The apostles’ example gives us a pattern for how to respond when doctrinal dissension hits the local church. I find no example of wisdom, faithfulness, and grace in resolving doctrinal dissensions that can match the story found in Acts 15.

The story commences with indignant Jews telling the Gentiles to get circumcised if they want to be saved. Like many modern day church battles, the Jews displayed more devotion to tradition than the Word of God. But deserting a 2,000 year tradition of circumcision (Gen 17) was no easy task. What we might think would be a simple problem with an easy solution, turned into a ferocious debate, for the text says that “Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them [the Jews]” (Acts 15:2). The apostles’ response to this potential church bomb is priceless. From this account we find five directives for eradicating doctrinal dissensions from the local church.

1. Check all views against the Word of God.

Even if we’ve been a Christian for two centuries, sung in the choir for ten decades, or brought 500 people to salvation, all our views stand under the scrutiny of God’s Word. If a museum displayed a sparkling, football-sized slab of gold for an entire century, until one day someone proved this gold to be fools gold, should it be removed from the exhibition? That will depend on whether the museum values the truth or tradition more highly. The temptation is to keep the secret and let the gold remain because it has been the awe of admirers for decades. You’ve probably heard someone in church say, “But we’ve always done it this way.” But “always” does not make wrong right.

The converted Jews confronted the church with an even older tradition: circumcision. And this tradition was not 100 years old, but a 2,000 year ritual dating all the way back to Abraham (Gen 17). And what did the church do? Did they hem and haw and change the subject? Not nearly. Instead of buckling in at the knees, they turned to the highest authority: “The brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue” (Acts 15:2).
Why apostles? Because the apostles spoke the Word of God (1 Thess 2:6; 2 Pet 3:2; Jude 17). Their decision would be God’s decision.

We find this principle repeated in the speeches of Peter and James. Peter reminds the hearers that God elected him to preach to the Gentiles (Acts 15:7). He points to God’s witness by the gift of tongues that these Gentiles are truly saved (Acts 15:8). He says nothing of tradition, opinion, or personal preference. And then James quotes God’s 750 year old prophecy of salvation to the Gentiles (Amos 9:11-12). Without apology, Peter and James place God before the people as the final authority, asking them to decide whether they will submit to God’s Word or reject it.   

Today, wise church leaders will likewise look to God’s Word as the final authority and guide in all matters (2 Tim 3:16).

2. Submit all positions to the elders’ final decision.

The Lord Jesus Christ set up elders as the undershepherds of His church (Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17; Titus 1:5; 1 Pet 5:1-4). This means that when one joyfully submits to biblically qualified elders, he is in effect, submitting to Jesus. No, the elders are not Jesus, but Jesus has appointed them as His commanders, generals, and captains underneath His rule. It is the elders privilege and responsibility to determine the doctrinal positions of their church and to guide it by these doctrines. Even if one disagrees with his elders, he is still wise to respect the position God gave them, and unless the elders are in disqualifying sin, it is pleasing to God to follow their leadership.

Now it is true, that the elders must submit themselves to the Word of God (1 Tim 3:15; Titus 1:6-9), and at no time should a believer obey an elder who tells him to sin. But this is rarer than snow in Los Angeles. People normally spread gossip and defy elders because their personal preference was not honored, not because the elders were promoting heresy. And if the elders are promoting heresy, my first question to the believer would be, “Why are you attending a church led by heretics?”

From Acts 15:2, we find that the church not only to seeking the wisdom of the apostles in Jerusalem, but also the elders. This decision sets a golden example before all believers today. Instead of arguing their case (which they could have easily proven with testimonies that the Gentiles were speaking in tongues), they chose to handle the whole debate the right way: before the elders of God’s church.

Notice also that the final decision was not made by any one man but by a plurality of men. And although the apostles held much greater authority than any pastor today, not one of them threw his title around to intimidate his opponents, but instead they all submitted to the general consensus of the apostles and elders. This leaves no room for a one-man elder board, or a plurality of elders obeying a single man. Though the title itself is harmless and many solid churches use it, the title “senior pastor” has introduced all sorts of subtle messages causing Christians to believe that a church controlled by one pastor is biblical. But when Paul planted churches he always enlisted a plurality of elders. And even then, he, an apostle with supernatural powers that make the miracle shows of Benny Hinn look like Lego toys, refused to make the final call, but instead, entrusted the final decision to the elders. A far more biblical way to view a senior pastor is to see him as a first among equals, a man who naturally carries more influence than any one elder for the obvious reason of his gifting, experience, and godliness. But even then, his decisions are still subject to the ruling of the entire elder board.

If you have ever suffered a heated debate in a church or Bible study, you know how hard it is to patiently turn the issue over to the eldership. And yet here in the face of converted Pharisees standing up and asserting, “It is necessary to circumcise them [the converted Gentiles] and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses” (Acts 15:5), James did not jump up and cry out, “That’s wrong so shut your mouth!” Nor did Peter shout, “You’re teaching heresy!” Instead, “the apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter” (Acts 15:6).

Plural leadership does not mean that key men do not carry stronger influence than others. Obviously Peter and James carried more influence than anyone in this matter (as seen by their speeches), but notice how they came together as one group of men to “look into this matter” as opposed to one man using his position to dominate the group and push his way through.

3. Speak all words with grace and patience.

The apostles’ attitude and response is astounding. Here, in the middle of a fiery debate (Acts 15:7) over a doctrine that could—and later would (see Phil 3:2; Gal 1:6-9)—threaten the purity of the gospel, not a single speck of arrogance, impatience, or bitterness can be detected in the words of Peter (Acts 15:7-11) and James (Acts 15:13-21).  

