Jesus kept the Law

[BobRyan]

Acts 21
17 After we arrived in Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18 And the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.
19 After he had greeted them, he began to relate one by one the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.
20 And when they heard it they began glorifying God; and they said to him, ""You see, brother, how many thousands there are among the Jews of those who have believed, and they are all zealous for the Law;
21 and b]they have been told about you, that you are teaching all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs[/b].

The charge leveled against Paul by CHRISTIAN Jews is that he is telling Jews (not simply Gentiles) to forsake Moses - to stop
"Being Jews" - to stop walking according to the customs/laws God gave to Moses. Notice that they do not accuse him of teaching THEM this error - NOR do they indicate that James or any of the other Apostles IN Jerusalem have taught them to "forsake Moses". This is key. Their only "concern" is "rumors" that Paul in ADDITION to his ministry to Gentiles has been telling those Jews who live OUT from Jerusalem AMONG the Gentiles - to "forsake Moses".

Many Christians today (who teach a 2-Gospel system) argue that these Christian Jews attacking Paul - are "Exactly RIGHT!". That Paul's ministry WAS to show that the laws given to Moses were abolished. That Christ nailed His LAW to the cross for ALL mankind. That nothing of the LAW given to Moses was applicable to ANYONE and this was the NEW Gospel available after the Cross. BOTH Jew and Gentil should consider it ABOLISHED, and those bad ol' Judaizers that did NOT consider it abolished were not really saved. IN this 2-Gospel system Grace and New Covenant Gospel replacing the Old Covenant method of Salvation in place for 4000 years prior to the cross. Christians argue that this is FOUNDATIONAL to the NT Gospel message and Paul has no choice but to fearlessly APPROVE of that kind of Gospel rather than deny it.

Now lets see if Paul agrees with that view of the Gospel.

Acts 21
22 ""What, then, is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.
23 ""Therefore do this that we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow;
24 take them and purify yourself along with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads; and all will know that there is nothing to the things which they have been told about you, but that you yourself also walk orderly, keeping the Law.

Notice the "recommendation" is to explicitly follow the Num 6:1-11 oath SHOWING in the eyes of all that Paul not only taught conformity to the OT text of scripture (God's Word) - but HE HIMSELF PRACTICED it. The saints in Jerusalem argued that this would be public VISIBLE PROOF that the charges made against Paul were false.

Many Christians today argue that the charges against Paul were TRUE to the last detail. IN their 2-Gospel Model New Covenant Gospel is the REPLACEMENT of the Mosaic law - it would be nothing short of heresy to publically engage in following the laws of Moses with the explicit PURPORSE of PROVING that NO SUCH replacement was being taught in the GOSPEL message just proclaimed and praised in Jerusalem by Paul's report.

Furthermore it would be hard to argue that Paul abandoned the Gospel for "fear" of threat/injury etc - since he CAME to Jerusalem ALREADY prepared to die for his faith - (see vs 13)

IF Christians today following a 2-Gospel model (in contradiction to Paul's teaching in Gal 1:6-11) were correct then the "Test" is to be found in Paul's response. IF their Model is correct the consistent "confirming" response of Paul is "WHY OF COURSE that is what I am doing! That IS the very Gospel message I am now preaching as a replacement for the laws of Moses! Why should I do anything to PROVE that such is NOT the case? Rather I came here ready to DIE rather than abolish the NT Gospel - or to back down in the least.".

Instead of that - Paul sees NO problem with the Scriptures of the NT saints (which were the OT texts) being fully obeyed EVEN with Jews choosing to follow the OT feasts/oaths/customs - and the FULL Gospel. He w9illingly submits and AGREES to the PROOF that the charges are FALSE. In later chapters he consistently and repeatedly INSISTS that the charges are false. Charges that many 2-Gospel Christians today STILL maintain are TRUE.

Acts 21
25 ""But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we wrote, having decided that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication.''

Recall that in Acts 15 the decision was passed that in the case of GENTILES - they should not be required to become Jews after accepting Christ. But nothing was said about turning Jews away from scripture - the OT, NOR EVEN about ceasing the customs/feasts/rituals of the OT for Jews.

Here the situation is clearly explained - that which the Gentiles were opted out of having to perform (in the Acts 15 council quoted above) - the Jews were STILL doing. Notice that the Gentiles were still asked to observe strictly Mosaic restrictions on the preparation of meat (Gen 9:4, Lev 3:17, 7:26-27)

Paul was not to attack/detract/disuade Jewish believers from following all that the scriptures described in relation to circumcision/oaths/feastivals etc. (Note this does not address the idea that Paul would ENFORCE the laws of circumcision as though INSISTING on them for other Jews).

Interestingly - Paul DOES insist on circumcision for another Jew immediately following the Acts 15 council. See Acts 16 where Paul Himself insists on Timothy conforming to the Mosaid code. This he does to remove all cause of stumbling for Jews becomming Christians. He did not view these OT laws relating to members of the Jewish nation as OPPOSED to the Gospel - or else he would be condemning Timothy to hell.

Acts 21
26 Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself along with them, went into the temple giving notice of the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice was offered for each one of them.

Paul follows through on the Numbers 6:1-11 vow - even paying the expenses of thos who joined him (vs 24) "sponsoring them".

Acts 21
27 When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from Asia, upon seeing him in the temple, began to stir up all the crowd and laid hands on him,
28 crying out, ""Men of Israel, come to our aid! This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law and this place; and besides he has even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.''
29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.

