Filtering through the situation and belief of circumcision! Acts 15:3-6

Good morning all. God is good all the time, all the time God is good.  TOO BLESSED TO BE STRESSED!!!  Today, take time to thank God for all you have been given from past to present to future.  God likes to hear from you!

   Well, Paul and Barnabas are on their way to Jerusalem where a controversy is brewing.  The controversy of circumcision of the Gentiles who accept Jesus Christ as LORD and Saviour.  On the way they share the good news of Gentiles being saved and people are jubilant of hearing this great news.

3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad  

    Upon arriving in Jerusalem the church was certainly happy to see them and brought them in.  Here P & B told of all that God had done through them.  Notice, they did not take the credit, but gave God the glory as we are to do also.  It was a great trip!

4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.  

     It seems that in every group there are always dissenters, people who believe contrary to what is right, and they stir up dissension among the ranks.  Well, here come the Pharisees, who grew up under the law of Moses and were reluctant to believe totally that Jesus Christ fulfilled the law and we are saved by grace.  There just had to be some works in here somewhere.  You can't be saved unless you are circumcised as was the covenant with God and Abraham.  Their eyes were blurred by the law. 

5 Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.”  

    Here was a matter to be settled.  This was to be a church decision between the apostles and elders.  Now, if they reverted back to the law of circumcision what would this do to the Christian movement?  The wrong decision at this point would have thrown the church back under Jewish bondage to the law and would have stalled the expansion of the church as designed by her LORD.  This now is a crucial time for the apostles and elders. Tomorrow we will see what happened and listen as Peter speaks concerning the decision.  You can see this in today's churches with the different "ritualistic" beliefs.  It should all be about Jesus Christ, not tongues, dancing, musical instruments, playing cards, wearing certain clothing, and we could go on and on.  IT IS ABOUT JESUS CHRIST!!!!

  6 The apostles and elders met to consider this question.

Thank you for reading. Love you all.

  

In Christ's Love and Grace

Johnny