Today's Scripture Reading (January 30, 2021): Acts 15
Plato
argued that we should "be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder
battle." We have tempered his words in our social media world by saying
that they might be fighting a harder battle. But Plato doesn't offer us that
possibility; he says that everyone is fighting a harder battle. And they are
because it is their battle. Their struggle might not even be hard for you to
overcome, but you aren't the one going through the trial; they are. And
therefore, they are fighting the more challenging battle.
As
the elders contemplate changes to what is essential to be a Christian, there is
no question that the real issue here is the dual Jewish laws of mandatory circumcision
for males and specific dietary rules that applied to everyone. And for the
Jews, this was easy. Circumcision was something that was done to children when
they were eight days old. And the food laws were part of the natural order that,
once learned, were easy to follow. For the Jews, and for those who believed
that new converts to the Christian Faith had to become Jews, this was not hard.
But
for the Gentiles, it was a very different story. Circumcision was not only hard
for the Gentiles; it was offensive. Part of the problem was that athletes who
participated in the games did so in the nude. While we might think that if you
are going to perform naked, that modesty must not be an issue, the reality was
that for the Gentiles, the question of modesty became an issue if the man was
circumcised. A circumcised male could not compete in sporting contests, or be
naked in the baths, and remain modest. It was impossible.
One
of the complaints about the Christian Church is that it is really Paulianity
because most of the New Testament doctrine was written by Paul. But Paul was
not the leading figure of the church at this point. The apostles had led the
church in the days immediately following the crucifixion, resurrection, and
ascension of Jesus, but not even they were in control here. The baton had been
passed to James, the brother of Jesus, who seems to be heading the church in Jerusalem,
which was the church's heart worldwide. On the testimony of Peter and now Paul,
James had decided that the Jews should not make it difficult on the Gentiles
who were turning to God. James's message was clear; let's decide on what is
essential and hold to that. Let's find the things about which we can let go.
It
is the eternal job of the church. In our missionary efforts, both overseas and
in our neighborhoods, we need to understand what is essential and what can be held
loosely. For the early church, circumcision and the dietary laws could be held
loosely. These restrictions might be necessary to Judaism, but they were a
barrier to the Gentile believers; and James, on behalf of a Jewish church,
decided that these barriers to Christianity just didn't need to be there.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Acts 16
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