I think it's been said repeatedly. The four "rules" given were what they HAD to do in order to be granted entry into synagogues.
This is not true, Kay. Somebody has misled you on this point. Gentiles already had access to the synagogues before they ever heard of Jesus Christ. If you would like me to establish this point for you, I will. Just ask. I am assuming that this was an oversight on your part, where you were perhaps just repeating something that someone else told you.
Kay wrote:
Moses being read in the synagogues was very important, Judy. Moses was being and taught in the synagogues (same as today) and slowly, the people would HEAR (shema) and LISTEN, and OBEY. They were babes and couldn't handle a ton of rules on conduct and holiness before God. They needed to be spoon-fed slowly. Same as people today. Not much has changed.
Wait a minute, Kay. I think you are missing the whole point of the Acts 15 council. Read carefully what Peter said at that council:
Acts 15:10
(10) Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
Do you see it? "... which neither our fathers NOR WE were able to bear." I simply cannot see how you can read into this the idea of "spoon-feeding" being their concern. From my perspective, these are liberal Jews who came to realize that the letter of the law is not where it is at. They embraced Gentiles, unlike their conservative counterparts, realizing from prophecy that God had chosen a different way of making a people unto him. Furthermore, they realized that their own salvation was not through the law, but through grace.
Acts 15:11
(11) But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
In regards to Acts 15:21 ("For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath day."), this is a way of saying that the churches need not duplicate the efforts of Judaism in teaching Moses and the law. There were already plenty of synagogues (an estimated 300 to 400 synagogues in Jerusalem alone at this time) where those interested in the law can learn and study the law. Furthermore, if anyone wanted to convert to Judaism and be observant, the structure already existed for doing this. Please note that this comment was made in the council meeting by James, but not included in the letters sent out. There was no mention of how they needed to wait for maturity before they could handle the law. There was no mention that they needed to be spoon-fed for awhile because they were babes. The question was whether or not Gentile believers needed to take up the law and be observant of the commandments of Moses in order to be saved. The answer was no, the Gentiles did not need to observe the commandments of Torah. This was a monumentally liberal perspective for its time and we should not cheapen its import by surmising ideas of spoon-feeding the Gentiles until they were mature enough to handle the tough Torah laws! :-)
Peace be with you.
David Miller.
---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org
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