I need to correct one of my unthought-out comments uttered a time or two over the last couple of weeks:
I referred to Silas or Judas reading the letter that their church had sent to Antioch.
Even though these two verses are filled with half a dozen confusing pronouns,
It wasn’t that it was passed around the room and everyone put their finger prints on it and underlined comments that were a special blessing to them.
One of the pastors of the Antioch church stood before the gathered assembly and publicly read the epistle from the Jerusalem church.
Having clarified that, I’d like to spend a few minutes this evening thinking about Luke’s comment:
“They rejoiced for the consolation.”
I know that I touched on this thought a week ago, but I’d like to expand it just a little bit.
I will not keep you long this evening.
They rejoiced for the CONSOLATION, and they rejoiced for the EXHORTATION.
As I pointed out last week, the Greek word “paraklesis” ( par-ak’-lay-sis ) has been translated “consolation” 14 times and “exhortation” 8 times.
That may be a tiny bit confusing, but it’s not a terrible problem.
And certainly, none of us have the authority or right to edit the Bible to correct a perceived contradiction.
I think that in this case both words blend perfectly.
The church in Antioch was consoled by the news that they didn’t need to obey the ceremonial law,
And they were exhorted to live Godly in Christ Jesus.
And there was very probably considerable grief over this issue.
How would you feel if one of the members of our church rejected the doctrine that God directly and miraculously created the universe and all life in it.
How would you feel if he began arguing with other members after the services about this doctrine?
What if he was confronted by several members but refused to be corrected or convinced?
How would you feel if he converted another family or two in the church to his opinion?
What if this actually created a church-split over the doctrine of Evolution, and those converts started meeting across the road, calling themselves the Evolutionary Baptist church?
I would be in mourning, and my heart would grieve whenever I saw their empty seats, or their cars across the road.
That would be a great day – a day of rejoicing.
In a similar sort of way, the church in Antioch was consoled by the letter from Jerusalem.
That letter brought about an end to the sorrow that many of them had over this issue.
Perhaps, they had seen that some of their friends were being swayed from the Gospel,
It might be likened to a child who has been lost in the woods for three days, being found safe and sound.
There may have also been some of the members who rejoiced that they were PROVEN to be RIGHT.
This is a little be different, but still acceptable if the heart was truly right.
Those Gentiles had been raised in heathen idolatry, but the Holy Spirit had convinced them of their sin and their need of Christ.
They had no desire to be circumcised or to start obeying any of the ceremonial laws of Moses.
They agreed with Paul and Barnabas that salvation was by grace through faith and that the works of the law had nothing to do with their redemption.
They knew, down in the depths of their hearts that it was not necessary to become Jewish proselytes.
And now with the reading of this letter, their understanding of the scriptures had been vindicated.
They were right and they rejoiced to know that they were right.
And they rejoiced because, as Peter had said during his comments down in Jerusalem,
Those Gentiles knew that they wouldn’t be able to keep the law any better than the Jews had done.
“Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?”
How often are we expected to do something which we hate to do or we know that we are incapable of doing as well as it needs to be done?
So we dread that upcoming medical procedure, or keeping that difficult appointment, or starting that task.
For weeks those Gentile saints had been dreading the thought of being told that they would HAVE to start keeping the Old Testament ceremonial law.
It was not only distasteful, but they knew that it would be impossible.
But then came the word that it would not be necessary.
They rejoiced with exceeding joy for the consolation that the letter brought.
A.T. Robertson says that they “burst into exultant joy.”
Perhaps it needs to be pointed out that they rejoiced; THEY DIDN’T GLOAT.
I’m sure that it must have been tempting to get in the face of their tormenters and declare: “We told you so.”
Some of the weaker brethren might have been tempted toward pride – they had been right, while those JEWISH Christians were dead wrong.
But this verse doesn’t refer to anything negative in their reaction to the letter.
There was no malicious pleasure in their joy.
Then additionally, as A.T. Robertson says about the Greek word “paraklesis”, “Consolation and exhortation run into one another in this word.”
Exhortation should be a regular part of ecclesiastical preaching.
And in this case the brethren were EXHORTED to abstain from immorality and idolatry.
And how did they react? They REJOICED for the exhortation.
This leads us into an area about which we probably don’t think often enough.
These people REJOICED to be told what they should do to please the Lord.
They REJOICED to be reminded to stay away from the old sins which had displeased the Lord so much.
Do you ENJOY being told what to do?
Do you rejoice in exhortation?
Do you rejoice in being reminded about your duties?
Do you rejoice in REBUKE?
There is probably much in those questions that can reveal your true nature.
There once was a man named Balaam, whose life was a spiritual train-wreck.
He professed to be a servant of the Lord, but there was very little evidence of that.
He was being tempted into making a fist full of money on a single immoral and illegal business transaction.
But when the deal was sweetened to the point where he couldn’t refuse it, he started to make the trip necessary to close the transaction.
Then he faced one of the sweet-faced angels of the Lord, who happened to have a sword drawn against him, but he still went on.
Perhaps some of the Syrians were even rebuked by the contents of that letter, as was Balaam
But they rejoiced for the exhortation.
But Balaam is long gone, and he has to face God for his reaction to God’s exhortation.
And now here we are with the letter of God before us and the prophets of God to reiterate the written Word.
How do we respond to the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
Does our face get red with anger and the veins on our foreheads stand out when our besetting sins are exposed?
These people rejoiced for the consolation, which we can fully understand.
But it appears that they also rejoiced for the exhortation.
How about you?