Acts 15 also shows us how we should speak. In this chapter we see the patterns set up by three persons: Peter, Paul, and James. We should imitate these three persons in the way they spoke. They did not speak merely according to their own opinions but according to the observations that they had made and the sense that they had received in the church. Peter spoke according to what he had observed of God’s work in the church, as did Paul and James. Do not think that they did not have any opinions. James said, “Therefore it is my opinion” (v. 19, Chinese Union Version). This shows that he had an opinion. His opinion, however, was based on the word of God. We may speak differently from one another, but we should not speak according to our own opinion. Furthermore, we should not speak according to our preference, because that kind of speaking is mostly of the flesh. If we are concerned about the church, we must learn to speak according to what we have observed. However, when we learn to speak in this way, the Chinese should not have Chinese views, and the foreigners should not have foreigners’ views. That is not the practice of the church life. In the church you must fear God, and I must also fear God. You should not take the customs of the foreigners, and I should not take the ways of the Chinese. You have a part in the Lord’s work, and I also have a part in the Lord’s work. Thus, you should speak out what you have observed concerning the Lord’s work, and I also should speak out what I have observed regarding the Lord’s work.
Peter was thoroughly a Jew. However, in Acts 15 when many people were discussing, Peter spoke not according to his own opinion but according to the Lord’s work. He rose up and said, “Men, brothers, you know that from the early days God chose from among you that through my mouth...” (v. 7). In today’s environment hardly anyone speaks this way. On the surface we are all very humble. In the service meetings most people say, “I am not worthy to say anything. I am the least. I do not have anything to say. I do not have any opinion.” Yet when the meeting is over, they express their opinions endlessly. However, Peter was not like this. He did not speak superficially polite words. Being polite often is worse than being fleshly. Rather, Peter was speaking the truth before God without being proud. We all have to be like Peter, being completely without pride but being able to rise up to say according to the fact, “Brothers, concerning the matter of serving the Lord, I perceive that God wants us to serve in this manner.” This opinion is spiritual, not subjective. It is experiential, based on the work of God, and is not fleshly.
After Peter had finished speaking, Paul rose up to speak. Eventually, how was the matter decided? Was it according to the democratic way of the minority submitting to the majority? In Acts we see that after Peter had spoken, there was no solution, and after Paul had finished speaking, there was still no solution. One said that God gave grace to the Gentiles through him, and the other also said that God gave grace to the Gentiles through him. All those who were present in that gathering spoke thoroughly concerning what they saw related to God’s work in this matter. Therefore, in Acts 15 first we see that everyone participated in the discussion. Second, we see that in the discussion they did not speak according to their own feelings but according to the result of God’s work. They were delivered from their own opinions. Third, we see that the leading one among the children of God made a decision based upon the opinions expressed by everyone and also according to the principle in the holy Scriptures. Such a decision by the church and the Holy Spirit was spiritual. It was a decision not of man-neither of an individual nor of the majority-but of “the Holy Spirit and...us” (v. 28). How wonderful! It was a decision made by God mingled with man. Therefore, we do not make the decision by ourselves, but the Holy Spirit and we make the decision together.
In order to make this kind of decision, we need to learn to fear the Lord and live before Him. We need to learn to reject the flesh and the natural being. We also need to learn to be conscious of the church and of the work, just as Peter was conscious of the church and Paul was conscious of the work. This is to be spiritual. In the Scriptures the most spiritual matter is God being mingled with man. Although man is speaking, it seems that it is God who is speaking. It is the speaking of God mingled with man. It is not merely God speaking, nor is it merely man speaking. Rather, it is God speaking with man by being mingled with man, and it is man speaking under the Holy Spirit, that is, under the control and restriction of the Holy Spirit.
In addition, the elders should not decide any matter by themselves. Instead, they should observe the situation of the saints and also allow the saints to fully express in fellowship their feelings before God concerning the matter. Then the elders should make a decision not merely according to their own feelings but according to the feelings of all the children of God and according to the principles in the holy Scriptures as well.
In the church, decisions should not be made based merely on whatever the elders say. Neither should the elders make decisions by getting the consent of the majority of the saints when they are unsure of what to do. Any decision concerning church affairs must be the result of the operation of the Holy Spirit. Such a decision is neither of one individual nor of the majority but of “the Holy Spirit and...us.” This is spiritual, and this is the principle for the administration of the church. The administration of the church does not depend upon the opinion of one individual or upon the opinion of the majority. Please keep in mind that all our own opinions are from the enemy. Hence, in the church service we should put all our opinions aside. This is not to say that we should not have any observations or feelings. Rather, the Holy Spirit should be moving within us, and as the saints and we are gathered together, we should all lay out our feelings before the Lord and fellowship together. Then before the Lord and according to these feelings we should make a decision under the principles shown in the holy Scriptures.
In order to have a proper administration of the church we need to put aside our flesh, opinions, narrowness, negligence, and carelessness. Some are too careless, and others are too narrow. Neither is acceptable. Some are too negligent, and others are too natural. Both of these will not do. We must let the Holy Spirit make manifest the feelings of all the saints and then make a decision based upon these feelings along with the principles revealed in the Scriptures. I am not saying that if we make decisions this way, we will never make a mistake. But I dare say that even if we make a little mistake, we will still be right according to the spiritual principle. We would rather make a mistake while doing things the right way. This is the basic principle.
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