https://christopherenoch.org/taking-pauls-letters-in-context-paul-and-the-nazarite-vow/ First Century Christianity in Every Church in the World Tue, 09 Jan 2018 19:09:45 +0000 hourly 1 https://christopherenoch.org/taking-pauls-letters-in-context-paul-and-the-nazarite-vow/#comment-851 Wed, 25 Oct 2017 18:03:20 +0000 http://christopherenoch.org/?p=525#comment-851 You are correct that Acts 21:21 speaks of the Jews only. However, as you read on, in verse 25, the Gentiles are also mentioned, saying “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.”
So then, in Acts 21:25, the apostles bring down specific laws that Gentiles are required to keep.
As a side note, if the Gentile Churches today actually followed these laws, how much better would the world be! – seeing that today Christians have many idols, eat what they want, and sleep around because they believe they are “under grace”, and not the law.
Getting back to what you said – yes, Acts 15 is primarily about circumcision.
My point is that in Acts 15, the apostles lay down a law on the Gentiles. They name several things they demand of the Gentile converts. How did they come up with them? I don’t think they just spun a wheel, or pulled them out of a hat. A proper understanding of Jewish culture and history shows that these laws are more-or-less what modern Jews call “The Noahide Laws”. The key here is to understand the beliefs, customs, and culture of the Jews.
Taking all things in context(culture), the purpose of the Noahide Law structure is to be the first step in the door of Torah observance. The Noahide Laws serve as an initial step, just to get your foot in the door, until you learn more about God, and His ways. Even today, in many Jewish circles, the Noahide laws are the initial stage for Gentiles in Torah observance. It is important to note that it is not the be-all-end-all of Torah observance. It is just “Stage 1”. So then, the Gentiles are charged with the Noahide Laws, as an “introductory rate” to the Torah. God doesn’t expect any more from them – at least until they learn more. That is the true context, and understanding here.
Finally, your use of the term “under the law” in concerning. A few years ago I did a public lecture on this term. There is much to be said. More than I can write here.
However, to give you a little food for thought: During my lecture I asked if anyone in attendance was “under the weather”. No one raised their hands.
Does that mean that no one in the room was subject to the weather? Does that mean that the sun doesn’t shine on anybody? Or the rain never falls on anybody? Does that mean everyone lived in space?
I’m sure you know that it means that no one in the room was experiencing the negative effects of the weather. Simply stated, no one was sick.
Paul, being a self proclaimed Pharisee ALL his life, a Jew, wrote his letters from that perspective. In order to understand his letters properly, we must understand Jewish doctrine, culture, and history. Having said that, the term “under the law” carried a very similar meaning as our modern term “under the weather”.
Simply stated, it just means, experiencing negative effects from the law. And how would anyone experience negative effects of the law? If they were in violation of it, of course. So then, it all comes down to repentance. God doesn’t command anyone to do something that is too hard to do. He is not an unreasonable tyrant. He even said at the end of the Torah that it is not too difficult to obey. Most Christians today will tell you the opposite. They will tell you that it is impossible to obey God’s law. Of course, they are dead wrong.
To make it even more clear: If you drive legally, obeying the law, then you are not “under the law”. But if you drive like a maniac, get caught for speeding and they drag you to court, then you are “under the law”.

]]> https://christopherenoch.org/taking-pauls-letters-in-context-paul-and-the-nazarite-vow/#comment-850 Sat, 14 Oct 2017 22:28:49 +0000 http://christopherenoch.org/?p=525#comment-850 Greetings Christopher! I have read and reread this article but I am having a hard time with some things you mention. How does it follow that because James and the other elders of the Messianic assembly in Jerusalem require Paul to sponsor 4 men in a Nazarite vow and he himself participate in said vow that Paul repented or “Paul realized that people didn’t understand it properly, thus he changed his approach?” Acts 21:21 clearly states that a rumor had been spread that Paul “teach(es) all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses (Torah) telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to our customs.” How does one make the leap from Paul being asked to prove that he never forsook the Torah and disprove the lie about him teaching Jews to not observe the Torah to Paul realizing that Jews and Gentile God-fearers should all obey the Torah? To suggest that because there is a change in tone or “content” of Paul’s post-Acts letters implies that Paul recanted his “previous position on Torah observance regarding Gentiles” is tantamount to the church of Christ claiming that the use of instruments in worship is wrong because the New Testament is silent on the issue in the gospels and epistles and therefore condemned through omission. You ask, “But why this drastic change in Paul’s letters? Why did Paul change his writing style so much after the book of Acts? Could it be that Paul fails to mention previous teachings in later letters because he already established his teaching on those matters in previous letters? Acts 15:1-11 is clearly about one thing, whether salvation comes by circumcision, that is, Gentiles becoming legally Jewish or not. And then in verse 5 of Acts 15, some Pharisees arose and claimed circumcision is not enough but all converts must also observe the entire Torah! So, the matter is discussed at length and Peter stands up and gives a very powerful statement; “Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? 11 But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will.” The issue is salvation and how that salvation is received. Peter agrees with Paul and Barnabus that salvation is not through going “under the law” (context is legal conversion to Jewish status) but through grace. Thank you for your article and thoughts concerning these matters I have raised!

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