Did Jesus give us an Eleventh Commandment?

[guevaraj]

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! So... Is that a Yes? The entire church is to be keeping the same set of commandments at the same time? Some scripture, Ephesians 4:13 ...until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a full grown man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. United in searching God's word!

Brother, no! That is the goal, but it will not be attainable until Jesus returns, as stated in the following passage. We cannot wait for the rest of the church to catch up by growing together. We are responsible for our own personal growth to understand the whole word of God, regardless of where the church as a whole is.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. (1 John 3:1-6 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, no! That is the goal, but it will not be attainable until Jesus returns, as stated in the following passage. We cannot wait for the rest of the church to catch up by growing together. We are responsible for our own personal growth to understand the whole word of God, regardless of where the church as a whole is.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. (1 John 3:1-6 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

So... if the entire church is not to be keeping the same set of commandments at the same time, what would be an example of a commandment that it's okay for a new believer to set aside?

United in searching the scriptures!
_____________________
Edited to add some scripture -
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Ephesians 4:5 - Unity in the Body

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

biblehub.com

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! So... if the entire church is not to be keeping the same set of commandments at the same time, what would be an example of a commandment that it's okay for a new believer to set aside? United in searching the scriptures! one Lord, one faith, one baptism,

Ephesians 4:5 - Unity in the Body

one Lord, one faith, one baptism;

biblehub.com

Brother, in the case of the Seventh-day Adventist church, a new believer would be setting aside the true Biblical Sabbath by following the human tradition of the church adapted from Judaism. Our prophetess tells us that they are not sinning as long as they have no further light to reject.

I saw that it is even so: “From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.” Said the angel: “Take the word of God, read it, understand, and ye cannot err. Read carefully, and ye shall there find what even is, and when it is.” I asked the angel if the frown of God had been upon His people for commencing the Sabbath as they had. I was directed back to the first rise of the Sabbath, and followed the people of God up to this time, but did not see that the Lord was displeased, or frowned upon them. I inquired why it had been thus, that at this late day we must change the time of commencing the Sabbath. Said the angel: “Ye shall understand, but not yet, not yet.” Said the angel: “If light come, and that light is set aside or rejected, then comes condemnation and the frown of God; but before the light comes, there is no sin, for there is no light for them to reject.” I saw that it was in the minds of some that the Lord had shown that the Sabbath commenced at six o'clock, when I had only seen that it commenced at “even,” and it was inferred that even was at six. I saw that the servants of God must draw together, press together. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, Page 116)​

The new believer would not understand the following scriptures where Paul tells us about another "day" for the Sabbath and would need to grow more in their personal study of God's word in order to keep the true Biblical Sabbath in places other than Jerusalem. The human tradition of Judaism enters the Sabbath only in Jerusalem and nowhere else, because they have mistakenly assumed since Joshua that the Sabbath in Jerusalem is a day of the week when the Sabbath in Jerusalem falls half a day earlier than the local seventh day of the week.

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (Hebrews 4:6-11 NLT)​

The following passage confirms this understanding, where the Sabbath in Jerusalem falls between two weekdays. Depending on your location, the Sabbath goes from taking up all of Saturday to all of Friday. In most places, as in Jerusalem, the Sabbath takes part of Friday and Saturday.

long after the Sabbath (evening), as it dawns beyond Saturday (morning), came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, to see the tomb. (Mathew 28:1, my own translation)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, in the case of the Seventh-day Adventist church, a new believer would be setting aside the true Biblical Sabbath by following the human tradition of the church adapted from Judaism. Our prophetess tells us that they are not sinning as long as they have no further light to reject.

I saw that it is even so: “From even unto even, shall ye celebrate your Sabbath.” Said the angel: “Take the word of God, read it, understand, and ye cannot err. Read carefully, and ye shall there find what even is, and when it is.” I asked the angel if the frown of God had been upon His people for commencing the Sabbath as they had. I was directed back to the first rise of the Sabbath, and followed the people of God up to this time, but did not see that the Lord was displeased, or frowned upon them. I inquired why it had been thus, that at this late day we must change the time of commencing the Sabbath. Said the angel: “Ye shall understand, but not yet, not yet.” Said the angel: “If light come, and that light is set aside or rejected, then comes condemnation and the frown of God; but before the light comes, there is no sin, for there is no light for them to reject.” I saw that it was in the minds of some that the Lord had shown that the Sabbath commenced at six o'clock, when I had only seen that it commenced at “even,” and it was inferred that even was at six. I saw that the servants of God must draw together, press together. (Testimonies for the Church, vol. 1, Page 116)​

The new believer would not understand the following scriptures where Paul tells us about another "day" for the Sabbath and would need to grow more in their personal study of God's word in order to keep the true Biblical Sabbath in places other than Jerusalem. The human tradition of Judaism enters the Sabbath only in Jerusalem and nowhere else, because they have mistakenly assumed since Joshua that the Sabbath in Jerusalem is a day of the week when the Sabbath in Jerusalem falls half a day earlier than the local seventh day of the week.

