Compare Acts 15:25 with Proverbs 11:14 on the importance of wise counsel. Setting the Scene in Acts 15 • The Jerusalem Council faced a divisive question about Gentile believers and the Law. • Acts 15:25: “So we all agreed to choose men and send them to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul.” – “We all agreed” shows unity forged through collective deliberation. – Leaders (apostles and elders) listened to testimony, weighed Scripture, and reached a shared decision. • Wise counsel protected the church from schism and preserved the gospel of grace. Echoes from Proverbs • Proverbs 11:14: “For lack of guidance a nation falls, but with many counselors there is deliverance.” – The proverb lays out a simple cause-and-effect: absence of counsel leads to collapse; abundance of counsel leads to rescue. • What Acts 15 models, Proverbs 11:14 teaches: diverse, godly input averts disaster and provides a path to deliverance. Principles for Today • Collective wisdom exceeds individual insight. • Counsel must come from people grounded in God’s Word (cf. Psalm 1:1–2; 2 Timothy 3:16–17). • Agreement in the Spirit safeguards both doctrine and relationships (Ephesians 4:3). • Wise counsel produces peace and clarity, not confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Walking It Out • Seek God-fearing advisers before major decisions—family, church elders, mature friends. • Compare every counsel with Scripture; the Word is the final authority (Acts 17:11). • Embrace humility: be ready to modify plans when godly counsel exposes blind spots (Proverbs 15:31). • Aim for consensus when possible; unity strengthens testimony (John 17:21). Additional Scriptures to Deepen Understanding • Proverbs 15:22 — “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” • Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 — Two are better than one; they lift each other up. • Colossians 3:16 — Let the word of Christ dwell richly as believers teach and admonish one another. |
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