I suppose many people may think that it is not too important to consider what God has on His agenda at the present time, but I believe all who think like this will one day have a change of mind. If, in fact, the Bible just happens to be the Word of God, which I believe it is, and if the Word of God just happens to be fully truthful, and I do also believe this, then it is imperative that we do what we can to learn what the Bible says, and what it means, as far as we can. I have never met anyone who has claimed to understand everything in the Bible, and I surely do not make such a claim. However, I think like one person whom I heard say, “It is not the part of the Bible that I do not understand that concerns me; it is the part that I do understand.” I think there is merit in this statement, for all of us likely understand more of the Bible than what we constantly practice.
With this said, we will look at Acts 15:13-18 again: “And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me: Simeon (Peter) hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name. And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord, Who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all His works form the beginning of the world.”
Please do not tire or grow weary from seeing the same verses for several articles, for there is more here than can be covered in one or two articles. I want to say something more about God’s visitation of the Gentiles. First, I need to say that all who are not Jews are Gentiles, for the words “Gentiles, nations and heathen” are all the same Greek word; and the same is true of the Hebrew word used for “Gentiles”. So, the Bible is saying that God is presently visiting the nations of the world to take out of those nations a people for His name. I think I just said something, for the church, which is basically made up of Gentiles, or the nations other than Israel, is being formed out of the various nations of the world. So, God’s work is not primarily the programs that are enjoyed by believers at the local church, although that is fine, but God’s work goes far beyond entertainment for the church family, in that it is to be a universal work of making the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection for the sins of all humanity known to the entire world. Churches that are not involved in world missions are failing to see the big picture that God wants them to see. No, every church may not have missionaries going from it to the various countries of the world, but every church should be involved in helping to send missionaries by partnership with other churches. The point is that God wants His message of salvation to spread across the entire world. James, the brother of Jesus, and likely the pastor of the Jerusalem church, is telling the people at the church meeting at Jerusalem that God is visiting the nations (Gentiles is also translated “nations”) to take out of them a people for His name. One other point needs to be emphasized here, and that is that the people who come to Christ from any nation are called to salvation for the purpose of being a “people for His name”. We sometimes forget this and suppose that the local church is only for the sake of human relationships!
By J. Briggs King, Rainsville, AL (678) 451-0921