Expressions of Faith. Acts Ch 15. On the Necks of Gentiles

⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? ¹¹ No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”

Acts 15:8-11 

There’s almost always some person or group that wants to have their way with specifics in any new group.

For the early church, circumcised believers, converted Pharisees, formed a vocal group on one issue.

• Pharisees were the strictest Jewish sect. 
• Pharisees were responsible for the hundreds of clarification laws that defined nearly every Old Testament term to the nth-degree.
• Pharisees considered dragging your toe in the dirt while walking on the Sabbath to be plowing, work, and therefore a sin. 
• Pharisees converting to Christianity felt compelled to assist those less-learned converts in the proper ways of worship.

Mandating Jewish Law in Christianity was tearing the fabric of the new church.

So much so that circumcision, a critical step in the life of all Jewish males, was being taught as a mandatory step for uncircumcised male converts.

The church in Antioch chooses Paul and Barnabas to plead the case against mandatory inclusion of Jewish Law in the church.

There was a heated debate on the topic in Jerusalem.

In Chapter 10, Peter experienced a vision from God clarifying that Jewish dietary restrictions were not to be required for Gentile Christians.

• Ultimately, he takes the floor in Jerusalem.
• The verses printed above are part of Peter’s argument.

“God’s way of salvation by grace.” replaces the desired “My way or the highway” of Jewish Law taught by the Pharisees.

What tradition from your past are you reluctant to allow other believers to ignore?

How much like circumcision is it?

The next Expressions of Faith is Trouble!

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