'O GOD SEND OUT YOUR LIGHT'

The Light Continues to Shine

After Jesus' death and resurrection, light from God shone more brightly than before.  In a vision given  to Peter, Jehovah revealed that uncircumcised Gentiles could henceforth become followers of Christ.  (Acts 10:9-17) That was a revelation!  Nevertheless, a question later arose:  Did Jehovah require such Gentiles to get circumcised after they became Christians?  That question had not been answered in the vision, and the matter became a subject of heated debate among Christians.  It had to be settled, lest their precious unity be undermined.  In Jerusalem, therefore, "the apostles and the older men gathered together to see about this affair." -Acts 15:1, 2, 6.

How could those present at that meeting determine God's will for believing Gentiles?  Jehovah did not dispatch an angel to preside over the discussions,  not did he favor those present with a vision.  Still, the apostles and older men were not left entirely without direction.  They considered testimony from certain Jewish Christians who had seen how God had begun dealing with people of the nations, pouring out his holy spirit upon uncircumcised Gentiles.  They also searched the Scriptures for guidance.  As a result, the disciple James made a recommendation based on an enlightening scripture.  As they pondered  the evidence, God's will became clear.  Those of the nations did not have to get circumcised in order to enjoy Jehovah's approval.  The apostles and the older men wasted no time in putting  the decision in writing so that fellow Christians could by guided by it. -Acts 15:12-29; 16:4.

Unlike the Jewish religious leaders, who clung to the traditions of their forefathers, most Jewish Christians rejoice when they received this remarkable new  understanding of God's purpose respecting the people of the nations, even though accepting it required a change of viewpoint regarding Gentiles in general.  Jehovah blessed their humble spirit, and "the congregations continued to be made firm in the faith and to increase in number from day to day." -Acts 15:31; 16:5.

Spiritual light continued to shine throughout the first century.  But Jehovah did not reveal every aspect of his purposes to the early Christians.  The apostle Paul told first-century fellow believers:  "At present we see in a hazy outline by means of a metal mirror."  (1 Corinthians 13:12) Such a mirror did not have the best reflective surface.  At first, then, comprehension of spiritual light would be limited .  After the death of the apostles, the light grew dim for awhile, but in recent times Scriptural knowledge has become abundant.  (Daniel 12:4)  How does Jehovah enlighten his people today?  And how should we respond when he broadens our understanding of the Scriptures?

Next time: The Light Gets Progressively Brighter

Watchtower, 2000