Peter was no longer the foot-shaped mouth. Through Christ’s training he kept the leadership skills and got rid of the impulsive emotionalism. Notice that Peter calls them “brethren” (Acts 15:7). This includes the Pharisees, those horrible hypocrites who spawned the murder of Jesus Christ. And yet where in all the speeches of Peter and James do you find them bringing up the past, closet-digging, or black mailing? None at all. They just speak the simple straightforward truth in love (Eph 4:15)! Nor is there a scrap of egotism in Peter’s speech. Instead of defending himself he defends Christ and lives out His commands (Matt 5:38-42).

Exercising patience and grace does not mean weakness. Peter speaks with unflinching boldness. He is not afraid to rebuke the Christian Judaizers for “placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear” (Acts 15:10).

4. Execute all plans through a practical solution and clear communication.

If clarifying doctrinal positions were a sport, some churches could win the Olympic gold medal. But James is not content to just state his theological position. He knows that even the greatest theological conclusion is just hot air if there is no plan to live it out: “Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them…” The letter is James’ practical method of clarifying the church’s position to all the Gentile churches. This also teaches a strong lesson on communication. Bad communication has been the seedbed of thousands of church splits and turmoil. But when the elders communicate their decisions to the congregation with crystal clarity, no one is left in the dark and the Achilles heel of gossip is severed.

Believers more attracted to debate than sanctification and unity don’t want a solution. They get a kick out of debate. They like the attention it gives them when they shock people with their unconventional beliefs (Rom 16:17). Their kind is perfectly described by Paul in 1 Timothy 6:4 as having “a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of depraved mind…” The wise leader will not only state the truth clearly, but offer the people a practical way of applying it so that resolution can be reached.

5. Forsake all personal rights if that’s what it takes to help a struggling brother

The fool rushes in and says, “Rip out all the hymns that are not biblical!” “Bring in the electric guitar and the distortion synthesizer!” But the wise man is patient. A young man’s greatest weakness is his impetuous approach to life. But healthy change is usually slow. You may see things clearer and have a solution that’s better, but this may not be the best way for everyone. James understood this. Although he refused to burden the Gentiles with the painful requirement of circumcision, he still asked them to do three things in verse 20:

• Abstain from things sacrificed to idols. In their sinful past, Gentiles slaughtered the animal before an idol as a sacrifice of worship before consuming it (1 Cor 8:7). Thus, for a converted Gentile to eat meat sacrificed to an idol could cause serious backsliding, as he would identify this with his old way of life.
• Abstain from fornication. This command seems odd, being sandwiched between two ceremonial instructions. But sexual fornication was as natural to pagan Gentiles as wearing a tie today. They practiced fornication as a part of their idol worship, thus, many would be tempted to transfer this practice into their new religion of Christianity. And that is why Paul had to warn the Gentile Christians of the Corinthian church so fiercely about fleeing immorality in 1 Corinthians 6:13-20.
• Abstain from eating uncooked meat. Gentiles commonly wrung the neck of the animal before cooking it instead of butchering the animal Kosher style to drain out the blood. This is why Jews would only purchase meat from a Jewish butcher. This would have been a great inconvenience to the Christian Gentiles, for now they had to find butchers who prepared the meat Kosher style.

The first requirement kept the Gentiles from backsliding into sin. The second kept them pure. But why were they told to keep the last of the three? So that the Christian Gentiles would not become a stumbling block to the Christian Jews. In sensitivity to their Christian Jewish brothers, the apostles did not want these Gentiles’ meat-butchering methods to become a source of division segregating their fellowship. Violating the Mosaic Law would destroy the new church’s credibility before the eyes of the unsaved Jews and become a stumbling block to those converted. With great wisdom and love, the apostles asked the Gentiles to inconvenience themselves for the sake of their Christian Jewish brothers.

Both Paul (Rom 14:14) and Peter (Acts 10:15) knew that eating bloody meat was no longer unclean in God’s eyes. But Paul himself would later spend an entire chapter persuading his readers to not eat anything that may cause his Christian brothers to stumble (1 Cor 8). That is why he says, “But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak” (1 Cor 8:9), and “Therefore, if food causes my brother to stumble I will never eat meat again so that I will not cause my brother to stumble” (1 Cor 8:13).
What Paul was doing for the sake of the Christian Gentiles in 1 Corinthians 8, James was doing for the Christian Jews in Acts 15. James was not laying down an apostolic decree, but providing temporary guidelines to protect fellowship between converted Gentiles and their Christian Hebrew brothers.

James explains why this is so important in verse 21, “For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath” (Acts 15:21). Ever since their return from exile, Jewish peoples started meeting in groups called “synagogues” where they read and taught the Law of Moses. Since childhood, these Mosaic doctrines had been ingrained in the soul of every Jew until it ran through his veins like blood. Watching a converted Gentile eat bloody meat would be extremely painful and defile the conscience of these Jews. It would be like asking a modern day Christian to cook and eat his own dung. That is why Peter so boldly told the Lord, “No, I cannot eat anything unclean” right after God commanded him to eat animals formerly banned in the Mosaic Law (Acts 10:13). This does not excuse Peter’s disobedience but shows how hard it was for a Jew to turn his back on something he had been taught since childhood.

In sensitivity to not unnecessarily offend these Jewish brothers, James exhorts the elders to tell the Gentiles to love them by not doing something that would be grotesque to them. That’s love, and that’s why we are called to do the same. Even if you have full legal and biblical right to do something, if it may encumber the spiritual walk of your brother or sister in Christ or damage your testimony before your unsaved friend, give it up.

When these five principles are faithfully applied, resolution may come quickly and the church’s unity still be protected. Obedience to God’s Word always brings joy, as the Gentiles expressed after reading the letter, “When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement” (15:31).