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (Hebrews 4:6-11 NLT)​

The following passage confirms this understanding, where the Sabbath in Jerusalem falls between two weekdays. Depending on your location, the Sabbath goes from taking up all of Saturday to all of Friday. In most places, as in Jerusalem, the Sabbath takes part of Friday and Saturday.

long after the Sabbath (evening), as it dawns beyond Saturday (morning), came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, to see the tomb. (Mathew 28:1, my own translation)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Okay, so one example is the true Biblical Sabbath. What would be another example?

United in one Lord, one faith, one baptism!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Okay, so one example is the true Biblical Sabbath. What would be another example? United in one Lord, one faith, one baptism!

Brother, a new believer who goes to an earthly confessional booth to gain forgiveness for his sins will be putting aside the worship due Jesus in heaven in the following passage. Jesus serves daily as our High Priest in the heavenly temple to forgive sins. This heavenly ministry was cast down to earth by the bishops of Rome with the confessional, who were also those who were the official state church of the Roman Empire who destroyed the temple in 70 AD. The word "sacrifices" crossed out after the word "daily", is not in the original and was added to the Septuagint Hebrew to Greek translation. The translators, thinking they were helping, when Jesus' "daily" forgivenesses do not cause Him to die over and over again, to forgive our past sins when we turn daily in prayer to Jesus for the forgiveness of our past sins, like the death of so many animal sacrifices in the stand-in earthly temple "copy" before Jesus' death. Jesus' single death validates all His forgivenesses prior and subsequent to His death in his daily service as our High Priest in the heavenly temple.

It even challenged the Commander of heaven’s army by canceling the daily sacrifices offered to him and by destroying his Temple. The army of heaven was restrained from responding to this rebellion. So the daily sacrifice was halted, and truth was overthrown. The horn succeeded in everything it did. Then I heard two holy ones talking to each other. One of them asked, “How long will the events of this vision last? How long will the rebellion that causes desecration stop the daily sacrifices? How long will the Temple and heaven’s army be trampled on?” (Daniel 8:11-13 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[guevaraj]

I don't mean to pester you about this, but I'm asking for another example because the Sabbath starting time would be a matter of ignorance. So are there commandments of which a new believer would not be ignorant, but it would still be okay to set aside? Grace and peace!

Brother, no! You cannot set aside anything you know you must obey.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. (1 John 3:1-6 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, no! You cannot set aside anything you know you must obey.

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. (1 John 3:1-6 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

I don't understand how these statements go together.

“The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions. (Deuteronomy 29:29 NLT)

We were left to grow slowly in obedience to all that Moses wrote.

You cannot set aside anything you know you must obey.

Are you basically saying that every believer, new or mature, ought to keep every law that they know about? Every law that is for today?

The book of Leviticus takes less than 3 hours to hear read. What would be anyone's excuse for not knowing the commandments?

United in one Lord, one faith, one baptism!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I don't understand how these statements go together. Are you basically saying that every believer, new or mature, ought to keep every law that they know about? Every law that is for today? The book of Leviticus takes less than 3 hours to hear read. What would be anyone's excuse for not knowing the commandments? United in one Lord, one faith, one baptism!

Brother, It is like the desire to learn to play the piano, it takes a lot of practice to get the body to do what we want. Jesus, through His High Priestly daily forgivenesses, allows us to grow through practice that the law does not permit without Jesus' many forgivenesses. Paul tells us that you are not your "flesh", you are your "mind" and both your "mind" and the Holy Spirit struggle to "enslave" the "flesh" to "righteous living". There is no reason to remain in sin because you can quickly turn to Jesus in prayer to forgive your past sins. Like when I hear others swear, misusing God's name, I immediately turn to God to forgive this sin and not allow the hearing of this swearing to "enslave" me to sin against God. Paul also says that your flesh needs to catch up with your mind through the practice he calls "slavery". The struggle of the "mind" over the "flesh" is not between two natures. Paul tells us who we really are, our "mind" is who we are in the present, and our "flesh" shows who we were until it catches up with our "mind".

