What Jesus said about the religious

[H. Richard]

When you read Mathew 23: 1-35 we see what Jesus said of the religious Pharisees of the time. Fast forward to today and we can see that what Jesus said is true in the religions of today.

Matt 23:1-16
Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees (Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47)
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'
8 But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say,'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing
17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'
19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.
22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30 and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'
31 "Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.
33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
NKJV

 

[farouk]

When you read Mathew 23: 1-35 we see what Jesus said of the religious Pharisees of the time. Fast forward to today and we can see that what Jesus said is true in the religions of today.

Matt 23:1-16
Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees (Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47)
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'
8 But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say,'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing
17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'
19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.
22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30 and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'
31 "Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.
33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
NKJV

Well, exactly.

We need to keep looking unto Jesus (Hebrews 12.2) with a living, Biblical hope, and not to young men who think they know better because they have been to seminary.

 

[quietthinker]

When you read Mathew 23: 1-35 we see what Jesus said of the religious Pharisees of the time. Fast forward to today and we can see that what Jesus said is true in the religions of today.

Matt 23:1-16
Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees (Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47)
1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples,
2 saying: "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.
3 Therefore whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.
4 For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
5 But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments.
6 They love the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues,
7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'
8 But you, do not be called 'Rabbi'; for One is your Teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren.
9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; for One is your Father, He who is in heaven.
10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ.
11 But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant.
12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.
13 "But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in.
14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.
16 "Woe to you, blind guides, who say,'Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing
17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifies the gold?
18 And, 'Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gift that is on it, he is obliged to perform it.'
19 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift?
20 Therefore he who swears by the altar, swears by it and by all things on it.
21 He who swears by the temple, swears by it and by Him who dwells in it.
22 And he who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits on it.
23 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.
27 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30 and say, 'If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'
31 "Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers' guilt.
33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
34 Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city,
35 that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
NKJV

Personally, I hear the word 'religious' to mean pious appearing hypocrites but the fact is that the is term (religious) can mean and apply to several understandings. It is therefore expedient to know how your audience understands the word before making your above assumption otherwise you misinterpret. Paul uses the term in a positive sense.

 

[H. Richard]

Personally, I hear the word 'religious' to mean pious appearing hypocrites but the fact is that the is term (religious) can mean and apply to several understandings. It is therefore expedient to know how your audience understands the word before making your above assumption otherwise you misinterpret. Paul uses the term in a positive sense.

All through history men have made up religions and in doing so controlled others. The meaning of the word religion is "WHAT MAN DOES FOR THE GOD THEY THINK EXISTS. There are many religions in the world and not all of them are called Christian.

True Christianity is not about what man does. It is about what Jesus (GOD) has done and """yes there is a great difference.""

By the way, since most of what I posted came from Jesus your argument is with Him, not me.

 

[BreadOfLife]

All through history men have made up religions and in doing so controlled others. The meaning of the word religion is "WHAT MAN DOES FOR THE GOD THEY THINK EXISTS. There are many religions in the world and not all of them are called Christian.

True Christianity is not about what man does. It is about what Jesus (GOD) has done and """yes there is a great difference.""

By the way, since most of what I posted came from Jesus your argument is with Him, not me.

Actually - your comment in RED is only HALF right.
Our response to what He did completes the definition.

Christ alone is not Christianity - He is CHRIST.
Christ plus his faithful servants = Christianity. In other words - His CHURCH, which is His Body and He is the Head.

 

[quietthinker]

By the way, since most of what I posted came from Jesus your argument is with Him, not me.

Just to keep matters clear and in context H.Richard, it is you who have interpreted the word 'religious' not Jesus. His beef was with the hypocrites in the religious system not the word 'religious' as such.

We must be mindful of the terms we use for there are many new believers who can be unwittingly misled by questionable language. Let us make it easy for them to understand the intent of scripture rather than throwing stumbling blocks or leading them down blind alleys

 

[Windmillcharge]

When you read Mathew 23: 1-35 we see what Jesus said of the religious Pharisees of the time. Fast forward to today and we can see that what Jesus said is true in the religions of today.

Note what Jesus actually said:-
2 “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteriesa wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6 they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7 they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

Particularly verse 3, do what they say, not what they do.
As other have said it was thier hypocrisy that he was against and it is our hypocrisy
he is against.

 

[H. Richard]

The problem with the religious is that they do not remember the past.

It was the religious that jailed and sometimes killed the Prophets, had Jesus killed, killed Stephens and persecuted Paul's converts. When a person fails to see that then they will fall under the teachings of the religious and do as they have done.

I, personally, do not think Jesus just improved an existing religious church or started a new and improved religious church and all of them teaching a Theology developed by man. Under grace no one has to go through a man ran religious church to be saved. Jesus spoke about this.

John 5:37-40
37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.
38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.
39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me.
40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
NKJV

Many, today, think that if they are a member of a church, are baptized, support the church, and develop the right Theology they will be saved. But those things are not going to HIM.

