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1
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2
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- νόμος – nomos
- όσία – osia
- δικαιοσύνης –
dikaiosune
- άδικία – adikia
- πίστειs – pistis
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3
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- νόμος – nomos; to parcel out, prescriptive
usage “law”
- from nemo to parcel out especially of food to animals
- Not a sacred word
- Man’s law, law man must uphold
- What law would we be talking about in the NT?
- When used by Paul means Torah!
When we read the word law in NT we should replace it with
Torah.
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4
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- όσία – osia – divine law
- sacred word
- not found in NT
- Means laws gods must uphold
- Problem with this?
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5
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- δικαιοσύνης –
dikaiosune; equity (of character or act) (highest complement in
classical Greek, moderate in all things) – translated righteousness,
- from dikaios – equitable (every thing in moderation) – highest
complement in Greek
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6
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- άδικία – adikia; the act of injustice –
translated unrighteousness, wrong, unjust
- from adikos – a (negative) and dike (right) from (deiknuo (to show))
- adikia (ad-ee-kee'-ah); from 94; (legal) injustice (properly, the
quality, by implication, the act); morally, wrongfulness (of
character, life or act): KJV-- iniquity, unjust, unrighteousness,
wrong.
- 94 adikos (ad'-ee-kos); from 1
(as a negative particle) and 1349; unjust; by extension wicked; by
implication, treacherous; specially, heathen: KJV-- unjust,
unrighteous.
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7
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- πίστειs – pistis; persuasion, credence;
moral conviction – translated: faith, belief, assurance, fidelity
- sacred word
- moral conviction (of religious truth, god, religious teacher)
religious conviction
- From peitho – (v) to convince (by argument the tellos of Greek
writing)
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8
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- 1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was
known as the Italian Regiment.
- 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously
to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
- God-fearer – (Jewish rabbinic technical term) Gentiles who have taken
every step in Jewish conversion up to circumcision
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9
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- God-fearer – everything except circumcision
- Big deal in the ancient world
- Public nudity was not a big deal
- Clothing tended to be for
- Ornament
- Protection
- Position
- Not modesty
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10
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- Modesty a modern invention
- Nudity a big deal in terms of circumcision
- Gathering communally at the bathes big deal in Greek/Roman society
- Immediately cut off from social structure if circumcised—God’s point in
OT period
- God-fearer
- Meant Cornelius and family kept Torah law
- “Yoked” to the Torah
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11
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- 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly
saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
- 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he
asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have
come up as a memorial offering before God.
- 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called
Peter.
- 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."
- Note a little issue with the angel’s words? “Do not be afraid”
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12
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- 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his
servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
- 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
- Joppa – one of the two sea ports for all of Palestine the other being
Tyre (what happened to Tyre?) New port was Caesarea.
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13
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14
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- 9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and
approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.
- 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was
being prepared, he fell into a trance.
- 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down
to earth by its four corners.
- 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of
the earth and birds of the air.
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15
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- 13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
- 14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten
anything impure or unclean."
- 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything
impure that God has made clean."
- 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back
to heaven.
- What is clean?
- Chart of law.
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16
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17
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- So the event that happened here directly related to the “laws of
cleanliness” from the OT
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18
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- 17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men
sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the
gate.
- 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying
there.
- 19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to
him, "Simon, three men are looking for you.
- 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I
have sent them."
- 21 Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking
for. Why have you come?"
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19
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- 22 The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He
is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish
people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he
could hear what you have to say."
- 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests. The next
day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa
went along.
- 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting
them and had called together his relatives and close friends.
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20
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21
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- 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in
reverence.
- 26 But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am
only a man myself."
- 27 Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of
people.
- 28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law
for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me
that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
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22
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- 28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law
for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me
that I should not call any man impure or unclean.
- Peter’s statement not correct according to Torah—correct if you are a
Pharisee, Essene or Zealot.
- Jewish Law does not prevent a Jew to associate, visit, or eat with any
Gentile.
- No law proscribes a Jew from associating, visiting, or eating with any
Gentile.
- Peter was wrong about forsaking Christ—he was equally wrong about the
Law of God
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23
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- Exod 12:48-49
- 48 "An alien living among you who wants to celebrate the LORD's
Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he
may take part like one born in the land. No uncircumcised male may eat
of it.
- 49 The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among
you."
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24
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- Exod 12:49
- 49 The same law applies to the native-born and to the alien living among
you."
- Exod 20:10
- 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you
shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your
manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your
gates.
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25
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- Exod 22:21
- 21 "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in
Egypt.
- Exod 23:9
- 9 "Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be
aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.
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26
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- Exod 23:12
- 12 "Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so
that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your
household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.
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27
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- Lev 16:29
- 29 "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of
the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work-- whether
native-born or an alien living among you--
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28
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- Lev 17:8-10
- 8 "Say to them: 'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who
offers a burnt offering or sacrifice
- 9 and does not bring it to the entrance to the Tent of Meeting to
sacrifice it to the LORD-- that man must be cut off from his people.