I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:19-20 NLT)​

Jesus allows you through practice to change the "flesh" with your "mind", which, with practice, will guide your "flesh" to conform to your "mind". An analogy to the captain of the Titanic should help shed light on the struggle. The "mind" is the captain of the "flesh" telling the "flesh" to deviate from its current course toward destruction, but the "flesh" turns very slowly, like when the Titanic couldn't help but collide with an iceberg, but the grace of Jesus is like having all the time you need to turn away from the iceberg that sank the Titanic.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2 NLT)​

It is the "mind" that guides the "flesh" to become, as Paul tells us, "slaves to righteous living", Jesus having freed us from our former "slavery to sin" by allowing our "flesh" to change through practice guided by our "mind". Jesus' cycle of forgiving our past sins is the remedy Paul gives to the struggle of our "mind" over our "flesh" by allowing growth through practice which the law does not permit without the daily forgivenesses of our High Priest Jesus.

Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:24-25 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[SeventhFisherofMen]

Brothers and sisters, happy Sabbath that begins this Friday, September 23, 2022 at 11:34 am EDT! Here is the passage that gives us an Eleventh Commandment with the phrase "one thing" that you have not done, after answering the question with: you know "the commandments". Jesus' answer makes the "one thing" you haven't done an additional commandment. Consistent with us knowing the additional commandment in the new covenant of following Jesus' example.

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18-22 NLT)​

The new Eleventh Commandment was not possible before Jesus, as we could not have "followed" the example of Jesus' life before His arrival, allowing us to "surpass" the glory of the previous Ten Commandments by Jesus' example, as superior to commandments given without an exemplary life to follow. Judaism sabotaged God's commandments by adding their own laws in a "human effort", as in the story of Hagar, to fulfill God's promise of separating sin from our character thanks to the cycle of forgiveness of our High Priest in the temple in heaven.

He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant (Eleven Commandments). This is a covenant not of written laws (Ten Commandments), but of the Spirit (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus). The old written covenant ends in death (sabotaged by human effort as in the story of Hagar); but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus). The old way, with laws etched in stone (Ten Commandments), led to death (sabotaged by human effort as in the story of Hagar), though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way (Eleven Commandments), now that the Holy Spirit is giving life (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus)? If the old way (Ten Commandments), which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way (Eleven Commandments), which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way (Eleven Commandments). So if the old way (Ten Commandments), which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new (Eleven Commandments), which remains forever! (2 Corinthians 3:6-11 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

God told Ezekiel to cook his food with cow dung, but i would not assume He was telling everyone to do so. We have to look at commands given individuals vs commands given everyone. Why was this man commanded to sell his belongings? Because he was rich and Jesus wanted him to choose Him over his riches. What is your thing Jesus wants you to give up? Is it TV? Video Games? Overeating? What may be specific to you might not be a command for everyone. I also would be careful not to add to the commandments as we are warned not to add to or take away from The Bible

 

[guevaraj]

God told Ezekiel to cook his food with cow dung, but i would not assume He was telling everyone to do so. We have to look at commands given individuals vs commands given everyone. Why was this man commanded to sell his belongings? Because he was rich and Jesus wanted him to choose Him over his riches. What is your thing Jesus wants you to give up? Is it TV? Video Games? Overeating? What may be specific to you might not be a command for everyone. I also would be careful not to add to the commandments as we are warned not to add to or take away from The Bible

Brother, we know Jesus gave a "new commandment" in the following passage, not possible before Jesus, to "follow" His example when He says "just as I have".

As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:31-35 NLT)​

The same word above for commandment in the singular is used in the plural below, suggesting there are more than one as in the previous Ten Commandments.

“If you love me, obey my commandments. (John 14:15 NLT)​

The question to answer is whether Jesus told us His "new commandment" replaces the previous Ten Commandments or is it a human tradition because humans would prefer less than more when reading the word of God. The plural above suggests it's added, but humans are bent on it replacing the previous commandments rather than adding to the previous commandments. Paul supports this "new commandment" being added to the Ten Commandments by telling us that the "glory" of the new covenant is "much more glories" than the "glory" of the Ten Commandments.

He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant (Eleven Commandments). This is a covenant not of written laws (Ten Commandments), but of the Spirit (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus). The old written covenant ends in death (sabotaged by human effort as in the story of Hagar); but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus). The old way, with laws etched in stone (Ten Commandments), led to death (sabotaged by human effort as in the story of Hagar), though it began with such glory that the people of Israel could not bear to look at Moses’ face. For his face shone with the glory of God, even though the brightness was already fading away. Shouldn’t we expect far greater glory under the new way (Eleven Commandments), now that the Holy Spirit is giving life (reminding us to follow the exemplary life of Jesus)? If the old way (Ten Commandments), which brings condemnation, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new way (Eleven Commandments), which makes us right with God! In fact, that first glory was not glorious at all compared with the overwhelming glory of the new way (Eleven Commandments). So if the old way (Ten Commandments), which has been replaced, was glorious, how much more glorious is the new (Eleven Commandments), which remains forever! (2 Corinthians 3:6-11 NLT)​

The clearest passage that tells us is added and does not replace the previous Ten Commandments is Jesus' answer: "you know the commandments". Then, after hearing he has already done these Ten Commandments since His youth, adding "there is still one thing you haven't done" to the question "what should I do to inherit eternal life?" when the one thing you have not done is consistent with the new Eleventh Commandment of following the example of Jesus in obeying all the Ten Commandments and more with the new covenant's "much more glories" Eleven Commandments than the Ten Commandments previously "etched in stone".

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18-22 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, It is like the desire to learn to play the piano, it takes a lot of practice to get the body to do what we want. Jesus, through His High Priestly daily forgivenesses, allows us to grow through practice that the law does not permit without Jesus' many forgivenesses. Paul tells us that you are not your "flesh", you are your "mind" and both your "mind" and the Holy Spirit struggle to "enslave" the "flesh" to "righteous living". There is no reason to remain in sin because you can quickly turn to Jesus in prayer to forgive your past sins. Like when I hear others swear, misusing God's name, I immediately turn to God to forgive this sin and not allow the hearing of this swearing to "enslave" me to sin against God. Paul also says that your flesh needs to catch up with your mind through the practice he calls "slavery". The struggle of the "mind" over the "flesh" is not between two natures. Paul tells us who we really are, our "mind" is who we are in the present, and our "flesh" shows who we were until it catches up with our "mind".

I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it. (Romans 7:19-20 NLT)​

Jesus allows you through practice to change the "flesh" with your "mind", which, with practice, will guide your "flesh" to conform to your "mind". An analogy to the captain of the Titanic should help shed light on the struggle. The "mind" is the captain of the "flesh" telling the "flesh" to deviate from its current course toward destruction, but the "flesh" turns very slowly, like when the Titanic couldn't help but collide with an iceberg, but the grace of Jesus is like having all the time you need to turn away from the iceberg that sank the Titanic.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2 NLT)​

It is the "mind" that guides the "flesh" to become, as Paul tells us, "slaves to righteous living", Jesus having freed us from our former "slavery to sin" by allowing our "flesh" to change through practice guided by our "mind". Jesus' cycle of forgiving our past sins is the remedy Paul gives to the struggle of our "mind" over our "flesh" by allowing growth through practice which the law does not permit without the daily forgivenesses of our High Priest Jesus.

Wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then I of myself with the mind, indeed, serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin. (Romans 7:24-25 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

So... Are you saying that we ought to practice keeping all of the laws that we know about? Or do we just start by practicing only some of the laws that we know about?

United in one Lord, one faith, one baptism!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! So... Are you saying that we ought to practice keeping all of the laws that we know about? Or do we just start by practicing only some of the laws that we know about? United in one Lord, one faith, one baptism!

Brother, historically the Gentiles "turning to God" started with the Ten Commandments based on Jesus' answer in the following passage.

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18-22 NLT)​

Then we were told to add the following additional requirements. James in the following passage expects God to restore the fallen house of David as we hear Moses every Sabbath under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to grow further as we listen to Moses.

When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written: ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—he who made these things known so long ago.’ “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 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. For these laws of Moses has been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” (Acts 15:13-21 NLT fixed)​

The Holy Spirit has recently helped us to grow further by listening to the book of Genesis from Moses about the Sabbath. Not correcting the Sabbath is a weakness in our armor of faith that will lead to our "fall" if not corrected, as we are told by Paul in the following passage.

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (Hebrews 4:6-11 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, historically the Gentiles "turning to God" started with the Ten Commandments based on Jesus' answer in the following passage.

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Luke 18:18-22 NLT)​

Then we were told to add the following additional requirements. James in the following passage expects God to restore the fallen house of David as we hear Moses every Sabbath under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to grow further as we listen to Moses.

