Scripture
23 With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
Reflection
Churches are made up of flawed people working on becoming more like Jesus, it’s not a surprise that churches have internal conflict, (although it seems to catch some people off guard . . . and disappoint them) but it is a question of how we resolve our differences and how we behave, maturely or immaturely, when we don’t get our way. The apostles and elders made a reasonable request of the very new believers which would go a long way to promote a harmonious relationship. In case there might be questions, they have sent Paul and Barnabas, whom they knew and trusted to answer their questions, in addition to the letter. Smart! (Ps. Dale).
Thoughts for the day
- What do you feel God is telling you through this passage?
- What is one way you can apply this truth to your life today?
- Who can you encourage with this story/message?
Prayer
Stop and pray for someone who is near to you right now, someone you can see.
