Not everyone agrees that doubt is an emotion, but we all agree it is a powerful paralyzing agent. The church in Antioch received news that caused them to doubt, so this is what they did….and it worked.
Why is it that every time things are going well and there aren’t any problems, someone has to come along and try and spoil it? Do you think that there are some personalities that thrive on controversy? Those folks don’t feel comfortable socially when everything is working in harmony. Maybe their social skills aren’t as developed in that area.
Before you roll your eyes… Because of the types of jobs I had in the past, and the people I hung around with, I became accustomed to communicating in a certain way. Many guys will relate to this: we would joke and tease, and pick on each other. If things got too tense, we reacted by taking a step back, and within a couple of hours or a day….it was forgotten.
Fast forward to another phase of my life when I was working with mostly women, and many volunteers. Joking and teasing were suddenly viewed as “being mean”. Instead, they looked for compliments, smiles and compassionate nods. Since I was ill equipped, I occasionally would create a tense situation with my responses. I soon found out that it wasn’t “water under the bridge” in a couple of hours or days. These folks could be upset about something for YEARS. Their feelings were hurt by things that I didn’t even know could hurt feelings. Wow.
So here’s the question: “Did the men who came to teach the Church have good intentions, or were they just stirring up trouble?” I don’t know the answer to that, but let’s assume they were good men who simply weren’t equipped to live life governed by grace and forgiveness.
Their message to the church was paralyzing. “you aren’t really saved”. That’s the same message the devil whispers in our ear from time to time. Sometimes he uses people around us to accuse us and create strife. I think he finds a willing participant in those who prefer conflict as their primary mode of operation.
How did the church negotiate this doubt? They listened to both sides, and since they weren’t sure what to do, they sent a delegation to the leaders of the church, and asked for their interpretation. I get the feeling that the believers in Antioch were saying, “you know, we aren’t sure about this, we will do whatever seems best to you”. It’s that kind of attitude that Jesus loves. In response, the church prayed, discussed and debated the issue. They didn’t just give lip service, they looked at past examples of how God worked. They dug out the Scripture and found the passages that confirmed the Gentiles were part of God’s original plan. The young believers in Antioch couldn’t have done that. They shared recent examples of how God had been working in their lives to give them new insight. Peter shared about his interaction with Cornelius. James mentioned the prophecies. Paul and Barnabus recounted the ways God was working in the new church.
When the elders came together in this way, God’s leading became very clear. It was called a church “Council”, and we have used them many times since to help us determine what direction God would have us to go.
In our church doctrine, representatives from each part of the body across the U.S. gather together every four years to pray, discuss and debate any changes that might need to occur. It isn’t the fastest way to get things done, but at the end of the gatherings we all feel as if the Lord has given us insight.
When you are faced with a spiritual dilemma, consider taking your problem to the elders of the church. Encourage them to pray over it, and offer some guidance. God will bless them, and you…as you seek to be obedient.
In the Methodist tradition we often refer back to what has become knows as “the quadrilateral”. It’s actually four questions:
1. What does the Bible say about this issue? (this trumps all other questions)
2. What is our experience in this area?
3. What is the tradition of the church? (I don’t care much for traditions, but they are often there for a good reason)
4. What seems reasonable? (what makes sense)
If you pass your dilemma through this filter, if often helps make the pathway forward much more clear.
If you want more info. on this, look up :http://www.theopedia.com/wesleyan-quadrilateral
Trusting in the One who sees us through,
PR