Christians should be people of peace. Jesus said that peacemakers are blessed (Matt. 5:9), and Paul warned Timothy to avoid fighting and disputing and to pursue peace (2 Tim. 2:14, 22-24). And yet, Paul himself engages in a serious argument in the opening verses of Acts 15. Is he being hypocritical or inconsistent? On the contrary, he engages in this argument for the sake of the unity and peace of the church. His love for Gentile believers compelled him to respond on their behalf.

There are some ideas that we cannot be at peace with and errors that demand a response.

Some Judeans came to Antioch and were “troubling [the church] and wanting to distort the gospel” (Gal. 1:7). This was no trivial matter. However, it is dangerous to think of every issue as a “gospel issue.” We should pray for the discernment to know how to kindly stand for the truth. Satan wants us to fight over everything and neglect the essentials, but don’t take the bait. Seek peace with all people, and be ready to stand for the gospel.

Are you willing to stand up for others when it matters the most? How do you determine what deserves a response and what deserves to be ignored?