Now the charges of the Christian Jews are seen to be influenced by even non-Christian Jews - The charges are the same regarding the LAW of God - but added to this we see charges about the Hebrew people. "This is the man who preaches to all men everywhere against our people and the Law"

The interesting thing is how many times Paul goes on to RETELL this event - and each time HE denies the charges that Christians STILL make against him today regarding these laws/customs of Moses. Well might some Christians elect to "not follow the details" in the remaining chapters.

Acts 23:4-9
Acts 24:14-18
Acts 25:8-11
Acts 26:20-23
Acts 28:17

The first thing that is amazing is that non-Christian Jews came into agreement
with Paul NOT just over the subject of the resurrection - but regarding all
the charges made against him. They found NOTHING wrong in his teaching
regarding Jews (and of course the non-Christian Jews cared little to nothing
about his teaching to Gentiles).

Acts 23
4 But the bystanders said, "Do you revile God's high priest?"
5 And Paul said, "I was not aware, brethren, that he was high priest; for it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK EVIL OF A RULER OF YOUR PEOPLE.'"
6 But perceiving that one group were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, Paul began crying out in the Council, "Brethren, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees; I am on trial for the hope and resurrection of the dead!"
7 As he said this, there occurred a dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor an angel, nor a spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.
9 And there occurred a great uproar; and some of the scribes of the Pharisaic party stood up and began to argue heatedly, saying, "We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?"

Paul asserts that NOTHING of the charges brought against him - had any validity. He denied teaching against the LAW and Prophets of OT scripture. And even the Pharisees conclude that they find no fault with him!

He even BRINGS UP his own conformity to the Num 6:1-11 vow.

Acts 24:14-18
12 "Neither in the temple, nor in the synagogues, nor in the city itself did they find me carrying on a discussion with anyone or causing a riot.
13 "Nor can they prove to you the charges of which they now accuse me.
14 "But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets;
15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
16 "In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.
17 "Now after several years I came to bring alms to my nation and to present offerings;
18 in which they found me occupied in the temple, having been purified, without any crowd or uproar. But there were some Jews from Asia—

Paul's defense get's even stronger over time and more explicit. He continues to
affirm that NOTHING of what he has done or taught is in any way contrary to the Law Moses being practiced by the non-Christi an Jews that accuse him.

Acts 25:8-11
7 After Paul arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges against him which they could not prove,
8 while Paul said in his own defense, "I have committed no offense either against the Law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar."
9 But Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me on these charges?"
10 But Paul said, "I am standing before Caesar's tribunal, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also very well know.
11 "If, then, I am a wrongdoer and have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if none of those things is true of which these men accuse me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar."

Here Paul denies the charges against him – but these are the very charges that many Christians today unwittingly echo against Paul in favor of the argument of the rebellious Jews.

Acts 26:20-23
19 "So, King Agrippa, I did not prove disobedient to the heavenly vision,
20 but kept declaring both to those of Damascus first, and also at Jerusalem and then throughout all the region of Judea, and even to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds appropriate to repentance.
21 "For this reason some Jews seized me in the temple and tried to put me to death.
22 "So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place;
23 that the Christ was to suffer, and that by reason of His resurrection from the dead He would be the first to proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."

This is one of Paul's most blatant statements going BEYOND the LAW of
Moses and stating that NOTHING done or taught is even against the "customs
of our Fathers".

Acts 28:17
16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.
17 After three days Paul called together those who were the leading men of the Jews, and when they came together, he began saying to them, "Brethren, though I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
18 "And when they had examined me, they were willing to release me because there was no ground for putting me to death.

So how can this be? How can the Gospel of the NT be so "friendly" toward EVEN
the "Customs of our Fathers"?

Romans 14 makes it clear regarding those who elect to observe EVERY holy
feastival - holy day listed in Lev 23 after the cross - THEY are approved by God
JUST as much as those who elect to observe one of the days but not the others.

Romans 14
4Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

5 One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.

6He who observes the day, [/b]observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord[/b], for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God.

In this case NO ASSIGNMENT is made regarding WEAK or STRONG faith in terms of "days". BUT if we follow the same rule as diet above - then we might assume that in the same way the FIRST case is the STRONG faith case and the SECOND case is the WEAK. In that case the one who observs ONE feast day ABOVE the others is the one STRONG in faith - and the one who observes ALL the feast days is the one weak in faith.

Romans 14
7 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;

8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.

9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

10 But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Here we see that no condemnation is tolerated by Paul toward ANY of the practices listed in Romans 14. So WHATEVER you choose to think of these practices - NONE are to be condemned.

Romans 14
11For it is written,
“AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME,
AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”

12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.

13Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this—not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.

 

[Marcia]

Originally posted by SpiritualMadMan:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by Marcia:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by SpiritualMadMan:
I reiterate, Jesus broke the Letter of the Law as practiced and more importantly enforced in His day.

This is why I am against man made enforcement and interpretation of the Commandments because man will *always* get it wrong...

Are you saying Jesus broke God's laws? If so, please give an example.</font>[/QUOTE]Does anyone read an entire line before pouncing on what they want to believe a person is posting?
</font>[/QUOTE]Actually, SMM, I read your post 2 or 3 times -- I did not pounce. But apparently I misunderstood.

I apologize!

 

[SpiritualMadMan]

Well...

Marcia...

*IF* I were a Phd in English and Semantics I *might* have a reason to be miffed...

I seem to be easily misread.

God Bless,

SMM