed. Peter said, "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them." This was also Peter's experience.
Because previously, Peter had a viewpoint similar to that of the Jewish believers, thinking that Gentiles had no right to receive the Holy Spirit! Until he saw the event of the sheet coming down from heaven, which contained unclean animals, and later Cornelius came to find him. When Peter preached to Cornelius and his group, the Holy Spirit suddenly filled them.
This experience made Peter understand that the Holy Spirit was given to them just as it was given to us; God does not show favoritism. Because Peter's understanding of this truth is quite solid, he believes that a person can be filled with the Holy Spirit only if they are cleansed by God and through faith. Thus, verse 9 states, "He purified their hearts by faith." The Holy Spirit filled them, and they could speak in tongues; this was Peter's past experience.
Now Peter knows one thing: God's grace toward us is the same as His grace toward them; we all receive it through faith, and there is no distinction between us and them. This viewpoint was quite advanced at that time. Peter believed that when the Holy Spirit filled people's hearts, they became one and no longer distinguished between Jews and Gentiles.
Verse 10 says: "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?"
Why did Peter say this? He believed that these Jews who strictly adhered to the law were testing God, as they did not believe that God truly treated them with such grace. Because even the Jews themselves could not keep the laws of Moses, this was a burden, a heavy burden. If they could not keep it themselves, why impose it on the Gentiles? This is not God's intention.
So in verse 11, Peter continues, "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved."
Peter makes it very clear that our salvation is by the grace of the Lord Jesus, who shed His blood for our sins on the cross, died, and rose again, and that is how we are saved. Peter deeply understands this because he knows his behavior was not good; he denied Jesus, yet Jesus still accepted him, making him more aware of what grace is.
If Peter's behavior had been good, he would have boasted about it. It is precisely because his behavior was not good, but God's grace did not leave him, and he was still saved and used by the Lord. Therefore, he uses his personal experience to prove that God treats both Jews and Gentiles the same, and salvation comes through faith, absolutely not through good works. There is no need to add good works to salvation.
But after a person is saved, should they have good works? Of course! That is the fruit produced after salvation, and it has nothing to do with behavior at the time of salvation. This is the part Peter wants to emphasize. They are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus, and we are the same; this is what we believe. Hallelujah. This part of Peter's is very effective; when disputes arise, using our past experiences of God's work in us is often straightforward and effective. Following closely, Barnabas and Paul use their testimonies to confirm the truth.
Acts 15:12: The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.
You see, Peter initially worked primarily with Jews and performed many signs and wonders, which everyone could accept because he was a Jew. However, the testimonies of Barnabas and Paul were different because they primarily faced Gentiles, who did not follow the Mosaic law and had no law to follow. In the eyes of the Jews, these people were corrupt and unworthy, yet God still performed many signs and wonders among them.
What does this indicate? It shows that God has accepted the Gentiles; even if they do not follow the Mosaic law, they can still receive God's grace. These things truly exist, so in the midst of disputes, testimonies are also very helpful. Even if others say you are wrong in your faith, if you have many beautiful testimonies from God in your life, can that not prove the point?
So dear family, I always emphasize that we should not debate with others; we just need to live out what we believe. You have many testimonies, and that is enough to show God's grace toward you. Why bother arguing with others to win a verbal battle?
Indeed, many people always boast about how well they believe and how much truth they know, yet their lives are a mess. When you do not argue with them, in the quiet of the night, they will reflect on their lives.
We are the same; applying such truths in our lives and allowing truth to change our lives is the best testimony. Is God good? Don't we know? Is keeping the Mosaic law good? Don't they know? Yes, they cannot keep it, yet they still expect others to keep it; this is quite a funny situation.
Similarly, we have received God's grace, and we will also let others experience God's grace. So at this time, Barnabas and Paul shared testimonies of how God performed signs and wonders among the Gentiles, healed many people, helped many, and transformed many. These beautiful testimonies left the Jews speechless. This is the fruit.
Dear family, we may say we have believed in the Lord for many years, yet see no testimony of God in our lives, often complaining, feeling discouraged, and hopeless. How can we say our faith is correct? The key point is whether our faith is correct. One very good way to assess this is to look at how much God has done in your life and how much you have accomplished through Him. What I am talking about is not a bad thing; it is good fruit, and that is the best. Amen.
So after these people expressed their thoughts, the people of the Jerusalem church no longer spoke. Because these were all facts, they had no rebuttal. Dear family, you can also see how many beautiful testimonies have come from the words we have spoken, and we should hold onto this truth and act accordingly. There is no need to pay attention to the voices of opponents; we just need to live out these words of God, and that is enough. Amen. Under such testimonies, the people of the Jerusalem church no longer spoke.
At this time, a man named James appeared, who made the final summary. Who is this James? He is not the apostle James, as that apostle had already been martyred, but rather James, the brother of the Lord Jesus, the one who wrote the New Testament book of James. He did not believe in Jesus before His crucifixion, but after the resurrection, Jesus specifically appeared to him, and his life changed. By the time the apostle Peter was captured by King Herod, he had already become the leader of the Jerusalem church.
Everyone should know that James is also a Jew. The reason he opposed Jesus and did not believe in Him was also due to his adherence to the Mosaic law. The fact that he could change is God's grace. James knows why they are in dispute, so when he makes the final summary, he quotes the Old Testament to confirm the truth.
Acts 15:13-18:
13 When they finished speaking, James spoke up. "Brothers," he said, "listen to me. 14 Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: 16 'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'— 18 things known from long ago."
James' summary is very powerful; he quotes the Old Testament. We see that James says, "Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for His name from the Gentiles."
Of course, Simon refers to Simon Peter. What Peter just said about how God used him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles, allowing them to receive the Holy Spirit and God's grace, these are all facts. Therefore, James quotes the Old Testament to confirm that everything Peter has done is correct.
So in verse 15, he says, "The words of the prophets are in agreement with this." At this time, James is using the Old Testament to affirm Peter's actions, indicating that what he did is God's will.
Verse 16 says, "After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it."
What does this refer to? Indeed, David was a person used by God, but after David, God's tent fell. After Solomon, the entire system of faith collapsed. The northern kingdom of Israel had no good kings, and the southern kingdom of Judah had very few good ones. In terms of faith, it was a mess. However, later God gave them a promise, saying, "These are all temporary; one day they will be rebuilt." Indeed, this refers to Jesus Christ. Although the faith of the Israelites collapsed after David and Solomon, when Jesus came, He rebuilt it. Of course, the tent being rebuilt does not refer to the physical temple but to the establishment of the church.
To rebuild what was broken refers to the fact that their faith had gone wrong. When it went wrong, were they under the Mosaic law? Yes. So how will these things be rebuilt? That is because Jesus Christ came and offered Himself as a sacrifice, establishing the church. This is different from the past; now there is the help of the Holy Spirit, and Gentiles can also be saved.
So verse 17 says, "So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name."
The Old Testament was limited; in the temple, it was mostly Jews. However, the tent established by Jesus allows both Jews and Gentiles to enter. But those who enter are certainly not the previous temple, so all the rules are different. This is God's plan: first, let the Jews be saved, and then let the Jews spread the gospel to the Gentiles. But after the Jews received salvation, they did not spread it and looked down on the Gentiles, which caused problems for themselves. Therefore, when Jesus Christ came, it was as if He restarted this process. Now that the church has been established, both Gentiles and Jews can enter.
What James is actually saying is that now that we are under the New Testament and the church has been established, we should not rigidly adhere to the Mosaic law, but we also cannot completely discard it; some rules still need to be in place. Therefore, James established a few rules with the Gentile church, and this matter was agreed upon.
Acts 15:30-35:
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. (Some manuscripts add: 34 But Silas decided to remain there.) 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and proclaimed the word of the Lord.
Here, many people have a misunderstanding, as if they were sent by the Jerusalem church to Antioch. In fact, this sending does not mean that Jerusalem has become the headquarters and then sent Paul, Barnabas, and others to do the work. It is not like that. What it means is that the problem and conflict were caused by these two churches, and now that the issue has been resolved, the leaders of the Jerusalem church wrote a letter to them, acknowledging that they were sent by God and writing down the solution in the letter.
This way, when they go out to do work in the future, if they encounter similar issues, they only need to present this letter, and the problem will be resolved. Because this letter represents the viewpoints of the believers in the Jerusalem church and is also part of the truth, this completely resolves the issue. Because the few who came before did not represent the Jerusalem church; they were just believers. Now, who wrote this letter? It was written by the leaders of the Jerusalem church, representing a viewpoint recognized by everyone. For example, if Paul goes to other places to preach in the future and someone insists that they must follow the Mosaic law, Paul only needs to present this letter and does not need to argue with them anymore. This is the solution; thank the Lord.
Through these, we can also see that when disputes arise between people, we must return to the Bible. They previously had no truth as a basis and did not know how to resolve the issue; now it is much simpler for us. Whenever we encounter problems in life, we can use the Bible as a standard; whoever does not conform to the Bible should change. This matter is very simple.
If you do not understand how to resolve this issue or how to use truth to solve it, you can find church staff, whether pastors or teachers, who can help you resolve it. Amen. When everyone sees that Peter, Paul, and others have returned from Jerusalem and that they have written a letter, everyone reads the words in the letter and feels particularly happy. Indeed, they no longer need to argue or dispute about this matter; thank the Lord.
So from then on, whether it is Paul or Peter, when they go out to work, they already have the answers when encountering such matters, and everyone does not need to argue about these issues anymore. These matters written in the Bible are helpful for our lives. If we also have disputes with others and do not know right from wrong in truth, we can return to the Bible, and we already have the answers. This is the beautiful fruit that these spiritual predecessors have left for us.
Colossians 3:16-17:
16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly, as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
In Jesus Christ, God has given us faith and wisdom to resolve various conflicts in life. You cannot understand the truth and still insult and condemn each other; then the truth will not take effect.
Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly. So when we read Acts and there are disputes, what should we do? If we do not know right from wrong, we should use God's truth to resolve these issues. Once it is determined that this is the truth, we can follow it in the future.
This sets a very good example for us later generations and provides us with much basis. Therefore, now we are to use all kinds of wisdom to store God's truths in our hearts, whether through psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs, which are all meant to teach us to love one another, to be united, and to build the body of Christ, which is the church. What we need is mutual encouragement, but absolutely not mutual disputes; we need to build each other up under the same grace and sing praises to God together. Simply put, whatever we do, we do it in the name of the Lord Jesus, which means we act according to the standards of the Lord Jesus.
Now the Bible is our standard. If we can all act according to the truth of the Bible, we will surely bear good fruit and ultimately have many beautiful testimonies. Disputes will not produce testimonies, but if we hold onto the truth, there will certainly be many beautiful testimonies, which will greatly benefit our entire church. Thank the Lord.
Let us pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You. Thank You for giving us such words and allowing us to see how truth is used through these scriptures in the Bible. There is no need to engage in debates and disputes with others, but rather to use truth to resolve these conflicts and problems. You grant us wisdom, allowing us to learn to use truth to solve the various problems we encounter, so that brothers and sisters can love one another, and churches can love one another as well. Everyone uses the Bible as a standard to resolve various issues, and ultimately there will be beautiful testimonies giving glory to our Heavenly Father. Thank You and praise the Lord. We pray in the name of our Lord Jesus, Amen.