What Can We Learn from the Jerusalem Council?
The Jerusalem Council in Acts 15 provides a fascinating window into the way in which disputes and doubtful matters were discussed and decided in the early church. We notice first of all that they did not try to maintain unity by stifling honest conversation. Sometimes we hear people talk about unity as something that needs to be protected at all costs – and one of those costs is often conversation, dissent, and legitimate concern. In Acts 15, however, no such concern is in evidence. On the contrary, as David Peterson points out: “In this historical framework, Luke presented conflict and...