 

[justbyfaith]

Indeed, religion only cleanses the outside of the cup and platter; real bona fide living and saving faith in Jesus Christ actually purifies the heart.

Acts of the Apostles 15:8-9 (kjv), Matthew 5:8.

 

[Enoch111]

Just to keep matters clear and in context H.Richard, it is you who have interpreted the word 'religious' not Jesus.

Correct. James was giving us the mind of Christ in this verse.

Pure religion* and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

So, before God and the Father, there is such a thing as pure religion.

*Strong's Concordance (2356)
thréskeia: religion
Original Word: θρησκεία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: thréskeia
Phonetic Spelling: (thrace-ki'-ah)
Definition: religion
Usage: (underlying sense: reverence or worship of the gods), worship as expressed in ritual acts, religion.

 

[justbyfaith]

And that is helping orphans and widows in their distress, and keeping yourself unspotted from the world.

Most people who are what we call religious don't even come close to doing this.

Their religion is identified by Jesus' words in Matthew 15:8 and Mark 7:6:

Mat 15:8, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

Mar 7:6, He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

 

[H. Richard]

Correct. James was giving us the mind of Christ in this verse.

Pure religion* and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

So, before God and the Father, there is such a thing as pure religion.

*Strong's Concordance (2356)
thréskeia: religion
Original Word: θρησκεία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: thréskeia
Phonetic Spelling: (thrace-ki'-ah)
Definition: religion
Usage: (underlying sense: reverence or worship of the gods), worship as expressed in ritual acts, religion.

James was under the law of Moses and part of the Jewish religion and he wrote to the Jews who were under the Law of Moses (James 1:1).

 

[justbyfaith]

Those who are in Christ are not under the law of Moses, Romans 6:14, whether they be Jew or Gentile.

 

[Enoch111]

James was under the law of Moses and part of the Jewish religion and he wrote to the Jews who were under the Law of Moses (James 1:1).

That's totally incorrect. James was writing as a Christian to Hebrew Christians. How could he be "under the Law of Moses" if he called himself "a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ"?

James was in fact DISTANCING HIMSELF from the Jews who were under the Law of Moses: For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. (Acts 15:21)

And in any event, that has no bearing on the fact that there is such a thing as pure religion as opposed to impure or hypocritical religion.

 

[Enoch111]

Those who are in Christ are not under the law of Moses, Romans 6:14, whether they be Jew or Gentile.

We have some people nowadays who are promoting the fallacy that James was under the Law of Moses. Since James had met the risen Lord Jesus Christ personally and become His servant or bond-slave, that is absolute rubbish.

After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. (1 Cor 15:7)

 

[quietthinker]

James was under the law of Moses and part of the Jewish religion and he wrote to the Jews who were under the Law of Moses (James 1:1).

Could you please explain what you understand being 'under the law of Moses and part of the Jewish religion' means to you.

 

[H. Richard]

Could you please explain what you understand being 'under the law of Moses and part of the Jewish religion' means to you.

I will be glad to do it.

Up until God set the Jews aside the Jews were under the law. There are no words in the 4 gospels or the first 8 or so chapters of Acts that sets aside the Jews or the Law of Moses. Jesus taught the law. He never rescinded the law of Moses for the Jews while He was on the earth.

If you read Acts 21:20 it is clear that James was not teaching what Paul was teaching since Paul was teaching that under grace the law has been set aside.

Acts 21:20-21:

20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, "You see, brother (Paul), how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;

***verse 20: The "BELIEVERS" in Jesus "WERE ZEALOUS FOR THE LAW." That can only mean they still believed in keeping the Law.

21 "but they (the Jewish believers) have been informed about you that you teach all the JEWS who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

***verse 21, Point 1: The above is NOT talking about Jewish unbelievers. That would be an assumption. The words "but they" in Acts 21, verse 21 is still talking about the Jewish believers in verse 20. I believe, since it is in the same context, it was the believing Jews that were being talked about.

***verse 21, Point 2: It can easily be seen that what was upsetting the Jewish "believers" is that Paul was teaching the Jews (out in the Gentile world) that they do not have to be circumcised or follow the Law of Moses. Please notice that this is not the same problem as in Acts 15 about what the Gentiles had to do. ---- What was Paul teaching that upset the Jews?

Galatians 5:3-6
3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
NKJV

***My comment: Have you really considered the implications of what the Jewish believers were being taught by James and the elders? ---- If the Jewish believers got upset by Paul teaching """Jews""" (out in the Gentile world) that they did not have to be circumcised or follow the Law of Moses, then what “”were”” James and the Elders teaching the Jews in Jerusalem?

***My comment: For those that refuse to open their minds and see the truth as shown in Acts 21, and continue to support the idea that James and the Elders were teaching the same gospel Paul was teaching, I say this; If James and the elders were teaching the same thing that Paul was teaching, the believing Jews in Jerusalem certainly didn’t know about it because they weren’t upset at them. This is so obvious that everyone should be able to see it.

