Surrender
June 6th, 2007, 06:55 PM
Believing Jews were never commanded to stop the observances of the Feasts or OT commandments like circumcision. Acts 21 shows Paul going to see James and the elders in Jerusalem. James warns Paul that the converted Jews heard rumors that Paul was telling the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses and not to circumcise their children or walk according to the customs.
Paul chose to show them that they should, indeed, walk according to the customs keeping the Law, by partaking in a custom while there (Acts 21:26). This way all would know that there was nothing to the rumors. In other words, they SHOULD walk according to the customs keeping the Law AND circumcise their children.
However, James reminded Paul that he and Peter had written to the believing Gentiles that they were not obligated to these customs but that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication (from Acts 15).
In Acts 15 Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem. At that time, Peter reminded the believers that God had chosen to give the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles too. He also reminded them that both Jew and Gentile are all saved through grace in the same way. But by chap. 21, we see that the customs continued to be observed. Not that this saved but that they were observed anyway.
When Paul speaks about the Jew who is one inwardly and that circumcision is that which is of the heart by the Spirit, not by the letter (Rom. 2:29), he is not condemning circumcision. He is condemning those who put following the letter the Law above following the Spirit of the Law. This doesn’t mean one should avoid the letter of the Law. It is not the letter of the Law which is sinful; it is the follower. Believing Jews were placing themselves above believing Gentiles because they had the letter of the Law, but Paul reminded them that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin (Rom. 3:9).
When Paul writes about how the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants through faith, he writes that the promise is guaranteed to those who ARE (presently) of the Law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham (Rom 4:16). BUT even those who are of the Law are heirs only through faith (Rom. 4:13-14). It is not having the letter of the Law nor following the letter of the Law which makes one an heir; it is following the Spirit of the Law through faith in accordance with grace which makes one an heir. Does this faith nullify the Law? Paul says “no”, it establishes the Law (Rom 3:31).
When Paul writes to the Corinthians (believing Gentiles), he teaches on remaining in the state in which Jesus has called the believer. If an uncircumcised man is called by God, there is no reason to become circumcised since circumcision is not what saves (1 Cor. 7:19). This is not a commandment to believing Jewish families to stop circumcising their children on the eighth day. If the circumcised child grows to be a man and is called by God, he should not become uncircumcised (1 Cor. 7:18).
Again, in writing to Galatia, Paul refutes Jews who taught that Gentile believers must obey the Jewish Law in order to be saved. We already know from Acts 21 that Paul, James and other believing Jews continued to walk according to OT customs AND circumcise their children. We know from Romans 2 and 4 that Paul places following the Spirit of the Law above following the letter of the Law while reminding us that this does not nullify the law but establishes it.
Paul confirms in 1 Cor. 7 what he wrote in Galatians (circumcision means nothing in terms of salvation). He tells the already uncircumcised man that if he receives circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to him (Gal. 5:2). Paul says to remain in the state in which you were called (1 Cor. 7:19). The believing Jews were still not quite getting freedom in Christ, and they continued to place this burden of circumcision on the converting Gentiles (see also Acts 15:10). Again, it was this idea of following the letter of the Law rather than the Spirit of the Law, which takes one from under grace and places one under the Law (Gal. 5:4). That is why Paul said that any uncircumcised man who becomes circumcised out of obligation is at risk of falling from grace and placing himself under ALL the obligations of the Law (Gal. 5:3-4). It is NOT the decision to become circumcised which causes one to stumble; it is the motives behind the decision. It is NOT following the Law which is in question; it is HOW one follows the Law which is in question. Is it followed through letter or through faith? Is it followed by the power of man or by the power of God?
After reminding them of the freedom they have in Christ, Paul also reminds them that he STILL preaches circumcision (Gal. 5:11), and we know this is true because of Acts 21:21-26. Paul’s persecution was not the result of what he said about circumcision, it was the result of what he said about freedom in Christ. Those with a hard heart full of pride were opposed to this freedom. They could work out their own freedom through their flesh, or so they thought.
Paul never admonished circumcision; he admonished the motives behind it. Our confidence should be in Christ alone and not in the flesh (Phil. 3:3). For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love (Gal. 5:6).
