Acts 11:17 KJV
Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
The Christian faith has a tradition of rejecting established religions in favor of a personal relationship with the Lord.
Abraham walked away from the gods of his fathers
The Jews were unique from the world because they worshiped the invisible God
Jesus came to lead men away from the hypocrisy of the Jew's religion turned man centered
I recently read of a group of believers who left the Mennonite church and began holding services without church authority. The Mennonite elders appealed to them to come back under the authority of the church but to no avail; this group wanted to get back to their anabaptist roots.
Already in Acts 11 the brethren of the church in Jerusalem contended with Peter for doing something that was not accepted in their circles. Peter answered with "what was I that I could withstand against God?"
While their is certainly Biblical support for following the Lord regardless of church authority, there are also plenty of reasons why we must do so, if we do so, very cautiously. I notice a few things in our text:
Peter had definitely heard from GodAnd not just one of these, I think it is the will of God so nobody can stop me sorts of things. Peter's meeting with the Lord should be compared to our finding direct Biblical command. If the Bible says it, we must obey it regardless of the church's objection.
Peter's experience was confirmed by others
Cornelius had heard from God personally and Peter took six brethren with him who had witnessed and could confirm God's hand. If there are no others who can confirm that the move away from current church teaching is Biblical, it is the blindness of the flesh that is leading.
Peter was challenged by the church and was able to answer those challenges.He did not merely rebel against them. He was able to argue before them the hand of God. In his case, the church came to see the hand of God in leading him. In Christ's case with the Jews, that was not so. But in either case, the truth was presented well.
There are churches (and church systems) that get so far from following the Lord that we must leave them. But God has ordained His church and these sorts of changes must be done Biblically or we ourselves become guilty of rebellion as the sin of witchcraft.
Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God?
The Christian faith has a tradition of rejecting established religions in favor of a personal relationship with the Lord.
Abraham walked away from the gods of his fathers
The Jews were unique from the world because they worshiped the invisible God
Jesus came to lead men away from the hypocrisy of the Jew's religion turned man centered
I recently read of a group of believers who left the Mennonite church and began holding services without church authority. The Mennonite elders appealed to them to come back under the authority of the church but to no avail; this group wanted to get back to their anabaptist roots.
Already in Acts 11 the brethren of the church in Jerusalem contended with Peter for doing something that was not accepted in their circles. Peter answered with "what was I that I could withstand against God?"
While their is certainly Biblical support for following the Lord regardless of church authority, there are also plenty of reasons why we must do so, if we do so, very cautiously. I notice a few things in our text:
Peter had definitely heard from GodAnd not just one of these, I think it is the will of God so nobody can stop me sorts of things. Peter's meeting with the Lord should be compared to our finding direct Biblical command. If the Bible says it, we must obey it regardless of the church's objection.
Peter's experience was confirmed by others
Cornelius had heard from God personally and Peter took six brethren with him who had witnessed and could confirm God's hand. If there are no others who can confirm that the move away from current church teaching is Biblical, it is the blindness of the flesh that is leading.
Peter was challenged by the church and was able to answer those challenges.He did not merely rebel against them. He was able to argue before them the hand of God. In his case, the church came to see the hand of God in leading him. In Christ's case with the Jews, that was not so. But in either case, the truth was presented well.
There are churches (and church systems) that get so far from following the Lord that we must leave them. But God has ordained His church and these sorts of changes must be done Biblically or we ourselves become guilty of rebellion as the sin of witchcraft.
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