"Pastor, my wife has tested HIV positive. Can I divorce her and remarry so that I can have a normal life without the constant threat of contracting AIDS?"
"Pastor, I'm single. I can't find a suitable Christian husband. I want to have a child. Would it be morally appropriate to be artificially inseminated?"
"Pastor, my 85-year-old grandfather is brain-dead. He has been in a coma for the past five years, and we have run out of money to pay hospital bills. Would it be right for us to pull the plug?"
New ethical issues continue to confront the pastor. How should the pastor handle these questions---especially when there is no clear biblical answer? In addition to showing the way that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, the Bible also contains principles necessary to guide us through our daily lives (see Ps. 119:105). But how does one go about discovering these principles?
In pursuit of a paradigm
Recently I have been searching Scripture for a strategy capable of resolving complex lifestyle quandaries. My exploration has taken me on a fascinating study of the moral problems encountered by the first Christians. We have one such case in Acts 15 dealing with an urgent matter: Should the Gentile converts to Christianity be required to be circumcised "according to the custom taught by Moses" (Acts 15:1)?* This was clearly a major issue for the first-century church. True, it was a question of custom, and tradition a ritual requirement that faithful Hebrew males had been performing for about 2,000 years as a special sign that they were God's chosen people. However, the issue also had to do with ethics, behavior, and with matters important to the believing Christian.
Acts 15: a norm for moral decisions
The steps taken by the first-century church council that wrestled with this issue provides a normative pattern for moral decision-making. The potency and adaptability of this pattern are affirmed on the basis of principles basic to the Christian faith:
1. The church council was conducted under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The believers stated, "The Holy Spirit has shown us that we should not place any extra burden on you" (verse 28, CEV).
2. The council based its deliberations and decisions on Scripture, rather than merely on human reasoning. The believers operated on the foundation of the Word of God. For example, one of the leaders stated that "this is entirely in harmony with the words of the prophets" (verse 15, New Jerusalem). Thus, a strategy based on divine revelation becomes a prime pattern for Christians who seek to base their decision-making methods and ethical approaches on God's revealed Word.
3. The council involved leaders charged by Jesus to guide and advance the church. The early church recognized that its leadership had obtained the commission to disseminate the gospel and to preserve and protect the church. Peter, John, James, and Paul had the charge to evangelize, to teach and to disciple. Since they were authorized by Jesus and worked under His auspices, the actions of the Jerusalem Council can be viewed as a representative strategy to be appropriately utilized by all subsequent believers.
4. The council held that its decision had implications for all believers. The decisions were obviously not restricted to only those originally involved in the debate on the issue. "This decision was ... to be universally accepted by the different churches throughout the country."1 This was clear by the way in which the believers disseminated their ruling "from town to town" (Acts 16:4).
5. The council understood the seriousness of the issue. The issue was not only doctrinal, philosophical, and theological. It was also an ethical concern, and a matter of moral significance. Circumcision had been enacted "in accordance with the Mosaic practice" (Acts 15:1, NEB). The word rendered "practice" comes from ethos, from which we derive the word "ethics." Thus the issue had to do with lifestyle and a correct ethical conduct essential to the community.
6. The council for the first time addressed a major behavioral matter affecting the life and future of the church. Even though prior to this other issues had arisen, none of them had been of the magnitude and significance of this one. As one scholar states, this was "the greatest crisis with which the young church had yet been confronted, if indeed not the greatest crisis the church has yet faced in her history."2
In brief then, Acts 15 reveals a Holy Spirit-directed, Bible-based, Christ-commissioned, universally-applicable, ethically-oriented, original paradigm for ethical decision-making. These six principles indicate a valid, divinely-inspired model for the pastor and the Christian community as they deal with any ethical problem they might face. John Calvin was right: "Here is prescribed by God a form and an order in assembling synods, when there ariseth any controversy which cannot otherwise be decided."3
A six-step strategy
Analysis of Acts 15 shows that several steps were taken by the Jerusalem council as they wrestled with the difficult question of circumcision.
Step one: the debate. To begin with, there was a serious discussion on the issue among those affected by it. Luke records "no small dissension and dispute" among them (verse 2, NKJV). When despite initial debate, no conclusion was reached, it was decided to seek for greater input from Christian leaders and other believers in Jerusalem. Thus, "Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question" (verse 2).
Step two: the delegation. A representative group of church members was assembled to address the issue. First there were the missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, who were on the front lines doing evangelism among both Jews and non-Jews and who had firsthand experience of the problems encountered in the field. Second, there were several regular members, some of whom were apparently affected by this issue (see verse 2; Gal. 2:1-5). Third, there were those who raised the issue of circumcision and promoted its continued practice. Fourth, there were leaders (apostles) like Peter and John who were giving guidance, nurture, and leadership to the church in other parts of the field. Fifth, there were church administrators, those who directed church affairs from Jerusalem (see Acts 15:2,4,6,22,23) and promoted sound teaching. Sixth, there were theologians, such as James and Paul, whose biblical approach was clearly needed to assist the church in coming to a reliable conclusion on the issue.
Step three: the deliberations. This representative delegation of missionaries, pastors, administrators, theologians, as well as lay members both for and against the matter became immersed in a wide-ranging open discussion. The precise steps taken in these deliberations provide an excellent model for conducting discussions on sensitive problems. These steps may be described as follows:
Personal testimonies. First, instead of going directly to the contentious issue that had precipitated the Jerusalem Council, Paul and Barnabas began with personal testimonies and "reported everything God had done through them" (verse 4). Even though this testimony included a description of matters related to the issue at hand, the attitude of thanksgiving and praise to God helped set the proper worship atmosphere and spiritual tone for the conference.
