Week 35—Wednesday Acts 15:7-11
Acts 15:7-11
A CHURCH THAT CARED
Yesterday we said that the spirit of Paul went into this church at Antioch and the spirit of this church went into Paul. It was after his contact with Antioch that Saul was changed into Paul. They must have felt that a change in Paul necessitated a change in name—he was enlarged and universalized after his contact with Antioch, no longer the Jew Saul, he was the Roman Paul.
Sixth, the church at Antioch was a church that cared. Van Hugel has defined a Christian as “one who cares.” Well, the Antioch church was Christian, for it cared—cared that the believers in Judea were in need of economic help. “And the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brethren who lived in Judea” (Acts 11:29). That caring was a pattern for the church of the ages: “determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief.” Note that phrase: “everyone according to his ability”—suppose that were the standard and determination—note the word “determined”—of every church in Christendom! What couldn’t be done! They did it according to that pattern!
Seventh, their spirituality functioned in material terms and also in social terms. In the church at Antioch there was Simeon, a black man, and also “Manean, a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch.” Not only were racial distinctions transcended but social distinctions. Manean was from high society, and Simeon was probably from a much lower society. But here race and class distinctions were canceled—a person was a person for whom Christ died.
The social prejudices die hard. A man went to his pastor and said, “If you lay off your emphasis on race justice, here is a check with five numbers.” The pastor left the man with his check and kept his soul. He was a Christian; he could do no other. For the Christian faith is class—and race—blind.
O Father God, save us from building a house of God with you left out. For where your children are excluded, you are excluded. To have a house of God without you is to have a body without a soul—a corpse. Save us from choosing a corpse. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: I belong to a Kingdom that knows no limits of race and class and color—a Kingdom Unlimited.