Why was Paul in Chains?

[CharlesYTK]

Paul had been arrested while preparing for the festival of Shavuot in Jerusalem. Many assume that he was arrested because he was preaching the death and resurrection of Yeshua to the Jews. This is not the reason. Consider that Yaacov, the brother of Yeshua headed a large congregation of believers in Jerusalem and were not under persecution from the Jewish authority at least not at that time. We see that they had openly preached the Gospel and many myriads of Jews had become believers even a very large number of the priests we are told. So what was it about Pauls message that got him into trouble and when adopted into the Jerusalem church also caused Yaacovs church to fall under condemnation? It was what Paul called the “Mystery”. It was Gentile inclusion in the provisions of the Gospel and their inclusion in Israel, (That is the community of faith) based on their faith in Yeshua as Messiah and a changed life, living according to Torah. It bypassed the rabbinical traditions (and Hedges) for Jewish exclusivity spoken of by Paul as the “Center wall of Partition”. In the book of Ephesians Paul goes to great lengths to assure the readers that Gentiles were now every bit a part of the community of faith, as someone born a Jew. And he explains that it was for that very message that he was in bonds.



Eph 3: 1For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles, 2If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward: 3How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, 4Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) 5Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; 6That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel:[1]



Or CJB:

6 that in union with the Messiah and through the Good News the Gentiles were to be joint heirs, a joint body and joint sharers with the Jews in what God has promised. [2]



Some versions say "of the one body", some "Israel", some "the Jews". The thrust of the verses are simple, Gentiles (Non Jews and not Northern diaspora) are now on equal standing with God through the working of Messiah.



It has nothing to do with Rabbinical processes of conversion nor of circumcision. It is the work of faith through Messiah. Isn’t this exactly what the prophets declared from the ancient times?



IS 56: 6Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant; 7Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. 8The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him.



Not just the re-gathering of the dispersed of Israel (the northern tribes) but others as well from all the nations, the strangers, the Gentiles, and even their sacrifices will be accepted and they will be accepted in the inner courts.



There are some, even here, who would teach you that Gentiles are second class citizens and un-entitled to the covenants and promises of God and that if you take hold of what Messiah gave you then you are indorsing replacement theology. They have the same protective attitude as the Jews who imprisoned Paul and later persecuted all the church to suppress the mystery of the Gospel; that Gentiles have become joint heirs with all of Israel becoming as one man before the Lord. The promises are yours, and so are the responsibilities to keep the covenants and to live by Torah. There is only one law, one ordinance for all of Israel and for those Gentles who adjoin themselves to her.

The offense of the cross was not that Messiah died to save men, but that he also died for the Gentiles as well, so that all men and all of creation could be saved and bought near to God. It is fulfillment of the promise to Abraham that through him all he nations would be blessed. The Jewish authority wanted an exclusivity such that only Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism would have part in the community of faith, the poeple of Israel. This was to protect the Torah, the Jewish customs and history from disappearing through assimilation or compromise with the Pagans. There was great fear because of Pauls teachings which had opened the flood gates to an unrestricted influx of Gentiles, who were according to this Gospel equal heirs with Israel. It was a threat to Jewish autonomy within their ancient culture and religion. Gentile's open enclusion through faith rather than conversion was the offense of the cross and this was the reason Paul was in chains for the sake of this good new toward the Gentiles.

Charles

 

[CharlesYTK]

Hello P4I,

Yes in the very broad sense we could say that all things happen according to Gods will and leave it at that. There would be no need for study or discussion. We could close all this CF down and simply live our lives knowing that nothing really matters, including what we think or understand the scriptures.

But there is a need within us to understand these things and to discover the truth. Unfortunately we are working with a hand full of writings concerning events that took place two millennia ago and the God we worship has been pretty silent on all of these things since that time. These writings have been presented in all sorts of light, coloring them according to mens personal objectives. Yet in the words and betwen the lines we can still find fragments of the truth.


Back to the discussion for a moment if that's alright.

Have you ever noticed that when Paul went into a town to preach, that the story of Messiah is welcomed. Paul is asked to stay on and preach on following Sabbaths. The Gospel of Yeshua the Messiah is great news embraced by all the Jews. But when he gets down to the part where Gentiles are now part of Israel without circumcision, without the rabbinical conversion process, but instead just based on their faith, the Gentiles then swarm to the synaogues and then, only then, is Paul in trouble and thrown out of town or thown in prison. It happens over and over again doesn't it? It is not the news of the death and resurection of Yeshua or his being the Messiah or the son of God that is a problem. It is when they are told that Gentiles are also now a part of Israel through faith.

