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To: DouglasKC
But there's no question that both Jesus Christ and the Pharisee's recognized the Lord's sabbath as holy.

It appears that you still ain't gettin' it...


Acts 15:19-35
 
19"It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
 
 
 22Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers. 23With them they sent the following letter:
 
The apostles and elders, your brothers, To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul? 26men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.
 
28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.
 
 30The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers. 33After spending some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. 35But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.

79 posted on 10/11/2010 10:33:49 AM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
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To: Elsie
28It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.

If it's your assertation that these are the ONLY things that were expected of gentile Christians than early Christians must have been very unrighteous indeed.

For example could gentile Christians kill others? It's not on the list. How about coveting? It's not on the list. Stealing? It's not on the list. I think the answer is clar that these aren't the ONLY things expected of gentile Christians. So what was happening?

Well, gentile Christians came out of pagan religions and pagan cultures. It just so happens that these were the most common elements of pagan worship.

What the council determined was that in order to attend services with Jewish Christians that these things must be stopped immediatedly so as not to offend the brethren.

Act 15:19 Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God,
Act 15:20 but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.
Act 15:21 For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."

That last verse is curious. Why did they add it if they meant that the ONLY thing expected of gentile Christians was those thing?

Well it's BECAUSE they would learn the way, Christianity, from the synagogues every sabbath day.

Following your line of reasoning there were two standards of Christianity...one for Jewish Christians and one for gentile Christians. That's goes against logic, history and scripture:

Eph 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
Eph 4:6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

1Co 12:12 For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.

There's no scripture that says that Christians are to be divided. That Christian standards are different according to what you were before you became a Christian.

And again, the sabbath wasn't a controversy. If the Jewish Christians THOUGHT that this meant the overthrow of the Lord 4th commandment there would surely have been a huge argument.

But of course this didn't happen. Again this is just modern Christians attempting to justify behavior that goes against scripture. It's tradition and not supportable by scripture.

82 posted on 10/11/2010 2:40:43 PM PDT by DouglasKC
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