Paul's gospel of God's grace excluded the Law, but, obviously, James and the elders were not teaching this to the Jews in Jerusalem.

The fact remains that if the Jewish believers were being taught the same gospel that Paul was teaching the Jewish BELIEVERS would have known they did not have to be circumcised or follow the Jewish Law.

But we see that James and the elders were not upsetting the believing Jews by teaching salvation by faith, without the works of the Law, therefore I must conclude that the message James and the Elders were teaching was not the same as Paul's. If it were, they would have been subject to the Jew's displeasure as well.

 

[justbyfaith]

Paul taught obedience to the law to the Gentiles. In order for them to come to that place however, they had to first be given a large dose of the grace of God; and that was what Paul was all about.

Scriptures: Romans 8:4, Romans 8:7, Romans 5:5 w/ Romans 13:8-10,

Hebrews 8:8-10, Hebrews 10:16 (disregard if you think it impossible that Paul might have written Hebrews).

Romans 15:18 (kjv).

The Holy Spirit is the true author of scripture. If James taught a different gospel than the gospel taught by Paul, then we need to disregard James' epistle as uninspired and also as a danger to our salvation; since Paul wrote that if anyone preached a different gospel than what he had preached to the Gentiles, let him be accursed.

Personally, I find James' epistle to be edifying. It is meatier than most books of the Bible; you have to have a large understanding of God's grace in order to be able to digest it properly (i.e. you need to be mature in your understanding of the grace of God).

 

[quietthinker]

I will be glad to do it.

Up until God set the Jews aside the Jews were under the law. There are no words in the 4 gospels or the first 8 or so chapters of Acts that sets aside the Jews or the Law of Moses. Jesus taught the law. He never rescinded the law of Moses for the Jews while He was on the earth.

If you read Acts 21:20 it is clear that James was not teaching what Paul was teaching since Paul was teaching that under grace the law has been set aside.

Acts 21:20-21:

20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, "You see, brother (Paul), how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law;

***verse 20: The "BELIEVERS" in Jesus "WERE ZEALOUS FOR THE LAW." That can only mean they still believed in keeping the Law.

21 "but they (the Jewish believers) have been informed about you that you teach all the JEWS who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs.

***verse 21, Point 1: The above is NOT talking about Jewish unbelievers. That would be an assumption. The words "but they" in Acts 21, verse 21 is still talking about the Jewish believers in verse 20. I believe, since it is in the same context, it was the believing Jews that were being talked about.

***verse 21, Point 2: It can easily be seen that what was upsetting the Jewish "believers" is that Paul was teaching the Jews (out in the Gentile world) that they do not have to be circumcised or follow the Law of Moses. Please notice that this is not the same problem as in Acts 15 about what the Gentiles had to do. ---- What was Paul teaching that upset the Jews?

Galatians 5:3-6
3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.
4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.
5 For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
NKJV

***My comment: Have you really considered the implications of what the Jewish believers were being taught by James and the elders? ---- If the Jewish believers got upset by Paul teaching """Jews""" (out in the Gentile world) that they did not have to be circumcised or follow the Law of Moses, then what “”were”” James and the Elders teaching the Jews in Jerusalem?

***My comment: For those that refuse to open their minds and see the truth as shown in Acts 21, and continue to support the idea that James and the Elders were teaching the same gospel Paul was teaching, I say this; If James and the elders were teaching the same thing that Paul was teaching, the believing Jews in Jerusalem certainly didn’t know about it because they weren’t upset at them. This is so obvious that everyone should be able to see it.

Paul's gospel of God's grace excluded the Law, but, obviously, James and the elders were not teaching this to the Jews in Jerusalem.

The fact remains that if the Jewish believers were being taught the same gospel that Paul was teaching the Jewish BELIEVERS would have known they did not have to be circumcised or follow the Jewish Law.

But we see that James and the elders were not upsetting the believing Jews by teaching salvation by faith, without the works of the Law, therefore I must conclude that the message James and the Elders were teaching was not the same as Paul's. If it were, they would have been subject to the Jew's displeasure as well.

you have made many words but not answered my question!

 

[H. Richard]

The Holy Spirit is the true author of scripture. If James taught a different gospel than the gospel taught by Paul, then we need to disregard James' epistle as uninspired and also as a danger to our salvation; since Paul wrote that if anyone preached a different gospel than what he had preached to the Gentiles, let him be accursed.

You have jumped to a false concussion. What James wrote was specifically written to the Jews (James 1:1) teaching the law. But the religious say that since it is in the Bible it is written to the Gentiles too. That is a false concussion. Either it was written to the Jews only or James 1:1 is a lie.

Again you refuse to admit that those believing Jews were only mad a Paul and not James. Common sense tells me that James was teaching that the Jews were still under the Law and Paul was teaching that they were not.

But the religious stick their heads in the sand and say they were teaching the same things when common sense says they were not.