Acts 15:30–35 (ESV)
So when they were sent off, they went down to Antioch, and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter. And when they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. And after they had spent some time, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.
When the church at Antioch read the letter, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. Time out, what about this letter is so encouraging? It doesn’t say anything that sounds uplifting. This is its core message:
For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. — Acts 15:28–29a
There are many “burdens” not mentioned—circumcision, dietary restrictions, avoiding hundreds of things declared unclean, etc. They can stop worrying about all that stuff. To them, that’s encouraging.
And Judas and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with many words. Okay, but why does Luke mention that they were prophets and what does that mean?
Prophecy is commonly thought of as predicting the future, but that’s not what it is. A prophet is one who speaks for God. As such, prophecy can be a great source of encouragement or discouragement. To paraphrase a famous commercial, “When God speaks, people listen.” In the apostolic age, one of the key roles played by those with the gift of prophecy was to encourage and strengthen the saints.
The early Christians faced big challenges, and the Lord provided big help in the form of prophets.
While we can’t speak for God the way Judas and Silas did, we are still called to encourage people. This is one of the most important jobs for any Christian. Unfortunately, it’s easy to mess up.
We want to help people feel better, but that’s not what encouragement is, and some kinds of cheeriness can be harmful. Putting the best face on a tough situation can come across as minimizing someone’s struggles, and that’s disrespectful. It can sound like you think they’re being hysterical.
Remember, trials are for a purpose. Don’t deny them, and don’t minimize them. If you want to help someone in a trial, just be there to help them get through it.
One of the ways trials are trying is by being confusing; folks don’t understand why this is happening. You can help by coming alongside someone as they study God’s word and try to figure things out. Affirm them in their concerns, even their anger, but look for a way to understand what’s going on.
No one should have to face a trial alone.