When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me. Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself. And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written: ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David. I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine. The LORD has spoken—he who made these things known so long ago.’ “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 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. For these laws of Moses has been preached in Jewish synagogues in every city on every Sabbath for many generations.” (Acts 15:13-21 NLT fixed)​

The Holy Spirit has recently helped us to grow further by listening to the book of Genesis from Moses about the Sabbath. Not correcting the Sabbath is a weakness in our armor of faith that will lead to our "fall" if not corrected, as we are told by Paul in the following passage.

So God’s rest is there for people to enter, but those who first heard this good news failed to enter because they disobeyed God. So God set another time for entering his rest, and that time is today. God announced this through David much later in the words already quoted: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts.” Now if Joshua had succeeded in giving them this rest, God would not have spoken about another day of rest still to come. So there is a special rest still waiting for the people of God. For all who have entered into God’s rest have rested from their labors, just as God did after creating the world. So let us do our best to enter that rest. But if we disobey God, as the people of Israel did, we will fall. (Hebrews 4:6-11 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

Okay, gentiles coming to Christ start with the Ten commandments. And then later they add the four requirements from Acts 15. But at that point, even if they know about clean and unclean foods, it's still okay with God if they want to eat bacon. Is that what you're saying?

John 15
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.

United in being clean!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Okay, gentiles coming to Christ start with the Ten commandments. And then later they add the four requirements from Acts 15. But at that point, even if they know about clean and unclean foods, it's still okay with God if they want to eat bacon. Is that what you're saying? John 15 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. United in being clean!

Brother, I have never eaten "pig" meat as instructed in the following passage. James expected the Gentiles who are turning to God to learn this from Moses as they listened to Moses read every Sabbath.

Do not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses. (Deuteronomy 14:3-8 NIV)​

To make the transition easier for new believers in our church, vegetarian meat was developed as a temporary aid to get away from it. It shows that some people have difficulty obeying these instructions. I would not know of such difficulties because, as Paul would say, I was never a "slave" to "pig" meat from birth.

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, I have never eaten "pig" meat as instructed in the following passage. James expected the Gentiles who are turning to God to learn this from Moses as they listened to Moses read every Sabbath.

Do not eat any detestable thing. These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope and the mountain sheep. You may eat any animal that has a divided hoof and that chews the cud. However, of those that chew the cud or that have a divided hoof you may not eat the camel, the rabbit or the hyrax. Although they chew the cud, they do not have a divided hoof; they are ceremonially unclean for you. The pig is also unclean; although it has a divided hoof, it does not chew the cud. You are not to eat their meat or touch their carcasses. (Deuteronomy 14:3-8 NIV)​

To make the transition easier for new believers in our church, vegetarian meat was developed as a temporary aid to get away from it. It shows that some people have difficulty obeying these instructions. I would not know of such difficulties because, as Paul would say, I was never a "slave" to "pig" meat from birth.

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may you rejoice in the Lord always!

Okay.. but I was asking about new believers. They start with the 10, and then add the 4 from Acts 15,. At that point, is it okay with God if they eat bacon?

United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, may you rejoice in the Lord always! Okay.. but I was asking about new believers. They start with the 10, and then add the 4 from Acts 15,. At that point, is it okay with God if they eat bacon? United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

Brother, If they had not heard it from the reading of Moses every Sabbath, they would not know God does not want them to eat certain animal meats. At that point in their growth, it would not be a sin because they have no light to reject. The minute they are convicted of it by hearing Moses but have difficulty making the change, they can turn daily to Jesus in prayer to forgive their sin as they put forth an effort to remain "pure, just as He is pure" through Jesus' many forgivenesses. We grow through practice, which Paul calls "slavery", when we "choose to obey" God to "become slaves to righteous living".

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. (1 John 3:1-6 NLT)​

How long they remain "pure, just as He is pure" takes practice as we "become slaves to righteous living" by choosing to "obey God" over our old ways. What makes this growth through practice possible is the many forgivenesses of our High Priest Jesus, accomplishing what the law does not permit, growth through practice, like a child who learns to walk by getting up again and again until he no longer falls.

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. (Romans 6:15-18 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, If they had not heard it from the reading of Moses every Sabbath, they would not know God does not want them to eat certain animal meats. At that point in their growth, it would not be a sin because they have no light to reject. The minute they are convicted of it by hearing Moses but have difficulty making the change, they can turn daily to Jesus in prayer to forgive their sin as they put forth an effort to remain "pure, just as He is pure" through Jesus' many forgivenesses. We grow through practice, which Paul calls "slavery", when we "choose to obey" God to "become slaves to righteous living".

