At the time it was spoken it was directed to the Jewish community. Later at the Jerusalem Council it included Gentiles. The Gospel didn't go to the Gentiles until Cornelius which as at the very least 4-7 years after. The Jerusalem Council included halachtic decrees pertaining to Gentiles. Acts 15 wasn't directed to Jews.
What I'm saying is in the Gospel's non Jews should put their fingers in their ears because they don't necessarily apply to non Jews, the applications. In the same way that I'm Jewish Galatians doesn't apply to me. But doesn't mean we shouldn't learn so we are able to teach etc.
What I'm saying those that sit on Moses seat exchange doesn't apply to non Jews. Non Jews at the time it was spoken weren't under the authority of those that sat on Moses seat unless they became Jewish.
I think what should be remembered was that Acts 15 was a council pertaining to the issue of SALVATION - as opposed to being the only time Gentiles were addressed.
For there were already god-fearers within the Nation of Israel long before that time (the Roman Centurion in Matthew 8 and Luke 7:1-10 coming to mind) - and that was something present and that many were well aware of when it came to others who were Gentiles, within Israel, seeking to honor what they saw in the Torah and they were not turned away or told that nothing of Torah applied to them.
The Gospel of Luke was one which many have noted in the Early Church to be applied specifically with Gentiles in mind - and the other gospels were for all believers, Jew and Gentile, to listen to when it came to the examples of what Yeshua did with all in his life/ministry - from how he treated Samaritans to how he handled others in sin (Luke 15 ) to his deliverance of the Gentiles bound by the demonic (Mark 5) to the Greeks who came to hear him in John 12.
The Gospel had LONG gone to the Gentiles before the Council of Acts 15. For in Acts 2, you had others present who were NON-Jews there (Arabs being one prominent example)
Acts 2:1-12/Acts 2:4
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: Arent all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,[] 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabswe hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues! 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, What does this mean?
And of course, the conversion of Cornelius WAS a milestone in the churchs history. .
Acts 10:34
Then Peter began to speak: I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosenby us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[b] and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have. 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Acts 10:33-35
It was here where we see the Gentile Church experiencing the
Gentile Pentecost in Acts 10-11 (with the meeting of Cornelius and Peter years later). And yet Gentiles and Jews were still distinct in their experiences/practices.
Of course, the experience led to several having issue with Peter for his working with Cornelis - as seen when it notes that The apostles and believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So that when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the uncircumcised believers criticized him and said, You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them (11:1-3).
And as Acts noted, Peter appealed to God as the One who orchestrated the meeting with Cornelius. Thus, Peter concludes his defense by saying, If God gave them [the Cornelius group] the same gift he gave us
who was I to think that I could stand in Gods way? (11:17). The important phrase here is same gift. The Gentiles experienced something similar in all essentials to that of the original Jewish disciples at Pentecost (2:1-5). That being so, they should have an equal membership in the body of Christ.
The church has been given a command to spread out and fill the earth as (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). But like all people, the apostles struggled with the temptation to settle in one place and build-and some of this mayve been due to their desire to not go through so much transition since they already had to deal with being a new movement and seeing their Lord ascend into Heaven. The Church in Antioch was radically different from others seeing how they sent their very best (Paul and Barnabas) out into uncharted territory rather than keep things within the campand whereas the Jerusalem Church looked out for its own, it didnt do so for others abroad
.and had to LITERALLY be forced through persecution to spread out.
To see how the Gentile Churches had to literally keep sending support to the Jerusalem Church (Romans 15:25-28, I Corinthians 16:1-23) is amazing, especially seeing how the Mother Church of Jerusalem was responsible for so much-and yet, the Jews there mainly kept to their own
even avoiding those who were Samaritans (Half Breed Jews) until forced out in Acts 8:. Thats odd to see the church do that since Jesus Himself had a heart for Samaria ( John 4:4-6, Luke 9:50-56, Luke 17:10-19, )-and he told them SPECIFICALLY that the power of the Spirit was to go to Samaria and all the ends of the earth (Acts 1:7-9 ).
Philip the deacon went into Samaria and preached as noted in Acts 8 - although it was the case that he was by himself for a good minute.
Outisde of that, we also have how Acts 11:19-30 shows the Church expanding into Syria. In Acts 11:20, Luke began his story of the Gentile mission by recounting the proclamation of the gospel by Hellenistic Jews in Syrian Antioch - a city that will become the staging area and springboard for missionary activity to other parts of the Roman Empire and that will also serve as kind of second headquarters area for the growing church. Antioch, the largest city of Syria, is on the Orontes River, about 300 miles north of Jerusalem and 20 miles inland from the Mediterranean.
Luke portrays Antioch as the church where the mission to the Gentiles in general begins (11:19-26). Antioch will soon become a mission-sponsoring church, sending Paul and Barnabas on tours of evangelism (13:1-3). Paul will use Antioch as his home base of operations...and it was in Antioch that Luke notes how Jewish evangelists for the Gospel (from Cyprus and Cyrene ) came to Antioch and they began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus (11:20).
As it concerns Moses Seat and its relevance to the Gentiles, yes there are observances that are solely to the Jews ...but even the Torah doesn't forbid a non Jew from observance and it notes specific things given to the Gentiles... and that's something that other Messianic Jewish groups have long noted when it comes to saying that such is not condemned in the movement.
As there were other Gentiles in the times Christ lived in - including in Jerusalem and making pilgrimage to the place to serve the Lord - it wasn't a small thing for them to be present when hearing what Christ said about Moses.
Where many are coming from is that something that was not meant to ever be a focus - claiming ALL Gentiles must observe in the same ways as the Jewish people - doesn't equate to it being wrong for Gentiles to wish observance in the same ways as the Jewish people.
And for those sojourners/foreigners who wished to basically convert (i.e. Gentile believers in the land who'd be counted as Hebrews - seperate from those Gentiles in the land who were believers but not the same as Israel), the Lord made a place for them:
Isaiah 56:5-7/ Isaiah 56
For this is what the Lord says:
To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths,
who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant 5 to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. 6 And foreigners who bind themselves to the Lord
to serve him, to love the name of the Lord,
and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant
7 these I will bring to my holy mountain
and give them joy in my house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and sacrifices
will be accepted on my altar;
for my house will be called
a house of prayer for all nations.
Nonetheless, within God's overall scheme/view, it did seem he valued distinctions and never held to a mindset that all Gentiles not observing at all points like the Jewish people were either condemned or "inferior believers" in comparision. With what Yeshua often noted with "salvation to the Jew first, then the Gentile", this is something that must always be kept in mind - more shared on the issue here in #
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