Why?

[ralliann]

Times, and beliefs, change.
Only a few years later Paul, who was present at the Council and was one of those who delivered the letter, told people that idols meant nothing and that they could eat meat offered to idols as long as it did not offend another believer.

The early church still had to work out how to apply their beliefs against lifelong instruction in Judaism.
For example, when they were choosing Matthias, before Pentecost, they cast lots, Acts of the Apostles 1:26, which was an OT practice. But there is no record of this having been done again. It's not surprising that there were people who believed, and taught - "ok, you believe in Jesus, now be circumcised so that you are one of God's people." Not realising that nothing can add to the finished work of Jesus.

I think we do keep the ten, just not according to the levitical ceremonial law.

 

[Strong in Him]

I think we do keep the ten, just not according to the levitical ceremonial law.

Oh yes, the 10 commandments are fine - Jesus affirmed them and summed them up by saying, "Love the Lord with all you heart, mind ... and love your neighbour as yourself."

It's interesting that none of the Levitical, ceremonial law is in the 10 commandments - they say nothing about abstaining from foods.

 

[visionary]

It is pretty obvious they were to keep what was taught from the synagogue. The synagogues still teach law for righteous Gentiles. Also Judaism had an exemption by Rome from Idols. I would assume "Noachides" were included as a level of religious proselyte.

Noachides did not exist until 1990ad

 

[ralliann]

Noachides did not exist until 1990ad

They were called God fearing Gentiles, aka Noachides.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Oh yes, the 10 commandments are fine - Jesus affirmed them and summed them up by saying, "Love the Lord with all you heart, mind ... and love your neighbour as yourself."

It's interesting that none of the Levitical, ceremonial law is in the 10 commandments - they say nothing about abstaining from foods.

And the Decalogue was definitely interpreted in a specifically Jesus-centric way. For example, in Luther's Large Catechism (part of the Lutheran Confessions), he writes that the chief meaning of the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy has nothing to do, for us as Christians, with the "gross sense" (i.e. abstaining from work on the seventh day of the week) but points to the greater importance of rest which is for the good of our neighbor. Ergo, we love God and neighbor by "keeping the holy day", that is, by providing times and days of rest. Luther then argues that it is sensible that we would, on the day we regularly come together for worship is also occasion for rest from our labors. So that the commandment is fulfilled not by legal injunction, but by seeing to it that our neighbors are rested, well fed, and cared for: the employer gives their employees rest from their labor, the master of the house gives servants time of rest for labor, etc.

In this sense, the commandment is fulfilled when workers are given time off to spend with their families, to rest from labor, and the time off to worship God on whatever day we come together for worship. This is in keeping with St. Paul who in Galatians 5:14 writes that the ENTIRETY of the Law is summed up as "Love your neighbor as yourself".

Without concern for our neighbor's bodily, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being the commandment remains transgressed all the day long. Thus the legalistic use of the commandment merely becomes another form of condemnation--the one who seeks to be righteous before God by the commandment shall be shown condemned by the very same commandment.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[ralliann]

And the Decalogue was definitely interpreted in a specifically Jesus-centric way. For example, in Luther's Large Catechism (part of the Lutheran Confessions), he writes that the chief meaning of the commandment to keep the Sabbath holy has nothing to do, for us as Christians, with the "gross sense" (i.e. abstaining from work on the seventh day of the week) but points to the greater importance of rest which is for the good of our neighbor. Ergo, we love God and neighbor by "keeping the holy day", that is, by providing times and days of rest. Luther then argues that it is sensible that we would, on the day we regularly come together for worship is also occasion for rest from our labors. So that the commandment is fulfilled not by legal injunction, but by seeing to it that our neighbors are rested, well fed, and cared for: the employer gives their employees rest from their labor, the master of the house gives servants time of rest for labor, etc.

In this sense, the commandment is fulfilled when workers are given time off to spend with their families, to rest from labor, and the time off to worship God on whatever day we come together for worship. This is in keeping with St. Paul who in Galatians 5:14 writes that the ENTIRETY of the Law is summed up as "Love your neighbor as yourself".

Without concern for our neighbor's bodily, mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being the commandment remains transgressed all the day long. Thus the legalistic use of the commandment merely becomes another form of condemnation--the one who seeks to be righteous before God by the commandment shall be shown condemned by the very same commandment.

-CryptoLutheran

It is the rest promised to Noah, the covenant made with all the earth. John's baptism a figure of the death and resurrection in Christ.

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

1Pe 3:21 The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

As the waters of Noah.........
Is 54:6 For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
7 For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.
8 In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.
9 For this is as the waters of Noah unto me: for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
10 For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.