- 10 "'Any Israelite or any alien living among them who eats any
blood-- I will set my face against that person who eats blood and will
cut him off from his people.
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29
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- Lev 17:12
- 12 Therefore I say to the Israelites, "None of you may eat blood,
nor may an alien living among you eat blood."
- Lev 17:15
- 15 "'Anyone, whether native-born or alien, who eats anything found
dead or torn by wild animals must wash his clothes and bathe with water,
and he will be ceremonially unclean till evening; then he will be clean.
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30
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- Lev 19:10
- 10 Do not go over your vineyard a second time or pick up the grapes that
have fallen. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your
God.
- Lev 19:33-34
- 33 "'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat
him.
- 34 The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born.
Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your
God.
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31
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- Lev 22:18-19
- 18 "Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say
to them: 'If any of you-- either an Israelite or an alien living in
Israel-- presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to
fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering,
- 19 you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep or
goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf.
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32
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- Lev 23:22
- 22 "'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the
very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave
them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.'"
- Lev 24:22
- 22 You are to have the same law for the alien and the native-born. I am
the LORD your God.'"
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33
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- Lev 25:35
- 35 "'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to
support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary
resident, so he can continue to live among you.
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34
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- Deut 1:16
- 16 And I charged your judges at that time: Hear the disputes between
your brothers and judge fairly, whether the case is between brother
Israelites or between one of them and an alien.
- Deut 10:18
- 18 He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the
alien, giving him food and clothing.
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35
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- 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I
ask why you sent for me?"
- 30 Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at
this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes
stood before me
- 31 and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your
gifts to the poor.
- 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the
home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.'
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36
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- 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we
are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has
commanded you to tell us."
- 34 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that
God does not show favoritism
- 35 but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.
- 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the
good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.
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37
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- 37 You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee
after the baptism that John preached--
- 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power,
and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the
power of the devil, because God was with him.
- 39 "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the
Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree,
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38
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- 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to
be seen.
- 41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had
already chosen-- by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the
dead.
- 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the
one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead.
- 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
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39
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- 44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on
all who heard the message.
- 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished
that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the
Gentiles.
- 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues <glossa> and praising
God. Then Peter said,
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40
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- 47 "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water?
They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."
- 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then
they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
- We haven’t studied covenant—whole other class
- The previous indicator of covenant was – circumcision for men
(Abrahamic covenant)
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41
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- New indicator is baptism
- What is baptism?
- Mikvah (or mikveh) (Hebrew: מִקְוָה)
- "ritual bath" used for immersion in a purification ceremony
within Judaism
- main use now by Jewish women to achieve ritual purity after menstruation
or childbirth
- Immersion in a mikvah is also required during a traditional conversion
to Judaism and in some cases for pots and pans.
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42
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- 1 Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the
brothers: "Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom
taught by Moses, you cannot be saved."
- 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with
them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other
believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about
this question.
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43
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- 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through
Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted.
This news made all the brothers very glad.
- 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the
apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done
through them.
- 5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees
stood up and said, "The Gentiles must be circumcised and required
to obey the law of Moses."
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44
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- Note they are still Pharisees
- Saul was a Pharisee and never said he gave it up
- 6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.
- 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them:
"Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you
that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and
believe.
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45
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- 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the
Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us.
- 9 He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their
hearts by faith.
- 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the
disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear?
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46
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- 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are
saved, just as they are."
- 12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and
Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among
the Gentiles through them.
- 13 When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me.
- 14 Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by
taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.
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47
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- 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is
written:
- 16 "'After this I will return and rebuild David's fallen tent. Its
ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,
- 17 that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who
bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things'
- 18 that have been known for ages.
- 19 "It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it
difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.
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48
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- 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food
polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled
animals and from blood <shorthand for Noahic Covenant>.
- 21 For Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and
is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath."
- v.20 Rabbinic context – Genesis 9
- Jewish view is that the Gentiles are justified through upholding the
Noahic covenant
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49
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- "1And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be
fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. 2And the fear of you
and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon
every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all
the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. 3Every moving
thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I
given you all things. 4But flesh with the life thereof, which is the
blood thereof, shall ye not eat. 5And surely your blood of your lives
will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the
hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life
of man. 6Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for
in the image of God made he man. 7And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply;
bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein."
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50
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- Made between God and Noah and his sons
- Righteousness by faith and action, with the acceptance of Noah and his
generations to perform the will of God and keep the Noahide commands
- Relationship is what must I do to show my faith and obey God
- “Blessing" Noah and his sons
- Noah and his sons and all generations will be blessed by keeping this
covenant
- True worshipers of God, from all generations forward keepers of this
covenant.
- No other covenants with false gods.
