Frogster
Galatians is the best!
- Sep 7, 2009
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Acts 15 was about the law, that is a fact. Circumcision meant keep the law, see gal 5:3. Plain and simple. Keep the law, means keep the law in any school. Paul and Barnabas fought them off big time when they came to Antioch Acts 15. He did not care about school, he knew just what they wanted, and said no circumcision to become Jewish for the church, by the rite of circumcision.Nobody has suggested aligning to Judaism. The problem within modern thought is we see the word "Israel" or hear the word "Law" and assume the context is Jews. The Jews are part of Israel (The House of JEW-dah) but there is also a House of Israel... they are not Jewish. Again, this is why Paul said you "WERE an alien of the Commonwealth of Israel" and then later, "But are NOW fellow citizens."
By the way, most don't know this... there were two school of Pharisaical teaching in the first century. Beit (School or house) Shamai and Beit Hillel. Shamai was known to teach "the letter of the law" and Hillel was known to teach "the Spirit of the law." The references in the NT to "spirit of" and "letter of" were tied to these two methods of interpretation and teaching. In Acts 15, we see in the first few verses those who insisted we need to be circumcised unto salvation. These were adherents of Beit Shamai because that was their position which at that time, was the accepted law within Judaism for proselytes (converts). The Spirit of the law position, made known 50 years BEFORE Acts 15, was to avoid blood and things strangled, fornication and food offered to idols. When the council convened they basically turned back the clock and took the Beit Shamai position, word for word. So, my point for this post... not all Pharisees are the same!![]()
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