Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

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
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 79 | View Replies ]


To: DouglasKC
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.

I didn't WRITE the letter that was delivered to the GENTILES.

If you want to say that the SCRIPTURE is ACTS 15 is wrong; I guess you can; but for me; I'll believe is says EXACTLY what it means.

83 posted on 10/11/2010 7:04:37 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies ]

To: DouglasKC
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:

Matthew 15:21-28
 
 
21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon."
23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, "Send her away, for she is crying out after us."
24 He answered,  "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
25 But she came and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, help me."
26 And he answered, "It is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."
27 She said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table."
28 Then Jesus answered her, "O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire." And her daughter was healed instantly.

84 posted on 10/11/2010 7:14:38 PM PDT by Elsie ( Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson