Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Epicenter 01.20.06
As we prepare to study the Council of Jerusalem which met to deal with the problem of Judaizers telling new Gentile converts that they needed to be circumcised in order to join the community of believers, here is an interesting quote regarding the Council's decision which was -- "Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and [from] fornication, and [from] things strangled, and [from] blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day." (Acts 15:19-21)
Bruce Metzger writes in Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament regarding Acts 15:20:
"The occasion for issuing the Apostolic Decree, it should be observed, was to settle the question whether Gentile converts to Christianity should be required to submit to the rite of circumcision and fulfill other Mosaic statutes. The Council decided that such observance was not required for salvation; at the same time, however, in order to avoid giving unnecessary offense to Jewish Christians (and to Jews contemplating becoming Christians), the Council asked Gentile converts to make certain concessions for prudential reasons, abstaining from those acts that would offend Jewish scruples and hinder social intercourse, including joint participation in the Lord's Supper."
This reminds me of Yung's comment when we were studying the Old Covenant that the 10 commandments were really about forming and maintaining community. Could the Jerusalem Council's decision be about the same thing?
As we get ready to dig into this interesting chapter, here are some questions I would like to consider for this coming weekend:
What are the concessions we would ask a convert to Adventism to make and why are they important?
Are the concessions to become Adventist different from the concessions of becoming a follower of Christ? Why or why not and if so how?
How would these basic concessions compare with the 28 Fundamental Beliefs?
Can one differ on one or more of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs and remain a part of the Adventist Community?
Finally, what question would you like to discuss regarding Acts 15?
If you want to get the conversation going early, or if you cannot attend our class this weekend, post your response here!
Bruce Metzger writes in Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament regarding Acts 15:20:
"The occasion for issuing the Apostolic Decree, it should be observed, was to settle the question whether Gentile converts to Christianity should be required to submit to the rite of circumcision and fulfill other Mosaic statutes. The Council decided that such observance was not required for salvation; at the same time, however, in order to avoid giving unnecessary offense to Jewish Christians (and to Jews contemplating becoming Christians), the Council asked Gentile converts to make certain concessions for prudential reasons, abstaining from those acts that would offend Jewish scruples and hinder social intercourse, including joint participation in the Lord's Supper."
This reminds me of Yung's comment when we were studying the Old Covenant that the 10 commandments were really about forming and maintaining community. Could the Jerusalem Council's decision be about the same thing?
As we get ready to dig into this interesting chapter, here are some questions I would like to consider for this coming weekend:
What are the concessions we would ask a convert to Adventism to make and why are they important?
Are the concessions to become Adventist different from the concessions of becoming a follower of Christ? Why or why not and if so how?
How would these basic concessions compare with the 28 Fundamental Beliefs?
Can one differ on one or more of the 28 Fundamental Beliefs and remain a part of the Adventist Community?
Finally, what question would you like to discuss regarding Acts 15?
If you want to get the conversation going early, or if you cannot attend our class this weekend, post your response here!
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