seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Acts 15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers. 23 With them they sent the following letter:
The apostles and elders, your brothers,
To the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia:
Greetings.
24 We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25 So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul— 26 men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28 It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.
Farewell.
30 So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31 The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32 Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers. 33 After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them. 35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.
Yesterday we read that the Jewish Christians [Messianic Jews] wanted the Gentiles to be circumcised. As expected, it didn't go over well.I didn't mention [well, more like didn't notice] the new character in this chapter. James the Just is the one who was instrumental in getting the dick cutting question answered expeditiously. James the Just is reported to be the half-brother of Jesus. This is not the Apostle James.... who was chosen by Jesus. This is James the Just, just a disciple, who lived with Jesus while He was growing up.
According to the commentary, James the Just, brother of Jude and author of the Book of James, is the one who came up with the "skip the dick cutting" plan. It was James who suggested the letter and its contents. It was James who got all the men to agree. Jews and Gentiles from Greece, Rome, and Jerusalem all agreed to the plan. Now that, my friends, is what I would call a minor miracle in itself.
Instead of requiring circumcision, the men agreed to warn the Gentiles about "cleanliness". That's why they wrote the warning in verse 29.
Acts 15:29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.
This was a compromise. Abstinence in this case would not keep you from Salvation. It would just make the "church" happy.
I told you before, and I'm telling you now in case it's still there. I attended a meeting at a "church" in Prince Frederick, MD. The female preacher wanted to make a major change to the mission of "her" church. The church was in trouble financially and she needed to increase the membership. There was one message in the Bible that gave her heartburn and she wanted to make things easier for the membership committee.
She wanted to do away with one verse in Bible. She wanted to get rid of this verse.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
She didn't want any dick clipping.... she just didn't want to preach that Jesus is the "only" way to Salvation.Some compromise was necessary, but too much compromise can take Christ out of Christmas.
I guess no matter how I read it, this is a letter about bloody meat.
