10.20.19 - Lessons on Expanding a Circle (Kenny Camacho)
SCRIPTURE: Acts 13-15 (15:1-29)
As Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles begins to transform the composition and culture of the early Christian church, a debate surfaces that calls Paul back to Jerusalem for a council with the apostles about the future of his mission. In this council, we see a model for how Christians can and should work through the challenges that come along with expanding the circles of our communities: Paul and the other leaders put tremendous value on the trajectory of the church, on the experiences of those who are new to the community, on reading Scripture with humility, and on living out what they teach. As a church striving to share hope with everyone, we should make these same values essential to us, too.
DISCUSSION/REFLECTION QUESTIONS:
Read Acts 15:1-5. Why do you think this controversy about circumcision among Gentile converts happens? Why do Paul and Barnabas take it so seriously? And why do the Pharisee Jews in Jerusalem decide that the circumcision is necessary?
Read Acts 15:6-21. What is Paul’s argument here? What does James add by reading from Scripture? What is their conclusion, and why do you think they come to this decision?
At root in this debate is the empathy with the experience of the Gentiles: it is significant that those who most strongly favor adult circumcision live in Jerusalem, far from the communities their decisions might affect. How do we sometimes behave similarly? What are some specific expectations we sometimes set for people who might be new to Christian faith (or still exploring Christian faith) which might be based more on our expectations for ourselves than on expanding the circle of our community?
Why do you think the Jerusalem Council sends Judas and Silas along with Paul, Barnabas, and their letter? What does it communicate about the church’s values?
What can we learn from this story here at Revolution? What can you take from it personally?