RESTORATION IN THE NEW TESTAMENT
One example of doctrinal restoration in the New Testament is the return to the cardinal teaching of salvation by faith through God’s grace (Ephesians 2:6-9) and not by keeping the law of Moses (Romans 3:20-31), certainly not by. males being circumcised physically (Romans 2:25-29). Some brethren from Judea who were Jews (particularly of the sect of the Pharisees) were influencing Gentile Christians to be circumcised as under Moses’ law (Acts 15:1, 5). This false teaching was tantamount to insisting that Gentiles should become Jews before they could be saved by obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ! This apostacy, or falling-away, from the truth of the gospel (God’s power to save, Romans 1:16) was spreading as early as 50 AD, the year scholars believe Paul wrote his epistle to the Galatians (which addressed head-on the erroneous teaching of circumcision’s necessity for salvation; see Galatians 1:6-9; 3:11-12, 24-25; 5:1-4).
How the Galatian controversy concerning circumcision was handled by restoring the then-about 2 decades-old Christian faith with seriousness and urgency, at least before there was time for the leaven of false doctrine to spread further than the Galatian region (Paul’s concern , Galatians 5:7-18) is recorded in Galatians and Acts 15. Whether Paul wrote the epistle to the Galatians before or after the Jerusalem Council of the apostles and Jerusalem elders reported about in Acts 15, the fact remains that that Council agreed with Paul regarding the needlessness of fleshly circumcision by Gentile and Jewish converts to Christianity. Unity of belief and practice was preserved and the spread of doctrinal error thwarted,- precisely the purpose of each and every action of restoration.
Acts 15 was an extension of Paul’s inspired declaration to the Galatians on the non-necessity of fleshly circumcision for salvation. The Jerusalem meeting would address the issue for a wider reach to include the churches of Antioch, Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15:23, 30, 35). As only to be expected, its resolution would need the involvment of the apostles as well as the elders of Jerusalem, who were all Jewish converts to Christianity. Arresting the spread of false teaching coming from Jews in Judea needed the agreement of the church seniors in its place of origin, as restoration aims for unity and thus affects all parties. Enduring restoration requires in-depth yet wide-ranging scriptural discussion in an open atmosphere (Acts 15:6-21), leading to agreement among “leading men among the brethren” (Acts 15:22). Such detailed discussion should also not overlook matters of expediency and upholding the faith of those affected,- hence the regulation that the Gentile Christians respect the sensitivities of the Jews who were still reading the law of.Moses (Acts 15:19-21).
Restoration requires being of one mind (Romans 15:5-7; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Philippians 2:1-4), especially among the pillars of the churches (Acts 15:22). It also may require the circulation of communication to all brethren by text of decisions taken (Acts 15:23-31). Also, even though the Galatian controversy about circumcision had ended in rejoicing among all concerned and an exchange of well-wishes (Acts 15:22, 30-33), restoration was supplemented with follow-up scripture studies by senior brethren to firm up the correct understanding on the previously-controversial and potentially divisive issue (Acts 15:34-35).
Of course, the First Century circumcision controversy had a happy ending, to some degree because of the presence then of the Divinely-inspired apostles of our Lord. Other controversies which plagued the early church resulted in necessary division of affected congregations (1 Corinthians 11:17-18) because some elements within the churches could not agree on certain Bible teaching (Romans 16:17-18; 2 John 9-10). Either way, a desire to restore the worship and operation of the churches of our Lord to what they were in the days of the apostles will always require readiness to practise 2 Timothy 2:24-26 in imitation of Christ and His apostles (1 Corinthians 11:1) by emulating them as they remained faithful to God’s way.
The need for restoration of sound doctrine to foster unity among Bible believers is an unending task as there yet exists denominations,- a clear evidence of disunity. Adherents and keepers of the law of Moses are with us in large numbers. Some are Jews, who reject the gospel of Jesus Christ, but many others believe and confess Him as God’s only-begotten Son but do not obey His commandments (Matthew 7:21-27; 17:5; 28:18-20; John 14:15; Hebrews 1:1-2). These two groups must be led to the path of restoration to make their faith adequate and complete (as in Acts 18:24 to 19:7 as examples). It remains a task squarely on the shoulders of Christians today!
Hebrews 1:1-2 1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;