Would The Apostle Paul Use Twitter?

Acts 15:27 

"We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing."

The Jerusalem Church Council (JCC) did not have twitter. But if they did, it would not have been enough. Someone would need to go in person to speak with the churches as well. That’s the point of verse 27 and it is still a good point. Do you know why?

The JCC heard news from Antioch and then made some important decisions about their future. This needed to be communicated with speed and accuracy. They wanted to encourage them, correct some errors and instruct them on the new decisions of the Council. The way they do this is informative for us even today.

Admittedly it would have been convenient to tweet the Gentiles about the Jerusalem Council proceedings (Acts 15:23-29). "Heard U got mistreated by @baddies. SRY! We made NU rules 4U: 1 - NO Idol food 2 – NO blood 2B eaten 3 – NO choked meat 4 – sex B good. TKS CU @JCC."

But! While this would be quick, it would be dangerous. Too little REAL communication is happening here. There is a principle at work in this verse that I think is very significant. 

Our culture values written words. Councils, courts, official proceedings and even family meetings produce documents in order to keep what people say accountable. In the Bible times it was the other way around. They produced a short letter and sent four people to tell how it really went down.

This makes a lot of sense. Here’s what can’t be communicated in a tweet (email, SMS, blog post, chat message, letter) or written documents generally:

1. Tone of voice and body language. How exactly did Peter say that? Did he raise his eyebrows? Did he lean forward and smile or was he pursing his lips and exhaling loudly through his nose. It all matters. And none of it is captured in print. Four friends telling and retelling the events of the JCC meeting would have made a huge difference for the Gentile believers spread around the empire. This would build trust and cooperation. 

2. Answers to my new questions. Written words raise new thoughts for me. The printed page won’t answer when I ask. It admits no dialogue. Have you ever read a newspaper article and wanted to ask the journalist a couple of questions? Or a tax guide and wished there was a person who could help you? That’s what Judas and Silas together with Paul and Barnabas were for the churches.

3. Feelings. Letters try hard but can’t really convey emotion. If you have ever received a letter from a would-be love interest, you know what I mean. 

4. The stuff between the lines. The difference between getting a letter from the JCC and getting four credible witnesses to the Council’s discussion is huge. Their contribution was significant (Acts 15:32). It probably changed history!

The Jerusalem Council did a smart thing. They sent people to make the communication real. They trusted four followers of Jesus to take not just the new rules but also the spirit of the meetings forward to the churches. This would have been a wonderful blessing to these Christian communities.

If you think about it, this is a servant spirit. Written texts tend to benefit the ones trying to say something. They anchor the rules. One-on-one conversations, while longer and more involved, serve the one trying to understand something. Written stuff can be very useful (I hope so, I invest a lot in this blog), but it cannot stand alone. Paul, who wrote most of the letters in the New Testament, understood this preferring to be with people where possible. (Gal. 4:20, Phil. 1:8, 2 Tim. 1:4) 

Here are my personal decisions based on reading Acts 15:27.

• Maximise face to face. One shared cuppa is better than ten tweets
• Let social media serve my mission. Never let it be master
• Value oral truth. Trust four friend's stories more than one long email

So, would Paul use twitter? I think he would, BUT not to send the outcome of the Council proceedings. I reckon he’d use it to set up the meeting. “Will B @ANTIOCH TUES. WNT 2CU. GR8 news from JCC. Paulus.” Then he would spend time face to face serving his friends and growing the Church of Jesus. It is a balance that I want to get right too!

Questions

• Is there a communication that you need to make face to face?
• How do you control your use of social media wisely?
• Leave a comment and make this blog just a little less one-way

Epilogue:

And aren’t you glad that God doesn’t restrict Himself to Twitter. He gives us his written word and then he visits us in the person of the Holy Spirit to make it clear to us, to explain it to us. Wonderful!

Other Resources:

An interesting Article on Understanding Social Media by Douglas Groothuis (Thanks Sam). 

And, if you don't know anything about Twitter, here is a 2 min introduction.

(Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddO9idmax0o)