THE CHURCH ALIVE
"The Great Debate"
Acts 15
November 30, 1997
Dr. Ernest L. Easley
Tonight we are continuing our study through
the book of Acts! We come now to chapter 15. So ..
take your Bible and turn please to Acts chapter 15.
Now .. chapter 14 concluded with Paul and
Barnabas reporting back to the church at Antioch
what all had occurred during their first missionary
journey! We read in Acts 14.28, "So they stayed
there a long time with the disciples."
Now when you come to chapter 15 you find a
debate taking place among the church members! Can
you imagine such a thing? A debate in the church
house!!
You say, "Pastor, what were they debating
about? The color of the carpet? The size of the
building? The amount of the budget?" No! They
were debating how a person gets' to Heaven!! Not
everybody in that day agreed with Paul and Barnabas
on how a person gets' to heaven!
Well .. let's find out what happened to them and
then how it applies to us. Let's begin reading in verse
1 of Acts 15 as we think tonight for a few minutes on:
THE GREAT DEBATE
Acts 15.1-5
Now as we think for a few minutes tonight on
The Great Debate ...
(1) THE CAUSE OF THE GREAT DEBATE.
You need not go any further than verse 1 to find
the cause of the great debate! Notice that the great
debate was over ...
-the doctrine that was taught. (v.1)
Verse 1, "And certain men came down from
Judea and taught the brethren, 'Unless you are
circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you
cannot be saved."
In other words .. before you can be saved .. you
must first become a Jew! And those legalists were
teaching that faith alone was not enough to be saved!
And today we still have the legalists! And some of
them are pastors of churches!
Some of them say that salvation is by grace
through faith. Others are saying that if you want to
be saved that you have to be baptized .. join their
particular church ...
"The Great Debate"
Acts 15
November 30, 1997
Dr. Ernest L. Easley
Tonight we are continuing our study through
the book of Acts! We come now to chapter 15. So ..
take your Bible and turn please to Acts chapter 15.
Now .. chapter 14 concluded with Paul and
Barnabas reporting back to the church at Antioch
what all had occurred during their first missionary
journey! We read in Acts 14.28, "So they stayed
there a long time with the disciples."
Now when you come to chapter 15 you find a
debate taking place among the church members! Can
you imagine such a thing? A debate in the church
house!!
You say, "Pastor, what were they debating
about? The color of the carpet? The size of the
building? The amount of the budget?" No! They
were debating how a person gets' to Heaven!! Not
everybody in that day agreed with Paul and Barnabas
on how a person gets' to heaven!
Well .. let's find out what happened to them and
then how it applies to us. Let's begin reading in verse
1 of Acts 15 as we think tonight for a few minutes on:
THE GREAT DEBATE
Acts 15.1-5
Now as we think for a few minutes tonight on
The Great Debate ...
(1) THE CAUSE OF THE GREAT DEBATE.
You need not go any further than verse 1 to find
the cause of the great debate! Notice that the great
debate was over ...
-the doctrine that was taught. (v.1)
Verse 1, "And certain men came down from
Judea and taught the brethren, 'Unless you are
circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you
cannot be saved."
In other words .. before you can be saved .. you
must first become a Jew! And those legalists were
teaching that faith alone was not enough to be saved!
And today we still have the legalists! And some of
them are pastors of churches!
Some of them say that salvation is by grace
through faith. Others are saying that if you want to
be saved that you have to be baptized .. join their
particular church ...
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