Charles

 

[Henaynei]

Scripture clearly shows that the charge against Sha'ul - repeatedly a false accusation, LaShon HaRA, was that he was teaching JEWS to forsake the Law - not that he was encouraging gentiles to go to shul It was an ugly rumor that spread before and behind him.... That is what Acts 21 is about - dispelling the rumor. The trouble at the Temple was not that Gentiles entered the Temple - gentiles did that every day - but that it was supposed, when he was seen by the local Jews to be in the company of several others entering the part of the Temple restricted to Jews, that those with him were Gentiles BECAUSE the rumor was that he was doing such things - he was not, did not and would not As he said on nore than one occasion - he kept the Torah and the Traditions faithfully

 

[CharlesYTK]

You are absolutely correct in this matter concerning the temple. It was assumed incorectly that he had brought gentiles beyond the wall of separation. He had not. Rules regarding the temple were different that the rules for the local synagogues. In acts 13 as an example we see that Paul has entered the synagogue and is ploclaiming the Gospel. He addresses the crown there in this way:
26 "Brothers!—sons of Avraham and those among you who are ‘God-fearers’!

Why the three divisions? Because in 1st century Judaism these are three distinct types of people found in the synagogue. Brothers are fellow Jews, Sons of Abraham, is a term that was given to Gentiles who had undergone the conversion process to Judaism inluding circumcision, and the God fearers were Gentiles who were adhering to the Jewish ways and walking in Torah but who had not undergone the rabbinical conversion process and circumcision.


In this story of Acts 13 all three of these groups are very happy to embrace the message and Paul is invited back for the following Shabbath. But, when the next Sabbath comes and the place is overun with Gentiles, the Jews become "Jealous" and quickly stir up all the people in the town to have them expelled. What are they jealous about? 1st century Judaism was not particularly evangelical desiring huge numbers to fill the pews. No, to the contrary, Judaism of the 1st century was sort of a private club to exclusive members, which required difficult conversion rituals and circumcision and separation from all your former relationships in order to gain full membership. What concerned these Jews was that their private and closed synagogue was busted wide open and filled to the brim with spiritually excited Gentiles who had heard the Good news that was coming through the words of Paul. The Jews were jealous for the ruining of their exclusivity.

Now in the incident you menioned act 21 yes the people are shooting at Paul, but not for the Gospel as such but because of Rumors concerning Pauls opening the doors for Gentiles into the community of Believers without conversion first. And this much is true. However he didn't bing Gentles into the inner courts of the temple. That was an assumption, based on a mistaken identity. But in Act 22 look what happens when Paul stands to defend himself in the matter. All the crowd who wanted to kill him quiet down and listen without a sound listening to everything about the story of who Yeshua is and the Gospel message, until, ...until ... Paul brings in the fact that the Gentiles are to be included. Then the entire mob tries again to have him killed. Let's read it

‘Lord, they know themselves that in every synagogue I used to imprison and flog those who trusted in you; 20 also that when the blood of your witness Stephen was being shed, I was standing there too, in full agreement; I was even looking after the clothes of the ones who were killing him!’ 21But he said, ‘Get going! For I am going to send you far away—to the Goyim!’ "​

22 They had been listening to him up to this point; but now they shouted at the top of their lungs, "Rid the earth of such a man! He’s not fit to live!" 23 They were screaming, waving their clothes and throwing dust into the air; 24 so the commander ordered him brought into the barracks and directed that he be interrogated and whipped, in order to find out why they were yelling at him like this.

Again it is the inclusion of the Gentiles in general, not just the single event at the temple that has the Jews trying to kill Paul.

One can not read Ephesians without clearly seeing that this Gentile ingrafting was at the heart of Pauls ministry. And the second level to this is that these are not Goyim, in the sense that one here at cf teaches saying that these were just dispursed northern tribe Jews and not really Gentiles in the Pagan sense. Hogwash! The Jews would not be so offended if a lost fellow Israelite returned to the Faith. These were Gentile Ethnos, Pagans who were coming to faith. And the Jews were not happy with this unexpected influx of Pagans into their exclusive religion. "They were the chosen not the Gentiles." they said.They had forgotten their mission to reveal God to all the nations and that Messiah himself would be a light to all the nations.

