The Debate - Pt. 5: Conveying the Decision - The Place of the Written Message

Baptist Daily Devotional
Aug 26
3 min read

Rev Osei Kwabena Nkrahene | August 26 2025 | Acts 15:22-29

KEY VERSE: “Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter…” Acts 15:22-23 (ESV)

MESSAGE:

The letter had three key components. First was the delegation confirmation; in verses 22 and 25, the letter listed the messengers very clearly, including Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas—men of integrity and spiritual authority. This was done in order to avoid some “wrong” persons from projecting themselves as messengers of the Jerusalem Council and causing further trouble in the churches. The church clarified and affirmed the messengers.

In the second place, the letter provided doctrinal clarity. The Jerusalem Council distanced itself from the Judaizers (those people teaching the wrong doctrine that had caused the trouble in the churches), on two grounds: firstly, the letter captured the fact that the Judaizers had no authorisation from the Jerusalem church. Secondly, their teachings attempted to add to the finished work of Christ, which was unacceptable (vv. 19, 28). Finally, the letter offered practical guidance for the Gentile churches. It outlined four things the believers in Christ were to abstain from (vv. 28–29), blending moral and ceremonial concerns, to promote unity and spiritual health.

Importantly, the letter was crafted in one accord and affirmed by the Holy Spirit. Its tone was from “brothers to brothers” (v. 23), Jewish and Gentiles, one new humanity in Christ. Therefore, the tone of the letter reflected a spirit of reconciliation and love, not condemnation based on any faulty arrogance and presupposition.

Sometimes, to better capture the sense of what we intend to say, and also to capture and communicate what the Holy Spirit is saying, we need to put pen to paper.

FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:

To write is to think twice, first to think in silence, and then to think in permanence. Do you use ink to think, to capture your thoughts in writing at your work, in the management of your time and finances, and most importantly, in your interaction with God in His Word and in prayer?

Can you go back to some of the things God had said to you in the past, because you wrote them down?

PRAYER:

O Lord, Eternal Word, You spoke, and the world was formed. You wrote, and Your truth was preserved. Teach me to honour the gift of writing, not merely as a tool, but as a sacred act. Let my pen be a vessel of remembrance, my journal a sanctuary of Your voice. In the quiet, help me think with You. In the ink, help me remember You. For your dear Name’s sake, Amen. THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.

SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!

The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING Day 238: Ezra 5–7 — Prophets Encourage; Ezra Arrives

DAILY word study: LETTER The Greek word epistolē means “a letter, written message.” It is the same word used for the New Testament “epistles.”

The church put their decision into writing to confirm the truth, silence false teachers, and guide believers. Written words provide clarity, permanence, and authority. Just as the apostles wrote with the Spirit’s guidance, so Scripture itself stands as God’s written word to us—clear, enduring, and trustworthy.

Reflect on This:

Do I value writing as a way to remember God’s truth? What could I begin writing today to preserve what the Spirit is teaching me?