Understanding Acts 15:23-29 (The Four Prohibitions)
Many members are asking the Messianic believers about Acts 15, whether this defines the responsibility of the Gentiles. If that were the case, if Gentiles only needed to obey these four prohibitions, this is what you are actually suggesting, is that this texts gives Gentiles a "ticket to sin" breaking the commandments of God that are not prohibited here! You are suggesting that a Gentile can do the following:
Take God's name in vain
Dishonor their parents
Kill
Covet
Lie
Slander
Steal
Cross-Dress
also,
There is no command to worship
No Command to assemble on Sunday
No command to pray
No command to take "Communion"
No command to provide financially for the assembly
No command to give TITHES or offerings
No command to take care of widows, orphans and fatherless
No command to provide hospitality
No command to preach
No command to baptize
None of you would agree with this, therefore it is obvious that the four prohibitions listed here were just the first steps to bring them into the messianic fellowship to begin learning the ways of the Lord. In like manner if you were witnessing to a street walker who wanted to come to your church, you would undoubtedly give her some "basic instructions" regarding how she is to dress in your assembly as not to be a distraction to others.
~~~~~~~~~
Understanding Acts 15:23-29 (The Four Prohibitions)
Much of Acts 15, is best understood in context. It is not a maximum list of prohibitions for believers from the nations, but rather is a minimum list with which converts to Judaism need to start with in order to participate in any Jewish community. (The Apostles were and Jesus was JEWISH.
They never called themselves Christians.)
The reasoning of Acts 15:21 is given right before the list, when it states:
“For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
That “for” is explaining the reasoning behind only the four prohibitions. In short - and I will go into detail in this later - it was expected that formerly pagan converts needed to do something with which to be able to participate in the community of Israel. This minimum list was all that was needed to be placed upon the new believers from the nations at the start of their “turning” to the Messiah, “for” or “because” it was expected that once they were in the door, they would hear “Moses …preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” In other words, it was expected that no further burden was necessary to be placed upon newly believing converts from the nations in order to begin integrating them into Jewish community. This was the answer to the charge that the believers from the nations needed to be “circumcised” ie go through the ritual of Jewish conversion before participating in “Moses.”
In short conclusion, the believers from the nations were expected to learn and do “Moses” because they were to be recognized, at least in Messianic communities, as fully co-equal participants and citizens of Israel and the Torah, with no initial entry cost or behavioral burden other than four immediate requirements which were all a direct response to their former life as idol-worshiping pagans and the practices associated with a pagan lifestyle. All four prohibitions are solidly rooted in clear Torah commandments, and engaging in such activities is contrary to Jewish community participation requirements. The expectation was that the converts would learn “Moses,” implying that there was a lot more to be done by a new believer from the nations than just these four prohibitions (After all, “love God” and “don’t murder” aren’t listed as one of the four, but certainly everyone agrees that at least new believers are expected to observe such). By going to the synagogues to learn “Moses,” the new believer was free to integrate more into the community and engage in a change of lifestyle - just as many do to this very day. After all, one doesn’t become 100% Torah observant overnight - especially if it’s something totally foreign to them.
God shows us mercy as we are “being transformed into (Messiah’s) likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). An oak tree does not sprout overnight. Neither can we expect those foreign to a Torah lifestyle to immediately pick up what many (including ourselves) have taken years to learn and apply to our lives. The Jerusalem Council recognized this, and this is what seemed agreeable also to the Spirit of God, who extended them the same mercy when the new believers from the nations were given the Spirit of God by the evidence of the Spirit upon them. This proof was recalled in the deliberations in Acts 15, along with scriptural texts proving that this was not an unknown concept to the scriptures.
Below is an article published by Jeisyn Murphy, Ph.D. of Beit Shalom Messianic Congregation in Austin, Texas, USA that further explains in detail Acts 15:23-29 and its reasons:
Take God's name in vain
Dishonor their parents
Kill
Covet
Lie
Slander
Steal
Cross-Dress
also,
There is no command to worship
No Command to assemble on Sunday
No command to pray
No command to take "Communion"
No command to provide financially for the assembly
No command to give TITHES or offerings
No command to take care of widows, orphans and fatherless
No command to provide hospitality
No command to preach
No command to baptize
None of you would agree with this, therefore it is obvious that the four prohibitions listed here were just the first steps to bring them into the messianic fellowship to begin learning the ways of the Lord. In like manner if you were witnessing to a street walker who wanted to come to your church, you would undoubtedly give her some "basic instructions" regarding how she is to dress in your assembly as not to be a distraction to others.
~~~~~~~~~
Understanding Acts 15:23-29 (The Four Prohibitions)
Much of Acts 15, is best understood in context. It is not a maximum list of prohibitions for believers from the nations, but rather is a minimum list with which converts to Judaism need to start with in order to participate in any Jewish community. (The Apostles were and Jesus was JEWISH.
They never called themselves Christians.)
The reasoning of Acts 15:21 is given right before the list, when it states:
“For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.”
That “for” is explaining the reasoning behind only the four prohibitions. In short - and I will go into detail in this later - it was expected that formerly pagan converts needed to do something with which to be able to participate in the community of Israel. This minimum list was all that was needed to be placed upon the new believers from the nations at the start of their “turning” to the Messiah, “for” or “because” it was expected that once they were in the door, they would hear “Moses …preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” In other words, it was expected that no further burden was necessary to be placed upon newly believing converts from the nations in order to begin integrating them into Jewish community. This was the answer to the charge that the believers from the nations needed to be “circumcised” ie go through the ritual of Jewish conversion before participating in “Moses.”
In short conclusion, the believers from the nations were expected to learn and do “Moses” because they were to be recognized, at least in Messianic communities, as fully co-equal participants and citizens of Israel and the Torah, with no initial entry cost or behavioral burden other than four immediate requirements which were all a direct response to their former life as idol-worshiping pagans and the practices associated with a pagan lifestyle. All four prohibitions are solidly rooted in clear Torah commandments, and engaging in such activities is contrary to Jewish community participation requirements. The expectation was that the converts would learn “Moses,” implying that there was a lot more to be done by a new believer from the nations than just these four prohibitions (After all, “love God” and “don’t murder” aren’t listed as one of the four, but certainly everyone agrees that at least new believers are expected to observe such). By going to the synagogues to learn “Moses,” the new believer was free to integrate more into the community and engage in a change of lifestyle - just as many do to this very day. After all, one doesn’t become 100% Torah observant overnight - especially if it’s something totally foreign to them.
God shows us mercy as we are “being transformed into (Messiah’s) likeness with ever-increasing glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). An oak tree does not sprout overnight. Neither can we expect those foreign to a Torah lifestyle to immediately pick up what many (including ourselves) have taken years to learn and apply to our lives. The Jerusalem Council recognized this, and this is what seemed agreeable also to the Spirit of God, who extended them the same mercy when the new believers from the nations were given the Spirit of God by the evidence of the Spirit upon them. This proof was recalled in the deliberations in Acts 15, along with scriptural texts proving that this was not an unknown concept to the scriptures.
Below is an article published by Jeisyn Murphy, Ph.D. of Beit Shalom Messianic Congregation in Austin, Texas, USA that further explains in detail Acts 15:23-29 and its reasons:
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