No Chaos

DEVOTION

THE BOOK OF ACTS

NO CHAOS

Acts 23:6-10

6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, "My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead." 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) 9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. "We find nothing wrong with this man," they said. "What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?" 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.

NIV

Although they were all Jews there was a denominational dispute of sorts and Paul was well aware of all of it and he used it to cause disruption in the proceedings that was supposed to find his guilt against the law. What is interesting is what each side or faction of Judaism believe. Why would the Sadducees not believe in a resurrection? What would be the point of adhering to a faith that had no resurrection or did not believe in angels or spirits? That kind of belief has no hope of life after death and so how would they find any purpose for their lives or purpose for believing in any special behaviors or standard for a righteous life? If when they died it was simply over, finished, with not ever having any idea they had ever lived, why would they even believe in God? Now although the Pharisees were still entrenched in the law, they at least believed living by the law brought them life after death, and that God has sent angels and spirits to interact with people for special reasons. But the point here is that they were so dedicated to their own beliefs they could not stand united in the purpose of their meeting. Sometimes it seems as things have not changed much in our post-modern Christianity. We have divided our beliefs into fractions that simply cannot agree with the other’s interpretation of the Scripture. Some have even said or written some pretty nasty things about what others believe. Are we only supposed to encourage and build each other up with those who believe exactly as we do?  Are we supposed to, or allow to discourage and tear down those who believe differently? Do we engage in disputes as violent as those Sadducees and Pharisees did? Perhaps not in the open as they did, but it seems we have this underlying theme of disrespect for others who cannot see the truth as we do, at least as far as general denominationalism is concerned. Surely even within the same church we are going to encounter those who believe slightly differently than we do.  Paul used this difference to create chaos but also to express the truth about the resurrection. We should not allow anyone to create that kind of chaos within Christianity. Surely Satan makes every effort to do just that. We need to be united in Spirit and in truth. In fact it was Paul who wrote to the Ephesians about the fact that God gave the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach the unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Paul went on to tell them and us that when that happens we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Paul told them that instead we should be speaking the truth in love and that we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, that means all denominations, all those who believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God, who came and died for our sins, and rose again and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, is joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does it work. That does not just apply to all those who believe exactly as we do, but to all those who believe. There simply is no room for chaos.