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51
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- God reestablishes the marriage laws of "being fruitful and
replenishing the earth“
- Within this COMMANDMENT, responsiblity to live a life of sanctity
apart from adultery as well as to have children
- Called the commandment to abstain from "pronea" (translated
"fornication" ) in Acts 15:20
- Including the "adultery" commandment within this covenant the
Jews have always understood with the scholars that the implied,
"thou shalt not covet" and "thou shalt not steal"
are contained within the commandment
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52
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- Verse 3, God says "EVERY MOVING THING SHALL BE MEAT FOR YOU”
- Contrast with Torah,
- Laws of cleanliness
- Dietary laws
- Verse 4, God COMMANDS that the blood of the animal should not be
food. This is also stated in Acts 15:20 as "abstaining from
blood"
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53
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- In 2:24 the institution of the family established
- Verses 5 and 6, initiate second divinely established institution—civil
government
- In Acts, God establishes “the church”--ekklesia
- God has invested in mankind the right to govern itself
- Those set in authority over us are to be a terror to evil works (Rom
13:3)
- Those who disobey the God-ordained powers of human government are
liable for punishment because "the minister of God beareth not the
sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute
wrath upon him that doeth evil" (Rom 13:4).
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54
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- One of the statutes of the government "a sword" that is not
borne in vain is found in 9:6. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall
his blood be shed. This divinely established statute of capital
punishment is nowhere abrogated in Scripture and is as valid today as it
was in the days of Noah.
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55
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- "Homicide (in a sense is always fratricide, v. 5) demands
punishment that matches crime. Justification for capital punishment is
the nobility of human life, made in the image of God"
- Not instituted as deterrent for crime, but as reminder of the
uniqueness of man, created in the image of God
- 4th time, God commands, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring
forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein.
- Verse 6 is COMMANDMENT to not murder, actually part of the commandment
to abstain from blood
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56
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- Commandments from Genesis 9, God gave to Noah—called, "THE
NOAHIDE LAWS“ -- Rabbis
- Commandments missing this list, missing in the New Testament?
- Commandments missing in this list that is missing in from Acts 15?
- What commandments does Paul fail to tell the Gentiles to Keep?
- What Commandments does Christ fail to command the Gentiles to keep?
- What commandment does Peter and all the Apostles fail to tell the
Gentiles to Keep?
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57
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- ANSWER: THE SABBATH!
- Why these exact commandments are repeated in Acts 15
- Sect of the Pharisees wanted the Gentiles to be "commanded to keep
the Law of Moses" (Acts 15:5)
- FIRST they had to be circumcised—enter the Mosaic covenant
- Absolutely not, say the Apostles
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58
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- So if there are commandments that apply to the world at large
--Gentiles, are there more or is that it?
- According to the rabbis, in the Noahic Covenant are a total of seven
- These correspond closely to the ten words (Synopsis) given by God's own
voice at the mount in the wilderness
- The seven laws of Noah are as follows; (Talmud Sanh.56a)
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59
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60
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- Only commandments not directly addressed are;
- (#4) Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy
- (#5) Honor your Father and Mother
- 10 commandments widely accepted by the church community at large and
properly so, as the laws of Noah are contained herein. The only
ordinances given to Noah not specified in the ten commandments is the
eating of blood and limbs torn from live animals.
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61
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- The blood was covered by the apostles in Acts 21:25 "As touching
the Gentiles which believe, we have written and concluded that they
observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from (#3)
things offered to idols, and from blood *, and (#7) from strangled, and
from (#4) fornication. "
- Rabbinic context
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62
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- Eating meat sacrificed to other gods
- End of the sacrificial system
- Can we infer from this they meant the Temple worship too?
- Breaking of the First three commandments
- Can’t eat meat—all meat was sacrificed to other gods in the pagan world
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63
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- Sexual immorality
- Sexual laws are wrapped up in declarations of Torah and in the Jewish
culture
- Acknowledgement of this; specifies a generic prohibition that most of
the Greek world would understand – sex out side of marriage (man and
woman) was prohibited
- Interesting Greek world understood sexually immorality without having
it spelled out—
- Just because they did it didn’t mean they thought it was right
- note lack of sexuality in mystery religions
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64
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- Meat with blood/strangled animals goes back to the Mishna and Torah
practice
- Kosher meats
- Prevents eating meat sacrificed to other gods
- Issue of meat in the ancient world
- No butchers—except Israel
- Only meat was meat sacrificed to idols
- Euphemistically relates to murder
- Rabbinic context
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65
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- Finally, expected each convert to go to the Synagogue every Shabbat
- Question is are these cultural or required of all Gentile members of
“The Way?”
- Noahic covenant is required of Gentile members of “The Way”
- Mosaic covenant is required of Jewish members of “The Way”
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66
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- 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, two men who
were leaders among the brothers.
- 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.
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67
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- 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.
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68
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- 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 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.
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69
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- Jewish Christians all continued in the Temple and Torah worship
- Gentiles were brought into the picture
- Required to adhere to the Noahic covenant
- Assumption of training in the synagogue
- Assumption of temple worship?
- What was the worship of the Gentile Christians?
- No other delineations between Gentile and Jewish members of “The Way”
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70
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- Saul
- Acts 9:1-31, 22:21-22, 26:9-24
- Who was he really?
- What was the thorn in the flesh?
- What did he really do?
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Notes