There are two major conclusions from the Jerusalem Conference, one doctrinal and timeless, the other practical and context-specific.

The Doctrinal

“Therefore I judge that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,” (v19)

Imagine an eternal stone on which God himself wrote “I woz here, April 1st, BC Infinity”. Underneath, he inscribes every timeless principle that will be outworked in his purpose.

The pronouncement of v19 is one of those. It is set in stone because it is derived from the very essence of the gospel as taught in the Old Testament, which in turn is derived from God’s very character. James prefaces the commandment with the statement that the Lord determined this “from long ago” (v18). In the eternal council of his will — that wonderful, mysterious aspect of his existence that, though we create dozens of clever theories concerning it (like my latest effort — an eternally graffitied rock — which, on second thoughts, could do with some revisions), will always escape our comprehension — the Word Himself determined that Gentiles would be of “first concern” for taking out a people for his name (v14).

Verse 19, therefore, is a doctrine drawn from the very character of God: don’t “trouble” those turning to God with ceremonial law.

The Practical

“But that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from sexual immorality and from what is strangled and from blood.” (v20)

If doctrine is a steak (and why shouldn’t it be?), then practical application is the juice that oozes out when you prod it with a fork. And since, as every intelligent person knows, ‘medium’ is the best level of doneness, so we ought to cook our doctrine for just long enough, without going too far.

If your doctrinal steak still has a heartbeat, or you hear a faint mooing sound from the front end, you haven’t thought about it for long enough. You haven’t conquered it in your mind. It’s basically still running around in the paddock. When you try to eat the doctrine, or feed it to someone else, it will feel cold and clammy — like you didn’t care when you were cooking it.

On the other hand, doctrine can also be dwelt upon with excessive fervour. It can be left to bake away to a shrivelled crisp. It can be wrung out like a sponge — to the point where the juice of practical application has evaporated up the range hood.

Don’t overcook your doctrinal steak. Serve it at just the right moment and watch it sizzle. Then don’t be surprised when your guests actually eat it, mop up all the juice with a piece of handy bread, and ask for more.