The Essential Question (Part 6): The First Mission TripSample

Personal Disagreements

Prepare: Prepare your heart to hear God's word by saying the Lord's Prayer out loud, slowly and reflectively. "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name ..

Read: Acts 15:22-41

Reflect: Years ago I supervised the staff of a very effective ministry. Everyone was committed to reaching out with the gospel, but over time differing opinions developed about the best way to do that. This led to impassioned emails, difficult conversations and a growing level of distrust between the different sides. So I called a series of meetings in various locations to address the problem. I encouraged each person to speak his or her mind and I took notes on large sheets of paper taped to the walls. We also prayed together. From that, we developed and circulated a document of shared principles for working together, and the ministry began moving forward again.

That's the basic storyline of this passage. The church leaders have "retreated" in Jerusalem, come to a compromise, and are now sending a letter summarizing their agreement. Perhaps the key phrase is this: "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us" (15:28). That captures the essence of their decision-making process and offers us a model for navigating difficult decisions today. Our first move must be to seek divine guidance through God's Word, prayer and fasting, but we must also use our God-given wisdom and common sense. Both approaches must come together to resolve disputes in a way that honors God and advances his purposes.

But what do we make of the letter's conclusion, asking Gentile believers to follow a few specific Jewish laws (15:29)? Doesn't that undermine the main point? Some have said yes, and view the agreement as flawed. But when we take the New Testament as a whole, we see that Paul never backed away from the principle that salvation was through Jesus Christ alone, with no preconditions or additives (Philippians 3:7-9). When that principle was not at stake, however, he was willing to compromise in order to maintain unity (Romans 14:1-23; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13). As a famous statement on Christian unity puts it, "In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things, charity."

How ironic, then, that Paul and Barnabas, who had become such friends and colleagues, couldn't agree on a staffing decision and as a result parted company (Acts 15:36-41). Some think Paul was right; making a quitter part of the team was bound to undercut the mission. Others think Barnabas was right, especially since he had accepted and mentored Paul through his anti-Christian past. Instead of debating who was right, perhaps we should see this dispute as an example of God working for good in all things (Romans 8:28). The split launched two mission teams, thus multiplying the spread of the good news.

After circulating that document years ago, I had a behind-the-scenes debate with a fellow leader over our approach to ministry. After a few months it became clear we just couldn't agree, so instead of risking open disunity, I resigned. As difficult as the experience was, we maintained respect and love for each other as brothers in Christ. In fact, we have since corresponded, met, and prayed together. I wonder if that was also the experience of Paul and Barnabas after their parting of ways.

Apply: Think of ministry leaders who are experiencing conflict today. Spend some time praying for each one, that they would come to a place of unity, liberty and charity.

The Essential Question (Part 7): More Mission Trips

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