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

Ministry Disagreements

Prepare: Jesus prayed "for those who will believe in me ... that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you" (John 17:20-21). How could you be part of the answer to Jesus' prayer?

Read: Acts 15:1-21

Reflect: I was once on the board of a Christian organization that went through a split. The organization was facing a crisis and the board had some tough decisions to make. What made it so difficult is that everyone loved the Lord and wanted to do the right thing. But there were different opinions about what that meant. In the end, the two sides couldn't agree, and the board broke apart.

How should we resolve disagreements that inevitably emerge in the course of doing ministry? That's the big question underlying Acts 15. Unlike Paul and Barnabas's experience on their recent missionary journey, the opposition this time wasn't jealous religious leaders, intent on destroying the church. Instead, it was believers who wanted to impose the law of Moses on the Gentiles as a condition of their salvation (15:1, 5). As we've discovered in our journey through Acts, that was the hot-potato issue for the first-century church. Let's unpack how they addressed it here and see if we can extract some principles that apply to ministry disagreements today.

Notice that the church's first move was to get all the players together to talk (15:2). Publicly criticizing people who hold different views may get "Amens" from those who already agree with us, but it only deepens the problem with those who don't. Second, the apostles and elders allowed everyone to express their views (15:4-7). Genuine listening by all sides is an essential ingredient in any solution. Third, the church evaluated the evidence presented by those directly involved, in this case, Peter, Paul, and Barnabas (15:6-12). Fourth, they looked to the Scriptures for guidance (15:15-18). That's our plumb line in any disagreement or decision. And finally, they accepted the decision of the leader (15:19-21).

But did it actually work? Did the "believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees" (15:5) happily go along? It's not clear from this passage how the dissenters reacted; no doubt some were won over. But we know from other parts of the Bible that this issue didn't go away (see Galatians 3:1-25). It took a long time to work out. Even so, the experience of those involved in this Council at Jerusalem gives us a good model for today.

In my own painful experience, I discovered one other thing that made a difference. In the depths of our frustration, the entire board gathered in a little chapel for a service of repentance; we knelt down and asked for God's forgiveness. It took years for the board to recover from the disagreement, but I believe that moment in the chapel was the beginning of our healing process.

Apply: Is there a ministry disagreement that you know of, or are part of? What is one practical step you could take to be an influence for unity? Jot it down on a note card and keep it in your Bible until you've acted on it.