Charles

 

[CharlesYTK]

Ephesians 2, Gentile enclusion in the Community of Faith called the people of Israel.

11 Therefore, remember your former state: you Gentiles by birth—called the Uncircumcised by those who, merely because of an operation on their flesh, are called the Circumcised— 12 at that time had no Messiah. You were estranged from the national life of Israel. You were foreigners to the covenants embodying God’s promise. You were in this world without hope and without God.
​

13 But now, you who were once far off have been brought near through the shedding of the Messiah’s blood. 14 For he himself is our shalom—he has made us both one and has broken down the m<chitzah which divided us 15 by destroying in his own body the enmity occasioned by the Torah, with its commands set forth in the form of ordinances. He did this in order to create In union with himself from the two groups a single new humanity and thus make shalom, 16 and in order to reconcile to God both in a single body by being executed on a stake as a criminal and thus killing in himself that enmity.


It is all pretty clear here isn't it. What is this center wall of Partition which divided Jews from Gentiles? It is not the physical wall that was torn down by the death and blood of Yeshua. That wall was still standing when Paul wrote these words.

center wall of partition:

5418​

phragmos { frag-mos’}
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from 5420;; n m
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AV - hedge 2, hedge around about + 4060 1, partition 1; 4
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GK - 5850 { fragmov" }
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1) a hedge, a fence
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2) that which separates, prevents two from coming together


It was the doctrine behind the construction of that wall that was torn away, the rabbinical laws of conversion. These laws were formed to maintain Jewish superiority and ecxclusivness in the religion, in a world where the Jews are a very small minority. They were a hedge protecting Torah from Gentiles, but unfortunately also kept Gentiles from receiving Torah which was not Gods desire, because he had already said:

Num 15:
14And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the LORD; as ye do, so he shall do. 15One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation, and also for the stranger that sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations: as ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD. 16One law and one manner shall be for you, and for the stranger that sojourneth with you.

Charles

 

[visionary]

Charles:

I believe what you are saying is true. May this wall be torn down just like the wall that separated the Germans from East and West Berlin come down.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

 

[CharlesYTK]

Charles:

I believe what you are saying is true. May this wall be torn down just like the wall that separated the Germans from East and West Berlin come down.

1 Corinthians 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Hi Visonary,

It is true that there were Jews who simply resisted the Gospel of Yeshua not believing Him to be Messiah. We read the accounts of this in several places in acts. But by and large it is the Gentile inclusion without conversion that really gets them stirred up. Even the Gentiles who were full members of the synagogues who had undergone circumcision are stirred up againt Pauls message. This seems strange at first, but not when you consider their background, Consider; These men were Gentiles who wanted dearly to be a part of the synagogue, or several reasons. The synagogue was the place of connection to the one true God. It was also a place where men were treated with respect. Those who were members were respected citizens in their towns. It was a place where you were supported by your brothers. It was a place of higher learning on par with a "Harvard university" of the 1st Century. Now these Gentiles had gone through perhaps years of study and then circumcision as an adult to obtain this inclusion as sons of Abraham. This circumision was painful with no anesthetic, and performed before the entire congregation. It is easy to see several reasons that these men would hold their conversion through circumcision with more than a bit of pride or in high regard. They might say to themselves,"If these Gentiles want in, let them go though the same conversion and rituals that I had to to get in." The sudden influx of Gentiles, Now without rabbinical conversion, sort of cheapened what these fellows had gone through. So even these Gentiles who had become sons of Abraham through conversion were inclined to resist the sudden opening of the doors to Gentiles without conversion first; Just as the members of the circumcision party in Jerusalem said, "Unless a man is circumised and obedient to torah, he can not be saved." But the Good news is as Paul says, "Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything (in regards to our salvation) what matters is keeping the laws. (or in another place "a changed heart", ie having a heart with the law written upon it.)

Even today I struggle with this to an extent because I would like to see my christian brothers embrace the Torah, and they want Messiah without the Torah.

In the first century and some people today, even here at CF, want complete conversion, even circumcision if possible, before you have a full access to the things of God. They want to maintain a wall of separation through doctrine that would make Gentiles (and christians) second class people, and maintain the exclusivity of Jewish members of the body. To present this Gentile inclusion in the community of faith (Israel) brings slams geers and insults accusing you of anti-Semitism and replacement theology. This is why I started this thread, to remind all the Gentiles of their high calling and unity as equal members of the one body through Messiah.

Charles