The First Jerusalem Council
Acts
chapter 15 is an account of the first serious clash between the gospel
for the circumcised (the pre-cross gospel) and the gospel for the
uncircumcised (the post-cross gospel). A reading of the whole chapter is
recommended to gain an understanding authenticity for this post.
Some Bible theologians call this the "First Jerusalem Council". The final decision of the
Some Bible theologians call this the "First Jerusalem Council". The final decision of the
council also gives us the clearest insight into the real freedom that
the Gospel of Grace provides post-cross believers (Christ's Church).
Note that this council was called to decide if the Gentile Believers are
required to keep the Mosaic Law in addition to faith in Christ.
Also notice that the people challenging the Gentile Believer's non-adherence to law keeping were "believing" Pharisees, the religious elite of the day. These Pharisees were believers in Christ, yet they obviously received salvation with the understanding that keeping the Law was normal and required. The gospel these Pharisees received DID NOT recognize that Christ was the fulfillment of the law, and disregarding the fact that one of the major tenants of he gospel of grace (gospel of the uncircumcised) is that the Mosaic Law is neither binding nor necessary for the gaining or maintaining salvation of the post-cross believer.
This omission of the law from the requirements of the gospel was one of Paul's core teachings. Herein lies the major difference between the pre-cross gospel for the circumcised (Israel) and the post-cross grace gospel for the uncircumcised (the Gentile Believers). One observes the Mosaic Law, which is natural for the Jews (Israel) and the other (largely consisting of Gentile Believers) is NOT required to observe the Mosaic Law.
The post-cross Testament covers BOTH these positions, yet only Paul's position is valid for the post-cross Believer. Almost without exception religion recklessly mix these two gospels by failing to "rightly divide" (interpret) the scriptures.
This I believe, is the source of what Paul calls "a perverted gospel" that within the religious culture is practiced in epidemic proportions.
It is not the "disclosure" of the traditional rule keeping, institutionalized influenced interpretations based on an accepted institutional belief system that some institutionalized, deception-ized believers accept as the gospel that Paul was referring to as "you have so readily turned away from. Paul states that it is the turning from the freedom of Gospel of Grace given to Him by Jesus, to the bondage of working to gain God's favor. The "perverted gospel" is not the Gospel of Grace, as some law keepers claim, but the turning back to the dependence on the self-works gospel of the pre-cross era.
The returning to this perverted gospel is "like a dog returning to his own vomit" that Paul warns us about as, "those who are drifting about with every wind of doctrine in Eph. 4:14" and those who would pervert the Gospel with another gospel in Gal. 1:7-9."
Paul even states that the "another gospel" is not really "another gospel! It is the pre-cross system that has been carried over into the post-cross reality of the grace gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Also notice that the people challenging the Gentile Believer's non-adherence to law keeping were "believing" Pharisees, the religious elite of the day. These Pharisees were believers in Christ, yet they obviously received salvation with the understanding that keeping the Law was normal and required. The gospel these Pharisees received DID NOT recognize that Christ was the fulfillment of the law, and disregarding the fact that one of the major tenants of he gospel of grace (gospel of the uncircumcised) is that the Mosaic Law is neither binding nor necessary for the gaining or maintaining salvation of the post-cross believer.
This omission of the law from the requirements of the gospel was one of Paul's core teachings. Herein lies the major difference between the pre-cross gospel for the circumcised (Israel) and the post-cross grace gospel for the uncircumcised (the Gentile Believers). One observes the Mosaic Law, which is natural for the Jews (Israel) and the other (largely consisting of Gentile Believers) is NOT required to observe the Mosaic Law.
The post-cross Testament covers BOTH these positions, yet only Paul's position is valid for the post-cross Believer. Almost without exception religion recklessly mix these two gospels by failing to "rightly divide" (interpret) the scriptures.
This I believe, is the source of what Paul calls "a perverted gospel" that within the religious culture is practiced in epidemic proportions.
It is not the "disclosure" of the traditional rule keeping, institutionalized influenced interpretations based on an accepted institutional belief system that some institutionalized, deception-ized believers accept as the gospel that Paul was referring to as "you have so readily turned away from. Paul states that it is the turning from the freedom of Gospel of Grace given to Him by Jesus, to the bondage of working to gain God's favor. The "perverted gospel" is not the Gospel of Grace, as some law keepers claim, but the turning back to the dependence on the self-works gospel of the pre-cross era.
The returning to this perverted gospel is "like a dog returning to his own vomit" that Paul warns us about as, "those who are drifting about with every wind of doctrine in Eph. 4:14" and those who would pervert the Gospel with another gospel in Gal. 1:7-9."
Paul even states that the "another gospel" is not really "another gospel! It is the pre-cross system that has been carried over into the post-cross reality of the grace gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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