Agreeing to Disagree - A Lesson from Acts 15

Over the past twelve weeks, I’ve had the privilege of co-leading an in-depth Bible study on the Book of Acts at the Presbyterian Church in Milford. As we studied the remarkable growth of the early church, one chapter in particular that stood out to me was Acts 15. It’s a remarkable story about conflict, compromise, and ultimately, Christian unity.

Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgive each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

In Acts 15, the early believers faced a serious disagreement. The question was whether Gentile converts needed to follow Jewish customs to be true followers of Jesus. The debate was passionate, and opinions were strong on both sides. Yet rather than allowing division to take root, the apostles and elders came together in Jerusalem to talk, pray, and listen to one another and to the Holy Spirit.

What happened next is a masterclass in godly discernment. They didn’t resort to name-calling or walk away from the table. They listened carefully, sought God’s wisdom, and reached a Spirit-led compromise that preserved the truth of the gospel while maintaining fellowship. The result wasn’t that everyone got their own way, but that the church remained united in mission and love.

It’s hard not to see the relevance of this passage today. Our world, and even our nation, feels deeply divided. Political, social, and moral issues can easily turn friends into opponents and conversations into battlefields. Too often, we speak before we listen and react before we reflect. Name calling and intimidation seem to be the norm.

But Acts 15 reminds us that there is another way. As followers of Christ, we are called to model humility, patience, and civility even when we disagree. Compromise, when guided by the Holy Spirit, isn’t a sign of weakness; it’s a sign of strength. It means we care more about relationships than being right, and more about building bridges than winning arguments.

Martin Luther famously wrote: “A Christian is a perfectly free lord of all, subject to none. A Christian is a perfectly dutiful servant of all, subject to all.” That paradox lies at the heart of Acts 15. In Christ, we are free from the law, free from the burden of earning salvation. Yet that very freedom calls us to love and serve our neighbor, even if it means limiting our own freedom.

Few chapters in Scripture have shaped the life of the Christian church as deeply as Acts 15. The “Jerusalem Council” records the first great gathering of church leaders to wrestle with a crucial question: How do we handle disagreement among believers without fracturing the body of Christ? I personally have found a wonderful lesson for all of us in today’s complex society as well as in our local worship community.

Perhaps if we practiced the same kind of grace-filled dialogue the apostles modeled, we’d find more peace in our homes, our churches, and even our communities and hopefully in the world. The early church didn’t grow because everyone agreed on everything. It grew because believers learned to love each other, even when they didn’t. That’s a message worth remembering, especially in times like these.

Lords Loving Peace,

Craig