Hesitancy in Receiving Paul Bt the Church at Jerusalem

    Faith in Jesus Christ is the only bond of the union of Christians, and no questions ought ever to be put to any who seek admission among them, but such as are intended to ascertain this. To refuse any whom Christ has received, is as sinful as to receive those whom Christ has rejected. It is the very spirit of antichrist. Some may think that they discover zeal for the honour of Christ, when they insist on perfect conformity in order to fellowship. But like the Hebrews to whom Paul wrote, they need to be taught the first principles of the oracles of God. Accordingly, we find that when any, in the days of the apostles, confessed their faith in Christ, they were admitted among the disciples. But this fact is misinterpreted by others, and is alleged to justify the admission even of Arians. Do they not, it is said, confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? No; they do not confess this. They confess it in words, not in meaning. And that true faith, as far as it can be ascertained, is required for a right of admission, is clear from the fact above referred to, with respect to the hesitancy of the church at Jerusalem, in relation to the reception of Paul. They did not take his mere confession, when they had cause of suspicion that his confession was feigned. He was received not simply on his confession, but on the recommendation of Barnabas.

    What a providential thing, then, was it that Paul was stopped a moment at the door of the church at Jerusalem! Even an apostle was not received on his mere profession, when there was ground of suspicion. This providential occurrence, then, is the way in which Jesus Christ teaches us this part of his will. Instead of giving a general direction, with partial exceptions, he gives us the rule and the exceptions in the record of the practice of the first churches.

    Let us never forget, in reading the Scriptures, that we are reading the oracles of God; and that every part of them is calculated to be useful. Let us ponder on them, and search them, as for hidden treasure, and we will not fail to be enriched with knowledge.