Lesson 402

(Lesson 402)(09-21-12) Acts 21:15-25, "And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge. And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James; and all the elders were present. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law: And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is it therefore? the multitude must needs come together: for they will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to thee: We have four men which have a vow on them; Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication."

The first portion of this lesson tells us of Paul's welcome to Jerusalem, and demonstrates the happiness among the disciples at the results of his ministry in Asia.
The second part of this lesson is a little confusing and demonstrates how torn the early Church really was.

Close attention should be paid to what is said to Paul after those present had celebrated his work. They said, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law", meaning that they still considered themselves bound to the letter of the Law of Moses, including ALL of its ceremonial behavior even after claiming to have accepted Christ as fulfilling the old law and establishing the new law of faith.

These disciples had just admitted that they already allowed the Jewish element of the early Church to dictate that parts of the Law of Moses be imposed on the Gentiles. As we well know, the Law of Moses is what our savior came to fulfill, so that we would have a means by which we, along with a small contingent of believing Jews, could inherit eternal life. The new law was actually given to the Gentiles because the Jews had already rejected it.

The Law of Moses, and Christianity are two separate doctrines and cannot be mixed, as Paul spent much of his ministry trying to explain. One must accept the sacrifice of Christ for remission of sin, or devote oneself wholly to the Law of Moses. God did not provide a means by which both could be practiced.

That rift between Paul and the Jewish element of the early Church created a serious problem, parts of which still linger today. The evangelists had already relented and allowed some elements of the law to be placed on the Gentiles by the Jewish dominated elders at Jerusalem, "save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication." And now, the Jews were demanding that the Gentiles be subjected to the entire law, effectively eliminating the need for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ altogether.

As we will learn, Paul fought against this Jewish domination of the Church for his entire ministry. He did, for the true believers, establish that there are no requirements within the doctrine of our Lord Jesus Christ that demands that we obey ANY of the requirements of the Law of Moses.
There will be more on this as we continue these lessons.~