Drafted up a day or so ago:
What was it that the Christian Jews in Jerusalem along with Peter and Paul agree to about the Gentiles, per Acts 15?
I admonish you to remember that, instead of wanting to play the Pharisee convert role which Apostle Paul in Galatians 2 called "false brethren unawares brought in".
Gal 2:1-5
2 Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
2 And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles, but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
3 But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised:
4 And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage:
5 To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you.
KJV
Therefore, brethren in Christ Jesus, don't listen to these who go about trying to establish law-keeping as a requirement to be saved, which ONLY by FAITH are we saved, and not by works of the law. The Holy Spirit Comforter is given to each believer on Jesus Christ at their baptism and will teach us as we walk with Jesus.
You admonish?
Because resting and worshipping on God's benevolent, scientifically-observed, circaseptan biorhythmic schedule is such bitter bondage?
Along with abstaining from other things that are so liberating like murder, adultery, larceny, idolatry, parental dishonor, etc.?
The Sabbath isn't Pharisaical.
If it were, Christ wouldn't have spent so much time trying to teach
them how to do it right.
He didn't have much to say about circumcision. That nonsense only came up when Jews were 'converting' to Christianity in droves after His death with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost.
So, since sexual impurity and idolatry were the only things addressed related to the Ten Commandments at the Jerusalem Council, are we to believe that the other 8 are okay to disregard and that God will just somehow do some spiritual hocus-pocus on us to make them obsolete?
What was it that Paul said about Jews and Gentiles, per Galatians 3?
Galatians 3:28 — There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Colossians 3:11 — Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all.
And, concerning the law:
...
Psalms 1
1Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
3And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
...
Doesn't sound very burdensome or binding to me. Nothing about circumcision, either. Must not have anything to do with what Paul and Peter agreed to in Acts 15.
And no wonder the New Testament calls sin "lawlessness." The psalmist seemed to know that, too. Too bad the Psalms are obsolete since they're from the Old Covenant.
The unavoidable logic that is so persistent along these lines of reasoning is truly bewildering. The hate for the idea of resting and worshipping on a regular basis is so inexplicably great today that folks will attach any kind of nonsensical baggage to the direct argument that is so obviously flimsy.
If folks showed up at nearly any church pre-Internet and started preaching this stuff, they'd have been shown the door.
It's tragic that folks don't see this as a natural outgrowth of the extraordinary toying with the world in which Christianity indulged in the '60s, '70s, and '80s. All the clamoring for rights and liberty was, for most—who are even statistically verified as unconverted—just so much posturing for license to be selfish.
Postmodernism is now fully mingled with the church in a way that, if the veil were lifted, would truly startle those who claim to oppose it.
Luke 19:14 — But his citizens hated him, and sent a message after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.
"This man" is Jesus, folks, and He was clear about the way our rebellious hearts work, so we've shifted to accentuating the Spirit (falsely so) as the authority over The Word made flesh, while ignoring Christ's instruction that the Spirit would testify of Him (John 15:26), bring all things He has said to our remembrance (John 14:26), speak not of His own authority but only what He has heard (John 16:13).
And what He, the Holy Ghost, heard was:
"If you love Me, keep my commandments."
Christ said plainly to the rich young ruler that if he wished to have eternal life, he must keep THE commandments. Are we to believe that "the law of Christ," as we are told is the New Covenant authority, is different from "THE commandments?" Into what kind of flim-flam, bait-and-switch do we think Christ is entering here?
Even if one believes that it was the Father, and not Christ, who gave the commandments at Sinai, did not Christ Himself say that He and His Father are One (John 10:30)?
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