What commandments is Jesus talking about?

[mkgal1]

So why bind people to a written law that no one has a ghost of a chance of obeying?

What do you mean by "binding people"? And you don't believe we have a "ghost of a chance of obeying" the instruction to not commit adultery (for instance)? I'm grateful my husband doesn't have your attitude pertaining to adultery or else we wouldn't have been married for over 30 years.

Don't get me wrong - I'm NOT suggesting that we are saved through following God's instruction.....but I still believe that we ought to lean on the Holy Spirit - and keep our focus on God and His goodness - in order to treat others around us well.

Romans 2:14-15 ~ Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the work of the Law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them.​

When the issue came up about circumcision being necessary (recorded in Acts 15) I don't see any language about rebuke of the group that went out and were teaching that Gentile converts must obey the Laws of Moses (instead - there was a council formed in order to discuss the matter). The decision WAS for them to follow SOME of the Laws - the prioritized instruction of refraining from idolatry (and the practices relevant to idolatry).

 

[tall73]

A few things.

a. The focus now is no longer on the law per se. Rather it is on Christ living in us, living out His righteous life.

b. The righteous requirements of the law have not changed. There are still moral requirements. You keep them through the fruit of the Spirit. We die to the law to be joined to another, obeying not the letter, but in the Spirit.

c. Acts 15 was addressing the question of what to do with gentile believers. There was no question that the Jewish believers went on being "zealous for the law" as Acts 21 notes. The pharisee party within the church asserted that the gentiles must be circumcised and keep the whole law to be saved. It was determined they did not have to do this.

d. The Gentiles were given several requirements, derived from the law, and the nature of these is debated. Are they Noahide requirements (going back to items required of gentiles in the time of Noah), or are they a compromise for gentiles to worship with those in the synagogue, etc. In any case, they were not required to be circumcised and keep the whole law to be part of the community or to be saved. Circumcision and keeping the whole law was usually the way of entering the community of Israel. But the decision was made they did not have to become Jews to be Christians. Peter pointed out God gave them the Spirit without the need for circumcision, etc. But they still walk in the Spirit, so they still fulfill the righteous requirements of God. Acts 21 reiterates the same requirements for gentiles as spelled out in the letter here, in contrast with the Jewish believers who were zealous for the law.

e. Jesus indicates the law is not abolished but fulfilled. The Jewish believers went right on keeping the whole law, including sacrifices while the temple still stood, as Acts 21 makes plain. To reach out to Jewish believers it made sense to keep the law. And tens of thousands joined the Jerusalem church. They continued to observe the law, recognizing it pointed to Christ. And they could point other Jews to Christ through the law. For the gentile believers it did not make sense to require circumcision and the observance of the entire law as this would be an unnecessary hurdle for gentile believers. The council decision allowed both to worship together, and reach out to others in their context.

 

[Yeshua HaDerekh]

Which proves that your a law breaker and everyone else is also. So why bind people to a written law that no one has a ghost of a chance of obeying?

Jesus destroyed that law of sin and death; which means that you will not die even though you do sin.

Romans 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.

The power of the law (sin and death) was nullified, the law can no longer condemn you, you will no longer die even if you do do sin.

The perfect sacrifice fulfilled everything that was required of us and to the letter, we have the righteousness of Christ. We thank Jesus now and rejoice that we are now the elect, the chosen, and we are loved by Him.

Absolutely, we all are sinners! Never said otherwise. See you are an all or nothing person. What we are subjected to is the consequence of breaking it...death. Yeshua paid the penalty for the CURSE of death...the consequence for breaking the law. That does not mean we are free to break it. What that means is we now have GRACE if we do! That doesn't mean we are free to now go out and break the law...

"What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!"

The law is our guideline for how to love God and our fellow man... it has never been the means for salvation...

 

[ace of hearts]

And yet under the NC that same physical act is STILL adultery...as well as even thinking of it.

Why is not committing adultery following the law? And why do people think teaching others that the law no longer has jurisdiction teaching others to live wickedly? One can't do that and submit to JN 13:34.

 

[ace of hearts]

What do you mean by "binding people"? And you don't believe we have a "ghost of a chance of obeying" the instruction to not commit adultery (for instance)? I'm grateful my husband doesn't have your attitude pertaining to adultery or else we wouldn't have been married for over 30 years.

Don't get me wrong - I'm NOT suggesting that we are saved through following God's instruction.....but I still believe that we ought to lean on the Holy Spirit - and keep our focus on God and His goodness - in order to treat others around us well.

Romans 2:14-15 ~ Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law, since they show that the work of the Law is written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts either accusing or defending them.​

When the issue came up about circumcision being necessary (recorded in Acts 15) I don't see any language about rebuke of the group that went out and were teaching that Gentile converts must obey the Laws of Moses (instead - there was a council formed in order to discuss the matter). The decision WAS for them to follow SOME of the Laws - the prioritized instruction of refraining from idolatry (and the practices relevant to idolatry).

The rebuke was we didn't grant permission to do what they are doing. They said plainly those requiring others to keep the law of Moses were subverting and troubling their souls. This is a rebuke and put down taking authority over a matter.

 

[tall73]

The rebuke was we didn't grant permission to do what they are doing. They said plainly those requiring others to keep the law of Moses were subverting and troubling their souls. This is a rebuke and put down taking authority over a matter.

Yes, the gospel message to the gentiles was forgiveness of sins and receiving the Spirit. To put it bluntly the good news was not that gentiles would need to undergo the procedure of circumcision and become a Jew. It was a needless burden for them, because the Spirit accepted them without it.

And on the other hand Jewish believers were "zealous for the law" because they saw that Jesus was the fulfillment of all the things promised.


17 And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. 18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present. 19 When he had greeted them, he told in detail those things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law; 21 but they have been informed about you that you teach all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children nor to walk according to the customs. 22 What then? The assembly must certainly meet, for they will hear that you have come. 23 Therefore do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow. 24 Take them and be purified with them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads, and that all may know that those things of which they were informed concerning you are nothing, but that you yourself also walk orderly and keep the law. 25 But concerning the Gentiles who believe, we have written and decided that they should observe no such thing, except that they should keep themselves from things offered to idols, from blood, from things strangled, and from sexual immorality.”

The Acts council decision was a blessing to both groups, allowing them to serve God in their own situation, and as one body.