Day ninety eight

Acts 15: 28, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us." We can read that without thinking how mind-blowing a statement it is. This was said by James, the brother of Jesus, at the first church council. They were having a debate/discussion/argument about the Old Testament Law. It was clearly given to the children of Israel (Jacob). No other nation in Old Testament times was expected to follow it. No other nation was judged for not living by it.

But now the gospel had spread to Gentiles and there were people in the Church saying that people who were not descendants of Jacob had to follow the Law. The main issue was circumcision. No restrictions were laid on female converts. Paul had been arguing that the Law doesn't apply to anyone not descended from Jacob. If pushed, he probably would have said that Jesus fulfilled the Law anyway. But he wasn't, so he didn't.

In summing up the decision of the church council (it didn't go to the vote - the majority is not always right {just collectively wrong!}), James said, "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us."

It's mind-blowing! "It seemed good to ... us" is one thing. We all agree. We have reached a consensus! There is a common view among us.

"It seemed good to the Holy Spirit" is something else.

How did they know that "It seemed good to the Holy Spirit"?

How do we know today?

I had a very long phonecall from my chair of district yesterday and she offered me a solution for my future. It was something I have been thinking about, but not with the same detail.

Does it seem good to us? Yes!

But does that mean it seemed good to the Holy Spirit as well?

As we both independently had the same idea, does that mean the idea was Spirit-inspired?

It would sort my future out perfectly, if I did what she suggested, but is that just me going for what I see as the ideal solution for me, or is that the Holy Spirit?

In the early church it was the right move. As the centuries progressed the Church ignored what "seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us", and introduced the Old Testament Law into church practice, and look at the trouble that has caused.

So, I don't have an answer, but I have something else to consider.