Acts 15 and Evangelical Tribalism

Read Acts

It is a sad but true fact that evangelicals are considered by the wider culture to be terribly tribalistic. Some perceptions are due to misunderstandings, but much of the perception is sadly well-earned. There is an arrogance among many in the church that leads them to turn their nose up towards those outside their walls. Many in the church frankly think they are better people than others.

Acts 15 records one of the most remarkable transformations of the early church. Jewish tribalism is replaced with humble acceptance. Just five chapters before Peter needed a divine vision to force him to go to a God-fearing Gentile's home. Peter, and we assume most of the church, were amazed that God’s saving grace even extended to the Gentiles. Now Peter, James, Paul, Barnabas, and the majority of this council of Jerusalem agree that Gentiles can be part of the kingdom of God, and they can be so without following the Jewish laws. These same laws that made Peter even wary of associating with anyone who couldn’t keep them fully (Cornelius probably kept them to a large degree but wasn’t circumcised) are now not even a barrier to God. Most breathtaking is James’ quote of Amos 9:11, 12 (15:16, 17) in which he declares that “all Gentiles called by [the Lord’s] name” are included in the “tent of David.” The tent of David is code for the God’s chosen and called people, but it is a code that is thoroughly Jewish. Jewish and Gentiles believers are put on equal footing.

So how does such a transformation take place? Peter’s words state it perfectly, “We believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will”(15:11). Grace is the key that tears down the barriers. If grace comes freely through the person and work of Jesus and not through a set of distinctive rules, then Gentiles are as free to take part of that salvation as Jews are. Or to put it more in James’ language, the tent of David, the people of David, is the tent of Jesus. All those in Jesus are in his tent. It is one’s relationship to Jesus and not to specific groups or rules that allows a person to take part in God’s saving benefits.

What we see in this chapter is the total abolition of tribalism and racism. An abolition due solely to grace. The most detrimental aspect of our moral superiority complex, our tribalism, is that it is totally antithetical to the heart of our faith, grace. Grace says it does matter what group you belong to. Groups don’t get you to God, Jesus does. And no one in any group deserves saving grace, thus the designation “grace.” The result is that Christians ought to be the most accepting, non-tribalistic, non-cliquish kind of people. Whatever goods we have are not earned, they are given. And they are given to us in spite of ourselves. This reminder seems particularly appropriate in view of the upcoming elections. Few things are as polarizing as politics, and sadly evangelicals are as partisan as anybody. I'm not saying we should loose our convictions, but we need to maintain them with the humility that saving grace demands of us. Even if our views are right, remember is but grace that enables you to have them.