One of the Most Abused and Misunderstood Verses in the Bible?
IT IS EASY IF ONE IS IGNORANT OF THE BIBLE TO ABUSE ACTS 15:5!
Like any other book we have to understand certain things to fully comprehend the Bible correctly. We need to understand thoroughly, the church that existed in the first century and the teachings of its founder, Jesus of Nazareth. Otherwise we are likely to mislead ourselves. The Apostle Peter warns us of this very thing.
2 Peter 3:15-16 RSV 15 ... So also our beloved brother Paul wrote to you according to the wisdom given him,.... There are some things in them hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other scriptures.
Peter says that those that are unlearned regarding the Bible and its background will twist the meaning and not really understand the word of God. Acts 15:5 is one such verse. It is so easy to take it too far beyond what those who were at the meeting would think, based on our biases.
GW Acts15:5 But some believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, "People who are not Jewish must be circumcised and ordered to follow Moses' Teachings."
The Pharisaical branch of the church wanted to protect Judaism from gentiles. Please read the article or listen to the Podcast titled Paul's Greatest Fear. It was that if the gentiles were greeted when entering God's Church, with the news that they must be circumcised first, it would be an entry barrier keeping most of them away from salvation, and clearly not God's will. What is the issue that is so easy to misunderstand ? It is that since those who lost the decision said you must obey the law, some conclude that God's law has been abolished. This is taking the statement in vs 5 too far. What the Pharisees are saying and what everyone understood, is that these non Jews should keep ALL the law including the oral laws and traditions of Judaism. If God's church had already abandoned the Laws of God like the Sabbath, the meeting would be a farce. Why then even discuss a minor national identity law like circumcision. It would be a non starter. They were a very law abiding church.
JESUS SUPPORTS THE WRITTEN LAW DEEPLY BUT NOT THE TRADITIONS
Christ Himself supported the heart of the law in a very dramatic manner.
Matthew 5:17-19 WEB 17 "Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. 18 For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. 19 Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Christ's manner of fulfilling the laws was to make them more binding. He helped us fulfill them in the spirit. God wants obedient people who learn to worship in spirit and truth.
Murder :Matthew 5:21-23 WEB 21 "You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, 'You shall not murder;' {Exodus 20:13} and 'Whoever shall murder shall be in danger of the judgment.' 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whoever shall say to his brother, shall be in danger of the fire of Gehenna....
Jesus says not only should we not murder others you should not even hate them etc.
Adultery : Matthew 5:27-28 NKJV 27 "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery.' 28 "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Christ elevated our behavior regarding the commandments of God, the opposite of doing away with them or doing them for us. What about the Sabbath?
Mark 2:24-27 NKJV 24 And the Pharisees said to Him, "Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?... 27 And He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Jesus explains the true manner of Sabbath keeping which is it is a feast day and rest for mankind. It should not be subject to oppressive over regulation. Jesus told them how to keep the Sabbath spiritually. He told them he was Lord of the Sabbath. Christ also controls the Holy Spirit which chose to open the door to the gentiles without Peter's consent. Read Mark Chapter 7 to see that Jesus did not support the traditions of the Jews. Some traditions were even against God's Laws.
COMPREHENDING GENTILES AS SPIRITUAL ISRAELITES
Paul the Apostle to the gentiles tells the believers in Rome that they have been grafted into Israel. They are effectively spiritual Israelites.
Romans 11:17-24 NKJV 17 And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree,.....remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you.... broken off that I might be grafted in.... 24 For if you were cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted...?
Paul further explains that they can be spiritually circumcised by repentance faith and obedience.
Romans 2:26-29 NKJV 26 Therefore, if an uncircumcised man keeps the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be counted as circumcision?... 28 nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh;... 29 circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; ...
The Apostle to the gentiles is clearly explaining that the entry rule that the Pharisees want to impose on gentiles is not necessary. Adult gentiles do not need to be circumcised before fully entering the church. They do not need circumcision. It is our spiritual attitude that counts. Paul's statement is supported by Deut. 10:16.
JESUS THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT MADE HIS DECISION CLEAR
The only summit meeting of church leaders in the New Testament revealed that God had made this decision about entry into the church without the church leaders input. Peter testified what he witnessed.
Acts 10:28 NKJV 28 Then he said to them, "You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.
Peter realized that the vision of the sheet with unclean animals was not a changing of the food laws but Christ giving a clear message to his church to except gentiles.
Acts 10:44-47 NKJV 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word. 45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. 46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, 47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit"
God made the decision to give the Holy Spirit to these raw gentiles. Jesus put them into the church without circumcision. Peter did the only thing he could do. He said Yes Lord! Paul and Barnabas testified next about the many gentiles converted on their first missionary journey which added a lot more proof. The church leaders decided to put only a few entry rules for gentiles.
Acts 15:20-21 NKJV 20 "but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21 "For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
Jewish believers were concerned about the religious and food practices of gentiles polluting the church. They might have to potluck with them. Idols, bloody meat and temple prostitution were part of gentile pagan religious practices. James knew that once in the church, the gentiles would learn many other things not to do because they would hear all the law read every Sabbath. So all the gentiles had to give up to enter the church were idols, bloody meat and immorality. This would be no problem for repentant gentiles.
