What was the point of the laws written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia?
score:5
Let us try to see the whole passage in context. (All scripture quotation in NLT)
Acts 15: 20-21 - Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from eating food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood. 21 For these laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.”
Verse 21 says the reason for the some of them/or all of the restrictions was
"laws of Moses have been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations"
. Also from verse 7, we can see this happened after "At the meeting, after a long discussion", so it is clear that this was a topic of intense debate. Other biblical evidences point to that the leadership wanted a consensus which will respect those who seek more freedom (like Paul and even Peter at Jerusalem) and those who felt much more strongly about some of Jewish Traditions (James). So it is clear that last two was added considering there are large number of Jews and Jewish Christians around in those cities and church needed to be sensitive to their strong reservations.
There are more biblical evidences says to "abstain from eating food offered to idols and from sexual immorality". So Epistles and other part of new testament re-inforces them. But I believe the other two requirements to abstain "from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals" is applicable to the situation ONLY at the time of Acts 15, not binding now.
This line of argument can be illustrated further from Galatians.
Galatians 2:12 explains the struggle the church had in those days.
"When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile Christians, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision."
So correct interpretation of what laws applicable to us is given next to that.
Galatians 2:15-16
“You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”
Upvote:0
Only to complement the answer already accepts.
In Romans 14:14 says:
I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.In 1 Corinthians 10:25 .26
Whatsoever is sold in the shambles, that eat, asking no question for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof.Jesus himself said in Matthew 15:11
not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.Following the text Matthew 15:17 -20
Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
I.e. There is no animal "impure", or there's nothing we do to food make you impure unless of course our own conscience.
If I offer you a food that you already know since childhood will surely accept it then give thanks and finally eating right?
Now if I tell him after you've eaten of conscience that he was offered the hell have you done any sin? Of course not, all that God has done on the face of the Earth is good is your eat, drink or do something make yourself before God and his conscience will tell you whether it's right or not.
More post
- 📝 Why is the term "hymn" used so frequently to refer to "old-church-hymns?"
- 📝 Is there a "Reina-Valera" only movement?
- 📝 What is the Roman Catholic position on literally reading the Flood account in Genesis?
- 📝 How much variation is in the Hebrew language of the Old Testament?
- 📝 Who changed the Sabbath to Sunday according to the Seventh Day Adventists?
- 📝 According to the LDS, when did the “true church” cease to exist?
- 📝 How do Christians that advocate libertarian free will interpret Romans 9:14-24?
- 📝 Where does the practice of sprinkling as a mode of baptism come from?
- 📝 Isaiah 25:6 "On this mountain, the Lord of Heavenly Forces"
- 📝 Religious Clothing
- 📝 Biblical basis of exaltation (LDS)
- 📝 Do Mormons believe that all spirits are omnipresent?
- 📝 What is the greatest sin?
- 📝 Who was Thomas's twin?
- 📝 According to Reformed Theology how can God judge us if we are born sinful?
- 📝 Did Jesus ascend to Heaven twice?
- 📝 What is an overview of beliefs about how the Holy Spirit guides Christians?
- 📝 What is a word to describe someone who is not a Protestant?
- 📝 What was the weight of Noah's ark before and after the animals were loaded on to it?
- 📝 Did the early Church fathers see a distinction between Matthias' and Paul's apostleship appointment, considering Paul's peculiar verbiage choice?
- 📝 What was the significance of thirty pieces of silver Judas was offered for betraying Jesus?
- 📝 Are there cases of popular atheists who used to publicly defend atheism (via debates, books, etc.) but eventually ended up converting to Christianity?
- 📝 Does Calvary Chapel assume everything is wrong in this world?
- 📝 Are there Christian denominations that promote making themselves eunuchs?
- 📝 According to believers in post-mortal consciousness, do animals also remain conscious after death?
- 📝 Fully black mozzettas?
- 📝 How do you answer the unanswerable questions?
- 📝 Are Lutherans the "adversaries" of Catholics, according to the Catholic Church?
- 📝 What were the doctrinal differences behind the Great Schism of 1054?
- 📝 What was the Christian response to death-loving practices of Ancient Roman society?
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 What was the point of the laws written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia?
- 📝 What are the arguments that Acts was written prior to 70 AD?
- 📝 What was written on the two stone tablets of Moses?
- 📝 What was the point of the third article of Remonstrance?
- 📝 What is the evidence that Ignatius of Antioch was ordained by the Apostles?
- 📝 What are the arguments that the book of Acts was written after 70 AD?
- 📝 What was the language that Enoch spoke and did the Book of Enoch get written 3000 years BC is there any proof or carbon dating of that?
- 📝 What evidence is there that the New Testament was originally written in Aramaic?
- 📝 What arguments support the view that Ephesians WAS written by Paul?
- 📝 According to the Catholic Church, what was the point of all the plagues?
- 📝 Do we have to obey the laws of the bible? If so, what laws?
- 📝 What was it about the death of Jesus that allows God to forgive us?
- 📝 What denominations, besides JWs, hold that the Star of Bethlehem was sent by Satan?
- 📝 At what point is a new soul created according to the Catholic Church?
- 📝 What does it mean that Jesus was the "second Adam"?
- 📝 What was the difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees?
- 📝 What crime was committed by the "thieves" crucified with Jesus?
- 📝 What is the support for saying Jesus believed Genesis was a literal account of creation?
- 📝 What is the Biblical basis for withholding communion from believers who are unbaptized?
- 📝 What process was used to translate the KJV?
- 📝 Wave offering; What exactly was the point?
- 📝 What of Augustine's ecclesiology was rejected in the Reformation?
- 📝 What is the earliest written surviving liturgy?
- 📝 What was Isaac Newton's view of the Trinity?
- 📝 What was the specific trap being set for Jesus by the Pharisees in John 8?
- 📝 What is the evidence that suggests that the Apostle Paul was married?
- 📝 What was the problem at Babel?
- 📝 In what language was the Book of Matthew written?
- 📝 Why was the New Testament Written in Greek?
- 📝 What was inside the Ark of the Covenant?