Gospel Order, Pt. 6

A General Council, or Conference

As churches increased, it was just as essential that they should keep in fellowship with one another as that individual members in the local church should be united as one body. Independent teachers had gone out from Jerusalem to the regions of Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, teaching contrary to the faith of the body. The need arose for the churches to deal with the matter, and it was arranged that representatives, or delegates, should be selected to attend a council, or conference, at Jerusalem. Just as soon as believers multiplied in various places, so that all could not meet together in one place, the plan of delegate assemblies was introduced.

The brief record of this conference is found in Acts 15. It is summarized in the following words of the spirit of prophecy: —

The council which decided this case was composed of the founders of the Jewish and Gentile Christian churches. Elders from Jerusalem, and deputies [delegates] from Antioch were present; and the most influential churches were represented. The council did not claim infallibility in their deliberations, but moved from the dictates of enlightened judgment, and with the dignity of a church established by the divine will.— "Life of Paul," page 70.

Because it was an assembly engaged in God's work, there was all the more reason that its business should be done "decently and in order." Again the spirit of prophecy says: —

James presided at the council, and his final decision was, "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God."

This ended the discussion. In this instance we have a refutation of the doctrine held by the Roman Catholic Church — that Peter was the head of the church. Those who, as popes, have claimed to be his successors, have no foundation for their pretensions. Nothing in the life of Peter gives sanction to those pretended claims. If the professed successors of Peter had imitated his example, they would have taken no authoritative position, but one on an equality with that of their brethren.

James, in this instance, seems to have been chosen to decide the matter which was brought before the council.— Id., pages 68, 69.

Because James was chosen as presiding officer, he was no more head of the general church than the presiding officer or elder of the local body of believers is head of the local church. The responsibilities of office in the work of the church, whether local or general, are not laid upon men as conferring lordship or headship over any, but as appointments to special service and leadership in the common work of the church. Christ is the head of every man, and the head of every church; because he is the head of the whole church, which is his body. Thus the plan of representative, or delegate, meetings was inaugurated: —

The entire body of Christians were not called to vote upon the question. The apostles and elders—men of influence and judgment—framed and issued the decree, which was thereupon generally accepted by the Christian churches. — Id., page 70.

The decisions of the conference were published by letter, and authorized representatives were furnished with credentials from the body to carry the word to those churches which had been disturbed by the work of the independent and self-appointed teachers. As the spirit of prophecy says: —

The four servants of God were sent to Antioch with the epistle and message, which put an end to all controversy; for it was the voice of the highest authority upon earth.— Id., page 70.

Paul and Silas went among the churches in Syria and Cilicia: —

"And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches established in the truth, and increased in number daily." Acts 16:4, 5.

Others who went out from the conference must have done similar work elsewhere, for at the council there had been recognition and agreement as to assignment of general fields of labor. In behalf of the council, James, Peter, and John, upon whom the Lord had laid special burden for the work among the Jewish people, had given the right hand of fellowship to the apostles commissioned of the Lord to oversee the work among the Gentile peoples to the northward. Gal. 2:9.

We have this inspired record of the first general council, or conference, showing the church in council to establish harmonious action and co-operation among all the churches; while the churches truly connected with Christ, the head, recognized the united decisions of the conference as of authority, under the word of God, in order that harmony and unity might prevail.

But already there were springing up in the church those who sought to bring in separation and error. Their spirit was one of independence and anarchy. These were not ready to accept the decision of the conference. As the spirit of prophecy says:—

All were not pleased, however, with this decision; there was a faction of false brethren who assumed to engage in a work on their own responsibility. They indulged in murmuring and faultfinding, proposing new plans, and seeking to pull down the work of the experienced men whom God ordained to teach the doctrine of Christ. The church has had such obstacles to meet from the first, and will ever have them to the close of time. — Id., page 71.

These were the elements that led the way toward apostasy and the papacy. The papacy did not spring from any excess of zeal or loyalty to gospel order and recognition of the rightful authority of the church. It sprang from opposition to order and organization. It is the spirit that must have its own way despite the counsels of the Lord and of the brethren. Against every such influence that made for separation and division the Spirit of God ceased not to bear earnest testimony through New Testament times.

W. A. Spicer

(Review and Herald, April 29, 1909)