Thursday, May 3, 2012

While Paul and Barnabas were at Antioch of Syria, some men from Judea arrived and began to teach the believers: “Unless you are circumcised as required by the law of Moses, you cannot be saved.” (Acts 15:1)

Honestly, this issue is very understandable. You have Jews who thought Jesus as the Messiah was simply an extension of Judaism. They assumed that in order to be a follower of Jesus you had to be a Jew. It made perfect sense to them...you had to be Jewish before you could be Christian.

But all these Gentiles are becoming believers. Gentiles who are saying that they have found forgiveness for their sins and are experiencing a right relationship with God because of their faith in Jesus. And the Jewish believers are saying..."Wait a minute...you have to clean up your life before you can be a church person!"

The Gentiles are being told they have other rules to follow. They’re being told they aren’t Christians until they jump through some hoops. You have to talk a certain way and dress a certain way and be a certain way...otherwise, you can’t be a part of the Church.

This still affects the Church today. It’s the very thing that some experienced as they grew up in Church. It’s the very issue that some struggle with now as they come to Church. It's why some people dropped out of Chruch. It’s why some believe in God, but don’t like the Church. It’s why people say they are spiritual, but don’t need the Church.

It’s the very same issue that was the original controversy in the 1st Century Church...
How good do you have to be to go to Church?


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excerpt from "CHURCH: the big idea"--part 28          free download at pathwayonline.org