Please note that you said you agreed, for later when you seem to think I didn't answer.
You made the statement;
- You didn't answer the question about what exactly they expected Gentiles to keep.
I replied,
"Jesus tells you the answer to this question in
Matt. 23:1-4. As I pointed out in earlier post, the Apostles also understood that the Gentiles would grow in the knowledge of God by hearing the Holy Scriptures that Paul taught both Jew and Gentile were trustworthy "
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."."
Matt. 23:
1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples, 2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, "that observe and do"; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
4 For they (Pharisees, not God or Moses) bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and "lay them on men's shoulders"; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
The philosophy that 1 sentence spoken in act's 15 makes the Word's of the Lord's Christ here void, irrelevant, or a vain deceit, though perhaps popular in the religions of the world God placed us in, Is not the Gospel of Christ, as defined by the Holy Scriptures.
Can you really not see the point the Scriptures are making here?
And concerning the Pharisees trying to be Justified by the "works of the Law", I'm not sure if you are just trolling me or what, but lets post it again.
This is true, the Pharisees were
a religion that despised God's Judgments,
full well "rejected God's Commandments" by walking in their own religious traditions.
They taught for doctrines the Commandments of men,
"not God". They created their own high days, polluted God's Sabbaths and were, according to Jesus , "children of the devil". And yet every week they would gather together
and offer to God the Blood of an unblemished, innocent life,
as per the Law, to justify their disobedience. But as God teaches through Isaiah (
Is. 1:1-20) and through Paul, "No Flesh is Justified by works of the LAW".
Is this not the "yoke" the pharisees were placing on the necks of the Gentiles that the Disciples and their fathers before them couldn't bear?
And today, if a religion that exists in the world God placed me in, calls Jesus Lord, Lord, prophesies in His Name, casts our devils in His Name, creates massive religious businesses all in His Name, but they despise God's Judgments, full well reject God's commandments by their own religious traditions, rejects God's sabbaths and creates their own high days instead,, created and promotes images of God in the likeness of man, and yet every week they offer to God the BLOOD of the PERFECT Lamb of God, "as per the Law", to justify them of their willful disobedience, are they justified by "works of the Law"?
Are they not just a different version of the Pharisees religion, who believes? satan believes too, Yes? Doesn't Jesus speak to this very thing in
Matt. 7?
So then aren't you and I, just like Eve, Noah, Abraham, Caleb, David, Daniel, Shadrack, Zacharias, Simeon, Paul, James, Cornelius, and even Jesus Himself, all placed in a world by God in which other religious voices exist, that profess to know God, even quoting some of God's Word, but promote disobedience to God? And wasn't "EVERY ONE" of these examples, except the last ONE, snared by this voice? And wasn't EVERY ONE of these examples, except the Last One, called out of this deception, to repent and turn to God and turn away from the religious voice that exists in the world God placed us in, to as Jesus teaches, "Go and Sin no more"?
And now I am to just forget and reject all of these things because of this world's religions interpretation of this one sentence in Act's 15?
I really hope you might reconsider the philosophy you have adopted on this matter. But it is your choice.
But of course, the whole debate in this thread is whether Gentile believers had to keep Israelite appointed times. And that is not just one passage to look at, but multiple.
No Sir, that's not the debate in Acts 15 at all. The debate was, are the Gentiles to be converted to the "Jews religion" they "said" was founded on the Law of Moses, but the Apostles knew it wasn't. (Because they believed Jesus and the Prophets) Or should they "Yield themselves" to God and their bodies as instruments of Righteousness unto God? And the Apostles turned the Gentiles away from the "Jews religion" and towards the Law of Moses, that Jesus taught them to observe and do.
17 That the residue of men "might seek after the Lord", and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. (Not seek after the Jews religion, that rejected the "Lord")
18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. (And HE sent Moses to show them to us, as well as them)
19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God:
20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, (Law of Moses) and from fornication, (Law of Moses) and
from things strangled,
(Law of Moses) and
from blood.
(Law of Moses)
21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day. (By those who sit in Moses seat)
So the Apostles settled the debate about whether a man should adopt the religions of the world God placed them in, (In their case, the Pharisees, in our case, other religions) or should
they present their bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is their reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of their mind, that they may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Trusting the Holy scriptures
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."
Clearly the Apostles promoted the latter.
The philosophy that verse 20 wipes out the entire Gospel of Christ, or any Word Jesus Spoke, or any of Paul's teaching throughout his Epistles, might be popular in the religious sects and businesses which existed in this world that God placed us in, but the Holy Scriptures doesn't teach this philosophy at all, at least not according to all that is written.