Inclusive participation. Second, those who were promoting circumcision were permitted to share their views. These believers, who were formerly Jews, said: "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses" (verse 5). Thus the assembly demonstrated fairness and open-mindedness. It was willing to give a fair hearing to all.
Sustained discussion. Third, after the believers had presented their case, the group "gathered to study this problem" (verse 6, EB). They did not jump to hasty and premature conclusions on the subject, but there was "much discussion" (verse 7) of the issue.
Theological considerations. Fourth, after extensive consultation, "Peter stood up" (verse 7, EB), and began sharing his personal experience and testimony. He highlighted the character of God, noting that it was God's desire to offer salvation to these people "the Gentiles were to hear and believe the message of the gospel" (verse 7, REB). This all-wise God had revealed His generosity in giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, "just as he had given his Spirit to us [Jews]" (verse 8, CEV), and in cleansing their hearts from sin (see verse 9). Thus, by focusing on the character of an omniscient, benevolent, and supremely fair God, who saves and sanctifies, Peter provided a solid theological basis from which to consider a perplexing moral problem.
Next, Peter underscored God's concern for people. He questioned why some were wanting to promote the continuation of circumcision, adding, "You are putting a heavy load around the necks of the non-Jewish brothers. It is a load that neither we nor our fathers were able to carry" (verse 10, EB). Because of his interest in the spiritual and psychological welfare of the believers, Peter recommended that no unnecessary burden be placed on them. This others-directed emphasis was crucial in the deliberations over this issue.
Finally, Peter focused on Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord. Recognizing that salvation does not come by works, he affirmed: "We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved" (verse 11). Peter's reference to Jesus as "Lord" is significant, for it indicates that Christians are called to willingly submit their entire lives to their Master, Jesus Christ, allowing Him to direct their behavior and lifestyle. In other words, Peter pointed out that Jesus is both Saviour from sin and Lord of life. Thus, by means of a balanced focus on Jesus, Peter furnished the council with a sound Christological foundation from which to examine an intricate ethical quandary.
Acknowledging providence. Fifth, once the council created a God-focused, compassionate, Christ-centered frame work for decision-making, it took time to acknowledge God's providential leading in taking the gospel to non- Jews. "The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling them about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them" (verse 12).
Scriptural validation. Sixth, James, who appears to have been the leader of the convention (see verses 13, 19; cf. Gal. 2:9), spoke up in sup-port of Peter. He indicated that Peter's personal experience was valid because it was firmly based on the Scriptures. He said: "This agrees with what the prophets wrote" (Acts 15:15, CEV), and then quoted from Amos 9:11, 12. James noted that the taking of the gospel to the Gentiles was in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. In other words, Peter's testimony could be considered a trustworthy guide because it was in harmony with the objective Written Word of God.
Step four: the decision. At the end of the discussion and deliberations James led out in formulating a resolution. He began by saying "I don't think we should place burdens on the Gentiles who are turning to God" (Acts 15:19, CEV). Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit (see verse 28), he recommended that the council "should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood" (verse 20). That this listing of ethical requirements is evidently based on the Word of God can be seen from the very next comment of James: "For Moses has been preached in every city" (verse 21). The conjunction "for" is a translation of the Greek gar, which is chiefly used to explain the reason for something. In other words, James was basing his counsel on "the Law of Moses" (verse 21, CEV). Further proof of this reliance on Scripture becomes evident in verse 29, where the council rearranged the sequence of these prohibitions, placing them in the same order as those in Leviticus 17 and 18. Thus, it is plain that while new converts were welcomed into the Christian communion, they were to adhere to certain biblical ethical standards.
Step five: the communication of the decision. Once the Scripture-based conclusion had been finalized and recorded, "the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas" (Acts 15:22). Two respected leaders, Silas and Judas Barsabbas, were asked to accompany them as they delivered the written decision of the council (see verses 22-29), and "to confirm by word of mouth" (verse 27) what had been decided. While the issue of circumcision had apparently been a major concern in Antioch, the Jerusalem Council obviously wanted this decision to have a larger circulation "to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia" (verse 23). First, however, the decision was taken to Antioch, "where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter" (verse 30). It was well-received, for "the people read it and were glad for its encouraging message" (verse 31). Later, Paul continued to disseminate widely these clearly articulated ethical standards as he "traveled from town to town" (Acts 16:4) on his missionary journeys.
Step six: the development. Apparently the leaders who delivered the information about the decisions of the council did not simply present the letter and then leave. Rather, Silas and Judas Barsabbas remained, "spending some time there" (Acts 15:33), saying "much to encourage and strengthen the believers" (verse 32, NRSV). Also, Paul and Barnabas "remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord" (verse 35). Later, as Paul continued to spread the requirements forged out by the council, he "urged them to follow these instructions" (Acts 16:4, CEV). "So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers" (verse 5). Thus it is evident that, in addition to delivering the decision of the council, these leaders spent time encouraging and developing the faith of the members.
Challenge to the church
Despite the fact that the Jerusalem Council met 2,000 years ago, the approach is still relevant. Moreover, since this pattern of decision-making was divinely directed, it is fully trust worthy as an acceptable and reliable system for contemporary Christian consideration.
While it is not suggested that this is the only way for pastors and church members to address ethical issues, it does provide an inspired paradigm for the appraisal of pressing ethical issues in the local and even the corporate church.
* Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture passages in this article are from the New International Version.
1. Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles (Mountain View, Calif.: Pacific Press Pub. Assn., 1911), p. 190. See also Acts 15:23; 21:25.
2. Charles W. Carter, ed., The Wesleyan Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1966), vol. 4, p. 580.
3. John Calvin, Commentary Upon the Acts of the Apostles, vol. 2 (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1979 reprint), p. 44.