Recently I was turned on to a new word…Deosensus. This was courtesy of a prominent Assembly of God pastor in the region who is focusing his dissertation on this word in the context of Acts 15:28, the response of the church to the Jerusalem Council.

The passage begins: “It seemed best to both the Holy Spirit and to us…” This he explained to me was the basis for Deosensus.

The disciples had gathered together for a pivotal meeting which would decide the future of the Church and her mission. Would the longstanding doctrines of Judaism be required among the growing Gentile believers? Which doctrines were to be left off and which ones were to be strengthened? Who would lead the Gentile believers? What would they teach and preach?

To answer these questions they did just like most denominations do today…they called a meeting. However, after a very heated debate, the early Church took a radically different direction than most of our current renditions do…they went farther than seeking for “consensus” among those in attendance, they pursued Deosensus, that place where what seemed best to the Holy Spirit also seemed best to the delegates. 

In Acts 15:25 it indicates that they were all in one accord when the decision was reached. Can you imagine that? A world-wide Church movement reached a unified decision in council and a unified decision regarding doctrine at that!

How did they get there? Through Deosensus…listening or sensing the prompting of the Spirit to do what is best and basing your corporate decision upon that revelation.

So with the CoG General Assembly just over two weeks away I pray that God will bring us to the point of Deosensus…because I believe we want what is best and not anything less.

Trusting for the best,

Darrell Buttram, Jr.