See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him. Dear friends, we are already God’s children, but he has not yet shown us what we will be like when Christ appears. But we do know that we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who have this eager expectation will keep themselves pure, just as he is pure. Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God. And you know that Jesus came to take away our sins, and there is no sin in him. Anyone who continues to live in him will not sin. But anyone who keeps on sinning does not know him or understand who he is. (1 John 3:1-6 NLT)​

How long they remain "pure, just as He is pure" takes practice as we "become slaves to righteous living" by choosing to "obey God" over our old ways. What makes this growth through practice possible is the many forgivenesses of our High Priest Jesus, accomplishing what the law does not permit, growth through practice, like a child who learns to walk by getting up again and again until he no longer falls.

Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. (Romans 6:15-18 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may you rejoice in the Lord always!

So... The council in Acts 15 is basically saying that new gentile believers do the Ten commandments and then the four other laws. But don't tell them about any other laws, let them find out for themselves. Because as soon as they find out a law, they are required to keep it. Is that it?

United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, may you rejoice in the Lord always! So... The council in Acts 15 is basically saying that new gentile believers do the Ten commandments and then the four other laws. But don't tell them about any other laws, let them find out for themselves. Because as soon as they find out a law, they are required to keep it. Is that it? United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

Brother, James and the others were not sure after Jesus what God would change from the established traditions of Judaism before Jesus. They were allowing God to restore the house of David, eliminating many traditions of Judaism that upset God. It was difficult for those who practiced Judaism to distinguish between the word of God and their traditions that have colored the word of God since their youth without God's help. They were being humble before God's leading in restoring the house of David by allowing the slow growth of new believers to eventually join Israel. They expected Moses' writings to be adapted in one way or another.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne. (Matthew 23:13-22 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

 

[Leaf473]

Brother, James and the others were not sure after Jesus what God would change from the established traditions of Judaism before Jesus. They were allowing God to restore the house of David, eliminating many traditions of Judaism that upset God. It was difficult for those who practiced Judaism to distinguish between the word of God and their traditions that have colored the word of God since their youth without God's help. They were being humble before God's leading in restoring the house of David by allowing the slow growth of new believers to eventually join Israel. They expected Moses' writings to be adapted in one way or another.

“What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you shut the door of the Kingdom of Heaven in people’s faces. You won’t go in yourselves, and you don’t let others enter either. “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you cross land and sea to make one convert, and then you turn that person into twice the child of hell you yourselves are! “Blind guides! What sorrow awaits you! For you say that it means nothing to swear ‘by God’s Temple,’ but that it is binding to swear ‘by the gold in the Temple.’ Blind fools! Which is more important—the gold or the Temple that makes the gold sacred? And you say that to swear ‘by the altar’ is not binding, but to swear ‘by the gifts on the altar’ is binding. How blind! For which is more important—the gift on the altar or the altar that makes the gift sacred? When you swear ‘by the altar,’ you are swearing by it and by everything on it. And when you swear ‘by the Temple,’ you are swearing by it and by God, who lives in it. And when you swear ‘by heaven,’ you are swearing by the throne of God and by God, who sits on the throne. (Matthew 23:13-22 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge

Brother, may you rejoice in the Lord today and always!

What was the plan of James and the apostles to implement this restoration of the House of David? For example, how would they communicate the laws that had been freed from human tradition?

United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

 

[guevaraj]

Brother, may you rejoice in the Lord today and always! What was the plan of James and the apostles to implement this restoration of the House of David? For example, how would they communicate the laws that had been freed from human tradition? United in discussing the scriptures in an edifying way!

Brother, God would help restore the house of David through the Prophets. Paul was a prophet telling us what God would "show" Him "in the future"!

Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. Tell people that you have seen me, and tell them what I will show you in the future. (Acts 26:16 NLT)​

The disciples were prophets telling us what they have heard and seen living with Jesus.

Moses continued, “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him. For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, ‘Don’t let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.’ “Then the LORD said to me, ‘What they have said is right. I will raise up a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell the people everything I command him. I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.’ “But you may wonder, ‘How will we know whether or not a prophecy is from the LORD?’ If the prophet speaks in the LORD’s name but his prediction does not happen or come true, you will know that the LORD did not give that message. That prophet has spoken without my authority and need not be feared. (Deuteronomy 18:15-22 NLT)​

United in our hope for the soon return of Jesus, Jorge