So, telling believing Jews that they must abandon the OT customs to prove they have faith in Jesus is the same thing as telling them they must keep the OT customs to prove they have faith in Jesus. Believing Jews were never commanded to stop walking according to OT customs, keeping the Law.
Paul chose to show them that they should, indeed, walk according to the customs keeping the Law, by partaking in a custom while there (Acts 21:26). This way all would know that there was nothing to the rumors. In other words, they SHOULD walk according to the customs keeping the Law AND circumcise their children.
However, James reminded Paul that he and Peter had written to the believing Gentiles that they were not obligated to these customs but that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication (from Acts 15).
In Acts 15 Paul and Barnabas went up to Jerusalem. At that time, Peter reminded the believers that God had chosen to give the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles too. He also reminded them that both Jew and Gentile are all saved through grace in the same way. But by chap. 21, we see that the customs continued to be observed. Not that this saved but that they were observed anyway.
When Paul speaks about the Jew who is one inwardly and that circumcision is that which is of the heart by the Spirit, not by the letter (Rom. 2:29), he is not condemning circumcision. He is condemning those who put following the letter the Law above following the Spirit of the Law. This doesn’t mean one should avoid the letter of the Law. It is not the letter of the Law which is sinful; it is the follower. Believing Jews were placing themselves above believing Gentiles because they had the letter of the Law, but Paul reminded them that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin (Rom. 3:9).
When Paul writes about how the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants through faith, he writes that the promise is guaranteed to those who ARE (presently) of the Law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham (Rom 4:16). BUT even those who are of the Law are heirs only through faith (Rom. 4:13-14). It is not having the letter of the Law nor following the letter of the Law which makes one an heir; it is following the Spirit of the Law through faith in accordance with grace which makes one an heir. Does this faith nullify the Law? Paul says “no”, it establishes the Law (Rom 3:31).
When Paul writes to the Corinthians (believing Gentiles), he teaches on remaining in the state in which Jesus has called the believer. If an uncircumcised man is called by God, there is no reason to become circumcised since circumcision is not what saves (1 Cor. 7:19). This is not a commandment to believing Jewish families to stop circumcising their children on the eighth day. If the circumcised child grows to be a man and is called by God, he should not become uncircumcised (1 Cor. 7:18).
Again, in writing to Galatia, Paul refutes Jews who taught that Gentile believers must obey the Jewish Law in order to be saved. We already know from Acts 21 that Paul, James and other believing Jews continued to walk according to OT customs AND circumcise their children. We know from Romans 2 and 4 that Paul places following the Spirit of the Law above following the letter of the Law while reminding us that this does not nullify the law but establishes it.
Paul confirms in 1 Cor. 7 what he wrote in Galatians (circumcision means nothing in terms of salvation). He tells the already uncircumcised man that if he receives circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to him (Gal. 5:2). Paul says to remain in the state in which you were called (1 Cor. 7:19). The believing Jews were still not quite getting freedom in Christ, and they continued to place this burden of circumcision on the converting Gentiles (see also Acts 15:10). Again, it was this idea of following the letter of the Law rather than the Spirit of the Law, which takes one from under grace and places one under the Law (Gal. 5:4). That is why Paul said that any uncircumcised man who becomes circumcised out of obligation is at risk of falling from grace and placing himself under ALL the obligations of the Law (Gal. 5:3-4). It is NOT the decision to become circumcised which causes one to stumble; it is the motives behind the decision. It is NOT following the Law which is in question; it is HOW one follows the Law which is in question. Is it followed through letter or through faith? Is it followed by the power of man or by the power of God?
After reminding them of the freedom they have in Christ, Paul also reminds them that he STILL preaches circumcision (Gal. 5:11), and we know this is true because of Acts 21:21-26. Paul’s persecution was not the result of what he said about circumcision, it was the result of what he said about freedom in Christ. Those with a hard heart full of pride were opposed to this freedom. They could work out their own freedom through their flesh, or so they thought.
Paul never admonished circumcision; he admonished the motives behind it. Our confidence should be in Christ alone and not in the flesh (Phil. 3:3). For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything, but faith working through love (Gal. 5:6).
So, telling believing Jews that they must abandon the OT customs to prove they have faith in Jesus is the same thing as telling them they must keep the OT customs to prove they have faith in Jesus. Believing Jews were never commanded to stop walking according to OT customs, keeping the Law.