peaceable

This week we begin worship with:

James 3:16-17

Where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.

The Jerusalem Council could have gone wrong, very wrong.  

There was a debate going on in Antioch as to whether the newly converted Gentiles had to abide by the law of Moses (including circumcision).  Paul and Barnabas, understanding it was not required by grace, argued against the "party of the Pharisees" and had "no small dissension and debate with them" (Acts 15:2,5).

They appealed to the elders at Jerusalem, and after much debate Peter (a Jew himself) stood up and pointed them back to the Gentile miraculous inclusion and James (also a Jew), suggested a limited set of requirements that had been recited by generations as part of the liturgy of the synagogues since the time of the Babylonian exile (Acts 15:19-21).  This ". . . seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, . . . " and a communication was sent out with the decision.

Imagine instead if, as described in here James, there was "jealousy and selfish ambition".  Imagine the "disorder" that would have occurred.  What if people were not "open to reason"?  What if they were not "impartial and sincere".

Peace is elusive.

Psalm 34:13-14

Keep your tongue from evil

    and your lips from speaking deceit.

Turn away from evil and do good;

    seek peace and pursue it.

Peace starts with our own tongue.  To "keep" (nāṣar) it, is the word picture of a watchman or door keeper.  Don't let anything out that is not "full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere".